I recently gave a presentation to Campbell County Health’s directors
and supervisors that I called “How to cram three years of graduate
study into one hour!”
Everyone is, understandably, very focused on their piece of healthcare
and their particular department or area. As you know the bigger picture
of healthcare is very complicated, and at this point, the future is very
uncertain.
What we know right now is that 28% of federal spending is healthcare-related,
and that the government’s portion of healthcare spending is continuing
to grow as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP), estimated to be
9% in 2020. (For those who don’t know, GDP is one of the primary
indicators used to gauge the health of a country’s economy.) Overall
healthcare spending in the United States is approaching 18% of GDP. This
makes healthcare spending, especially government reimbursement, an attractive
target for spending cuts.
Physicians and hospitals especially will see their model of payment and
delivery of services change. Some of these changes will serve to enhance
the opportunity to participate in alternative payment models like bundled
payments. Others will be employed to encourage the use of electronic medical
records (EMRs), while still others will drive the push toward population
health. The overall purpose of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) is to bring value to their beneficiaries, that all important equation
that balances high quality care and affordable pricing.
Some of these initiatives, like bundled payments, are already used for
total joint surgeries and will be expanding to cardiac and cancer care
in the not too distant future. Payors and employers are beginning to ask
us here in Wyoming to participate in these new models.
So, what does this mean for CCH? With continued downward pressure on inpatient
stays and no new money flowing into the system, efficiency will be in
everyone’s job description. Consumers will continue to expect more
and more transparency when it comes to information about pricing, quality
and safety, but they still want choices as to providers and hospitals.
Those choices will become more limited with some of the reforms that are
happening across the country.
I think that payment reforms will happen, probably more slowly here than
in other parts of the country. As the leading provider of healthcare in
Campbell County, CCH has a vital stake in becoming the best in every category:
care delivery and quality; safety; patient and resident experience; and
business efficiency.
In 2017, those of us who carry the mantle of leadership will need to be
innovative and relentless in the search for high quality, efficient service
delivery that will help us be successful in the continued pursuit of serving
our community by providing a lifetime of care with dedication, skill,
and compassion.
A Year in Numbers
Who likes statistics? 2016 was a busy year! Check out the busy year we
had at Campbell County Health:
- Cath Lab Procedures: 584
- Emergency Department Visits: 22,767
- Inpatient Admissions: 2,874
- Lab Tests: 362,028
- Legacy Resident Days: 43,543
- Pharmacy Doses: 516,250
- Pounds of Laundry (CCMH & Legacy): 1,146,885
- Radiology Procedures: 49,622
- Total Clinic Visits: 98,499
- Total Surgeries (CCMH): 4,396
- Total Surgeries (PRSC): 1,383
- Volunteer Hours: 13,085
It’s both a privilege and a great responsibility to be able to care
for the people in our community at every stage of life. Thank you for
placing your trust in us.