Better pay, better performance
Most of us have heard the old adage “You get what you pay for” and based on the most recent Solucient survey, it is especially applicable to the caregivers in healthcare. This was the major takeaway message from an analysis of the annual 100 Top Hospital list from Solucient.
The focus of this year’s supplement was to examine the connection between high clinical and financial performance and a hospital’s labor costs.
According to the study, hospitals that made the firm’s latest 100 Top list pay their employees an average of $3,000 more in salary and benefits than do hospitals that didn’t make the list.
There was a direct correlation between hospitals that spend more on highly capable caregivers and lower expenditures on contract labor and overtime.
This is a tough lesson for many hospitals such as Floyd whose immediate financial problems prompt Floyd and other hospitals to keep their wallets tight.
But the long term outlook verifies that spending big on talented staffers will actually save hospitals money and produce better patient outcomes.
The next time you are a patient, you might think about asking nurses: “What are they paying you?” in addition to “Is that the right medication?”
The focus of this year’s supplement was to examine the connection between high clinical and financial performance and a hospital’s labor costs.
According to the study, hospitals that made the firm’s latest 100 Top list pay their employees an average of $3,000 more in salary and benefits than do hospitals that didn’t make the list.
There was a direct correlation between hospitals that spend more on highly capable caregivers and lower expenditures on contract labor and overtime.
This is a tough lesson for many hospitals such as Floyd whose immediate financial problems prompt Floyd and other hospitals to keep their wallets tight.
But the long term outlook verifies that spending big on talented staffers will actually save hospitals money and produce better patient outcomes.
The next time you are a patient, you might think about asking nurses: “What are they paying you?” in addition to “Is that the right medication?”
posted by Anonymous at 5:56 AM
28 Comments:
Good suggestion!
I have an appointment coming up soon at your office. I think I will pose that question to each of your employees as I move from reception through examination. I assume that the doctor I see will also be willing to share his earnings so I can compare that with the averages for his practice--I sure don't want to risk being treated by an underpaid doctor.
Priceless. Just 25 minutes after the original post, HB's point has been cut off at the knees. Although the commenter has a valid point, it is another example of the depths to which this blog has fallen.
Last week, I tried to jump-start a stalled conversation on EHR's by posting a link to a news story, even though I know very little about the subject. The attempt to have a meaningful conversation was futile, as not even HB bothered to comment on the subject.
Apparently, if it's not defamatory and/or flat-out hateful, it's of no use to the readers of this blog. Just following the leader, I suppose.
You just can't make this stuff up.
It's summer time, too. Blog readerships go down because people are outside, on vacation or otherwise occupied.
Plus, since so many of us can't carry on a healthy discussion/debate, it's probably best that we take some time off now and then to give our respective blood pressures a chance to return to normal.
Anyone that is familiar with someone that works in a Doctors office knows that this is one of the lowest paid jobs for services performed than any job a hospital, and also most private sector has to offer for the same services. So cannot understand why HB would even broach this subject.
For those who cannot address the topic, here is a little more info.
HB didn't perform the study, solucient did. This is the same company that Floyd has used for surveys and touted when they at one time got recognition.
Comparing hospital employee salaries and doctor offices salaries is not even in the same ballpark.
The study was looking at hospitals and performed by a "reputable" firm that Floyd so readily uses.
And yes you should think long and hard about going to the lowest paid physician.
You do get what you pay for more times than not.
How bout that expensive beer at NAC's place. Why not just get a Bud.
Research has shown 95% of the population can't distinguish between different beers by taste. What makes a premium beer premium -- the price.
Here's a simple test. Show your friend 2 different beers. Use 3 glasses. Without you friend knowing which is which, pour a taste of one of the beers into 2 glasses, and the other beer into the third glass. Then ask you friend, by tasting, to identify: Which two glasses contain the same beer, and which beer is it?
Many people are sure that they can do it. Very few can.
I’m not sure how we got from salaries to beer, but somebody must have been in the sun too long when they wrote that one. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to comment though. The fact that Floyd received the Solucient award is not necessarily an indication that Floyd has kept pace with salaries for this area, industry, or job skill level. It has been a well-known fact that Bryant maintains the position that Floyd associates are paid at the AVERAGE level for most, if not all, salary scales in the Manning tables published by Human Resources. As a member of Management Council, I have personally contacted my peers on both the local and national levels to compare our scales to others. There is no comparison! We are consistently lower than other organization of similar size and/or volume! Mike Ford has conducted numerous salary survey’s over the years but no one has ever had the opportunity to see the actual results. What is presented to Management Council is the watered down version of what Administration what’s us to see. Whenever a comparison is challenged, the standard reply is always that they didn’t receive enough returns to have a significant impact on our salary scales. I also find it interesting that, in more cases than not, talented Associates that have left Floyd and taken the same type of job ‘across the river’ in another hospital and find themselves with a much fatter paycheck at the end of the week. Now people will argue that the cost of gas, parking and the hassles of the traffic are not worth the extra cash. Well, I can tell you, I know for a fact of three Associates that have done just that for a mere $12,000 to a $15,000 increase! Now if that kind of discrepancy is considered ‘within the boundaries’ of the Floyd Salary Scales, perhaps someone might want to reconsider what the boundaries should be! Thanks Bryant. By the way, is your salary at the Medium level? I think not. If anyone is interested, go check the form 990's that are posted for nonprofit organizations and compare for yourself.
HB’s point is right on the mark. You get what you pay for! Not only in the Clinical areas but also the support areas as well. How long have you had to wait to get registered in the new lobby? How long have you had to wait to get registered in the new Emergency Room? How accurate has you bill been when you received it? Did you receive it in a timely manner? Granted, the Clinical areas are critical to patient care. BUT we seem to be able to turn a blind eye to the fact that there are way too many people, performing daily routine tasks, that work at their leisure not bothering to check, much less double check, the work. It would be interesting to know how much the Hospital spends each year on correcting needless mistakes. I’d almost bet it is in the millions. Hey! Maybe we could recover some of that $15,000,000 accounting error!!!
For those of you in Administration that continue to take your shots at Dr. Dan, how can you not see the mess that is right in front of you and why do you continue to ignore it! How many Lean Six Sigma, Quality Initiatives, Continues Quality Improvement programs do we have to endure before you wake up and recognize the fact that you folks in the ivory tower do NOT communicate and continue the turf protection? If it weren’t for the dedicated individual that take pride in their job performance, and ignore the misdirection from Administration, this place would have closed, or been sold, a long time ago. Wake up Floyd County, do you want our Hospital to be sold to an outside organization? If things don’t change soon, that could be one option our beloved County Commissionaires may very well consider! Think about it! As always, Have a great day.
Could not have summed it up better than the previous post.
I didn't perform this survey. Deal with the issue.
Today's post expands on the topic and goes right along with our previous blogger's comments.
Many people are sure that they can do it. Very few can.
This makes sense only if the two beers are mass-market swill. Even I have trouble telling the difference between McBud and McMiller.
Not being able to tell the difference between, say, IPA and Imperial Stout is like failing to discern what makes grapefruit different from coffee.
And, if one can't tell those two apart, I agree: The sensory organs have expired, do drink McBud.
To suggest that price alone differentiates "premium" (itself a mass-market term, not a micro term) is to practice a wee bit of Philistinism.
Like music, there are are only two kinds of beer: good and bad.
I like a micro brew once in a while. Couldn't drink it all the time -- they are usually kinda heavy, too high calorie and too expensive.
"...Thanks Bryant. By the way, is your salary at the Medium level? I think not. If anyone is interested, go check the form 990's that are posted for nonprofit organizations and compare for yourself.
HB’s point is right on the mark. You get what you pay for!..."
From Anon 2:51 comment
Does anyone else see the irony in this? Just an observation.
To anonymous of 2:51 am.
Couldn't help noticing the time in which you wrote this response. I am curious about the time since it is so early...or late...which ever way you look at it. But that note aside, I want to comment on your response.
You seem to definitely have a very good handle on the workings of the hospital. And because of that, it would appear you are indeed an employee who has been there for some time, as well as being a member of the Management Council as you indicated. You also are comfortable in referring to Mr. Hanson by his first name. It is because of these observations, I judge your comments to be both valid and significant. You are also able to articulate your issues very well.
I believe you when you say that we have problems at FMHHS. I hope someone who is in the position to make a difference reads your blog comment and moves to do something about it.
I have one question for you. In your notes you say: "go check the form 990's that are posted for nonprofit organizations and compare for yourself." Where are these posted? And will these reveal everyone's salary? Such as Bryant"s?
To those of you who prefer to change this posting to reference beer, I say the following: Please do not reduce the seriousness of this issue by changing the subject to discuss something as mundane as the quality of beer. It is an insult to everyone who is concerned about the livelihood of our hospital and the good employees who continue to take care of us when we need to use it.
Actually I find beer is a much more refreshing topic than small county hospital politics.
I agree that Anon 2:51's comments are well stated and maybe even mostly correct. However, you could hear the same thing about any hospital in this area. "The administration does not know what they are doing, they don't care about the employees, they are all taking perks(bribes)from suppliers."
Norton went through financial woes not very long ago and, if I remember correctly, their CFO was replaced. Jewish is not doing as well as they used to.
Granted, this does not change the need to correct whatever problems there are, but our hospital is hardly unique, which some seem to believe.
to 10:47 I can only say. If you don't like reading about the "Small county hospital politics" than I ask the following question. Why are you reading it?
To Anon 2:48 Only because it was too early to drink beer
It's never too early to drink beer. Take that rule and...you know...stuff it up your butt.
Reading this blog is like passing a bad traffic accident - you don't want to look, but you can't help it.
Anyone who has ever worked in any large organization of any type recognizes the earmarks of the chronic whiners and complainers who are ALWAYS negative about everything. They usually top out early in their careers and ALWAYS blame someone else for their failures to advance. Management is stupid and corrupt and that is why the whiners aren't more successful. Other departments don't do their jobs correctly and that is why whiners aren't more productive. People "somewhere else" make more money because their organizations love them more than the whiners' company. The complainers never see the positives around them and they create a poisonous atmosphere for anyone who has to listen to them.
Do something to improve yourself. Get more education or training. Show more initiative. Don't point fingers--fix something yourself. You might be surprised at how much better you like your job and how much better other people like you.
Or just wallow in the mud you create and make yourself miserable.
Recent retiree said.....hey 5:01p.m I can spot administrative personnel a mile away........good try.
Well, "Recent Floyd" you are partly right...I have worked many years in management but never at Floyd Memorial. And over that time I have seen many whiners like the ones who show up here to spread their negative attitudes. They are always the ones who arrive the latest, take the longest breaks, call in sick the most, and try to make everyone else as miserable as themselves. And then, when they get poor reviews, they loudly proclaim that their supervisors "play favorites" or "take credit for everything" or "don't know what they are doing." They usually do just enough to avoid being fired and never enough to become promotable. They are great at tearing things down and terrible at building value. They are the worst kind of employees to have around and they are a drag on everyone else who tries to do a good job.
To anonymous of 10:13 am.
As have other Associates that have posted on here, if my identity were to be discovered, I would be looking for a new job tomorrow. I have worked at FMH for a lot of years and have seen a lot of changes, both good and bad. I’ll save some of those comments for a later post. To answer your question
‘I have one question for you. In your notes you say: "go check the form 990's that are posted for nonprofit organizations and compare for yourself." Where are these posted? And will these reveal everyone's salary? Such as Bryant"s?’
The web site is www.guidestar.org. You must register to gain access to the information but it is free and does not take long to join. The Federal Government requires many not-for-profit organizations to file a form 990 each year and FMHHS falls into that category. Unfortunately though, the most current information is from 2004 to 1997. If you are so inclined, you could create an Excel spreadsheet and trend the salary statistics. Once you are singed into the site, search for ‘Floyd Memorial Hospital and Health Services’ and two organizations should be presented, the hospital and the foundation. When you select FMHHS, the next screen presents general information about FMHHS. In the right-hand column, you will see a list of reports available to you. Select the Form 990 and eDocs category and you will be taken to the next page that contains a list of available 990s for your review. The salary information is located on page 4, with additional information on page 7. Not everyone’s salary is there, I believe it is the five highest paid employees.
There is a lot of additional information there as well. Take a look at it, maybe you can find some of that $15 mil!!!
As always, Have a great day.
DAN KEEP TURNING THE ROCKS OVER.YOU HAVE SOME FOLKS THAT ARE NOW LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE.YOU HAVE TO PEEL THE APPLE TO GET TO THE CORE.YOU HAVE SOME THAT WERE IN WITH ADMIN. THAT ARE NOW LOOKING TO SEE WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO TURN OVER NEXT.KEEP WORKING FROM THE TOP DOWN.JUST WHEN I THOUGHT THE GOOD GUYS WOULD NOT SURVIVE,YOU HAVE SHOWN THEIR IS A LIGHT AT THE END OF HE TUNNEL.FOR THAT I SAY THANK YOU.
DAN KEEP TURNING THE ROCKS OVER.YOU HAVE SOME FOLKS THAT ARE NOW LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE.YOU HAVE TO PEEL THE APPLE TO GET TO THE CORE.YOU HAVE SOME THAT WERE IN WITH ADMIN. THAT ARE NOW LOOKING TO SEE WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO TURN OVER NEXT.KEEP WORKING FROM THE TOP DOWN.JUST WHEN I THOUGHT THE GOOD GUYS WOULD NOT SURVIVE,YOU HAVE SHOWN THEIR IS A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.FOR THAT I SAY THANK YOU.
HEY!! Old "Shiftless" is back. How's it going Shiffty?
SHUT UP I AM SMART NOW CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME GET A REFILL ON THIS LITHIUM.I HAVE MORE X-FILES TO GO SOLVE.KEEP PULLING THE SWEATER AND EVENTUALLY THE WHOLE THING WILL UNRAVEL!
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