Community Health Center – effective practice management – Our next post will be on Tuesday, February 24, 2009.
Next post: Leadership – Structure – Finance: An Overview
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Community Health Centers: The Integrity Structure of Leadership, Structure, and Financial – Introduction to Financial
Community Health Centers: The Integrity Structure of Leadership, Structure, and Financial – Introduction to Financial
In this continuing series, we address Community Health Centers and their central role in providing primary health care to the unemployed, underemployed, and part-time employed who are uninsured or underinsured.
Healthcare in America is not a looming crisis. It is not a pending catastrophe. American healthcare is in a state of crisis now. Healthcare for the uninsured and underinsured is a dark waltz with disaster:
From 54% of chronically ill giving-up necessary medical care due to lack of money, (http://www.commonwealthfund.org/index.htm )
To a 1% increase in unemployment resulting in an increase of 1,000,000 people with no health insurance - Kaiser Family Foundation - http://www.kff.org/ and NewsHour – PBS -HealthBeat -http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/health/uninsured/index.html
If these men, women, and children cannot afford adequate food, clothing, or shelter; then, they certainly cannot afford basic, primary healthcare for pre-natal, early childhood, and chronic diseases.
The way this can be dealt with immediately is through local Community Health Centers. However, until Community Health Centers (CHCs) are well-led, well-managed, and well-financed, they will not be in a consistent position to serve the medically underserved. The demand for vital, robust, and financially sustainable Community Health Centers is central to the health of this nation.
This post addresses:
The Integrity Structure of Leadership, Structure, and Finance – Introduction to Financial
Financial
Does the leadership understand, and convert into action, the foremost financial need of the organization as their first and primary task and duty?
1. Positive cash flow …
2. Total provider compensation at 45% of that provider’s net collections …
3. Total medical CHC expenses at 88% of total net collections …
4. Internal accounts receivable of less than 3 days …
5. External accounts receivable of less than 46 days …
Next post: Leadership – Structure – Finance: An Overview
In this continuing series, we address Community Health Centers and their central role in providing primary health care to the unemployed, underemployed, and part-time employed who are uninsured or underinsured.
Healthcare in America is not a looming crisis. It is not a pending catastrophe. American healthcare is in a state of crisis now. Healthcare for the uninsured and underinsured is a dark waltz with disaster:
From 54% of chronically ill giving-up necessary medical care due to lack of money, (http://www.commonwealthfund.org/index.htm )
To a 1% increase in unemployment resulting in an increase of 1,000,000 people with no health insurance - Kaiser Family Foundation - http://www.kff.org/ and NewsHour – PBS -HealthBeat -http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/health/uninsured/index.html
If these men, women, and children cannot afford adequate food, clothing, or shelter; then, they certainly cannot afford basic, primary healthcare for pre-natal, early childhood, and chronic diseases.
The way this can be dealt with immediately is through local Community Health Centers. However, until Community Health Centers (CHCs) are well-led, well-managed, and well-financed, they will not be in a consistent position to serve the medically underserved. The demand for vital, robust, and financially sustainable Community Health Centers is central to the health of this nation.
This post addresses:
The Integrity Structure of Leadership, Structure, and Finance – Introduction to Financial
Financial
Does the leadership understand, and convert into action, the foremost financial need of the organization as their first and primary task and duty?
1. Positive cash flow …
2. Total provider compensation at 45% of that provider’s net collections …
3. Total medical CHC expenses at 88% of total net collections …
4. Internal accounts receivable of less than 3 days …
5. External accounts receivable of less than 46 days …
Next post: Leadership – Structure – Finance: An Overview
Thursday, February 19, 2009
The Integrity Structure of Leadership, Structure, and Finance – Introduction to Structure
The Integrity Structure of Leadership, Structure, and Finance – Introduction to Structure
Continuing in this series, we address Community Health Centers and their central role in providing primary health care to the unemployed, underemployed, and part-time employed who are uninsured or underinsured.
Healthcare in America is not a looming crisis. It is not a pending catastrophe. American healthcare is in a state of crisis now. Healthcare for the uninsured and underinsured is a dark waltz with disaster:
From 13 consecutive months of job loss,
To 20,000,000 people unemployed, underemployed, or working part-time,
If these men, women, and children cannot afford adequate food, clothing, or shelter, then, they certainly cannot afford basic, primary healthcare for pre-natal, early childhood, and chronic diseases.
The way this can be dealt with immediately is through local Community Health Centers. However, until Community Health Centers (CHCs) are well-led, well-managed, and well-financed, they will not be in a consistent position to serve the medically underserved. The demand for vital, robust, and financially sustainable Community Health Centers is central to the health of this nation.
This post addresses:
The Integrity Structure of Leadership, Structure, and Finance – Introduction to Structure
Structure
Does the leadership understand, and convert into action, as their first and primary task and duty, the foremost structural need of the organization?
1. Effective business vision
2. Focus on value creation (Human Assets, Expertise, Parameters, Change)
3. Foster internal forces that encourage progress - [or, Are they demagogic?]
Next post: The Integrity Structure of Leadership, Structure, and Finance – Introduction to Financial
Continuing in this series, we address Community Health Centers and their central role in providing primary health care to the unemployed, underemployed, and part-time employed who are uninsured or underinsured.
Healthcare in America is not a looming crisis. It is not a pending catastrophe. American healthcare is in a state of crisis now. Healthcare for the uninsured and underinsured is a dark waltz with disaster:
From 13 consecutive months of job loss,
To 20,000,000 people unemployed, underemployed, or working part-time,
If these men, women, and children cannot afford adequate food, clothing, or shelter, then, they certainly cannot afford basic, primary healthcare for pre-natal, early childhood, and chronic diseases.
The way this can be dealt with immediately is through local Community Health Centers. However, until Community Health Centers (CHCs) are well-led, well-managed, and well-financed, they will not be in a consistent position to serve the medically underserved. The demand for vital, robust, and financially sustainable Community Health Centers is central to the health of this nation.
This post addresses:
The Integrity Structure of Leadership, Structure, and Finance – Introduction to Structure
Structure
Does the leadership understand, and convert into action, as their first and primary task and duty, the foremost structural need of the organization?
1. Effective business vision
2. Focus on value creation (Human Assets, Expertise, Parameters, Change)
3. Foster internal forces that encourage progress - [or, Are they demagogic?]
Next post: The Integrity Structure of Leadership, Structure, and Finance – Introduction to Financial
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Community Health Centers: Leadership Integrity
Community Health Centers: Leadership Integrity
In this series, we continue to write about Community Health Centers and their central role in providing primary health care to the unemployed, underemployed, and part-time employed who are uninsured or underinsured.
Healthcare in America is not a looming crisis. It is not a pending catastrophe. American healthcare is in a state of crisis now. Healthcare for the uninsured and underinsured is a dark waltz with disaster:
From 13 consecutive months of job loss,
To 20,000,000 people unemployed, underemployed, or working part-time,
If these men, women, and children cannot afford adequate food, clothing, or shelter, then, they certainly cannot afford basic, primary healthcare for pre-natal, early childhood, and chronic diseases.
The way this can be dealt with immediately is through local Community Health Centers.
However, until Community Health Centers (CHCs) are well-led, well-managed, and well-financed, they will not be in a consistent position to serve the medically underserved.
This post will address:
Community Health Centers: Leadership Integrity
INTEGRITY (defined) – The ability to understand, and convert into action, as the leader’s first task and duty, the foremost need of the organization.
Do your leaders have the ability to see the world as it actually, not as they want it to be (which, of course, is vision, unfortunately, at this stage of development, vision may lead to illusion – a subject of future postings).
Leadership – Structure – Financial
Leadership Integrity, leads to - Structural Integrity - Selecting and adhering to the top four elements (Human Assets, Expertise, Parameters, Change) which leads to - Financial Integrity ( Selecting and adhering to effective predictive/leading financial indicators).
The Key Issue:
Do these elements have integrity?
1. Leadership,
2. Structure, and
3. Financial.
The Leadership Questions
What are the Board’s assumptions about their Executive Director and Senior Managers?
Are their assumptions premised upon:
The Lone Ranger theory of management?
That the supply of talented executives is strictly limited?
Do they understand, and convert into action self-executing mechanisms?
Do they have, and convert into action, their core competencies?
1. Are their core competencies relevant?
2. Are they effective, or merely efficient, or neither?
3. Are they muscle, fat, or cancer?
4. Do they staff from strengths or weaknesses?
5. Do they have, and convert into action, a one-line job description?
6. Do they not just playing well themselves, but help others play better?
Next post: The Integrity Structure of Leadership, Structure, and Finance – Introduction to Structure
In this series, we continue to write about Community Health Centers and their central role in providing primary health care to the unemployed, underemployed, and part-time employed who are uninsured or underinsured.
Healthcare in America is not a looming crisis. It is not a pending catastrophe. American healthcare is in a state of crisis now. Healthcare for the uninsured and underinsured is a dark waltz with disaster:
From 13 consecutive months of job loss,
To 20,000,000 people unemployed, underemployed, or working part-time,
If these men, women, and children cannot afford adequate food, clothing, or shelter, then, they certainly cannot afford basic, primary healthcare for pre-natal, early childhood, and chronic diseases.
The way this can be dealt with immediately is through local Community Health Centers.
However, until Community Health Centers (CHCs) are well-led, well-managed, and well-financed, they will not be in a consistent position to serve the medically underserved.
This post will address:
Community Health Centers: Leadership Integrity
INTEGRITY (defined) – The ability to understand, and convert into action, as the leader’s first task and duty, the foremost need of the organization.
Do your leaders have the ability to see the world as it actually, not as they want it to be (which, of course, is vision, unfortunately, at this stage of development, vision may lead to illusion – a subject of future postings).
Leadership – Structure – Financial
Leadership Integrity, leads to - Structural Integrity - Selecting and adhering to the top four elements (Human Assets, Expertise, Parameters, Change) which leads to - Financial Integrity ( Selecting and adhering to effective predictive/leading financial indicators).
The Key Issue:
Do these elements have integrity?
1. Leadership,
2. Structure, and
3. Financial.
The Leadership Questions
What are the Board’s assumptions about their Executive Director and Senior Managers?
Are their assumptions premised upon:
The Lone Ranger theory of management?
That the supply of talented executives is strictly limited?
Do they understand, and convert into action self-executing mechanisms?
Do they have, and convert into action, their core competencies?
1. Are their core competencies relevant?
2. Are they effective, or merely efficient, or neither?
3. Are they muscle, fat, or cancer?
4. Do they staff from strengths or weaknesses?
5. Do they have, and convert into action, a one-line job description?
6. Do they not just playing well themselves, but help others play better?
Next post: The Integrity Structure of Leadership, Structure, and Finance – Introduction to Structure
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The Community Health Center Integrity Structure of Leadership, Structure, and Finance – An Introduction – Reflecting Forward
Reflecting Forward
Effective Practice Management for Community Health Centers
In this series, we will write about Community Health Centers and their central role in providing primary health care to the unemployed, underemployed, and part-time employed who are uninsured or underinsured.
This post addresses:
The Community Health Center Integrity Structure of Leadership, Structure, and Finance – An Introduction – Reflecting Forward
Not a Looming Crisis?
Healthcare in America is not a looming crisis. It is not a pending catastrophe. American healthcare is in a state of crisis now. Healthcare for the uninsured and underinsured is a dark waltz with disaster:
From 13 consecutive months of job loss,
To 20,000,000 people unemployed, underemployed, or working part-time,
To 54% of chronically ill giving-up necessary medical care due to lack of money, (http://www.commonwealthfund.org/index.htm
To a 1% increase in unemployment resulting in an increase of 1,000,000 people with no health insurance (Kaiser Family Foundation - http://www.kff.org/ and NewsHour – PBS -HealthBeat -http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/health/uninsured/index.html )
To State Medicaid denials rising - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/11/AR2009021104311.html
To the U.S. economy has shedding more jobs that the total population of Chicago – Heidi Shierholz – Economic Policy Institute - http://www.epi.org/quick_takes/entry/3.5_million_jobs_lost/
If these men, women, and children cannot afford adequate food, clothing, or shelter, then, they certainly cannot afford basic, primary healthcare for pre-natal, early childhood, and chronic diseases.
Community Health Centers and Universal Healthcare
While universal health care may be the ideal, until, and if, it is enacted (with full coverage), properly and permanently funded (unlike Medicaid), and effectively implemented (with evergreen clauses), those 20,000,000 men and women will continue to suffer needlessly, and so will this country.
The way this can be dealt with immediately is through local Community Health Centers. However, until Community Health Centers (CHCs) are well-led, well-managed, and well-financed, they will not be in a consistent position to serve the medically underserved. The demand for vital, robust, and financially sustainable Community Health Centers is central to the health of this nation.
Central Questions
Who can ensure that the Community Health Centers are well-led?
Who has the ability to take these steps?
What do they need to do?
What steps will they need to take?
When can this begin?
Where will this be implemented?
How can CHCs overcome this seemingly permanent problem of sub-par medical management and paltry funding?
Are the current leaders able to do the job?
Do they have the knowledge, skills, values, experience, and temperament to do this critical, complicated job?
Are your Community Health Center Board and Executive Director equal to the task?
If so, why hasn’t your community health center’s service to the underserved increased to meet the needs?
What excuses have you been given?
How long have you been hearing those excuses?
Why do you still believe those excuses?
The Who – What – When – Where and How
Future postings in this series will discuss the “who, what, when, where, and how” of the above questions.
This is not an instant gratification process. However, since CHCs have been around for over thirty years, and they are still failing to serve even the majority underserved in their areas, it might be time to pause, read, and reflect on the Who, What, When, Where, and How of serving the underserved.
We will set-forth options, hypothetical case studies of two community health centers, and an outline of an effective business model (Leadership – Structure – Financial) for sustainable Community Health Centers.
Next Post: Community Health Centers: Integrity and Leadership
Effective Practice Management for Community Health Centers
In this series, we will write about Community Health Centers and their central role in providing primary health care to the unemployed, underemployed, and part-time employed who are uninsured or underinsured.
This post addresses:
The Community Health Center Integrity Structure of Leadership, Structure, and Finance – An Introduction – Reflecting Forward
Not a Looming Crisis?
Healthcare in America is not a looming crisis. It is not a pending catastrophe. American healthcare is in a state of crisis now. Healthcare for the uninsured and underinsured is a dark waltz with disaster:
From 13 consecutive months of job loss,
To 20,000,000 people unemployed, underemployed, or working part-time,
To 54% of chronically ill giving-up necessary medical care due to lack of money, (http://www.commonwealthfund.org/index.htm
To a 1% increase in unemployment resulting in an increase of 1,000,000 people with no health insurance (Kaiser Family Foundation - http://www.kff.org/ and NewsHour – PBS -HealthBeat -http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/health/uninsured/index.html )
To State Medicaid denials rising - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/11/AR2009021104311.html
To the U.S. economy has shedding more jobs that the total population of Chicago – Heidi Shierholz – Economic Policy Institute - http://www.epi.org/quick_takes/entry/3.5_million_jobs_lost/
If these men, women, and children cannot afford adequate food, clothing, or shelter, then, they certainly cannot afford basic, primary healthcare for pre-natal, early childhood, and chronic diseases.
Community Health Centers and Universal Healthcare
While universal health care may be the ideal, until, and if, it is enacted (with full coverage), properly and permanently funded (unlike Medicaid), and effectively implemented (with evergreen clauses), those 20,000,000 men and women will continue to suffer needlessly, and so will this country.
The way this can be dealt with immediately is through local Community Health Centers. However, until Community Health Centers (CHCs) are well-led, well-managed, and well-financed, they will not be in a consistent position to serve the medically underserved. The demand for vital, robust, and financially sustainable Community Health Centers is central to the health of this nation.
Central Questions
Who can ensure that the Community Health Centers are well-led?
Who has the ability to take these steps?
What do they need to do?
What steps will they need to take?
When can this begin?
Where will this be implemented?
How can CHCs overcome this seemingly permanent problem of sub-par medical management and paltry funding?
Are the current leaders able to do the job?
Do they have the knowledge, skills, values, experience, and temperament to do this critical, complicated job?
Are your Community Health Center Board and Executive Director equal to the task?
If so, why hasn’t your community health center’s service to the underserved increased to meet the needs?
What excuses have you been given?
How long have you been hearing those excuses?
Why do you still believe those excuses?
The Who – What – When – Where and How
Future postings in this series will discuss the “who, what, when, where, and how” of the above questions.
This is not an instant gratification process. However, since CHCs have been around for over thirty years, and they are still failing to serve even the majority underserved in their areas, it might be time to pause, read, and reflect on the Who, What, When, Where, and How of serving the underserved.
We will set-forth options, hypothetical case studies of two community health centers, and an outline of an effective business model (Leadership – Structure – Financial) for sustainable Community Health Centers.
Next Post: Community Health Centers: Integrity and Leadership
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