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Healthcare CEOs Made an Average of $4.6M in ’17

Healthcare CEOs took home, on average, a staggering $4,631,579 in total direct compensation in 2017, a .9% increase over the previous year.

Total direct compensation afforded to healthcare CEOs in 2017, including salary, bonus, and annual incentives, stock options, full-value stock awards, and other long-term incentives, clocked in at an average of $4,631,579, according to a study from BDO, a professional services firm.

The study, which looked at total direct compensation for executives across eight industries, as well as data provided by Salary.com and proxy statements, found that the average salary for healthcare CEOs was $750,584 in 2017, a 2.5% increase from $732,461 in 2016.

CFO compensation was also analyzed, and it was found that, on average, in 2017, their total direct compensation was $1,630,613 and their average salary was $428,480.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Healthcare Hiring Remains Strong—Yes, Again.

Over the past 12 months, health care employment has grown by a staggering 323,000 positions, and October was another strong month for the industry.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ October jobs report released Friday, it was another strong month for healthcare hiring. The healthcare sector added a total of 35,600 jobs last month, which is about 39% more than it contributed in September and 4,000 more than the manufacturing industry.

The majority of jobs added in healthcare last month were in hospitals and ambulatory healthcare services, accounting for 13,000 and 14,200 new healthcare hires, respectively.

Over the past 12 months, health care employment has grown by a whopping 323,000 positions.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Nurses, Nursing, and the Nature of Suffering

Nurses are no strangers to the illness, suffering, and death of others. But how a nurse navigates their own personal suffering plays a role in how they approach life, work, and the overlapping of the two.

From Nurse Keith’s Digital Doorway

In the course of many nurses’ healthcare careers, witnessing the illness, suffering, and death of others is commonplace. From dialysis and med-surg to home health and the ICU, nurses create therapeutic relationships with patients and their families, providing spiritual and emotional comfort, compassion, and expert skilled care based on many decades of nursing science and evidence-based interventions.

Aside from witnessing the challenges faced by others, nurses are themselves human beings with their own life experiences, victories, and suffering. How a nurse navigates their own personal suffering plays a role in determining how they approach life, work, and the overlapping of the two.

Life is Suffering

In Buddhist studies, it has been said that life is suffering. I believe that this expression refers to the notion that our emotional attachment to the things that make up our lives (relationships, money, success, possessions, family) are what cause us suffering, and the ability to live in the present without grasping for what we don’t already have can help to alleviate that suffering. In other words, our desires cause us to suffer.

Aside from our attachment to things and people, there is also the reality that bad things often happen to good people — we see children with incurable cancer, elders living alone and destitute, and many other situations that seem both untenable and patently unfair.

In nursing, medicine, and healthcare, what we’re grasping for is the health and well-being of our patients, sometimes against all odds. We grow attached to patients and their families, our compassion goes out to them in their hour of need, and we can feel like failures when things don’t go the way we wished they would.

I’ve lost many patients over the years, and I did indeed sometimes blame myself when they suffered or died, especially when it seemed almost impossible to alleviate their suffering. I’ve seen patients consumed by cancer, heart or liver disease, dementia, stroke, multiple sclerosis, ALS, diabetes, and the opportunistic infections that transform an HIV+ patient into someone living with AIDS.

Suffering is also witnessed by so many of us when we turn on the evening news, listen to the radio, or scroll through a news app on our phone or our Facebook feed. War, famine, terrorism, politics, the economy — each of these aspects of 21st-century life can reveal to us the crueler side of human nature and existence.

Our Own Suffering

I’ve lived with chronic pain for more than a dozen years, and I admittedly suffer to some degree every day. Like many other people with physical pain, I power through my days and then rest at night as best I can.

Throughout my many years of providing career coaching and professional support to nurses, I’ve heard many stories that have nearly broken my heart. Nurses with all manner of conditions have passed through my orbit, and I’m consistently inspired by the courage and persistence embodied by these incredibly strong human beings. From burnout and depression to cancer and brain trauma, nurses are themselves patients too.

As nurses who serve the ill, injured, and vulnerable, how do we tend to our own suffering while also being present for our patients? How do we allow ourselves the space to feel our own feelings and deal with our personal issues without feeling guilty for being vulnerable ourselves?

Nurses often feel they need to be invincible, uncomplaining, and stoic, but we’re human beings, not angels and saints. We nurses need to honor our own suffering, challenges, and pain — by doing so, we can then be even more available for our patients through the simple fact of our own compassionate understanding of their plight and our very human experience.

Our Own Humanity

As nurses, healthcare professionals, and human beings living in a complex and often stressful 21st-century world, our own humanity matters, even when we’re determined to deny our own pain and suffering in the interest of being the strong nurse helping others. Denying our humanity and our pain does us no good, but nurses are experts at doing so.

We nurses are fallible and prone to all of the ills that are visited upon our fellow citizens. Like everyone else, we have our existential anxieties about family and friends, the environment, politics, our finances, our futures, our careers, and anything else under the sun.

Nurses too live with debt, personal tragedy, and grief and loss — we also strive to create the best lives we possibly can for ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities. At times, admitting that we don’t have the answers is a very human thing to do. The ability to say “I don’t know” is a sign of strength, even for a nurse who prides herself on always having the answers to life’s vexing questions.

Our humanity has meaning, no matter our efforts to be superhuman and carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. As nurses, we must strive to recognize, accept, and celebrate our own fallibility, and create lifestyles and careers that honor our needs, our pain, our suffering, and the forward thinking personal and professional lives we strive to live.

Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is the Board Certified Nurse Coach behind NurseKeith.com and the well-known nursing blog, Digital Doorway. Please visit his online platforms and reach out for his support when you need it most.

Keith is co-host of RNFMRadio.com, a wildly popular nursing podcast; he also hosts The Nurse Keith Show, his own podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses.

A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of “Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century,” and has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. Keith has written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiViews News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, the ANA blog, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online publications.

Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, online nurse personality, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known successful nurse entrepreneur. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his lovely and talented wife, Mary Rives.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

“The Jewish Nurse” Who Treated Tree of Life Gunman Speaks Out, Urges Love

After the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history, stories emerged about “The Jewish Nurse” who treated the alleged gunman. Now, Ari Mahler, RN, tells his side.

In the days following the tragic shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in suburban Pittsburgh that left 11 Jewish people dead, stories spread of “The Jewish Nurse” who treated Robert Bowers, the alleged gunman. “Death to all Jews,” Bowers reportedly yelled as he was wheeled into the ER at Allegheny General Hospital, and still, “The Jewish Nurse” cared for him.

Now, “The Jewish Nurse” has a name—Ari Mahler, RN—and a message, and he has taken to the internet to tell his side of the events that transpired on October 27th in a powerful and moving social media post.

“I am The Jewish Nurse. Yes, that Jewish Nurse. The same one that people are talking about in the Pittsburgh shooting that left 11 dead. The trauma nurse in the ER that cared for Robert Bowers who yelled, “Death to all Jews,” as he was wheeled into the hospital. The Jewish nurse who ran into a room to save his life,” the post, which has been shared more than 166,000 times since it was published on Saturday, began.

Mahler went on to explain how he found empathy for the man who stands accused of the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history.

“Love. That’s why I did it,” he said in the post. “Love as an action is more powerful than words, and love in the face of evil gives others hope. It demonstrates humanity. It reaffirms why we’re all here. The meaning of life is to give meaning to life, and love is the ultimate force that connects all living beings. I could care less what Robert Bowers thinks, but you, the person reading this, love is the only message I wish to instill in you.”

Mahler’s poignant message can be found in full below.

Can’t see the post above? Click here to view it directly on Facebook.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

“Physician Misery Index” Climbs to 3.94/5

Despite efforts being made to raise awareness of physician burnout, a healthcare analytics company has announced their Physician Misery Index is now a 3.94 out of 5.

Last week, Geneia, a healthcare analytics company, revealed their Physician Misery Index, a tool the company created to measure national physician satisfaction, has increased to 3.94 out of 5, up from January 2015’s score of 3.78, despite the efforts being made to raise awareness of physician burnout.

To determine the score, the company conducted a nationwide survey in July of 2018 of 300 full-time physicians, all of which have been practicing post-residency medicine for more than four years.

The survey’s findings, which contributed to the bump in the Index, include:

  • 80% of surveyed physicians said they feel they are personally at risk for burnout at some point in their career.
  • Nearly all respondents (96%) reported they have personally witnessed or personally experienced negative impacts as a result of physician burnout.
  • 66% said the challenges of practicing medicine in today’s environment have caused them to consider career options outside of clinical practice.
  • 89% said the “business and regulation of healthcare” has changed the practice of medicine for the worse.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Physicians Take a Stand Against Gun Violence

Three days before a physician became a victim of the 372nd mass shooting in the U.S. in 2018, the American College of Physicians updated its position on firearms.

Three days before Nancy Van Vessem, MD would become a victim of the 372nd mass shooting in the United States in 2018, the American College of Physicians updated its position on firearms in an effort to prevent further gun violence in a policy paper published on October 30th in Annals of Internal Medicine.

The organization, which has advocated for the need to address firearm-related injuries and death for over 20 years, first published its policy on gun violence in 2014, which included nine evidence-based methods to reduce firearm-related injuries and deaths—the 2018 update retains six of the original recommendations, as well as suggesting new strategies.

Updates to the policy include:

  • Strengthening and enforcing state and federal laws to prohibit domestic violence offenders, including dating partners, cohabitants, stalkers, and those who victimize other family members, from purchasing or possessing firearms.
  • Supporting legislation to regulate and limit the manufacture, sale, transfer, and possession of firearms designed to increase rapid killing capacity, including large-capacity magazines and devices such as bump stocks.
  • Supporting extreme risk protection order laws which allow family members and law enforcement to petition a court to temporarily remove firearms from individuals who are at risk of harming themselves or others while providing due process protections.

“The U.S. has one of the highest rates of gun violence in the world, and as physicians, we have a responsibility to advocate for firearms measures that will keep our patients and their families safe and healthy,” ACP President Ana María López, MD, said in a press release.

To read the policy in its entirety, please click here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Report: PAs/NPs Provide Similar or Better Care than Doctors

A new report from a World Health Organization team indicates that non-physicians, such as PAs and NPs, provide comparable care to that of physicians.

Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, midwives, and other non-physicians deliver care that is comparable to or better than that provided by MDs, and are often more well-liked than physicians, according to a new report from a World Health Organization team.

It was noted in the WHO bulletin that they are especially effective in delivering babies, caring for AIDS patients, and helping people care for chronic diseases, like diabetes and high blood pressure.

“While some physician groups have resisted wider use of such professionals, they should embrace them because they are often less expensive to deploy and are far more willing to work in rural areas,” the WHO experts are quoted as saying.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Rebranding of PA Title Moves Forward

The AAPA has announced they have selected a world-renowned branding firm to begin investigating rebranding the physician assistant title.

The AAPA has announced they have selected and retained WPP, a world-renowned research, branding, and communications firm, to conduct an independent investigation of the physician assistant title and suggest potential alternatives. This is a significant step forward in the PA Title Change Investigation, which was put to a vote earlier this year by the AAPA House of Delegates.

Given continued public confusion regarding what PAs can do, and as the position of assistant physician—which is constantly written online with the words “not to be confused with a physician assistant” following it—picks up steam, rebranding the physician assistant title to more clearly reflect the scope of the profession almost seems like an overdue initiative.

However, the process will be slow going, and the rebrand will be strategic—WPP is not expected to present an interim report on the Title Change Investigation to the AAPA’s House of Delegates until May of 2019.

What do you think of the possible title change?

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Global Pricing Plan Added To Trump’s Attack On Drug Prices, But Doubts Persist

The proposal would have Medicare base what it pays for some expensive drugs on the average prices in other industrialized countries.

Sarah Jane Tribble, Kaiser Health News

President Donald Trump’s new pledge to crack down on “the global freeloading” in prescription drugs had a sense of déjà vu.

Five months ago, Trump unveiled a blueprint to address prohibitive drug prices, and his administration has been feverishly rolling out ideas ranging from posting drug prices on television ads to changing the rebates that flow between drugmakers and industry middlemen.

Thursday, Trump proposed having Medicare base what it pays for some expensive drugs on the average prices in other industrialized countries, such as France and Germany, where prices are much lower. The proposal is in the early stages of rule-making and awaiting public comments.

The U.S., Trump said, will “confront one of the most unfair practices, almost unimaginable that it hasn’t been taken care of long before this.”

The proposal was met with hope and skepticism, with several experts saying they were happy the administration was taking on Medicare Part B’s rising drug prices but questioning its approach.

Walid Gellad, director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Policy and Prescribing at the University of Pittsburgh, said in an online post that the administration’s proposed solutions were unclear. And, he said, they would “face insurmountable challenges.”

While some industry watchers pointed to the announcement as a political move, Wells Fargo pharmaceutical analyst David Maris said that this is a broader effort by the president and his administration to attack the root causes of high drug prices.

“The reality is he could very easily not take this on and do what other administrations have done and let the prices keep rising.”

Trump, too, promised more to come and said he will soon announce “some things that will really be tremendous.” On Friday, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said that, as promised in the blueprint, there would be more changes to Medicare Part D, which covers most prescriptions. Ian Spatz, a public policy expert and senior adviser at Manatt Health, said the overall blueprint was “unprecedented in terms of how many different ideas and areas of ideas that it contained.”

Nothing would happen overnight. The proposal to require drug prices in TV ads could be delayed by litigation and notably, if implemented, does not include any penalties for companies who fail to post their prices.

The proposed rebate rule was delivered to the Office of Management and Budget in July. Matt Brow, president of industry consulting firm Avalere Health, said he expects the administration to publish the rule for comment by year’s end.

Trump’s international pricing plan is not as far along as the rebate proposal. Rather, it is an “advanced notice of proposed rule-making.” The proposed rule could come in spring 2019, and Azar said the new model could begin in late 2019 or early 2020.

Yet, on Friday, Azar signaled the proposal could change, telling an audience at the Brookings Institution that the administration is “open to any number of alternative ideas.”

Avalere’s Brow said there is a good chance the proposal will change significantly.

“The sweeping nature of the proposal makes the stakes higher and makes it harder to implement,” Brow said.

If the administration moves forward, it would bypass Congress and implement a pilot under the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation’s purview. The pilot would phase in over five years and apply to 50 percent of the country. Azar said there would be no changes to Medicare benefits and no restrictions on patient access.

The proposal focuses on drugs covered under Medicare Part B, which are administered in hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices. It also would alter the reimbursement formula for doctors and providers and would allow private-sector vendors to purchase drugs and then sell them to doctors and hospitals. Medicare would reimburse those vendors at the international pricing level.

Currently, doctors and hospitals administering Part B drugs are reimbursed the average price of a drug plus 6 percent. President Barack Obama’s administration attempted to alter Part B as well but drew intense lobbying opposition and eventually withdrew a proposed pilot project.

Allan Coukell, senior director for health programs at Pew Charitable Trusts, said removing incentives that reward doctors for purchasing costlier drugs and bringing in a new way to control prices “makes a lot of sense.” Drug spending within Medicare Part B reached $22 billion in 2015, and drug costs have increased by an average of 8.6 percent annually since 2007.

Stephen Ubl, president of the industry trade group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA, said imposing foreign price controls from countries with socialized health care systems would harm patients and hinder drug discovery and development.

Azar, a former executive at pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly, told reporters Thursday that “you may hear the tired talking points” that this will affect innovation. He disputed that idea, concluding that “less than 1 percent of pharma [research and development] could potentially be impacted by this change.”

KHN’s coverage of prescription drug development, costs and pricing is supported in part by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

What PTs Need to Know About Medicare Plans

Our friends at WebPT offer a thorough, but easy-to-follow breakdown of everything PTs need to know related to Medicare plans.

from WebPT

Generally speaking, Medicare is a federally funded health insurance program that provides benefits for people who are 65 or older; people with disabilities; and people with end-stage renal disease. Each part of Medicare—A, B, C, and D—covers a distinct set of services and benefits. Then, there are Supplement Plans that fill in some of the gaps. Not sure how Part C differs from Part A—or what gaps a Supplement Plan could possibly fill? How about Original Medicare versus Medicare Advantage? Keep reading, because we’ve compiled a breakdown of each.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.