Prevailing issues in long-term care. CEOs see urgent need for adequate funding and better communications among...

The ongoing crisis in long-term care has forced administrators and chief executive officers (CEOs) to reassess their position within the U.S. healthcare system and define their response to the challenges they face. This article identifies the issues that Catholic long-term care CEOs find most pressing based on two recent opinion surveys conducted by the Catholic Health Association (CHA). In the area of management and governance, the subject of a 1990 CHA survey, respondents rated as their top concern the inadequacy of funds to treat chronically ill elderly persons. Other important issues included threats to the tax-exempt status of healthcare providers, availability of healthcare for the poor, and scarcity of nursing staff. Respondents to a 1991 survey that focused on collaboration within the Catholic healthcare ministry cited the lack of a forum for communications as the greatest hindrance to collaborative enterprises. A lack of available time to pursue and develop collaborative projects and the absence of compelling reasons to collaborate with other Catholic organizations were also identified as important issues. Overall, the consensus among long-term care CEOs was strong on the importance of certain management and governance issues and on the need for Catholic organizations to work together more closely.