Roundtables

P opulation health management is quickly becoming a fact of life for hospitals and health systems across the country. From adding a new C-suite position to taking sur- vival notes from safety-nets, it's seems like a handle on population health is increasingly important for compe- tency in healthcare risk management. But what's it like to run a hospital in a place where the population is already healthy? e Robert Wood Johnson foundation published its annual list of the health- iest counties in every U.S. state in March. Here, three hospital and health system executives leading one or more facilities in these counties explain their population health initiatives in the context of their locations. Question: What is it like being head of a hospital in the healthiest county in your state? Judy Coffey, RN, Senior Vice Pres- ident and Area Manager for Sono- ma-Marin of Kaiser Permanente (Oakland, Calif.): It's an honor, and with that honor comes tremendous responsibility. Being the "healthiest" county in California does not tell the whole story. At Kaiser Permanente, we believe good health is a fundamental right of all people. We recognize that promotion of good health extends far beyond the doctor's office and the hospital which is why we have devel- oped an extensive community benefit program to support the people, pro- grams and services most in need. In Marin County, our community benefit program focuses on three broad areas: Providing access to high-quality care for low-income, underserved people, creating safe, healthy communities and environments where people live, work, and play and developing im- portant new medical knowledge and sharing it widely with others to train the culturally competent health care workforce of the future. Donald Gintzig, MBA, President and CEO of WakeMed Health & Hospi- tals (Raleigh, N.C.): It's an honor, and I'm humbled by our 53 year history in Wake County and beyond. WakeMed Health & Hospitals exists to improve the health and well-being of the com- munities we serve, which means we also have a responsibility to help our community lead healthier lives. Wake County has held the top spot for five years straight as the healthiest county in North Carolina, and number 11 on the list of healthiest capital counties in the U.S. We want to continue that trend and move up the national list, so we're all looking to raise the bar, focus on population health and continue to improve health here in Wake County with the right services in the right places. Our elected officials also adopt- ed a new goal for Wake County this year: to become the healthiest capital county in the U.S. And I think we can achieve it. Amy Pollard, BSN, MPS, CEO of Noyes Health (Dansville, N.Y.): In most ways, being CEO at Noyes Health is not different than at any other hospital. However, to be in the healthiest county in New York state there is a stronger commitment to working with community partners across the continuum of care. Together we identify barriers to care or patient compliance and define strategies to improve outcomes. e CEO has to lead the hospital to change from thinking about the care that is given while the patient is within our walls to thinking about the care of the patient outside our walls. Q: How has the increased national focus on population health changed the way your hospital cares for pa- tients? Does business? Ms. Coffey: At Kaiser Permanente, we have always had a focus on wellness and health advocacy. Prevention is in our DNA. Long before the Affordable Care Act made the word "prevention" a health care norm, our members were receiving regular preventive screenings and encouraged by their physicians to make healthy, active lifestyle choices and stay away from harmful habits like smoking. Recently we kicked off the Fiy ousand Quitters Campaign to Population Health lessons From Hospitals in the u.S.' Healthiest Counties: 3 CEOs Share Successes "the CEO has to lead the hospital to change from thinking about the care that is given while the patient is within our walls to thinking about the care of the patient outside our walls." Amy Pollard, President and CEO of Noyes Health Written by Ellie Rizzo

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