Thread regarding Ascension Health layoffs

What is the difference between a rickshaw driver and an employee at Ascension? Very little.

Imagine how demoralizing it must be to be a hospital employee who is constantly being reminded by the hospital employer (Ascension, in particular) that the traditional hospital model is obsolete and, thus, your job could disappear tomorrow as hospitals are "pruned."

Could this explain why so many are joining THE GREAT RESIGNATION?

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-12-01/the-great-resignation-is-taking-a-toll-on-u-s-health-care

Ascension has to move away from being a hospital-centric company because Ascension knows they'll get "eaten alive" if they don't.

The competition is too fierce. I wonder if it might actually be too late for hospitals to "circle the wagons."

https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/hospitals-face-direct-competition-retailization-healthcare

In October 2021, Walgreens announced the Walgreens Health platform to offer care in-store, at home, in the doctor's office or via mobile app. 

This August, CVS Health and telehealth company Amwell joined to unveil the former's virtual primary care service, signaling the retail dr-gstore chain's next steps in establishing a stronger online presence.

In October, Walmart said it was planning the expansion of 16 clinics in Florida in 2023, to include primary care, labs, X-ray and EKG, behavioral health, dental and community health, with services to vary by location.

In July, Amazon announced it would acquire primary care company One Medical for $3.9 billion.

"We think healthcare is high on the list of experiences that need reinvention," Neil Lindsay, SVP of Amazon Health Services, said in a statement at the time.

Ascension forgot to complete the sentence:

“It is not hyperbole to say that the entire U.S. health care system is in crisis -- THANKS IN PART TO OUR HAPPY PURSUIT OF WORLDLY TREASURE!"

https://www.chausa.org/publications/catholic-health-world/archives/issues/march-1-2020/ascension-moves-to-expand-nonhospital-and-digital-services

Everything with lower quality of hospital care fits with Ascension’s goal not to be hospital centric

“ Joseph Impicciche, who has headed Ascension's 150-hospital system since July 2019, has said Ascension is moving away from being a hospital-centric company. He's tasked Ascension's next generation of leaders with finding new ways to meet the health needs of patients and communities in a service area that spans 20 states and Washington, D.C.”

[…]

“ How is Ascension planning for the increase in care needs of the growing population of senior adults? What innovative services are being considered?

There are a number of things. We've been looking at home care for example. As part of this work, we're beginning to "admit" patients to their home: We're providing that same hospital care within the home in a much more comfortable environment, in a very safe environment. We think this could have a major impact on the care of many in our communities.”

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/strategy/ascension-s-plan-to-transform-healthcare-through-innovation-q-a-with-president-and-ceo-joe-impicciche.html

In 2020 CEO Joe Impicciche discussed some of the 2025 Ascension Strategy:
“ Mission-inspired Transformation to life:

• Building socially integrated systems of human flourishing
• Delivering the 2025 consumer experience
• Bringing health and healing to the home
• Redesigning the front door to Ascension’s health system
• Designing the caregiver experience of the future
• Redefining excellence in surgical care
• Sustaining a community-driven ministry presence
• Growing covered individuals through strategic purchaser contracting
• Re-envisioning access, care and health for the vulnerable

I'm also excited about the progress of our unified brand and our One Ascension journey. In 2015, Ascension launched our One Ascension journey, which continues to bring people, standardized processes and our Ascension brand across 2,600 sites of care together in more intentional ways. Having a consistent name for our facilities and services across the country has made it clearer and easier for patients to access the care they need and to sense our connectedness.

Functioning as an integrated health ministry with a unified brand also gives us a greater ability to speak with one voice on national policies impacting the poor and vulnerable.”

It is a rather silly place. See their last follies here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dviEWs_VIG4

AFTER JAMES STOLL finished the spinal surgery in September, he filed a complaint with JCAHO, alerting the nonprofit to the unsafe working conditions at the hospital. He received a response explaining that his complaints helped inform an on-site review and that Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s had been reaccredited. Stoll, for his part, was not convinced anything had changed. He applied for privileges elsewhere and received them in November. He has no plans to return to Columbia St. Mary’s. 

“When people come into a hospital, they are scared and they want to know that the hospital is doing everything in its power to make these scary experiences go OK,” says Stoll. “And it’s not. They are putting people at enormous risk.”

Sounding the alarm, says Stoll, is only half the battle. “It’s my job to worry,” he says, “but no one at Ascension is listening.”

The empire strikes back:

https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2022-12-16-ascension-responds-nyt-article-staffing

"One complaint described a patient who, after experiencing chest pain and shallow breathing, could not reach a nurse for nearly 10 minutes after pressing the call light, yelling for help and pulling the emergency cord in the hospital bathroom. Another complaint outlined how a patient was left on a dirty bedpan for 45 minutes despite calling for help to remove it. In both cases, the state found that the hospital neither properly documented the incidents nor introduced changes to prevent them from happening again."