Hospitals and health systems are increasingly using on-demand executives to address specific business needs such as financial controls, workforce planning, and technology implementation. These experts, who are not in search of permanent roles, are brought in temporarily for projects, interim positions, or to provide strategic advice. The use of on-demand leaders, like those from Business Talent Group, helps organizations tackle major industry challenges and transformations more nimbly. Despite the benefits, such as agility and specialized knowledge, there are challenges related to defining roles and integrating these executives. Both Sandra Pinnavaia of Heidrick & Struggles, and Dr. Feby Abraham from Memorial Hermann Health System highlight the growing dependence on this model, while acknowledging practical difficulties in implementation.

Healthcare 'free agents': Hospitals embrace on-demand leadership Becker's Hospital Review

Patients are increasingly concerned about the security of their personal data, with a recent survey showing that 95% worry about data breaches and a significant distrust in Big Tech handling their health data. Healthcare data breaches are notably costly, averaging $10.9 million in 2023, primarily due to phishing and compromised credentials. These breaches jeopardize patient care, privacy, and institutional reputation. Providers can enhance data security by adopting advanced patient payment technologies that incorporate PCI compliance, payment tokenization, and validated point-to-point encryption, thereby mitigating the risks associated with data breaches.

3 Ways to Improve Patient Payments Data Security and Compliance Healthcare IT Today

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced its intention to award sole-source contracts to Abridge AI, Inc. and Nuance Communications, Inc., for AI-enabled healthcare dictation tools. These tools will be used to transcribe and generate notes from patient healthcare encounters as part of the VA's AI Tech Sprint initiative. The contracts focus on implementing AI scribe pilots to enhance clinical workflows, particularly in specialty, mental health, and primary care settings. These pilots will integrate with the VA's electronic health record (EHR) modernization efforts, allowing for automatic note generation without manual patient data entry. The VA is also seeking feedback from other potential contractors.

VA plans to award AI tech sprint winners contracts for ambient medical transcription services Fedscoop

The need for middleware and Clinical Communication & Collaboration (CC&C) systems in hospitals is evolving with advancements in medical communication technologies. Initially serving as simple bridges for systems like nurse call and telemetry, modern CC&C platforms now incorporate sophisticated features including secure messaging, voice calling, and patient engagement via smartphones and specialized devices. However, the industry's lack of comprehensive planning has led to complex, often unmanageable integrated systems, known as “accidental architecture.” The landscape is further complicated by the dominance of EHR-centric systems like Epic, regulatory constraints on alarm management, and the push towards a unified communication platform. Despite the competition, CC&C and middleware solutions remain relevant by offering essential integration capabilities that EHRs currently cannot, especially in alarm management. The future likely sees a convergence towards single comprehensive platforms, though regulatory and market dynamics will heavily influence this transition.

Do Hospitals still need Middleware and CC&C? publication