Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/644565
11 Alabama Will Ferniany, PhD, CEO, UAB Health System in Birmingham "e most pressing concern for UAB, and most Alabama hospitals, is low reimbursement as benchmarked with the rest of the country. Case mix- and wage-adjusted, Alabama is al- ways in the bottom three states in the U.S. for per-admission hospital reimbursement. is is because Alabama has the lowest Medicare Wage Index in the country, a very restrictive Medicaid program (one where the hospital component is 100 percent funded by hospital tax- es), no expansion of Medicaid and a commercial insurance market with very few competitors. In addition, Alabama Medicaid is moving toward a managed care system. Our response is both traditional, with continual reduction in expens- es, as well as nontraditional, working with our state hospital associa- tion and other states to correct a grossly misaligned Medicare Wage Index system, lobbying in the state to expand Medicaid, and becoming the sponsor of the Medicaid managed care organization in our region." Alaska Noel Rea, Interim CEO, Cordova Community Medical Center "Recruitment and retention. Historical efforts have focused on travelers and managing the is- sue from a reactive process. ere has been lim- ited or no dialogue internally on recruitment. [We're] focusing on employee engagement and working to improve our culture, continuously. We are now being proactive and looking for cre- ative, lower cost recruitment ideas. [We're] recognizing our employ- ees as an asset and not a liability. ey are the key to the recruitment process — not only in terms of engaging recruits but in finding new ways to present our hospital in the best possible light." Arizona Rhonda Anderson, CEO, Cardon Children's Medical Center (Mesa) "One of the most pressing health problems in our state and the country is the rise in obesity. In our state, the rate of obesity has more than doubled in the last 20 years, and now more than one-quarter of adults in Arizona are obese. Per- haps even more alarming, 20 percent of boys and 16 percent of girls ages 12-19 are obese, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. is is a category beyond being overweight, and a condition that has a high likelihood to lead to serious disease. In 2011, Banner Health began a program called GO KIDS! is free program encourages kids (ages 5-12) and their families to think about what they are eating and their activity level. roughout the year, families can participate in food and fitness challenges to win prizes and other recognition. As part of the program, kids and parents get dietician-inspired ideas for healthy food and pediatric advice about healthy living, providing education and reinforcement of the healthy habits that can last a lifetime. Community events and an annual GO KIDS! expo have been an additional draw that drive home the bene- fits of making healthy choices." Arkansas Marcy Doderer, President and CEO, Arkansas Children's Hospital (Little Rock) "Unfortunately, when it comes to the status of children's health in Arkansas, there isn't just one dominant health concern. Accord- ing to e Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT Data Book, Arkansas is ranked 41st among the 50 states in overall child well-be- ing. ere are numerous contributing factors, including access to excellent care. Our mission is to champion children by making them better today and healthier tomorrow. We have embarked upon an ambitious, five-year strategic plan that will help us fundamentally transform the healthcare delivery system for children across the entire state. In partnership with our medical staff and academic partner, Arkansas Children's Hospital is developing a statewide network of care with a number of major initiatives. Among them are: Creating a statewide pediatric clinically integrated network, developing a neonatal/nurs- ery alliance, expanding our telemedicine capabilities to more effi- ciently deliver care to the far reaches of the state, establishing school- based health centers to improve access to healthcare and improving child health through the growth and expansion of research." California Sunny Bhatia, MD, CMO, Prime Healthcare Services (Ontario) "Quality emergency and inpatient care is crit- ical to managing and improving population health, an issue at the forefront of the Afford- able Care Act. And, as our population grows and ages, it is more important than ever to de- velop services and efficient healthcare delivery models that are specialized to meet the needs of our senior population in California. For example, Prime Health- care's Encino Hospital opened Southern California's first geriatric emergency room and inpatient wing dedicated to seniors. By creating innovative and better care environments, we can reduce the wait time to see a doctor and reduce the number of patients who leave without having been seen in emergency rooms, thereby improving the quality of care with long-term benefits to the health of our population. Not only is it important to keep our emergency rooms open, we also need to preserve community hospitals, especially in rural areas. Hos- pitals provide critical care and represent one of the largest employers and economic drivers. Prime Healthcare is dedicated to rescuing fi- nancially distressed hospitals and improving them so they continue to serve their communities while preserving jobs and saving lives. We be- lieve every community deserves exceptional healthcare close to home."