Human Resources

Many supporters of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare promote its potential for improving diagnostics, predicting treatment effectiveness and patient outcomes, and providing new insights into EHR data and population health. While AI does have potential for clinical application, it may also have a future in healthcare human resource (HR) departments.

The coronavirus pandemic sent seismic shifts through the healthcare industry, forcing organizations and workforces to evolve at a breathtaking speed. For the first time, the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA) annual conference was held virtually this past August. While many healthcare systems were gearing up for change before COVID-19 hit, the pandemic exponentially accelerated the pace of change.

Healthcare organizations are changing and adapting at a startling velocity. COVID-19’s rapid spread accelerated changes that were on the distant horizon at the beginning of the year throughout the U.S. As human resources professionals, much of the responsibility for helping your workforce navigate the new pace of change falls squarely on your shoulders. 

COVID-19 continues to spread across the U.S. and it’s having a huge impact on the healthcare industry. Optimizing patient outcomes and saving lives on the frontlines of COVID-care rely on skilled and resilient staff with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Healthcare HR teams and leaders face enormous challenges, from evolving staffing needs within the organization to meeting the changing needs of the larger community they serve. And the pace of change during this crisis has been dizzying.

As businesses reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, contact tracing to track viral exposure in the workplace will become a critical part of helping to slow the spread of the virus and protect workers. So what do employers need to know before implementing contact tracing?

Individuals who engage in fraud or abuse in the healthcare industry can put patients and taxpayers at risk of physical or financial harm. For this reason, the U.S. Office of the Inspector General (OIG) can exclude certain people or organizations from providing services under federally funded healthcare programs. 

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) are imperative to driving bottom-line results in healthcare, but those initiatives frequently stagnate at the organizational values stage. A survey from PwC found that 68% of respondents cited D&I as a stated value or priority at their organization, but half of respondents felt that diversity was a barrier to progression. 

Real change requires an integrated action plan. 

The healthcare workplace has long been plagued by a shortage of qualified workers and an employee turnover rate of around 20% in 2018, higher than the all-industry average of 15%. In the face of these challenges, healthcare HR professionals must develop thoughtful, effective retention strategies to help their organizations attract and retain top talent, reduce the costs associated with employee hiring and turnover, and remain competitive.

On May 21, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed legislation that decriminalizes marijuana possession, joining a majority of states that have ceased treating the drug as a criminal offense. Here’s what employers in Virginia need to know about these changes once they go into effect on July 1.

The COVID-19 crisis is unprecedented and many companies and HR leaders have had to quickly pivot to a new remote work model that requires companies to assess how they can bring remote employees into their company culture and get them up to speed so they can be productive as quickly as possible. It also changes how we keep employees engaged, informed, and feeling like part of our company culture and organization.