Julie Harris, Sr. Director of Clinical Services at Merrimack Health Group, was struggling with a common healthcare problem: One of her communities was experiencing staff call-outs and the resulting overtime...
The flu gets personal
By
Bruce Baron
Oct 24, 2013
Late last month, we got a call from my almost octogenarian father-in-law, Lou. Lou has always been relatively healthy. During this call, Lou told us that he had the flu. He said not to worry, that he was...
How to reduce patient risk if your EMR system fails
By
Bruce Baron
Aug 28, 2013
Many senior care providers are implementing Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems in their efforts to improve care and reduce costs. This is increasingly a necessity, as EMRs can help prevent harmful...
How eldercare providers can save lives this summer
By
Bruce Baron
Jul 25, 2013
Summer is a wonderful time of year. Kids are at camp and beaches; lakes and pools are top of mind for many of us. For most everyone, summer is something to look forward to – for everyone that is,...
How Wingate Healthcare resolved every eldercare provider’s worst nightmare
By
Bruce Baron
Jun 21, 2013
Staff call outs are a nursing staff’s worst nightmare and are a prime reason that employee turnover for staff schedulers remains at a high level. Staff call outs often happen at the last minute and...
Managing high rates of hospital readmissions
By
Bruce Baron
May 24, 2013
According to a recent study by NEHI – a national health policy institute, entitled Improving Medication Adherence and Reducing Hospital Readmissions almost 20% of hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries...
Improve resident health by reducing employee stress
By
Bruce Baron
Apr 24, 2013
An accomplished director of nursing recently told me that finding replacement staff to cover for staff call-outs is a key contributor to stress at her community. There is technology to help with call-outs.
The community role in cognitive ability
By
Bruce Baron
Mar 29, 2013
Even though they are not clinicians, activity directors can play a key role in increasing the health of seniors.
Three hidden reasons why your OT costs are too high
By
Bruce Baron
Feb 25, 2013
Many times it seems that revenues and expenses are going in opposite directions. That’s why it’s important to look for process improvement opportunities to improve the profitability of your...
How to get prepared for the next Sandy
By
Bruce Baron
Nov 26, 2012
A big part of a disaster management plan is asking how your facility will communicate with families, residents and staff.