Area hospitals to use report to help guide their future plans

The Olean Times Herald reported that a recent report on what consumers think about health care in Western New York is seen by local hospital administrators as a valuable tool.

The report, "Reaching for Excellence: Community Vision and Voices for Western New York Health Care," polled more than 1,700 people from throughout eight Western New York counties. The report reflects what people want in the future from the health-care system and critical needs that currently are not being addressed.

Timothy J. Finan, president and CEO of Olean General Hospital, and Eva Benedict, president and CEO of Jones Memorial Hospital in Wellsville, both said the report will be a significant part of their future planning on how to make a more patient-centered health-care experience.

The report is a collaborative effort of the Community Health Foundation of Western and Central New York, the John R. Oishei Foundation, The P2 Collaborative and The University of Buffalo Regional Institute. It is the first to conduct such an intensive, widespread and continuing process for engaging and amplifying the consumer perspective, said Ann F. Monroe, president and CEO of the Community Health Foundation.

The report identified five critical areas that consumers felt needed to be addressed: Making a human connection, losing the hassle factor, helping patients understand, making healthy choices and increasing access to care.

Mr. Finan called the report significant and said that it amplified what Olean General knew intuitively about people's perception of the health-care system. The report will help administrators at Olean General and Bradford Regional Medical Center develop a strategic plan as the hospitals soon come together under the Upper Allegheny Health System, he said.

"As we embark upon a strategic plan for the new Upper Allegheny Health System this will be very important information that will factor into the process," he said.

Ms. Benedict said that Jones Memorial will use the information for its own strategic planning.

"We certainly welcome and need that consumer input and their perceptions to help us guide where go in the future," she said.

The report is the result of two years of information gathering. Nearly 115 meetings were held to discuss the future of Western New York health care. Read more here.

Community Health Foundation Implements Health Insurance Survey

The Buffalo News reported that when 1,700 Western New Yorkers were questioned by local health care reformers, their top concerns centered around how they are treated by medical professionals and how to get broader access to care.

In Washington, the top concern is how to pay for changes in a system that consumes an astounding 17 percent of gross domestic product—far more than any competitor nation—without covering everyone and with no commensurate benefit for the extra money.

That disconnect underlines the health care crisis of 2009, where patients worry about quality, politicians worry about costs, and conservatives try to use both concerns to kill reform—again.
That’s why it’s noteworthy that controlling costs was not among the top five concerns that came out of 114 community meetings to hear what Western New Yorkers want.

That may be because many on public programs or who have good employer coverage don’t feel costs very directly, said Ann F. Monroe, president of the Community Health Foundation of Western and Central New York, one of the organizers of this unprecedented project. Read more here.

Lack of resources is challenge to online fundraising

The Philanthropy Journal reported that while many nonprofits have built their staffs and processes around traditional marketing and fundraising activities, a lack of resources is preventing them from adequately pursuing online activities. This is according to a new study.

About nine in 10 nonprofits, regardless of their size, say their greatest barrier to success is a lack of money, staff or online expertise, says the report from Convio, which provides constituent-relationship-management software to the nonprofit sector.

More than a quarter of nonprofits have no online marketing plan, while almost two in 10 either don't know if they have a plan, or review their plan only every few years.

Groups with less than $20 million in revenue employ one to three staffers who are focused on online programs, while nonprofits with revenue of $100 million or more average seven full-time staff working on online efforts each week.

Report on Next Generation of Board Members

A new report is available from BoardSource, which focuses on the next generation of board members and their impact and benefit on board governance. The report found that the next generation often display strong passions that inspire other members, have a drive to produce results, open doors to new networks and donors, and provide a fresh perspective on old problems, according to a new BoardSource report based on interviews with 50 nonprofit chief executives and senior staff leaders

The report, part of BoardSource's Next Generation and Governance project, is designed help nonprofit leaders explore the benefits of and strategies for including members of Generations X (born 1965-1979) and Y (born 1980-2000) in nonprofit governance. View the complete report.

There are four common ways younger members benefit organizations, according to the report:

• Passion for the mission. “Our younger board members are passionate about what we do and it gets the rest of us excited,” said Sandra Timmons of A Better Chance. “They are bringing energy, enthusiasm, and freshness to our work. It’s inspiring to our other members.”
• Results-oriented thinking. Younger board members go beyond being motivated by the mission. They connect passion with a need for real outcomes.
• Access to new networks and donors. Chief executives say younger board members are not hesitant about asking for money on behalf of the organization — particularly when they use online tools.
• Fresh perspective on old problems. Generation X and Y members are not afraid to ask why or challenge assumptions. Their perspectives and experiences often serve as a reality check for boards and lead to more informed decision making.

The report also covers the following questions:

• In the past, what has kept your organization from adding younger generations to its board?
• How did you know it was the right time to add younger generations to your board?
• Once on board, do you prepare or orient younger generations differently?
• What are the top three to five skills or qualities necessary for a young person to add value to your board?
• If younger generations were added to the board, what three to five skills or qualities would the board need in order to work well with them?