The healthcare industry has seen its fair share of upheaval in the last few years, with the Covid-19 pandemic prompting a push toward virtual care, an increase in unionization, and a greater emphasis on health equity.

For healthcare marketers like Paul Matsen, chief marketing and communications officer at the Cleveland Clinic, the last few years have been about keeping up with industry trends while also navigating marketing in the pandemic.

“Over the last three years, everybody’s world changed in healthcare,” Matsen told Healthcare Brew. “Our team has had to be extremely nimble and responsive to the changing landscape.”

Matsen has weathered the transformation in both marketing and healthcare while overseeing some of his health system’s largest projects to date, including its centennial campaign in 2021. He said the key has been to “embrace the change.”

From hospitality to hospitals. In his role, Matsen said he oversees an international team of 250 staff members spread out across Cleveland Clinic’s 22 hospitals in Ohio, Florida, Nevada, Canada, London, and Abu Dhabi. Since his team is so spread out, he said one of his primary responsibilities is fostering a sense of connection. “We really want to keep people connected to the work and the mission, as we work in predominantly a virtual environment,” he said.

To do so, Matsen spends a lot of his time talking with marketing department heads to discuss their strategic priorities, bringing everyone together in virtual meetings and meeting with his leadership team in person at least once per month, and traveling to Cleveland Clinic’s various locations.

Likewise, more employees and patients are able to complete tasks virtually these days. At Cleveland Clinic, patients can book an appointment online, and use their electronic health record to reorder medications and see test results.

Keep reading here.—MA, KH

Do you work in healthcare or have information about the industry that we should know? Email Maia at [email protected]. For completely confidential conversations, ask Maia for her number on Signal.

Our healthcare system isn’t exactly built for human-friendly navigation—and don’t even get us started on all of the paperwork.

It’s safe to say the system is under a lot of pressure. So how do we fix it? Join Healthcare Brew and GE HealthCare for a convo about reimagining a people-focused healthcare system.

With clinician burnout on the rise, patients seeking more flexible care, and an aging population, it’s time to revamp the healthcare system to how it should be: with people at its center. We’re teaming up GE HealthCare’s Chief Medical Officer for EMEA Dr. Mathias Goyen and healthcare journalist and author Sarah DiGregorio on June 27 to talk about it.

We’re covering everything from improving patient experience to prioritizing a care team’s well-being—and how tech and AI could possibly figure in.

Don’t miss out. RSVP here.

Most kids in the US who experience a nonfatal firearm injury don’t receive timely follow-up care with a mental health professional, a new study found.

Researchers at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago studied 2,613 kids ages 5 to 17 between 2010 and 2018. They found that 63% of children enrolled in Medicaid who experience a nonfatal firearm injury don’t receive any mental health services within six months following their injury. More than 11,000 kids in the US experienced a nonfatal firearm injury in 2020, according to the study.

Black children are less likely to have any mental health follow-up care compared to white children, the researchers found.

Jennifer Hoffmann, an emergency medicine doctor at Lurie Children’s who served as lead author of the study, said in a statement that the disparity could be traced back to stigma around mental health, costs related to accessing mental health care, a lack of diversity among mental health workers, and a shortage of mental health professionals in areas where Black children live.

“Attention is needed to address barriers at the individual, health system, and societal levels that may prevent Black youth from accessing mental health services,” Hoffmann said in the statement.

Kids who survive a firearm injury face a higher risk of trauma-related disorders, as well as substance use and disruptive disorders, according to the researchers. And the percentage of children diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, suicidal ideation, and self-injury post-firearm injury nearly doubled, per the study.

Keep reading here.—MA

Wondering who got a new job or what new positions healthcare companies have filled recently? Healthcare Brew has got you covered. Each month we’ll highlight some of the major job changes in the healthcare industry as part of our new Movers and Shakers series.

Have a job announcement to share? Drop Shannon an email at [email protected].

Mandy Cohen: President Joe Biden announced this month the EVP at Aledade and CEO of Aledade Care Solutions as his pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Biden called her “one of the nation’s top physicians and health leaders with experience leading large and complex organizations, and a proven track-record protecting Americans’ health and safety.” Cohen previously led North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services and served as the COO for the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. She is expected to begin the position in July, the Washington Post reported. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is set to leave the position on June 30. The role will not require a Senate confirmation vote.

Teresa Asma: The former VP of finance for Solv Health was promoted to COO of the on-demand healthcare company. Solv CEO and co-founder Heather Fernandez said in a statement that Asma’s promotion “will push [the company] to innovate on behalf of our customers, partners, consumers, and every member of the team.”

Peter Lee: Amazon’s former global medical director is the new CEO for Work Health Solutions, which offers customized occupational health programs for large employers. Work Health Solutions President and Founder Letitia Heshmat said in a statement that Lee “brings with him a wealth of expertise as a seasoned leader in global health and wellness, and he is ready and eager to build upon the work [the company’s] accomplished.”

Keep reading here.—SY

Do you work in healthcare or have information about the industry that we should know? Email Shannon at [email protected]. For completely confidential conversations, ask Shannon for her number on Signal.

Today’s top healthcare reads.

Stat: More than two-thirds (68%) of ob-gyns surveyed by KFF said the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision has made it harder to respond to pregnancy-related emergencies. (CNN)

Quote: “I did what I came to do—which was get us through the darkest days of a pandemic.”—Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said of her decision to step down from the high-profile position (Associated Press)

Read: A growing number of clergy-backed challenges filed in state and federal courts could help restore access to abortion. (Politico)