THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY FACES HUGE CHALLENGES.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT?
Written by Julia Anderson,
Columbian staff writer
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Dr. Susan Hughes
VANCOUVER FAMILY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN,
FAMILY WELLNESS CENTER |
Tom Van Sweringen
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
THE VANCOUVER CLINIC |
Jonathan Avery
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER,
LEGACY SALMON CREEK HOSPITAL, VANCOUVER |
HUGHES: Honestly, one of the biggest
nightmares for us is dealing with new
regulations. We’ve put in government
-mandated electronic medical records.
It will help long-term, but it has been a
diffcult transition. It changes everything
you do.
All prescriptions, all transcriptions
go into the medical record. Things
get scanned in from other physician
offices. There’s not really a set standard
nationwide. |
VAN SWERINGEN: In particular, our
biggest challenge is dealing with
Medicare reimbursement with the
demographics of Clark County and
the growing Medicare population.
Reimbursement rates have been flat for
three years and obviously costs are going
up. In effect, a cost shift is under way
to other third party payers. It’s difficult
to imagine how we can continue to
do that. At the same time, we have a
strong commitment to the community
to provide our fair share. |
AVERY: By far, the largest challenge
facing Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital
is providing care to anyone regardless
of their ability to pay. We are caring for a
very large number of people who do not
have health insurance and are unable to
pay for their health care services. |
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Dr. David Ruiz MD
PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF FAMILY
MEDICINE OF SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON
AND MEMBER OF THE WASHINGTON
FAMILY PRACTICE ADVISORY BOARD |
Mark Magistrale
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FAMILY PHYSICIANS
GROUP; VICE PRESIDENT OF PHYSICIAN
SERVICES FOR SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON
HEALTH SYSTEMS |
Joe Kortum
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF
SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON MEDICAL CENTER |
RUIZ: The biggest issue we currently
face is a complex fi nancial picture
characterized by continuing attacks by
CMS (the Center for Medicare Services)
on training subsidies and its downstream
effect on financial viability of training
residents throughout the U.S. Our
program is but one of so many grappling
with how to create new revenue streams
and to maximize efficiencies in order to
maintain long-term vaibility.
The 16 residents working at the Family
Medicine Clinic see about 150 outpatients
a day and care for about 28
patients a day in the hospital. |
MAGISTRALE: For us, the challenge
is maintaining and establishing new
collaborative relationships in an evolving
and highly competitive marketplace.
We’ve got two acute care hospitals. Then
we also have competition in the form
of services transitioning from hospitals
to outpatient locations. We’re in an
environment where there are issues
of loyalty or alliance. It’s complicated
and different for this market. Kaiser
Permanente is no small player here, for
instance. How am I dealing with this?
I take two days to return phone calls.
By then most times it’s resolved. |
KORTUM: The lament of every hospital
administrator is trying to solve the
riddle of flat and declining revenues
in the face of increasing expenses.
The second challenge would be
Finding the people that you need. We
have such ominous signs of shortages of
key people, not just nurses, espe cially in
critical care areas.
All health care professions are worrisome...
pharmacists, physicians in key specialties.
Programs are not producing enough
trained people. |
