/ en Mon, 28 Apr 2025 03:04:42 -0500 Mon, 28 Oct 24 10:22:11 -0500 /news/chairpersons-file/2024-10-28-leadership-dialogue-value-health-systems-tom-priselac-president-and-ceo-emeritus-cedars-sinai <p>In this Leadership Dialogue episode, I talk with Tom Priselac, who recently retired after 30 years as president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai, based in Los Angeles. Under Tom’s leadership, Cedars-Sinai transformed from a well-known regional hospital into a nationally recognized academic health system. Tom also served as AHA board chair in 2009.</p><p>Tom and I discuss the benefits and challenges of health system integration, which includes partnerships, joint ventures and other collaborative arrangements. Integration is one of the ways that hospitals continue to advance health despite financial pressures.</p><p>Integration allows hospitals to “take advantage of economies of scale and economies of capabilities — [the latter is] an important element that doesn’t necessarily always get the same attention,” explains Tom. Integrated health systems can lead to meaningful benefits for patients and help hospitals best serve the needs of their communities.</p><p>“The purpose of the system is to assure the optimal success of each of the individual members,” Tom emphasizes. “[At Cedars-Sinai], we’re very much interested in strengthening and not disempowering the local hospital or the affiliate hospital.” Benefits include advancing quality, improving research capabilities, recruiting clinicians and making a greater impact in addressing community health needs, he notes.</p><p>Local hospitals are beloved parts of their communities. For some, integration into a larger health system is one way to ensure they will continue to serve as a bedrock of those communities for years to come.</p><p>I hope you find these conversations thought provoking and useful. Look for them once a month as part of the Chair File.</p><p><strong>Watch the episode</strong></p><p></p><hr><p> </p><div></div><p> </p> Mon, 28 Oct 2024 10:22:11 -0500 The Value of Health Systems /case-studies/2024-01-13-holzer-health-system-keeping-faith-their-communities-through-power-networks <p>The country doctor who opened a single physician practice in 1910 along the banks of the Ohio River in rural Appalachia would hardly recognize the network it has grown into more than 100 years later.</p><p>Today, Holzer Health System is the employer of 2,300 medical professionals offering almost one million square feet of patient-serving space, providing primary care needs as well as general and surgical specialties.</p><p>It’s commitment to supporting and serving rural residents and communities is stronger than ever and takes many forms. As Holzer grew larger over the years, the system’s leadership has played key roles in political investments, road development, transportation expansion and the growth of area businesses in general.</p><p>Like so many other health systems in rural America, Holzer embraces its critical place in supporting the local economy, social resources and the community spirit that keeps towns, villages and the backbone of the country alive.</p><p>It has not been easy. As the coal-dependent jobs that sustained the region for decades slowly disappeared, poverty, opioid exploitation, mental health concerns, and poor health contributions such as high caloric intake, alcoholism, drug addiction and sedentary lifestyles began to take their place.</p><h2>The Pandemic</h2><p>Adding to the difficulties and as it did in so many places, the once-in-a-century pandemic exacerbated existing problems of food insecurity, housing inadequacy, and deep depression.</p><p>Battling so many negative health factors at once would overwhelm most individual hospitals. But Holzer’s status as a health system, and in particular its decision to join the Ohio State Health Network, left it much better equipped to deal with the challenges of the pandemic.</p><ul><li>Recognizing the economic importance of the jobs it provides, Holzer announced there would be no furloughs and that its workforce could count on their paychecks during the time of uncertainty.</li><li>Holzer was among the first systems in the country to provide 24-hour turn-around on COVID-19 test results. It did so by working with supply partners to assist in the process for developing protocols for testing.</li><li>Holzer joined a network of facilities around the state of Ohio to share resources such as ventilators, beds and other critical needs as patient census changed among various geographies.</li><li>Leveraging the system as a vast resource solution, Holzer established a vaccine-only clinic to most efficiently serve the community needs with efficient and timely access with testing and vaccine distribution.</li></ul><h2>Role in the Community</h2><p>In addition to robust medical and economic support, Holzer’s resources as a health system have allowed to help support community activities such as 4-H, public school academics, sports, and social events; youth sports and outdoor activities; and community goodwill projects.</p><p>And it hasn’t stopped there. The health system also invests each year to serve the needs of the underserved and disadvantaged. Specifically, it has installed a formal corporate board committee around DEI tasked with investigating, developing and reporting positive options within these important areas for community members.</p><p>For decades, Holzer has tended to the health, social and economic needs of its patients and the communities it serves in countless ways. That commitment will continue into the future.</p><p>As Holzer’s leadership has stated, “Having the scale and resources of a health system allows us to have access, invest, and expand our services in times of great need.”</p> Sat, 13 Jan 2024 00:01:24 -0600 The Value of Health Systems /case-studies/2024-01-13-sparrow-health-lansing-covering-every-aspect-patient-care <p>Not every patient gets to be equipped with a bedside, hospital-provided iPad to remain connected with family members and the world beyond hospital walls during their stay. But the pilot program initiated for patients by Lansing, Mich.-based Sparrow Health System has been a huge hit and looks to be a keeper.</p><p>The tech convenience is just one of many ways Sparrow leverages its resources as a health system to offer a remarkable range of health and wellness support to the communities it serves. From top-notch medical care to addressing social determinants of health to standing by communities in times of crisis, Sparrow finds a way to do it all. And now that Sparrow is part of University of Michigan Health it is looking to expand access to care statewide.</p><h2>Effectiveness of Systems during Difficult Times</h2><p>Sparrow was one of the first hospitals in Michigan to create and offer COVID tests to inpatients, and has performed more than 930,000 COVID tests throughout the health system since March 2020. Today it offers a drive-thru service hub for blood tests and COVID testing, open for daily blood draws.</p><p>As it did for nearly every health system in the nation, the pandemic severely stretched Sparrow’s finances. It was able to survive the strain and remain focused on patient care in large part due to the Sparrow Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the health system, which raised and coordinated generous donations from community partners, corporations, individuals, and caregivers.</p><p>Some of the funds raised assisted caregivers in need who lost income, helping to cover their essential bills and provide some peace of mind during a tumultuous time.</p><h2>Role in the Community</h2><p>Sparrow reduced the chance of patients slipping through the social safety net with the September 2021 launch of a system that connects four resource coordinators with 31 of its primary care practices. A questionnaire provided at intake helps to flag potential barriers related to food insecurity, transportation, and financial instability. The centralized team receives over 300 referrals a month with increased acuity and needs identified.</p><p>The health system has also expanded its reach into the community, turning a reconditioned bus into a rolling health clinic, outfitting it with two exam rooms and a waiting area. With 56 outings in 2023, Sparrow’s Mobile Health Clinic paid 26 site visits across seven counties, providing hundreds of patients who otherwise did not have access to basic care with health screenings, immunizations and access to a primary care physician directly in their neighborhoods at no cost.</p><p>At the same time and with the help of generous businesses and community members, Sparrow has also been able to launch programs like Feeding Your Growing Family, which addresses food insecurity among pregnant mothers by offering pre/post-natal nutrition counseling, monthly food boxes delivered to their homes, a healthy cooking kitchen toolkit and connection to additional support resources.</p><p>Sparrow partners with numerous organizations in support of health equity and access to care resources, including the Healthy Capital Counties coalition, Greater Lansing Food Bank, Capital Area Health Alliance, and local public health departments.</p><h2>Operational Efficiencies</h2><p>As a robust health system, Sparrow benefits from the work of more than 1,000 volunteers who provide service day-to-day services to patients and their families at tremendous cost savings.</p><p>On the financial side of things, the integration of fund development teams and stand-alone hospital foundations into the Sparrow Foundation over the past three years combined into one central hub for philanthropy. This resulted in 2022 being a record-setting fundraising year, expanding relationships across the region and ensuring support for key needs that may have otherwise gone unfunded.</p><p>Size, scope, vision and key partnerships are the essential ingredients in Sparrow Health System’s recipe for delivering top patient care and comprehensive community support. It is a formula that not only works, but shines bright.</p> Fri, 12 Jan 2024 23:52:20 -0600 The Value of Health Systems /case-studies/2024-01-13-vandalia-health-power-two <p>For years, the overall health profile for West Virginians has not been what its residents would wish. The state generally ranks poorly across several important health measures, including overall health, obesity, smoking, diabetes and physical inactivity.</p><p>That’s why the expanded size, power and scope of services offered by the recent merger of two of the state’s major health systems — Mon Health System and CAMC Health System — is good news for the people of West Virginia.</p><p>The new entity, Vandalia Health, is now a network of 17 hospitals, three hospital affiliates, and more than 180 outpatient locations reaching nearly every point in the Mountain State. Details of the integration of the two systems into Vandalia are still being worked out, but already the sharing of best practices, data and learning promise to ensure quality care and patient-centered service.</p><p><em>Effectiveness of Systems during Difficult Times</em> <br>Vandalia has tackled supply-chain issues with the implementation of new software that has made the process more efficient, cost effective and generated an annual savings of $2.6 million.</p><p><em>Role in the Community</em> <br>Recognizing that nourishing diets are an essential step toward advancing health in the state, Vandalia recently kicked off its FARMacy program with partners to provide fruits and vegetables for eligible people in rural regions across West Virginia identified as food deserts or food swamps. The health system also supports “Healthy Neighborhood,” a transformational food insecurity program that offers prefunded, restricted-use debit cards for use at Dollar General stores, which provide an assortment of nutritious foods, including produce at select locations.</p><p>In addition, Vandalia collaborates with the West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute to increase training and education on overdose response in the state’s 55 counties, and has provided emergency overdose reversal kits to all public schools and all federally qualified health centers in West Virginia.</p><p><em>Operational Efficiencies</em> In the months since Vandalia Health was created, standardized contracting has resulted in significant savings for cardiology supplies including stents, balloons, wires, guides, etc. On the administrative side, training is now provided for documentation integrity to improve coding, drive better quality and patient outcomes and help to prevent coverage denials.</p><p>The integration of the two formerly separate health systems has also produced efficiencies including human resources, marketing, medical staff and pharmacy leadership.</p><p><em>Maintain and Expand Access</em> <br>CAMC and Mon Health System have long been known for quality heart care. Mon Health Medical Center, for example, was only the second hospital in the state with the da Vinci SP, which gives surgeons the ability to deliver robotic-assisted surgery through a single port.</p><p>Their cardiology services have only been strengthened after the creation of Vandalia Health brought the institutions together. Together as Vandalia Health, they continue to lead the way in technological advances.</p><p>CAMC also continues to operate a Mobile Medical Unit on the road 3-5 days a week serving at-risk populations in both cities and rural communities. It is used to provide screenings, vaccines and basic health checks at community events, and has IT capabilities to connect patients in small towns with specialists at CAMC via telemedicine. This keeps health care local for patients who may otherwise experience difficulties in cost or transportation if they had to come to Charleston for a doctor’s appointment.</p> Fri, 12 Jan 2024 23:26:47 -0600 The Value of Health Systems /case-studies/2024-01-13-uchealth-colorado-advancing-health-patient-patient <p>From an account posted to UCHealth’s web site: “David Shue was sleeping on cardboard behind an Aurora strip mall and drinking more than half a gallon of vodka and several beers a day last fall when he agreed to accept help from a kind hospital social worker. Months earlier, Dave lost six toes, three on each foot, after spending hours outdoors during a frigid, wet spring snowstorm.”</p><p>Life has improved dramatically for the 52 year-old, thanks to help from a UCHealth social worker and the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. Today, Dave no longer lives on the streets, and after getting a roof over his head, his health has improved significantly.</p><p>This success story is among countless examples of lives made better by UCHealth, a not-for-profit health care system headquartered in Aurora, Colo. with hospitals and facilities throughout Colorado and affiliated hospitals in Wyoming and Nebraska.</p><p>As UCHealth has grown as a system, its services to patients and the communities it serves has kept pace.</p><h2>Positive Effects of New Affiliates</h2><p>Yampa Valley Medical Center is among the most recent members, joining UCHealth in 2017. YVMC’s patients have reaped immediate benefits from the expanded capabilities and resources of a health system, including:</p><ul><li>New, lower-priced care options.</li><li>Additional access to specialists and advanced treatments (both in-person and virtual visits.)</li><li>New payers offering insurance plans, and discounts provided to payers to help them reduce insurance premiums.</li><li>Grants provided for local nonprofit organizations to help improve community health.</li></ul><p>In addition, patients served by Memorial Health System, which became part of UCHealth in 2012, have realized many of the same benefits and expansion of specialty services, including the designation of UCHealth Memorial Hospital as a Comprehensive Stroke Center and a Level I Trauma Center.</p><h2>Community Benefits</h2><p>UCHealth provided $1.1 billion in total community benefits in FY22 including $388 million in uncompensated care. An outside audit firm that examined its 2021 data found UCHealth’s community benefits were almost $400 million more than the total value of its nonprofit tax exemptions.</p><p>UCHealth is a nonprofit organization, completely separate from the University of Colorado, and it receives no taxpayer funding from the Colorado general fund. As part of its community benefits, it supports the University of Colorado School of Medicine with almost $300 million each year. The funding provided to the university supports education, training, research and clinical trials, and it helps recruit providers to increase access for patients. UCHealth’s support of the university is expanding the health care workforce by helping to train more physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses and others.</p><p>The health care system also funds programs to address social determinants of health, provide behavioral health co-responder programs with local law enforcement agencies, and expand access to behavioral health care.</p><p>UCHealth is the largest provider of Medicaid care in Colorado and has been ranked by the Lown Institute, a nonpartisan health care think tank, as among the nation’s best health systems in social responsibility, community benefit, value and patient outcomes.</p><h2>Value of Health Systems</h2><p>As an integrated health system, UCHealth has been able to achieve progress across a variety of fronts that would be much more challenging for an individual hospital. Examples include:</p><ul><li><u>Broader availability of clinical trials</u>. UCHealth provides advanced treatments and clinical trials in numerous sites throughout Colorado, leading to excellent patient outcomes.</li><li><u>Efficiencies and savings on IT services</u>. Numerous IT systems are provided broadly to all UCHealth hospitals, eliminating the need for each hospital to have their own contract for various IT services.</li><li><u>Centralized business services</u>. Medical leadership, human resources, communications, finance and other services are provided for all hospitals and clinics, leading to significant efficiencies, shared expertise and more uniform approaches to providing care and education.</li><li><u>Greater quality and safety through innovations</u>. UCHealth has a single Virtual Health Center that provides virtual ICU monitoring, sepsis, decompensation, safety watches, telemetry and other services. They are available for all its hospitals, leading to improved quality and safety for all patients.</li></ul><p>For Coloradans and patients in nearby states, UCHealth is proof of the value of amplifying quality patient care through a wide system of affiliated hospitals, clinics and virtual health services.</p> Fri, 12 Jan 2024 23:00:09 -0600 The Value of Health Systems /press-releases/2023-10-23-national-poll-patients-say-hospital-systems-deliver-care-coordination-accessibility-responsiveness <p><strong>WASHINGTON</strong> (October 23, 2023) – The nation’s hospital systems overwhelmingly meet patient expectations when it comes to receiving care reveals a new national poll from Morning Consult and released by the ���������� Association (AHA).</p> <p>The survey found that health care systems — defined in this survey as organizations that include at least one hospital and at least one physician practice — facilitate ease of care and accessibility and provide peace of mind to patients who seek specialists or believe they may need complex care in the future.</p> <p><strong>“It’s no surprise that patients are satisfied with the hospital systems in their community for their integrated care, accessibility, and efficiency,”</strong> said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack. <strong>“Hospital systems play a pivotal role in preserving and advancing care in communities and are always searching for better, more effective ways to improve the overall patient experience. This new poll reflects that.”</strong></p> <p>Patients applaud hospital systems for being:</p> <p><strong>Coordinated</strong></p> <ul> <li>83% of patients agree their hospital system made it easier for their providers to coordinate care on their behalf</li> <li>An overwhelming 89% like that their care comes from the same place instead of a patchwork of providers</li> </ul> <p><strong>Accessible</strong></p> <ul> <li>Nearly all patients (91%) surveyed cited the ability of their care team to easily access their medical history, lab results or other essential health information as a benefit of receiving care in a hospital system</li> <li>8 in 10 patients (82%) agree their care within a hospital system was efficient and accessible</li> <li>Nearly 9 in 10 patients (89%) find comfort that their hospital system has specialists or provides complex care that they may need in the future</li> </ul> <p><strong>Responsive</strong></p> <ul> <li>Most patients said it was easy to get a referral (82%) and a specialist appointment (84%) or other care provider within their hospital system</li> <li>90% of patients said their lab work or test results were processed in a timely fashion</li> </ul> <p>This poll was conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the ���������� Association from August 24-29, 2023, among a national representative sample of 2,006 health system patients. Interviews were conducted online. Results have a margin of error plus or minus two percentage points. Learn more in this <a href="/infographics/2023-10-23-national-poll-patients-find-health-systems-deliver-care-coordination-efficiency-and-access-infographic">infographic about patient perceptions with hospital systems</a>.</p> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-1"> <p>Contact:</p> </div> <div class="col-md-11"> <p>Ben Teicher, <a href="mailto:bteicher@aha.org?subject=National Poll: Patients Say Hospital Systems Deliver on Care Coordination, Accessibility & Responsiveness">bteicher@aha.org</a><br /> Sharon Cohen, <a href="mailto:scohen@aha.org?subject=National Poll: Patients Say Hospital Systems Deliver on Care Coordination, Accessibility & Responsiveness">scohen@aha.org</a></p> </div> </div> <p>###</p> <h2>About the ���������� Association (AHA)</h2> <p>The ���������� Association (AHA) is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA advocates on behalf of our nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, our clinician partners – including more than 270,000 affiliated physicians, 2 million nurses and other caregivers – and the 43,000 health care leaders who belong to our professional membership groups. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides insight and education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at <a href="/">www.aha.org</a>.</p> Mon, 23 Oct 2023 09:42:22 -0500 The Value of Health Systems /infographics/2023-10-23-national-poll-patients-find-health-systems-deliver-care-coordination-efficiency-and-access-infographic <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <div class="external-link spacer"><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/system/files/media/file/2023/10/2023-National-Poll-Patients-Find-Health-Systems-Deliver-on-Care-Coordination-Efficiency-and-Access-Infographic.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the National Poll: Patients Find Health Systems Deliver on Care Coordination, Efficiency and Access Infographic PDF.">Download the Infographic PDF</a></div> <p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2023/10/2023-National-Poll-Patients-Find-Health-Systems-Deliver-on-Care-Coordination-Efficiency-and-Access-Infographic.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the National Poll: Patients Find Health Systems Deliver on Care Coordination, Efficiency and Access Infographic PDF."><img alt="National Poll: Patients Find Hospitals Systems Deliver on Care Coordination, Efficiency and Access. Nine out of 10 patients (89%) are satisfied with their recent experience receiving care from a hospital system within their community. A new Morning Consult poll found hospital systems overwhelmingly meet patient expectations when it comes to receiving care." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a293d946-e398-4598-b1f5-8403093c76c6" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/2023-National-Poll-Patients-Find-Hospital-Systems-Deliver-Infographic-Page-1.png" width="695" height="900"></a></p> <p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2023/07/New-Consumer-Poll-Finds-Patients-Are-Concerned-about-Commercial-Insurer-Barriers-to-Care.pdf#page=2" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the National Poll: Patients Find Health Systems Deliver on Care Coordination, Efficiency and Access Infographic PDF."><img alt="Hospital System Patients Want a Health Care Experience That Is Coordinated. 83% of patients agree the hospital system in their community made it easier for their providers to coordinate care on their behalf. 89%: An overwhelming majority of hospital system patients like that their care comes from the same place instead of a patchwork of providers. Hospital System Patients Want a Health Care Experience That Is Responsive." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d87d04b3-dfe4-4c5b-93ab-47a40d10ccfb" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/2023-National-Poll-Patients-Find-Hospital-Systems-Deliver-Infographic-Page-2.png" width="695" height="900"></a></p> </div> <div class="col-md-4"> <div class="external-link spacer"><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/system/files/media/file/2023/07/The-Majority-of-Nurses-and-Physicians-Say-That-Health-Insurer.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the New Polls of Nurses and Physicians Finds Infographic PDF.">Download the New Polls of Nurses and Physicians Infographic PDF</a></div> <div class="external-link spacer"><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/press-releases/2023-10-23-national-poll-patients-say-hospital-systems-deliver-care-coordination-accessibility-responsiveness" target="_blank" title="Click here to read the National Poll: Patients Find Health Systems Deliver on Care Coordination, Efficiency and Access Infographic press release.">Read the Press Release</a></div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 23 Oct 2023 07:50:20 -0500 The Value of Health Systems /news/chairpersons-file/2023-10-02-chair-file-incredible-impact-hospital-community-collaboration <p>Teams at hospitals and health systems understand that social needs and economic circumstances have a significant impact on an individual’s health and well-being. Addressing social drivers of health calls for successful collaboration between health care organizations, community organizations, public health departments and other key stakeholders.</p> <p>Creative collaborations and innovative solutions to improve the health of individuals and communities abound across the country. The <a href="/about/awards/aha-nova-award" target="_blank">AHA Dick Davidson NOVA Awards</a> honor AHA member hospitals and health systems with strong programs that are improving community health, are collaborative and engage community members to identify issues and co-design solutions or interventions. <a href="/system/files/media/file/2023/08/2024-NOVA-Application.docx" target="_blank">Applications</a> for the 2024 awards are due Nov. 13. Five organizations will be selected and recognized at the 2024 AHA Leadership Summit in San Diego.</p> <p>The impact of initiatives led by hospitals and health systems that are previous NOVA Award recipients has been tremendous. I’ll highlight two examples here, but you’ll find many more inspiring stories highlighted in videos and booklets posted on <a href="/award/2019-09-26-aha-dick-davidson-nova-award-past-honorees" target="_blank">AHA.org</a>.</p> <p>These two programs, among five recognized in 2022, are creatively meeting behavioral health needs in their communities.</p> <ul> <li>The Doorway program was launched at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, N.H., in 2019. The year before, the drug death rate in Cheshire County ranked second among the state’s 10 counties. The Doorway offers a walk-in clinic, information clearinghouse, 24-hour hotline, peer-to-peer recovery assistance for people with substance use disorders, and other support and resources. Less than two years after this program was launched, the number of drug overdose deaths in the county dropped by more than 50%.<br />  </li> <li>Corewell Health, based in Grand Rapids, Mich., developed a school suicide prevention program, called the School Blue Envelope. It discreetly helps young people get help at school. This program trains elementary, middle and high school staff — from teachers to coaches to bus drivers — on how to handle conversations when a student expresses thoughts of suicide or self-harm behavior. The School Blue Envelope was inspired by the blue envelope protocol that Corewell Health uses with its providers to keep patients safe. The health system has trained 9,000 school personnel in 198 schools across 67 school districts. Those partner schools have reported 1,010 preventive conversations and potential lives saved. Additionally, those thousand students received early intervention, averting 785 unnecessary emergency department visits.</li> </ul> <p>I encourage you to submit an application to share your organization’s collaborative programs that are improving community health. We need to keep spreading the word on this incredible work and the positive impacts of hospitals and health systems in our communities.</p> Mon, 02 Oct 2023 12:21:14 -0500 The Value of Health Systems