Companies expand CFOs’ role to retain them amid high demand

The pressure is on for boards to hold onto chief financial officers as firms face the prospect of an economic slowdown and intense competition for talent.

Demand for finance chiefs continues to be high in U.S. businesses, according to a July 4 report from The Wall Street Journal. Data from Russell Reynolds Associates indicates that CFO turnover at companies in the S&P 500 rose to 18 percent in 2021, compared to 15 percent in 2020 and 14 percent in 2019. 

Some new strategies call for broadening CFO responsibilities or elevating their positions altogether to retain top executives, according to Joel von Ranson, head of recruitment firm Spencer Stuart’s global functional practices. 

“Companies create these broader roles and titles to engage and recognize and motivate the very best of the best,” Mr. von Ranson said. 

CFOs at companies in the S&P 500 and Fortune 500 average about five years in their job, according to executive search firm Crist Kolder Associates. Expanding the CFO role allows organizations to create opportunities to retain key talent past the five-year mark. 

In 2021, just under 8 percent of chief executive officers at companies in the S&P 500 and Fortune 500 came from the CFO seat. 

Top 15 health systems of 2022, per Fortune, IBM

IBM Watson Health, in partnership with Fortune, has released its top 15 health systems, which they find set an example for health systems and hospitals across the nation. With its data, the report will continue to stand as a resource for these groups to improve their quality of care and efficiency. 

In its 14th year of publishing this study, IBM Watson Health found that the top 15 health systems had better survival rates, fewer patient complications, fewer healthcare-associated infections, better long-term outcomes, better 30-day mortality/revisitation rates and more. The study also found that patients revered the top 15 hospitals more than peer system hospitals. 

Fortune/IBM Watson Health divides its top 100 hospitals into three main categories listed below. It is noted that each system in the table is featured in alphabetical order and does not reflect performance rating. The full report, which includes further details on the methodology of rankings, can be found here

Top 5 large health systems

  1. Allina Health (Minneapolis)
  2. Baylor Scott & White Health (Dallas)
  3. Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.)
  4. Penn Medicine (Philadelphia)
  5. Rush University System for Health (Chicago)

Top 5 medium health systems

  1. Cone Health (Greensboro, N.C.)
  2. Edward-Elmhurst Health (Naperville, Ill.)
  3. PIH Health (Whittier, Calif.)
  4. Scripps Health (San Diego)
  5. St. Luke’s Health System (Boise, Idaho)

Top 5 small health systems

  1. Asante (Medford, Ore.)
  2. CHI Memorial (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
  3. CHI St. Vincent (Little Rock, Ark.)
  4. Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Sponsored Ministries (Manitowoc, Wis.)
  5. North Memorial Health (Robbinsdale, Minn.)

8 hospitals laying off workers

Several hospitals are trimming their workforces due to financial and operational challenges, and some are offering affected workers new positions.

1. Santa Cruz Valley Hospital in Green Valley, Ariz., closed June 30. The closure resulted in 315 workers losing their jobs. CEO Steve Harris said the decision to close Santa Cruz Valley Regional Hospital was made after it was unable to secure emergency department staffing for the Fourth of July weekend. The hospital issued a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice June 20, which gave the hospital’s 315 workers notice of the mass layoff. 

2. Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg, N.Y., is cutting approximately 5 percent of its 800-person workforce as it makes changes aimed at improving revenue cycle functions. The hospital said in late June that it is planning to outsource revenue cycle functions and lay off revenue cycle staff. 

3. Sturgis (Mich.) Hospital said it is planning to lay off 194 employees in July as it scales back services or closes. The hospital subsequently secured a loan to keep it open through July, according to WTVB

4. Bristol (Conn.) Health on June 16 eliminated 31 positions, including 10 that were filled and 21 that were vacant. The majority of those laid off were in management. 

5. Citing skyrocketing expenses and flat revenue, St. Charles Health System in Bend, Ore., will cut 181 positions, according to a May 18 announcement. The workforce reduction includes laying off 105 caregivers and eliminating 76 vacant positions. The layoffs affect mainly nonclinical workers, including many leadership positions. The four-hospital health system said it took steps to address its financial challenges, but it ended the month of April with a $21.8 million loss.

6. Toledo, Ohio-based ProMedica’s health plan, Paramount, is laying off about 200 employees in July after losing a Medicaid contract. Anthem acquired Paramount’s Medicaid contract, and ProMedica and Anthem have been working to identify open roles for employees affected by the layoffs.

7. Greenwood (Miss.) Leflore Hospital announced in May that it will lay off 30 employees to help offset losses. The layoffs, which include an undisclosed number of physicians, affect less than 4 percent of the hospital’s workforce. Many of the affected employees were notified May 17. 

8. Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., part of Trinity Health of New England, is trimming jobs. The hospital laid off 12 of its 380 unionized nurses, the Massachusetts Nurses Association told Western Mass News in May. Translators and ancillary staff were also affected by the cuts. Trinity Health of New England, which declined to provide the number of workers affected by the layoffs, attributed the cuts to national disruption in the healthcare industry. In addition to the layoffs, Trinity Health of New England is also eliminating some positions that are currently vacant.