News to Know – Sept. 25, 2023

  • To help Medicaid beneficiaries with the renewal process, a redetermination event is being hosted by the Salvation Army Great Lakes Harbor Light System in Grand Rapids, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sat, Sept. 30. During the event, beneficiaries will learn about when they need to renew their coverage, receive on-site help with completing renewal paperwork and get guidance on next steps.
  • Registration for the Root Cause Coalition National Summit on Social Determinants of Health is open. Population health, health equity and community-based organization leaders from across the nation will convene Dec. 3-5, 2023 to discuss, learn and share strategies to impact social determinants of health. Sponsorship opportunities are available at a variety of price points and are designed to position your organization as a change leader in health improvement and equity. Members with questions about The Root Cause Coalition may contact Erin Steward at the MHA.
  • The American Hospital Association (AHA) is accepting applications for the AHA’s Dick Davidson NOVA Award. The award celebrates the collaborative work of hospitals and community organizations that improve the health status of individuals and communities. This annual award will honor five organizations, who will be recognized at the 2024 AHA Leadership Summit in San Diego. Members are encouraged to apply by Nov. 13. Members with questions may email nova@aha.org.

News to Know – Sept. 18, 2023

The American Hospital Association (AHA) is accepting applications for the AHA’s Dick Davidson NOVA Award. The award celebrates the collaborative work of hospitals and community organizations that improve the health status of individuals and communities. This annual award will honor five organizations, who will be recognized at the 2024 AHA Leadership Summit in San Diego. Members are encouraged to apply by Nov. 13. Members with questions may email nova@aha.org.

MHA Monday Report July 31, 2023

MHA Monday Report

Hospitals for Patient Access Advocacy Day Scheduled

MHA chief nursing officers and other Michigan hospital leaders are encouraged to register for Hospitals for Patient Access Advocacy Day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 13 at the MHA Capitol Advocacy Center in …


CMS Releases Medicare Physician Fee Schedule CY 2024 Proposed Rule

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its calendar year (CY) 2024 proposed rule for the physician fee schedule. The rule proposes a decrease to the conversion factor by 3.34%, to $32.75 in …


Toolkit Created to Strengthen Caregiver Support Programs

The MHA Keystone Center recently released the Michigan Caregiver Navigation Toolkit to guide hospitals and health systems implementing and maintaining caregiver navigation programs. These initiatives are designed to support caregivers in their role by providing …


CMS Releases Occupational Mix Data

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released July 12 the fiscal year 2025 Hospital Wage Index Development Timetable, a public use file (PUF). The PUF contains data reported by prospective payment system hospitals on …


AI and Workforce Development Webinar Series Offers CME Credit

The MHA and other state hospital associations are hosting a webinar series in partnership with the Huron Consulting Group Aug. 10 through Nov. 9 from 1 – 2 p.m. EST. CME and continuing education credit …


Corewell Health’s Freese Decker Named AHA Chair-elect Designate

The American Hospital Association (AHA) Board of Trustees elected Tina Freese Decker, president & chief executive officer, Corewell Health as its Chair-elect Designate July 16. Freese Decker will be Chair-elect in 2024 and become the …


The Keckley Report

Paul KeckleyThe Four Issues that will Impact Healthcare Services Providers and Insurers Most in the Last Half of 2023 and First Half of 2024

“As first half 2023 financial results are reported and many prepare for a busy last half, strategic planning for healthcare services providers and insurers point to 4 issues requiring attention in every boardroom and C suite …

These issues frame the near-term context for strategic planning in every sector of U.S. healthcare. They do not define the long-term destination of the system nor roles key sectors and organizations will play. That’s unknown. …”

Paul Keckley, July 24, 2023

Corewell Health’s Freese Decker Named AHA Chair-elect Designate

AHA Chair John Haupert, AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack, AHA Chair-elect Designate Tina Freese Decker and AHA Chair-elect Joanne Conroy, M.D kicked off the 2023 AHA Leadership Summit in Seattle.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) Board of Trustees elected Tina Freese Decker, president & chief executive officer, Corewell Health as its Chair-elect Designate July 16. Freese Decker will be Chair-elect in 2024 and become the Chair of the AHA in 2025, the top-elected official of the national organization that represents America’s hospitals and health systems and works to advance health in America.

“We have many challenges and many opportunities ahead of us,” said Freese Decker. “The greatest opportunity is to showcase our innovation, grit and compassion to evolve and transform health care. I look forward to serving the AHA and its members in our pursuit of better health.”

Freese Decker has been heavily engaged with the MHA, previously serving as MHA Board Chair during the 2021-2022 program year, and remains on the MHA Board of Trustees as a trustee at-large.

Michigan’s Largest Private-sector Employer Remains Healthcare

Provides Nearly 568,000 Direct Jobs, 219,000 in Hospitals Alone

The Partnership for Michigan’s Health reports healthcare directly employed nearly 568,000 Michigan residents in 2021, demonstrating that healthcare remains the largest private-sector employer in the state despite continued staffing losses attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2023 release of The Economic Impact of Healthcare in Michigan shows direct healthcare workers in Michigan earned nearly $46 billion that year in wages, salaries and benefits. Hospitals alone employed 219,000 individuals in the state in 2021.

Direct healthcare employment helps create additional jobs that are indirectly related to or induced by healthcare. These indirect, healthcare-supported jobs are held by more than 470,000 people who earned about $28 billion in 2021 in wages, salaries and benefits. Together with their employers, the more than one million workers in healthcare contributed $19.6 billion that year in local, state and federal taxes. These taxes include Social Security, income, motor vehicle, sales, property, corporate and more.

Data from 2021 shows the impact the pandemic had on the healthcare workforce in Michigan. While direct jobs decreased by nearly 4,000 total positions, direct wages increased by 4% year-over-year as labor costs rose due to increased demand. Direct wages in hospitals increased by 6.8%, as many hospitals offered wage adjustments and bonuses to recruit and retain employees, and increased the use of contract labor with staffing agencies. A separate study conducted by the MHA in 2022 showed expenses related to contract labor and recruitment and retention bonuses increased by $516 million from 2020 to 2021. Nursing and Residential Care also experienced a similar trend, as the number of jobs in the category fell by about 8,000 but compensation remained about the same.

The increase in direct wages for hospital employees follows a national trend. A recent American Hospital Association report shows labor costs increased 20.8% between 2019 and 2022. The increase is due in large part to a greater reliance on contract staffing agencies due to staffing challenges and to meet patient demand. Increased labor expenses have a more profound impact on hospitals and health systems, as labor expenses account for more than 50% of total expenses for most hospitals. In addition, healthcare reimbursement is unable to quickly respond to inflationary pressures since rates with commercial payers are negotiated months in advance while Medicare and Medicaid rates are even slower to adjust, presenting additional financial challenges when responding to sudden labor market demand.

The loss of healthcare workers has also had a detrimental impact on physician practices. According to a survey conducted by the Michigan State Medical Society, 86% of participating physician practices experienced a decline in the number of health professionals and administrative staff employed by the practice since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, including physician assistants, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and medical assistants. In addition, 69% reported staffing shortages led to increased wait times for patients, 55% had to reduce hours or available appointments and 43% experienced an estimated 10-25% reduction in patient revenue.

The report was compiled by the Partnership for Michigan’s Health, which consists of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association, the Michigan State Medical Society and the Michigan Osteopathic Association, all based in the greater Lansing area. It uses 2021 data, which is the most recent available.

“Hospitals rely on many workers in a variety of clinical and non-clinical roles to operate every hour of the day, year-round.,” said Michigan Health & Hospital Association CEO Brian Peters. “This report demonstrates the significant number of people it takes to have a high-quality, functioning healthcare system available to all Michiganders.”

“Healthcare is a key driver of not only physical health, but the economic wellness of Michigan,” said Kris Nicholoff, executive director of the Michigan Osteopathic Association. “The Economic Impact of Healthcare in Michigan shows the extensive value healthcare provides to our state, both as an employer and in providing tax revenue for communities.”

“The same dynamics that are at play in our hospitals affect Michigan’s physician practices, which are also struggling to recruit and maintain physicians and ancillary staff,” said Tom George, MD, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Michigan State Medical Society. “We encourage students to consider pursuing a profession in healthcare, which offers rewarding and stable careers across a variety of disciplines.”

Demand for healthcare careers remains high. A March survey of Michigan hospitals reported more than 27,000 current job openings, including nearly 8,500 open nursing positions, 4,500 technician openings and 3,000 positions for clinical assistants from the 95% of the MHA membership who participated. The need for healthcare workers is not unique to hospitals, and is shared by physician practices, nursing and residential care facilities, home health services, ambulatory services and other healthcare organizations.

The 18th edition of The Economic Impact of Healthcare in Michigan was compiled using IMPLAN® cloud software to quantify healthcare’s significant economic impact in the state. The data represents direct, indirect[1] and induced[2] healthcare jobs; taxes paid by those workers and their employers; and salaries, wages and benefits earned. The report is an online, interactive tool that allows users to examine these economic impacts from a statewide perspective and by region, county or congressional district. It is available at www.economicimpact.org.

[1] Indirect jobs are those created to support a larger employer or industry (for example, a laundry that cleans linens for a hospital).

[2] Induced jobs are those created by the spending of people who work in the indirect jobs (for example, a restaurant waiter who serves the laundry workers).

MHA CEO Report — Attracting Healthcare Talent

MHA Rounds Report - Brian Peters, MHA CEO

“Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” Vince Lombardi

MHA Rounds Report - Brian Peters, MHA CEOTalent acquisition is always top of mind for all business leaders. Demand for workers now outpaces supply throughout the U.S., but particularly here in Michigan due to our demographic realities, including an aging baby-boom generation entering retirement in significant numbers. A recent presentation by Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency Chief Economist David Zin summarizes these challenges, as Michigan has the eleventh highest median age in the country, a metric which has been increasing rapidly in recent years.

This challenge is clearly felt by Michigan hospitals and health systems, as many retirement decisions made by healthcare workers accelerated during and because of the pandemic. The use of contract agencies for nurses exploded while hospitals also reduced the number of staffed beds in their facilities due to worker shortages. The financial repercussions of these shortages had Michigan hospitals spending more than $1 billion more on contract labor and recruitment and retention expenses in 2022 than in 2020, according to a MHA workforce report.

Although current staffing levels have stabilized somewhat in the state, the demand remains high. According to a March 2023 survey of 95% of the MHA membership, there were over 27,000 job openings in Michigan hospitals, including nearly 8,500 open nursing positions.

While the number of open positions may be surprising, healthcare is historically the largest private-sector employer in Michigan. The next iteration of the Economic Impact of Healthcare in Michigan report publishes May 2, which demonstrates the massive role healthcare plays in the state. Michigan healthcare organizations provided nearly 568,000 direct healthcare jobs in fiscal year 2021, with Michigan hospitals providing roughly 219,000 – or nearly 40% – of those jobs. Once wages, salaries and benefits and tax revenue are factored in, healthcare contributes nearly $100 billion to the state’s economy each year.

The value that our hospitals provide to the health and wellness of a community is obvious and is reason enough to warrant our strong support. But in addition, the magnitude to which our Michigan economy depends on healthcare can easily be overlooked. Hospitals are often the largest employer in their respective communities and serve as critical lynchpins of economic vibrancy. This is why it is so important for hospitals to engage with business and policy leaders to ensure alignment across the state in our efforts to attract and retain talent.

Healthcare careers are not only stable and well compensated, but also provide a set of transferrable skills which rarely become obsolete. We recognize that healthcare careers, particularly clinical positions, can be stressful and emotionally draining. We can’t sugarcoat the challenges associated with caring for all types of patients in organizations that operate 24/7/365.

But the MHA is here to help. In an effort to support the emotional well-being of healthcare workers, in 2021 the MHA Keystone Center launched a partnership with the Duke Center for Healthcare Safety and Quality team led by Bryan Sexton, PhD. More than 5,000 clinical and non-clinical staff from 144 organizations joined in the first 10-week Well-being Essentials for Learning Life-Balance cohort, and our work here is ongoing. We are also advocating for policy change at the state and federal level that would increase the penalties for those who commit acts of violence against our caregivers.

Through our successful advocacy work, the Michigan Legislature appropriated $75 million in funding for the recruitment, retention and training of hospital workers in Public Act 5 of 2023. This funding supplements an earlier $225 million appropriation made in Public Act 9 of 2022 and has played a large part in minimizing further losses to the healthcare workforce. The MHA was named as the fiduciary for both of these funding pools – evidence of the strong bipartisan trust in our association.

Allowing clinicians to work at the top of their license and removing administrative work is another tactic that can help attract healthcare talent. Enacting policy change that reduces rates of healthcare worker violence and expands access to behavioral health treatment are others. The work of the MHA and our members is to make sure healthcare workers have all the tools available to do their work improving and saving lives without unnecessary mandates and other interference that contributes to the challenges healthcare professionals experience.

These workforce challenges and the need for more workers also illustrates the need for local control for hospitals to determine staffing models that best represent the needs of their patients and communities. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work when comparing a rural critical access hospital to an urban Level I trauma center. Successful staffing models incorporate input and feedback from nursing teams and the unique needs of the local community.

There are also a variety of other approaches the MHA and our partners at the American Hospital Association are advocating for to attract healthcare talent. This ranges from increased investment in nursing schools, nurse faculty salaries and hospital training time; enacting protections for healthcare workers against violence and intimidation; supporting apprenticeship programs for nursing assistants; and supporting expedition of visas for foreign-trained nurses.

There is no silver bullet that will fix workforce shortages. The current issue facing hospitals, as well as many other industries, is the reality that the available supply of workers simply doesn’t meet the demand. Michigan continues to be aggressive in efforts to attract businesses to the state. We must recognize our state is in competition with others for a finite amount of available healthcare workers.

Yet things can be done to grow the pie and attract more students into the healthcare talent pipeline. For example, the MHA will be focused this summer on raising awareness about the variety of jobs and career pathways that exist within health systems, and encouraging future and existing workers to consider a career in healthcare where they can truly change lives, whether they’re at the bedside or behind a computer screen.

Healthcare is the ultimate team sport, with the utmost objective – saving lives, and preserving the health and welfare of people. I hope you will join us in this endeavor and invite as many people as you can to the party.

As always, I welcome your thoughts.

MHA CEO Report — The Challenges for Rural Hospitals

MHA Rounds Report - Brian Peters, MHA CEO

“The country is lyric, the town dramatic. When mingled, they make the perfect musical drama” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

MHA Rounds Report - Brian Peters, MHA CEOHaving just returned from the annual American Hospital Association (AHA) Rural Health Care Leadership Conference, where I was joined by a strong contingent of MHA members and staff, the future of our rural hospitals has been top of mind.

When I was in graduate school at the University of Michigan many years ago, I recall clearly our discussions related to rural health. In short, we were taught that rural America was statistically older, poorer and sicker than the rest of the country – and this demographic and socioeconomic reality led to all kinds of challenges for those responsible for the health of rural populations and the viability of rural hospitals.

Fast forward to the most recent (2020) census and this dynamic remains true. In addition, we discovered that between 2010 and 2020, rural America actually lost population for the first time in history. Here in Michigan, the latest projections indicate that while the total state population will grow moderately over the next 20 years, the population in rural Michigan will remain flat or even decrease.

The operating environment has never been more difficult for healthcare organizations, for reasons we have documented at length in prior CEO Reports. This statement is particularly true for rural hospitals – 100 of which from across the country have actually closed since 2005. Many more have had to make the difficult decision to terminate service lines or otherwise scale back their operations to keep their doors open. What is driving these challenges?  A few items come immediately to mind:

  • An older and poorer population translates into a higher percentage of government payors (Medicare and Medicaid), which traditionally do not fully cover the true cost of care.
  • The traditional volume-based reimbursement model that has been one of the cornerstones of American healthcare does not serve rural providers – which often lack sufficient volume – particularly well. The pitfalls of the volume-based model were on full display during the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly when non-emergent procedures were suspended.
  • Recruiting physicians today most often involves recruiting a spouse as well; in other words, there must be a good job match for both parties to spur a relocation. Physician recruitment is more difficult in rural communities for the simple fact that there are fewer potential jobs for that spouse. In addition, the on-call coverage demands can be particularly significant in rural areas, because the number of available rotating on-call clinicians is simply fewer. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Merritt Hawkins firm, which is one of our original MHA Service Corporation Endorsed Business Partners, and is dedicated to working with our members to create solutions to some of the most vexing challenges of the day.
  • Lastly, it is no secret the country is in the middle of a behavioral health crisis, with a lack of available placements leading to behavioral health patients boarding in emergency departments throughout the state, awaiting placement in a more appropriate setting. Hospitals are experiencing higher costs caring for these patients, increasing security to protect other patients and staff, while receiving little to no reimbursement since these patients have yet to be admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit. This lack of access is even worse in rural areas. For example, the Upper Peninsula only has one licensed child psychiatrist for the entire region.

The reality is that when we think about rural Michigan and the more densely populated areas of the state, we are all inextricably linked. There is no “us and them.” People from the big city travel every day to rural communities for conferences and events, meetings, sales calls, deliveries, vacations and visits with friends and family (and people from rural communities come to the big city for the same reasons). While we want to ensure the vibrancy of a hospital in a rural community so that the residents have access to quality healthcare, we should all want the same thing, because we never know when we might be on one of those sales calls or vacations and need that same access. This is not just theoretical, as I have countless stories about this phenomenon playing out in real life, and I suspect you do as well.

Moreover, hospitals are one of the largest – if not the largest – employers in many rural Michigan communities, playing a crucial role in the economic vibrancy of the state. Healthcare careers provide stable, good paying jobs and positively impact lives every day. Not only are hospitals important for access to care, but also as economic drivers. 121,000 total workers are associated with the healthcare sector in rural Michigan, including 81,000 direct jobs. These direct healthcare workers received $7.6 billion in total wages, salaries and benefits and contributed $1.4 billion in local, state and federal taxes. In addition, the existence of a hospital nearby is one very important item for businesses of all kinds when considering investment in a new factory, office or headquarters.

So, the vibrancy of our rural hospitals should be a priority. What is the MHA doing about it? As it turns out, we have done a lot. Beyond our advocacy on the traditional Medicaid and Medicare budgets, certificate of need, medical liability, workforce funding and many, many other public policy issues that affect all our members, here are just a few of our rural advocacy highlights:

  • We fought hard to secure passage of the Healthy Michigan Plan (our Medicaid expansion program) and have advocated for full funding in every budget cycle since. For the reasons cited above, this is particularly impactful for our rural hospitals.
  • We worked to pass, implement and protect the Critical Access Hospital program, which has created an important lifeline for 37 Michigan hospitals. And the MHA was successful in changing existing statue at the end of 2022 to make adoption of the new Rural Emergency Hospital designation possible for our members.
  • We have worked very hard to protect the 340B drug pricing program, which is vital to many rural hospitals and their ability to provide access to care to all in their communities. Our work includes advocacy with both the state legislature and Congress, and even in the federal courts, where the MHA has filed amicus curiae briefs related to recent 340B cases.
  • The MHA successfully advocated for two new supplemental Medicaid payment pools that specifically benefit our rural members with implementation of the rural access pool in fiscal year (FY) 2012 and the obstetrical stabilization fund in FY 2015. Our advocacy efforts were also successful in securing Medicaid outpatient rate increases in FY 2020, the first increase in two decades, followed by an additional increase in FY 2021. These increases resulted in a 63% increase for critical access hospitals and a 21% increase for all other hospitals compared to Jan. 1, 2020, rates.
  • We successfully advocated for an extension of both the Medicare-dependent Hospital and Low-volume Adjustment programs during the 2022 Congressional lame-duck session, which provide critical support to many rural hospitals.
  • Finally, we have successfully advocated for passage and implementation of state legislation that modernizes the scope of practice for certified registered nurse anesthetists and allows flexibility for each hospital to choose the anesthesia care model that best fits its location, staffing and resources to offer safe and effective patient care.

Our advocacy is also focused on ensuring our members can tell their story and connect with lawmakers, both at the state and federal levels. The MHA hosted its first ever Rural Advocacy Day last September in Lansing to facilitate conversation between rural hospital leaders and members of the Michigan Legislature. The MHA also accompanied members in February for the National Rural Health Association’s Rural Health Policy Institute event. MHA members met with Michigan’s congressional delegation and staff during the trip to discuss rural health issues facing Michigan hospitals. And if you haven’t yet had the opportunity to listen to the Rural Health Rising podcasts, I encourage you to tune in to our friend JJ Hodshire, the CEO of Hillsdale Hospital and an MHA Board member, as he does a fantastic job shining a light on a wide range of rural health issues – with an impressive set of special guests – in real time.

Successful advocacy and storytelling require teamwork. As mentioned above, for years we have partnered closely with the AHA and the National Rural Health Association. We have also enjoyed a close partnership with the Michigan Center for Rural Health (MCRH), and I am pleased to share Hunter Nostrant, CEO of Helen Newberry Joy Hospital, is a member of both the MHA Board of Trustees as well as the MCRH Board.

The mission of the MHA is to advance the health of individuals and communities, and in that context, we have always strived to represent all our members and communities. Each hospital is vital to the health of our great state. While the path forward may be difficult, I’m encouraged by the many rural hospital leaders – some of the nicest, and most talented people that I have met – that have developed innovative and strategic ways to address these challenges and position themselves to be able to care for their communities for years to come.

As always, I welcome your thoughts.

MHA Visits Capitol Hill with Member Hospitals for AHA Advocacy Day

MHA and Michigan hospital representatives pictured with Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Midland).
MHA and Michigan hospital representatives pictured with Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Midland).
MHA and Michigan hospital representatives pictured with Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Midland).

The MHA visited Capitol Hill in Washington DC last week to emphasize year-end priorities to Michigan’s congressional delegation.

The MHA and several hospital representatives met with House members and with U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow to deliver the message that pending Medicare cuts are unsustainable and unacceptable. Memorial Healthcare CEO Brian Long joined the group to request prompt action to prevent the forthcoming 4% Statutory Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) sequester and extend or make permanent the low-volume adjustment and the Medicare-dependent hospital programs. Without an extension, these critical rural programs expire Dec. 16 and will reduce reimbursement to Michigan hospitals by more than $12 million annually. The MHA also pushed for making permanent the expansion of telehealth services and extending the hospital-at-home program. The members of the Michigan congressional delegation were receptive to these requests and generally expressed optimism that the pending Medicare reductions would be paused or even repealed.

The MHA also took part in both the American Hospital Association and Children’s Hospital Association advocacy briefings, which concurrently took place in DC. Both associations discussed their central priorities as the lame duck session nears its end and a new Congress prepares to enter Capitol Hill.

Members with questions about end of year priorities or future advocacy days on Capitol Hill may contact Laura Appel at the MHA.

Crain’s Op-Ed: Hospital financial strain is unsustainable, threatens access to care

Brian Peters

Brian PetersCrain’s Detroit Business published an op-ed from MHA CEO Brian Peters Sept. 22 on the unsustainable financial strain currently being experienced by Michigan hospitals and health systems. The op-ed was in response to a Sept. 2 Modern Healthcare article detailing the struggles of hospitals nationwide.

Peters describes the untenable situation where hospitals are experiencing skyrocketing costs combined with stagnant and inadequate reimbursement and staffing challenges. Statewide, Michigan has lost approximately 1,700 staffed hospital beds since 2020 due to lack of available staff. Peters also mentioned the many actions the MHA and member hospitals are taking to address these challenges.

“Multiple factors have contributed to the drain on hospital resources: fewer workers, increasingly sicker patients, and higher costs that cannot keep up with inflation,” said Peters. “According to a new American Hospital Association report, the average length of a hospital stay rose almost 10 percent from 2019 to 2021. Compensation for direct jobs in nursing and residential care rose by about $200 million from 2019 to 2020, but the number of jobs fell by about 11,000. Hospital labor expenses per patient also increased 19 percent. Health care reimbursement is unable to quickly respond to inflation since rates are negotiated in advance, presenting additional financial challenges.

AHA Trustee Insights Outlines Financial Turnaround and Succession Planning

The latest edition of Trustee Insights, the monthly digital package from the American Hospital Association (AHA), is now available.

The June issue includes an article written by leading governance expert Jamie Orlikoff, who discusses the severe financial crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and approaches for boards to effectively oversee the financial turnaround of their organizations.

Another article outlines the profoundly negative consequences of acute care hospital CEO turnover and why succession planning must match the organizations’ current talent with the needs of its future. Additionally, it offers recommendations for evidence-based succession planning.

These resources are available free for AHA members. For information about MHA trustee resources or webinars, contact Erin Steward at the MHA.