Becker's Hospital Review

17 2015 YEAR REVIEW in larly impactful and important. Susan Turney, MD CEO of Marshfield (Wis.) Clinic Health System e one person who stands out is Francis Collins, MD, PhD, director of the National Institutes of Health. His efforts around the precision medicine initiative have the po- tential to lead to amazing changes in medi- cine. Dr. Collins' collaborative approach to working in the industry and his research are phenomenal. Chris Van Gorder President and CEO of Scripps Health (San Diego) I'd nominate the "front-line" health- care employee as my healthcare person of the year. You won't find any of them listed individually on any list published in any major newspaper or magazine, but despite all the technology in healthcare to- day, it is that front-line healthcare worker who will put hands on a patient with skill, passion and compassion. It is that individ- ual who will make sure the environment is clean for our patients — who will make sure they are fed, who will make sure the right drug, piece of equipment or needed supply is where it needs to be 24/7. It is that person who is standing by 24/7 for the next person who needs care in one of our healthcare facilities. When care is need- ed, they are the most important people in healthcare. at's why I nominate each and every one of them. Kate Walsh President and CEO of Boston Medical Center I would nominate not one person, but all of the caregivers of many nationalities who worked tirelessly over many months to help victims of Ebola and to contain the outbreak. BMC's own infectious disease physician Nahid Bhadelia, MD, traveled to West Africa numerous times to pro- vide direct patient care, as well as to work with organizations like the CDC on treat- ment protocols. She was just one of many who rose to the challenge of this terrible outbreak, and we owe them a real debt of gratitude for their selflessness. Mean- while, BMC staff throughout the hospital stepped up to make sure we were prepared to treat patients with Ebola, as did caregiv- ers throughout the country. ey deserve enormous credit, too, and our healthcare system is better for the work we did as a nation to prepare. W hat event from this past year fascinated you most? Dr. David Bailey: e thing that's fas- cinated, horrified and worried me ev- ery day are the data breaches we've seen this year. It just goes on and on. e data breaches strike at the heart of privacy. We owe our families confidentiality. At the same time, they expect from us coopera- tion and data exchange to better coordi- nate their care. e balance between secu- rity, privacy and usability is a very difficult one. Healthcare is rapidly learning some lessons that the financial industry learned long ago. Patrick Board: I wouldn't label it a single event, but I'd say the fact that providers are having more and more dialogue around population health. I don't think I can pick up a newsletter or read an email without some mention of population health. at change in dialogue has been very stimu- lating, and it's what I call the event of the year. Ruth Brinkley: I found four events fascinating. e an- nounced mergers between Anthem and Cigna and Aet- na and Humana (both yet to be final- ized) are likely to have a major impact on the insurance landscape for years to come. It remains to be seen exactly how patients and providers will truly be im- pacted, though the hope is that it will cre- ate greater opportunity and value for pa- tients and the providers who treat them. Second, like all providers, we at Ken- tuckyOne Health held our breath as ICD- 10 was introduced. Like Y2K 15 years earlier, some predicted the sky would fall; however, through extensive training and preparation, the transition, so far, has been relatively smooth. We are confident that the new system will help make us more ef- fective and efficient in care delivery. ird is the passage of the 21st Cen- tury Cures Act by the House of Represen- tatives. e legislation has the potential to shape the future of healthcare, allowing for greater innovation and research into a wide range of diseases and conditions. Work in Congress continues to develop and potentially pass legislation to provide the greatest opportunity to patients, with appropriate levels of oversight; however, passage in the House of Representatives was an important first step. And last, heightened discussion over drug and device pricing. Questions around appropriate levels of drug and de- vice pricing shot into the spotlight in late 2015. While not a new debate, the recent elevation of the conversation, which has touched mainstream media and even the 2016 presidential debate, puts an increased spotlight on a very sensitive topic within the healthcare industry, and one that im- pacts all elements, including providers, payers, producers and, of course, patients. Dr. Kenneth Davis: e discovery of water on Mars fascinated me. Howard Drenth: e budget battle in Illinois is the most fascinating, disappoint- ing and frustrating event of the year. See- ing the legislative wheels turn, grind to a stop and have the resulting impasse that we have today is disappointing at best.

• Cover