Healthcare, Senior Living, Economics
Updates, policy and news in Assisted Living
I pay close attention to economic trends and to the health care industry in general, as the same are applicable. One trend I’m watching quite closely is business consolidation and mergers/affiliations. In the general economy, a lot of consolidation is occurring post-pandemic. Restaurants are closing outlets (Red Lobster, Krispy Kreme, Burger King, etc.), retail outlets … Read more
As I mentioned in the prior two posts, litigation activity is on the increase, post-COVID, and some of the most fertile ground for plaintiff’s counsel is Assisted Living. SNFs are still as targeted but as stays decrease and facilities improve care capability, the trend remains level, for the most part. Where perhaps, Assisted Living and … Read more
Following up from my last post regarding staffing and litigation risks, this post concentrates on “what we know” and “what we can control”. For example, what we know is that there simply is not enough staff (clinical and even non-clinical) to fill a provider’s vacant positions. The world in general knows this and the press, … Read more
A number of interesting information drops occurred this past week or so reminding me that from time to time, the obvious isn’t always so obvious. The seniors housing and skilled care industry today is going through a rocky patch. A solid half of the SNF industry is severely hurting or struggling mightily due to Med … Read more
A number of years ago, post-acute/senior living analysts, etc. started warning of a coming paradigm shift for skilled nursing and home health. I started writing and advising about this shift well over a decade ago. The signs were obvious. Rapid expenditure growth as a percentage of Medicare/Medicaid outlays. MedPac warnings to Congress of rising profit margins in … Read more
The bulk of my work centers around gathering data, analyzing trends and working with the leadership of various organizations to implement strategy or more centered, strategies. The process is iterative, interactive and always fascinating. Throughout my career, I’ve worked within (virtually) every health care industry segment and seniors housing segment. I also counsel and have … Read more
In my consulting career, I’ve done a fair amount of feasibility work (market, economic, etc.). Similarly, I’ve done a fair amount of similar analyses, primarily related to M&A activity and/or where financing is involved (debt covenant reviews, etc.). Heck, I’ve even done some bankruptcy related work! I’m also queried fairly often about feasibility, demand, market … Read more
The second most important function an executive and/or a governance board conducts (second only to planning) is risk management. This key leadership function is evolving rapidly primarily due to the evolutionary movement around compliance (ACA, CMS, etc.) and the payer focal shift from episodic, procedural care to outcome or evidenced based care, pay-for-performance, etc. Similarly, as government policy … Read more
As a follow-up to a recent post on Boards of Directors and corporate governance (http://wp.me/ptUlY-gq), this post addresses how boards promote success, can often drive mediocrity and in some cases prompt organizational failure. The take-away where success, mediocrity and failure occur isn’t structure, terms or committees rather, a consistent excellence or break-down in terms of … Read more
Over the course of many engagements plus my years as an executive, I’ve addressed and been asked to address, the theme of effective governance, particularly at the Board level. To bring this topic into full context, one of my many “hats” that I wear (periodically), is as an advisor to graduate and post-graduate students working … Read more