Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/644565
24 health and psychiatric departments provide patients with a "contin- uum of care" including pharmaceutical interventions to meet each patient's individual medical and mental health needs. We provide substance abuse services that address the health needs of the communities we serve. For example, Newport Hospital and its Lifespan partners utilize recovery coaches, also known as peer mentors, in all of our EDs to work one-on-one with individuals with opioid ad- dictions and link them to long-term treatment and recovery services. Newport Hospital's partial hospitalization program is an intensive day-treatment program for patients who require more than outpa- tient care or counseling. e partial programs provide a comprehen- sive, structured treatment experience to help patients regain emo- tional stability. e hospital's acute inpatient unit is also available for individuals in need of intense treatment to ensure their safety and assist with regaining emotional stability. e hospital also works closely with an array of mental health and substance abuse resources to help provide assessment and treatment for children and adolescents. e hospital has partnered with Brad- ley Hospital in Riverside, R.I., also a Lifespan partner and the nation's first pediatric mental health hospital, to provide child and adolescent behavioral health services." South Carolina Michael Cunningham, Vice President of Ad- vancement, AnMed Health (Anderson) "For our region, the most pressing health con- cern is obesity and its associated health prob- lems. At AnMed Health, we believe strongly in the importance of partnerships. Our sys- tem has partnered with our community's Eat Smart, Move More initiative, which promotes healthy eating and increased physical activity through a variety of methods. We have also partnered for the past two summers with the local Salvation Army Boys and Girls club to support their healthy eating and healthy activity curriculum. Our hospital system also promotes healthy eating habits via a pro- gram called DocLink, which provides outreach to our local school systems. DocLink's curriculum includes 'Nutrition Detectives' for 4th grade students and MyPlate for middle schoolers. In 2015, those two programs reached over 1,500 students. In addition, AnMed Health provides educational materials on healthy eating and exercise via our medical outreach van visits and health fairs across our service area. Finally, as our community's larg- est employer, we also recognize the importance of focusing on this issue internally. For the past three years, our hospital system has sponsored a team-based employee weight loss challenge, and this year we've transitioned to an individual weight loss challenge called 'e Battle of the Bulge.' We also took another significant step toward this effort two years ago, when the decision was made to remove all fryers from our kitchens. We recognize that addressing obesity is a challenge, but we are com- mitted to continuing to work with our community to impact this critical population health issue." South Dakota Paul Hanson, President, Sanford USD Medical Center (Sioux Falls) "e greatest population health concerns facing Sanford Health are understanding the markets we serve, generating data that can assist the deci- sion-making process and enhancing the contin- uum of care. Sanford Health is addressing these issues by leveraging our size and integrated struc- ture and investing in our data infrastructure. As a health system with a presence in nine states and four countries, San- ford Health has the unique advantage of applying best practices from across our footprint to South Dakota. Each market does present unique challeng- es, but considering the collective and individualized needs of the people we serve is critical to better outcomes and better patient experiences. Strong and dynamic data services are paramount to understanding our population and supporting key care and operational goals. For a large system like Sanford Health, it is critical data are gathered and analyzed in a uniform way. Consistency in this process allows deci- sion-makers to build effective and innovative strategies to better care for patients. We strive for one source of truth in our data collection. Sanford Health's fully integrated structure offers opportunities to improve the continuum of care. By providing services that address patients' needs across the spectrum — from primary care to home health — organiza- tions better position themselves to keep patients healthier and engaged." Tennessee Inga Himelright, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Quality Officer, e University of Tennes- see Medical Center (Knoxville) "e University of Tennessee Medical Center is centrally located in an urban area and serves not only Knoxville, Tenn. but also the surrounding 21-county region, which includes a large major- ity of rural counties. erefore, one of the more pressing issues our healthcare organization has is meeting the differing needs of our geographically differing patients. In recognizing this challenge, we proactively committed ourselves to the strategic mission of developing and providing our patients with the community resources necessary to serve our unique population through more of a service-center concept. To that end, many of these centers not only have primary care physicians, but also services spe- cific to the geographic need, such as physical therapy, specialists and educational classes." Texas Joel Allison, CEO, Baylor Scott & White Health (Dallas) "As the largest nonprofit health system in Tex- as, the most significant population health chal- lenge we face is that our state has the highest uninsured rate in the U.S. Despite that, Texas has chosen not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.