KENNESAW, GA / ACCESS Newswire / February 18, 2025 / Healthcare facilities are facing a myriad of issues in today's world, and many of these challenges can be difficult to overcome for hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. However, in the following article, we'll explore some of the top issues we see in partnered healthcare facilities as well as across the board in the field of healthcare and offer BenCura's expert advice on how to solve them.
Cybersecurity
This is not just for hospitals. Cybercriminals are becoming more and more clever and many organizations are being targeted. However, in the field of healthcare, we handle very sensitive data, making us prime targets. Some of the solutions your facility can work to implement in the coming year, if you have not already done so, include:
Security awareness training across the board for all employees along with additional training periodically
Having strong password policies
Utilizing multi-factor authentication (MFA) on critical systems
Limiting access to only necessary data for users
Use strong firewalls
Regularly monitor suspicious activity using intrusion detection and prevention systems
Segment networks to isolate sensitive patient data
Encrypt all sensitive patient data
Have strict policies for personal devices used for healthcare work and regularly update mobile device operating systems and security applications
Perform software applications and operating systems updates regularly to address any issues as quickly as possible
Backup data regularly and test backup systems
Develop a detailed response plan in the event of a cyber security incident and conduct regular drills to test and refine the plan
Check into cybersecurity habits of third-party vendors who have access to your patient data and implement contracts ensuring they comply with your organization's security standards
Workforce Shortages and Employee Burnout
Another significant challenge the healthcare industry has faced, even before the pandemic, is workforce shortages and employee burnout-a problem that has only worsened in recent years. An issue like this that affects the overall industry can really become a problem for smaller and more rural facilities who struggle to keep up with other facilities competing for the same labor. However, some steps you can take to combat this include:
Foster a supportive work culture through open communication, collaboration, opportunities for growth, and recognizing and appreciating current employees. This helps with current employees, but it can also be a strong recruiting tool.
Offering opportunities for professional advancement in order to recruit and promote from within whenever possible.
Ensuring your employee training is strong and truly prepares individuals for their new position.
Using technology to streamline workflows and help to eliminate inefficiencies and communication issues.
Offer competitive compensation.
Optimize staffing levels and offer flexible scheduling.
Patient Experience
A positive patient experience is crucial for healthcare facilities, but sadly, it's one of the more common issues many healthcare facilities are facing. A positive patient experience can help your care outcomes, profitability, community reputation, and overall use of your facility. Some of the key ways to improve include:
Train staff in communicating clearly with patients and their families.
Minimize wait times by using technology to pinpoint the delays and implementing solutions to fix those issues.
Collect feedback from patients and their families to identify areas of strength and weakness then make changes accordingly.
Work to involve patients in their care decisions and train staff on how to do this effectively.
Provide clear and thorough education to patients and their families about their treatment plan.
Make sure your facility feels comfortable and is always clean.
Efficiency and Organization
There are many issues in healthcare that can create issues with efficiency and organization including lack of communication between providers, poor patient flow, a high administrative burden, data being separated across multiple systems, coding errors, lack of staff training, and many others. Your facility can address these issues by focusing on the following improvements:
Using centralized electronic health records and training providers in the best way to use them.
Use optimized appointment scheduling with online scheduling tools, telehealth options, and patient reminders.
Track key performance indicators and improvements.
Develop procedures that allow for better communication between providers and health systems.
Financial Challenges
Many of the challenges mentioned above often contribute to financial difficulties. While the suggested solutions are crucial, they can be expensive. However, it's important to recognize that not implementing these solutions may lead to even greater costs. For example, continually having to recruit and train new staff or managing a data breach is much more costly than the steps to prevent those issues. However, some steps you can take to make up for these added expenses include:
Optimizing your revenue cycle to improve patient collections.
Using up to date technology to reduce administrative costs.
Look for cost-reduction strategies.
Shift towards value-based care models.
Promote preventative care wherever possible.
Educate and provide training to your financial team on best practices in maximizing reimbursements.
BenCura understands the challenges faced by many critical access hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. We specialize in addressing these issues in ways that support and improve your bottom line. Additionally, in partnering with us for contract rehabilitative services, you not only get quality therapy services but we can provide this less expensively for your facility than traditional in-house models, offering a great cost reduction initiative. We also have experience improving swing bed programs with rural hospitals to remove obstacles and help this program thrive, collaborating with financial and operations teams to make sure you are not leaving reimbursements on the table, and can help with the shift towards value-based care. To learn more about how we can help your hospital, visit https://bencura.com/hospitals/ or contact us at 855-423-6287 to schedule a free discovery call. To learn more about what we can offer your skilled nursing facility, visit https://bencura.com/skilled-nursing-facilities/.
BenCura Rehabilitation Services is a premier contract rehabilitation service committed to providing quality care to patients. BenCura partners with acute care and critical access hospitals and skilled nursing facilities to provide high quality physical, speech, and occupational therapy at a lower cost than traditional in-house models. For more information about BenCura Rehabilitation Services and our partnership with hospitals and long-term care facilities, please visit: bencura.com.
CONTACT
855.423.6287
info@bencura.com
SOURCE: BenCura Rehabilitation Services
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