Big Questions for Hospitals Get Bigger

Becker’s Hospital Review and Guidehouse convened an advisory call with several industry leaders to discuss the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare.

Advisory call participants:

• Timothy Kinney, Partner, Guidehouse
• Ketul J. Patel, CEO of Tacoma, Wash.-based CHI Franciscan and President of the Pacific Northwest Division of CommonSpirit Health
• Lisa Replogle, Vice President of Finance at Scottsdale, Ariz.-based HonorHealth
• Ian Stewart, Managing Director, Guidehouse
• David Verinder, President and CEO of Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Health Care System
• Jeffrey L. Weinstein, Executive Director and CEO of Flemington, N.J.-based Hunterdon HealthCare Partners

The leaders who participated in the advisory call represent organizations where resolve and adaptability are on full display. In the Pacific Northwest Division of CommonSpirit Health, for example, providers conducted 11,500 virtual urgent care visits and more than 125,000 virtual clinic visits in the first six months of the pandemic. These figures represent vast increases in telehealth services and are indicative of the organization’s willingness to change.

Big questions that remain

The conversation shifted to concerns and considerations for the possible lasting influence the pandemic will have on the business and delivery of patient care, across five key areas:

1. What will telehealth look like beyond the pandemic?
2. What’s in store for acute care?
3. What will workforce optimization look like post-pandemic?
4. Can value-based care facilitate revenue recovery?
5. How will providers and patients navigate price transparency?

Resolve amid uncertainty

COVID-19 hit healthcare providers hard in various ways. As the pandemic continues, uncertainties linger, and future challenges await. However, healthcare is an industry accustomed to adapting to disruption and change.

To learn more, download the Becker's-Guidehouse E-Book.