Nurse leaders and the innovation competence gap.

BACKGROUND: Nurses are well-positioned for innovation in health care delivery, although innovation is not generally learned in formal educational programs. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess critical competencies for innovation success among nurse leaders in academia and practice, the perceived gaps on those competencies, and teaching methods that would be helpful in developing competencies related to innovation. METHOD: A Web-enabled descriptive survey design was used to capture nurse leaders' perceptions of important innovation competencies and how they assess their level of competence in the particular innovation domain. Preferred approaches for innovation pedagogy were also queried. DISCUSSION: Respondents indicated significant gaps in 18 of 19 innovation competencies. Implications are for inclusion of innovation competencies in formal and continuing nursing education. The most preferred innovation pedagogical approaches are case studies of failures and successes and project- and field-based approaches. Traditional lectures are the least preferred way to address innovation competency gaps. CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant gap in innovation competencies among nurse leaders in practice and academia. The way we teach innovation needs to involve closer collaboration between academia and practice.

Executive compensation in health care: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Despite continued scrutiny over executive earnings in the health care industry, the evidence for executive pay determinants is uncertain and inconclusive. Theoretical motivations for executive compensation practices have been debated, and questions remain about the explanatory power of previously applied theoretical models. PURPOSES: Our systematic review considered evidence of executive compensation determinants among health care organizations and sought to identify factors affecting executive pay that are commonly supported by previous studies. We also aimed to survey the theoretical perspectives employed in health care executive compensation studies to address how organization theory may explain executive remuneration practices at health care organizations. METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Twenty-one eligible studies were identified after a search of the MEDLINE/PubMed and CINAHL electronic reference databases and the reference lists of relevant studies. Eligible studies included those examining health care organizations and providing empirical, regression-based outcomes regarding the determinants of executive compensation. Each eligible study was coded to identify pertinent information, including study settings, executive compensation measures, executive compensation determinants and their measures (e.g., financial performance measured as profit margin), outcomes (direction and level of statistical significance of regression model coefficients), and theoretical applications. FINDINGS: Studies are mixed in their findings regarding the statistical significance of various determinants of executive compensation. Many studies indicate that, in addition to firm financial performance, other factors may influence health care executive compensation, including organizational size and human capital attributes. Agency theory was the predominant framework applied, yet the findings suggest a complementary theoretical perspective may better explain health care executive compensation. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: To address critics who assert health care executive compensation levels are not consistent with organizational performance, health care organization CEOs, board members, and consultants would benefit to carefully consider and effectively communicate the numerous factors influencing executive compensation beyond firm financial performance.

Catholic hospital services for vulnerable populations: are system values sufficient determinants?

BACKGROUND: Catholic hospitals and health systems comprise a substantial segment of nonprofit, mission-driven, health care services, with accountability to institutional pressures of the Roman Catholic Church as well as economic pressures for solvency. Values are the way in which the organization expresses its faith-based institutional identity, which may used to select services that represent those values. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify whether Catholic health systems' explicit values of justice or compassion (and derivatives of those words, known to have similar meaning) were associated with a greater number of system member hospitals' services aimed at vulnerable populations. METHODOLOGY: Using information from Web sites of 41 Catholic health systems in 2007 and data describing their 452 hospitals from the American Hospital Association Annual Survey, the relationship of health system values with hospital services for vulnerable populations was examined while controlling for organizational, market, and demand variables. FINDINGS: Although Catholic hospitals as a whole are more likely to provide services to vulnerable populations than to other ownership types, the results show that among Catholic hospitals, values of justice or compassion are not associated with more services (defined in this study) that reflect those values. System hospitals likely to have more services that represent the values of justice and compassion are larger, have a higher Medicaid payer mix, are located in less dense urban areas, and are members of geographically dispersed systems. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Hospitals select services that may represent symbolic system values, but community need and financial means are stronger determinants. To bolster community benefit to justify tax exempt status, Catholic hospitals and systems may benefit from further defining, analyzing, and reporting the impact of access to relatively unprofitable services for previously underserved vulnerable populations.

Intrasectoral variation in mission and values: the case of the Catholic health systems.

BACKGROUND: Catholic health systems represent a unique sector of nonprofit health care delivery organizations because they must be accountable to institutional pressures of the Roman Catholic Church, in addition to responsiveness to market pressures. Mission statements and values are purported to be the driving force of Catholic institutional identity. Central to the understanding of the Catholic health care delivery sector is the exploration of variation in mission and values statements across the homogeneous field of organizations. PURPOSES: The purposes of this study were to identify expressed organizational identity variation-in terms of keywords in mission statements and values-of Catholic health systems in the United States by applying a methodology that integrates text and social network analytical techniques. METHODOLOGY: Data were obtained from the Web site of The Catholic Health Association of the United States and the Web sites of 50 Catholic health systems in 2007. Catholic health system mission statements and values were assessed using a cross-sectional study design. Text analysis and social network techniques were employed to identify the most central words in the texts and linkages among mission statement components and values. FINDINGS: This study identifies the components of a common mission statement and the most shared and unique values for a Catholic health system. Even with tremendous similarity, there is also evidence of intrasectoral variation between Catholic health system keywords in mission statements and values. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Management implications include the consideration of word relationships developing and constructing mission and values statements to form the framework for strategic vision and management decision making, to assess potential partnership arrangements based on expressed mission statements and values, and to use in executing due diligence in mergers and partnerships.

Nonclinical outcomes of hospital-based palliative care.

Evidence-based outcomes are commonly used in making decisions about clinical care. For healthcare executives, evidence-based outcomes also can be useful in making decisions about hospital services. Finkler and Ward (2003) suggest a model whereby cost measurement, cost control, and value assessment can be used as nonclinical, evidence-based outcome measures to provide decision support and to guide management decisions. The Finkler and Ward framework is used to understand the financial implications of establishing an inpatient palliative care unit (PCU). A longitudinal study was conducted to examine the nonclinical outcomes associated with opening and operating an inpatient PCU at a large academic medical center during the first four years of the unit's operation. First, the cost of providing inpatient palliative care was measured. Results indicated that the cost per day to care for patients hospitalized in the last 20 days leading up to their death was significantly less on the PCU than on intensive care units and non-PCUs. Average daily total charges exceeded reimbursement on the ICU and non-PCUs, but the cost on the PCU for the same population was equal to or below the average daily total charges. Second, ways to control costs when operating an inpatient PCU were identified and measured. Evidence from one organization suggests that costs can effectively be controlled by admitting patients directly to the PCU and by appropriate use of hospital resources, including staff, ancillary services, and pharmaceuticals. Third, the study assessed the value to the institution of operating an inpatient PCU. Results indicated that the inpatient PCU yielded a cost savings of nearly 1 million dollars by the third year of operations. This study highlights the nonclinical outcomes of one institution's inpatient PCU and provides guidelines for healthcare executives and managers to use in making decisions about adopting such programs.

Hospital service offerings: does Catholic ownership matter?

Controlling for market and organizational characteristics, Catholic hospitals in 2001 offered more stigmatized and compassionate care services than investor-owned hospitals, and more stigmatized services than public hospitals. There were no differences between Catholic hospitals and other nonprofit hospitals, however, in the number of compassionate, stigmatized, and access services offered. This may reflect growing isomorphism in the nonprofit hospital sector.

Adoption of hospital case management: economic and institutional influences.

Case management became prevalent in US hospitals in the 1990s and is believed to be beneficial in controlling resource utilization, improving quality of care, reducing variation of care processes and enhancing both patient and staff satisfaction. This research investigates the adoption of case management by US hospitals at three time periods: 1994, 1997, and 2000. We propose that both economic and institutional factors influence the adoption of this management innovation, with economic factors being more influential in early and mid-periods (1994-1997) and institutional factors being more influential in later periods (after 1997). Using American Hospital Association Annual Survey Data and community data from the Area Resources File, we assess the relationship of baseline (1994) hospital and market characteristics to the likelihood of early adoption compared to late adoption, and mid-adoption compared to late adoption. We confirm that both economic and institutional forces influence the likelihood of early and mid-period adoption of case management compared to late adoption. We conclude that institutional influences aimed at achieving or maintaining legitimacy may be as strong a motivator for hospitals to adopt case management as are economic incentives. Implications for practice and further research are discussed.

Does case management matter as a hospital cost-control strategy?

Using an evidence-based model for management research, we examine the relationship of case management adoption and the expected nonclinical outcomes in nationwide hospitals operating continuously between 1994 and 2000. Although case management may be beneficial for certain populations, institution-wide effects in the form of decreased costs or decreased length of stay do not appear to be present in the study hospitals.

Charity care: do not-for-profits influence for-profits?

This study further examines whether not-for-profit hospitals exert pressure on for-profit hospitals to provide charity care and whether for-profit hospitals react differently than not-for-profit hospitals to managed care pressures and hospital competition in providing charity care. A two equation model is estimated using 1996 data from California hospitals. The results indicate that in mixed ownership markets, for-profit hospitals provide significantly less charity care as not-for-profit hospitals in the market provide more. Unexpectedly, study for-profit hospitals were not more influenced by price competition than other hospitals with respect to charity care. Having a unique role in providing charity care may justify continuing tax exemption for not-for-profit hospitals and enhance interest in payment and other policies with regard to conversions to ensure that not-for-profit hospitals continue to be represented in market areas.

Urban U.S. hospitals and the mission to provide HIV-related services: changes and correlates.

In 1988, the vast majority of urban U.S. hospitals (84 percent) exhibited some formal response to the demand for HIV-related services. Despite the fact that HIV-related care is now normative in many respects and the demand for inpatient care has decreased, nearly half of hospitals surveyed in 1997 (42 percent) report no formalized service provision, suggesting a heightened distinction between hospitals in terms of their varying commitments to providing HIV-related services. Certain organizational variables (such as ownership, size, system affiliation, and stigmatized services and post-acute care services indices) were connected to HIV-related services provision. When the sample was controlled for other variables, the study found that changes in teaching status, changes in bed size, and changes in post-acute services from 1988 to 1997 did influence the provision of HIV-related services. Despite significant changes over the study period in the treatment of persons living with HIV/AIDS, and structural changes in the delivery of U.S. healthcare, the organizational-level predictors of HIV-related service provision have remained remarkably stable among U.S. hospitals in urban settings. These data also suggest that organizational missions consistent with serving indigent and socially marginalized populations continue to influence the ways that the pluralistic U.S. hospital system organizes HIV-related care.

Experiential learning in health administration: a new approach for new times.

A balance of experiential and didactic learning is essential to develop managers and leaders for early and mid-career positions in the healthcare administration profession. This article suggests pedagogical methods that enhance experiential learning. It also recognizes the need for a renewed focus on diverse experiential learning opportunities, management and preceptor development programs, and graduate program partnerships.