What helps a safety net hospital succeed?

Nine safety net hospitals were studied to see what factors might contribute to higher versus lower performance. Safety net hospitals are those with a mission to care for vulnerable populations and typically have a higher percentage of Medicaid patients and uncompensated care.  They are often public hospitals and may struggle to survive.  The authors found that higher-performing safety net hospitals tended to:

• Develop an efficient process to coordinate patient flow among different providers and levels of care
• Work on partnerships with other providers
• Right-size the scope of services offered
• Invest in the development of staff

Source: Clark, J., and others.  From striving to thriving: systems thinking, strategy, and the performance of safety net hospitals.  Health Care Management Review;38(3):211-223, July-Sept. 2013.

Click here for access to publisher’s website:  http://journals.lww.com/hcmrjournal/Abstract/2013/07000/From_striving_to_thriving__Systems_thinking,.4.aspx  Posted by AHA Resource Center (312) 422-2050, rc@aha.org