Almost everyone I talk with in healthcare is incredibly frustrated. This is true for providers and physicians, administrators and executives, directors and advisors, organizers and coordinators alike. Not a single person working in healthcare thinks “this is great; we’ve got it all figured out.”
In my experience, most leaders came into the industry to make a difference. Those driven to work in healthcare are often dedicated to both serving patients and improving the system. And yet, these leaders feel stymied in their ability to achieve any far-reaching goals because the day-to-day demands of their jobs override their best laid plans. For many, the challenges in healthcare are so immediate, the obstacles so incessant, the consequences of failure so dire, that it can be difficult to step back long enough to address underlying issues. The fact that incredible accomplishments still occur despite these obstacles is truly breathtaking. We thank you for your tenacity and service.
In a 2018 poll by Medical Group Management Associates, 73% of 1750 healthcare leaders surveyed indicated feeling burned out (45% “burned out”; 28% “somewhat burned out”). Most cited emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment.[1] And yet this finding comes as no surprise to industry insiders. All too often, we find ourselves pinched for the time and money to be proactive, forcing us to instead spend it on remediation and incremental improvements.
It’s time to collectively make it a priority to focus on the big stuff: misaligned incentives, inadequate data, antiquated technology, complexity and inefficiency, archaic business models. These challenges cannot be too big for us. We have sent people to the moon and split the atom. Surely we can figure out how to pay for and administer kind, quality, and affordable healthcare. And surely we can do this in a way that respects the humanity and integrity of our healthcare providers and administrators.
The consequences are simply too great if we do not. Just over half of Americans have avoided seeking medical care due to lack of ability to pay, and 85% of us think healthcare costs in general are too high.[2] And yet they continue to rise. In 2018, US healthcare spending grew an additional 4.6%, all while we increased the number of uninsured people by 1.0 million for the second year in a row, leaving 30.7 million people without coverage.
And there is no end in sight. Under current law, we expect healthcare spending to grow by 5.5% annually over the next decade – a rate .8% greater than projected GDP for the same period.[3] As healthcare insiders, all of us have seen the devastating impact that these cost issues have for our patients, members, and fellow Americans.
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At Spring Street Exchange we’re focused on what we can do to increase the impact of our work. Our strategic transformation service is all about helping clients embrace truly differentiating company strategies. We’re expanding our Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) practice to include SDOH Assessments that help healthcare organizations organize, accelerate, and increase the impact of their SDOH services. We will also be launching Spring Street Select, a service line that augments the capacity of healthcare organizations through interim, temporary, and advisory experts. And we’ll hold Visioning Paloozas in May and October, to bring together a diverse cohort of leaders. The goal, as always: to step back, so we can leap forward.
We are also focused on helping our clients increase the impact of their work. But of course, we also sometimes find ourselves in that familiar spinning wheel. So, with the new year, we are expanding our efforts to keep us out of this trap by renewing our commitment to:
Focus on the why of all we do: We will infuse our work with reminders of the bigger picture of why we do what we do.
Set aside unscheduled time: I have protected my calendar for one morning each week to secure time for planning, professional growth, and writing projects.
Measure impact: Our updated project methodology includes progress and impact questionnaires so we can improve our ability to measure the impact of our work.
In a country that is increasingly intolerant and divided, I find the work we do in healthcare to be deeply uniting. Despite what politicians tell us, most Americans want essentially the same thing – caring, high quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare for their families and those they love. I believe we can achieve this. Truly.
As we prepare to close our offices at Spring Street Exchange over the winter holidays, I am left humbled by the incredible intelligence, drive, and generous spirit of our many colleagues in the industry. It is truly an honor to walk by your side as we work together for something better. Thank you for all you do in service of better healthcare. We are so grateful.
And, from the bottom of my heart, I wish you all peace and the gift of reflection over the holidays and into the New Year.
We look forward to stepping back with you next year, so that we can all leap forward together.
[1] https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/almost-three-quarters-healthcare-leaders-feel-some-degree-burnout-survey-finds
[2] https://www.healthpocket.com/health-insurance-insights/medical-debt-in-us-2019#.XfY2sC-ZO_V
[3] https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/NHE-Fact-Sheet