Healthcare Consultant and Business Advisory CPA | HORNE

Healthcare in 2016—May You Live in Interesting Times

Written by Katherine G. Watts | December 29, 2016

Living in interesting times may be a blessing or a curse, but 2016 proves that it certainly isn't boring. Healthcare in the United States continues to evolve—sometimes very rapidly—and those guiding healthcare organizations have particular challenges ahead of them in the coming years.

The HORNE healthcare team has shared its knowledge and experience in blogs throughout this year, and the following five blogs were the most popular during 2016. 

Rud Blumentritt discussed how passage of the final MACRA rule will fundamentally change the physician compensation model, incentivizing quality, cost containment and patient management. How can hospitals "phase in" new compensation models as the rules and expectations change? Rud shares his thoughts about how to bridge the gap.

What do rural hospitals need to survive and thrive? JT Blalock suggests that planning more buildings isn't the answer, and neither is doing nothing. They argue that rural hospitals must understand their stakeholders, read their markets and take action to move into the future. These two blogs provide recommendations to help rural hospitals capitalize on their strengths, remain relevant and serve their communities.

As healthcare providers waited for the final MACRA rule, the HORNE healthcare team was working to understand the implications of the proposed rule. Within weeks of the CMS release of the proposed rule, Matt Malone wrote about what providers could expect.

JT Blalock makes the case that you can't control costs if you don't know what they are. Determining costs can be difficult and time consuming, but it doesn't have to be. Your growth and, in some cases, your survival depends on making wise decisions based on your actual costs. JT shares his perspective on implementing an effective cost-accounting system.

2017 will be an active year for healthcare policy, and we look forward to continuing the dialogue with you about important issues affecting healthcare in this country. By capitalizing on opportunities as they arise, you can achieve extraordinary results in 2017. 

 

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