Healthcare

All healthcare providers are powered by their belief in access to quality care for all. But even as technology brings us closer together, many patients continue to face insurmountable barriers such as high costs and lack of available care.

As we head into 2020, what other challenges face healthcare, and what steps can we take to overcome them? Luckily cultural changes and the continued integration of technology can lay some of the groundwork for transformation.

Over the course of the year, I attended a number of conferences. This year has been no exception. One event, in particular, had a number of senior executives in finance and healthcare in attendance. I was fascinated by the conversations, candid discussions, and learning that happened among peers. One of the most interesting (and frequent) topics of conversation was on background checks for workers.

Healthcare has been trending toward standardized care, but the thought is often met with skepticism and concern regarding “cookbook medicine.” “When care standardization first started in the '90s there was a great deal of resistance,” says Dr. Kate Tulenko, CEO of Corvus Health.

Today’s workforce is more age-diverse than ever before. Age is often the forgotten demographic, but maintaining workforce diversity means hiring multi-generational employees.

As in every industry these days, healthcare organizations are being touched by the influence of artificial intelligence. In fact, AI is projected to become a $190 billion industry by 2025. So what are some of the changes we can expect to see, and what steps can healthcare HR teams take to prepare?

The 2019 American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA) Conference took place this past week in the Windy City of Chicago, Illinois. This year’s theme was “Connect. Innovate. Transform.” In the midst of constant change in the healthcare field, fostering professional connections is more important than ever before. Sarah Fredrickson, ASHHRA President, discussed how healthcare HR must lead an engaged workforce to innovate.

Compassion is a ubiquitous human trait, and it goes by a lot of names. One such iteration has the power to decide the fate of healthcare professionals everywhere: bedside manner. Patients want the doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals they interact with to be engaged, understanding and good at listening. Anything short of that can have negative repercussions for the patient.

While mandatory random employee drug testing is common in safety-sensitive positions, the vast majority of healthcare professionals who are responsible for patient care are not subject to any kind of monitoring for substance abuse. 

Drug testing remains an essential part of workplace safety, providing numerous benefits to employers, regardless of industry. While random drug testing provides an extra layer of safety, it is not very common in the healthcare industry.

Mental health is not the easiest conversation to have in the workplace. In fact, 61 percent of employees feel there’s a social stigma in the workplace toward colleagues with mental health issues, according to a report from Unum, a provider of employee benefits.

Leaders can come from a variety of backgrounds in healthcare. They may have financial, business or medical backgrounds. Because of this, cultivating leaders in healthcare has unique challenges. For example, those with skills drawn from the medical world have an intimate understanding of the tasks their medical staff members need to complete, but they may not have the management skills required to succeed in leadership positions.