ViewPoints Blog

Critical Access Hospitals and the Value Equation

For the last few years, the movement from volume-based payments to payment models tied to value is accelerating. The PPS world has been engaged in Value Based Purchasing (VBP) for the past several years and now we see this model in development for the Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) as well.

In May, media stories highlighted the filing of a lawsuit in federal court in Alabama alleging that the 37 Blue Cross and Blue Shield health insurers are functioning as an illegal cartel.

Did you know that by reducing the anxiety your patients feel when they enter your facility helps in their perception of their visit? Reducing anxiety makes patients feel like they are being treated by people who truly care about them.

We have all seen the carefully constructed mission statements, whether emblazoned on a lobby plaque or posted on the website of our local hospital. The intent is usually stated clearly improving the health and wellness of the communities we serve. But are we truly meeting our mission?

How many times have you been to the Emergency Department and had to sit in the waiting room for what seemed like forever? It's a common challenge for hospitals everywhere; here's how one rural hospital in the Northeast addressed the situation.

As I return to my busy schedule after the holiday season, I am reminded of the classic holiday song lyrics, “There's no place like home for the holidays." Home for me is a small rural town in northern Maine and is truly a winter wonderland this time of year - mountain vistas, evergreens, the frozen expanse of Moosehead Lake, and of course snow; lots and lots of snow. During our holiday visits, we make it a special point to visit my wife's grandmother, who has spent the last few months in our local community hospital recovering from surgery.