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January 02, 2023 05:00 AM

From the Editor: Less talk, more action on ESG

Mary Ellen Podmolik
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    Mary Ellen Podmolik
    Editor-in-Chief

    The crystal ball on this issue’s cover says it all: For the nation’s healthcare executives, 2023 is starting out with as much trepidation as anticipation.

    At health systems, top-line growth is threatened by a variety of factors. Expense management is made more difficult by the higher wages needed to mitigate staffing shortages and hospitals are starting to put into place alternative, albeit less profitable, ways of delivering care. Health insurance companies could face trouble retaining members. And startups, particularly those in the digital health arena, may have fewer suitors.

    We unpack some of those challenges in this issue as the industry’s decision-makers return from the holidays to figure out what else will demand their attention in this new year.

    At Modern Healthcare, our newsroom is expanding its focus as well. Years ago, we cast a bright light on diversity, equity and inclusion: the shortcomings with existing strategies, the need to do better and which organizations were demonstrating real improvement rather than making promises.

    This year we’ll dig deeper into environmental, social and governance issues.

    By their very nature, healthcare organizations should be socially responsible if—and this shouldn’t really be an “if”—their ultimate goal is to keep people well by giving them the tools to stay healthy versus treating them when they get sick. But there’s still plenty of work to do, particularly when it comes to equitable access to care.

    Taking responsibility for the environment is healthcare too. And let’s not forget corporate governance. Accountability starts at the top.

    As investors ask more questions, some large healthcare organizations are citing progress on ESG initiatives in documents tied to their public market capital requests. At Modern Healthcare’s ESG summit this past October, the enthusiasm for doing better was keen. But like all initiatives involving entities that focus on a profit margin, it will boil down to dollars and cents.

    We’ll delve into these issues this year, looking beyond promises to the real-world efforts taking shape across organizations—who’s leading the charge, how they’re identifying priorities and getting it done and then what’s next.

    ESG, like DEI, is much more than an acronym. It’s a critical public health challenge that affects our future.

    Download Modern Healthcare’s app to stay informed when industry news breaks.

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    • News
      • Current News
      • COVID-19
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • Transformation
        • Patients
        • Operations
        • Care Delivery
        • Payment
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Digital Health
    • Insights
      • ACA 10 Years After
      • Best Practices
      • Special Reports
      • Innovations
    • Opinion
      • Bold Moves
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • Vital Signs Blog
      • From the Editor
    • Events & Awards
      • Awards
        • Nominate/Eligibility
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Excellence in Governance
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top 25 Innovators
        • Diversity in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
          • - Leaders to Watch
        • Women in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Women Leaders
          • - Women to Watch
      • Conferences
        • Digital Health Transformation Summit
        • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Virtual Briefings
        • - Hospital of the Future
        • - Value Based Care
        • - Supply Chain
        • - Hospital at Home
        • - Workplace of the Future
        • - Digital Health
        • - Future of Staffing
        • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
      • Webinars
    • Multimedia
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Video Series - The Check Up
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Data Center
      • Data Center Home
      • Hospital Financials
      • Staffing & Compensation
      • Quality & Safety
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Data Archive
      • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
      • Surveys
      • Data Points
    • MORE +
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Newsletters
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing