One on One with Huron's Jeff Jones

A significant change is underway in the healthcare industry. New payment and care delivery models are forcing healthcare providers to actively seek out ways to improve quality of care while cutting costs and boosting revenue. This year was Huron's fourth annual Healthcare CEO Forum, which gives industry leaders a chance to talk about these changes and how to adapt. When a billion-plus dollar healthcare system is facing the need for a 20 to 40 percent cost reduction across the hospital enterprise, some serious thinking and planning are required. Huron Managing Director Jeff Jones sat down with Consulting to talk about some of the thinking to come out of this year's Healthcare CEO Forum and how healthcare executives are poising their companies to function under this new set of industry norms. Consulting: How would you characterize the overall feeling of the hospital executives surveyed?

Jones: Over the four years there's become a familiarity among the group, the format, the approach and the focus. Each year there's been this ever-increasing comfort and openness about discussing critical issues they're all facing. That's the atmosphere in terms of engagement and participation. They're highly engaged, frequently having to stop conversations and sessions to move onto the next topic. In terms of tone, they're very energized around being able to make real change in the way healthcare is being delivered in the different markets they serve. I would characterize most of them as being very optimistic, they're looking at the changes that are occurring in the industry broadly and in their specific market as opportunities to really improve the delivery of care of their patients they're serving, and welcoming this new platform for change.

Consulting: What is putting this downward cost pressure on hospitals?