Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/644565
14 Georgia Candice Saunders, President and CEO, Well- Star Health System (Marietta) "In Georgia, as well as within our communities that we serve, the biggest health concern would be obesity and the chronic disease related to di- abetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke. We focus our efforts across the whole care con- tinuum and look at not only prevention, but also rehabilitation and risk reduction. We have a program with our schools, churches and different community agencies where we cul- tivate an understanding of the proper nutrition, the role of exercise, the role of other lifestyle choices like tobacco usage and the impact these things have on obesity. We also look at our own team members. As healthcare providers, we have to be role models. We provide programs to our team, including fitness centers on site, making sure healthy food choices are available and education about what those healthy food choices are. We have even gone so far as to price our food offerings to encourage healthier food choices over those that may not help with their weight reduc- tion and fitness routines." Hawaii Dan Brinkman, RN, CEO, Hilo Medical Center "As a state-funded, 274-bed hospital on the Is- land of Hawaii that serves a vast rural area of over 2,000-square miles, the ongoing delivery of exceptional, nationally recognized care is Hilo Medical Center's highest, most pressing priority. With 75 percent of our patients Med- icaid-Quest and Medicare insured, funding gaps require the continuing allocation of state funding. Inadequate funding is contrary to community well-being. To tackle this issue, Hilo Medical Center undertook early adoption of healthcare IT in order to integrate patient records within our financial and supply chain management system for optimum effi- ciency. Our tracking systems and improved billing cycles resulted in year-over-year increases in revenue. Our cost effective improve- ments in patient care and our fiscal performance were recognized with an HIMSS Nicholas E. Davies Enterprise Award. Longer term, our board of directors has begun to seriously evaluate the potential for a strategic alliance with other healthcare organization(s)." Idaho Doug Crabtree, CEO, Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (Idaho Falls) "Our most pressing need is recruiting new phy- sicians and specialties to the area. As a regional hospital, we serve the medical needs of people throughout Southeastern Idaho and parts of Wyoming. Our community and region needs internists, oncologists, pediatric surgeons, trau- ma surgeons, psychiatrists, pulmonologists, orthopedic trauma surgeons and so on. In addition to an aggressive recruitment plan, we continue to explore creative opportunities, such as a graduate medical education residency program." Illinois Lee Sacks, MD, Executive Vice President and CMO, Advocate Health Care (Downers Grove) "As Illinois' largest health system spanning the Greater Chicagoland area and central Illinois, the communities we serve are diverse and so too are their needs. Like the rest of the nation, we find that diabetes, obesity and heart disease are health challenges across all of our markets, but the common underlying concern is the need for access to quality and affordable care delivered in a coordinated way. As one of the largest accountable care organizations in the coun- try, Advocate's clinical integration efforts promote collaboration between physicians and hospitals to improve quality and efficien- cy, ultimately leading to better outcomes for patients. Our clinical focus has expanded beyond management of patients with specific diseases toward management of entire populations. is has placed added focus on health and wellness and coordination of care across the continuum. Advocate recently partnered with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois to create BlueCare Direct — a health plan that promotes high-quality care at a low cost and offers access to more than 250 sites of care. Ad- vocate also partnered with Walgreens to operate 56 healthcare clin- ics, further improving access to care and care coordination. ese efforts, among others, are ultimately addressing our market's need for quality, affordable care that helps people lead healthier lives." Indiana Dennis Murphy, President and COO, Indiana University Health (Indianapolis) "Indiana is facing nothing short of a public health crisis. According to American's Health Rankings, Hoosiers are among the worst in the country in smoking and obesity (No. 44), can- cer deaths (No. 42) and physical activity (No. 41). We're reaching beyond our hospital walls to address the crisis with new approaches that help Hoosiers improve their health. For start- ers, we've made it easier for people to seek care by offering same-day appointments at our primary care offices and opening a network of urgent care clinics. We also created Change the Play, which pairs our pediatric health ex- perts with Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck to motivate children to be the quarterback of their own health. Since 2013, this program has engaged 34,000 kids at 170 schools. Our Strength at Cares program engages our own 30,000-plus team members to per- form community service projects that help people eat well and exer- cise. In May, roughly 2,000 IU Health employees took time off from work to improve parks and trails and repair playground equipment. We're also working with other healthcare providers and the state on issues that require a concerted response, including a high infant mor- tality rate and the need to train ample numbers of young physicians. Indiana's public health crisis is a challenge we must tackle head-on."