- Utah: Vivian Lee on Friday stepped down from her roles as SVP for University of Utah Health Sciences, medical school dean, and CEO of University of Utah Health Care. Lee's resignation comes after the hospital system fired and then reinstated Mary Beckerle, director and CEO of the Huntsman Cancer Institute in April, following pushback from billionaire philanthropist Jon Huntsman, who had threatened to sue the university over Beckerle's dismissal. Lee declined to comment publicly on Beckerle's firing and reinstatement, a decision that in her resignation announcement she said was "not because of a lack of strongly held alternative viewpoints and substantive positions, but rather a clear sense that the best interests of our university and of our entire community are to collegially embrace one another and all move forward together." Lee will stay on at University of Utah as a radiology professor. University President David Pershing said A. Lorris Betz will serve as interim SVP for University of Utah Health Sciences, CEO of University of Utah Health Care, and executive dean of the university's school of medicine (Rappleye, Becker's Hospital Review, 5/1; Green, Fox 13, 4/29).
- New York: Lincoln Center is hosting several productions designed to cater to children on the autism spectrum. For instance, this month the Lincoln Center has been hosting "Campfire," an immersive theatre experience for children with autism. And in April 2018, the center plans to host a month-long festival, the Big Umbrella Festival, that will feature performances enabling young audience members to interact with the cast or step away if they feel overwhelmed. The festival will also hold a symposium to educate companies on how to better serve people on the autism spectrum (Chow, New York Times, 4/28).
- Washington, D.C.: First lady Melania Trump on Friday dedicated Children's National Medical Center's new Bunny Mellon Healing Garden as a place for children and families to relax and enjoy fresh air, the Associated Press reports. The garden was built with patients in mind, featuring doors wide enough to accommodate hospital beds, power outlets for patients reliant on medical equipment, and fake grass for those with allergies (Superville, AP/Sacramento Bee, 4/28).
12 things CEOs need to know in 2017
The continued growth of the consumer-driven health care market threatens the durability of patient-provider relationships—and, at the same time, the push toward population health management and risk-based payment is greater than ever.
Hospitals and health systems must adopt a two-pronged strategy to respond to these pressures and serve both public payers and the private sector.
At the core of that strategy? A formula of accessible, reliable, and affordable care that wins consumer preferences and drives loyalty over time. Below, we share 12 key insights for senior executives working to create a consumer-focused health system.