The Voices of Care Podcast Series is an initiative of BPC Action (@bpcaction), “the premier federal political advocate for bipartisan solutions to the challenges facing our country — including health, security, and economic growth.” BPC Action works closely with the Bipartisan Policy Center (@BPC_Bipartisan) to help advance smart policies through the legislative process. Voices of Care seeks to highlight the “the diverse needs of those that provide, pay for, and access health care across our country.” BPC Action hopes policy makers and change agents will listen to what state leaders, hospital and payor executives, providers, and patient advocates from all over the country have to say about the state of health care today.
Health care should not be political, say health leaders in our new Voices of Care podcasts. Hear more at https://t.co/9D5Qbh0ynt pic.twitter.com/MBCbtLm2RF
— BPC Action (@BPCAction) June 20, 2017
During these 5-minute podcasts each health care leader was asked to respond to five questions:
- What is the number one health care challenge in your community?
- What advice would you give to federal policymakers for changes that could make the biggest difference?
- Provide an example of success in your community for improving health care community.
- What one specific policy change could have the biggest positive impact on reducing costs in the system?
- What is the most important issue not well understood by Federal policymakers that states face?
BPC Action traveled around the country collecting answers from an array of health care leaders. Here are excerpts from a few of those interviews:
Bob Henkel, President and CEO of Ascension Health, Missouri
On Cross-Departmental Communication:
Despite the clear evidence, in which the ways socioeconomic, environmental, physical, and mental health needs are aligned, services and supports to assist individuals with unmet needs in these areas are often programmatically siloed. This is the issue. These silos increase the risk for redundancies and inefficiencies.
Trevor Fetter, Chairman and CEO of Tenet Healthcare, Texas
On Affordability:
I would say the number one concern for our patients is what impact health care will have on their financial well-being.
Caroline Young, Executive Director of Nashville Health, Tennessee
On Accessibility:
Here in Nashville, we have, unfortunately, a very high infant mortality rate of about 6.8 percent. The health of your infant is really an overall indicator of the health of your community. It is very important to make sure your youngest citizens have a healthy start and are well on their way to living healthy lives.
Marc Price, Head Physician of Family Medicine of Malta, New York
On Governmental Restriction:
The administrative burden is the number one priority, in my opinion, to decrease in order to improve costs. The doctors went to medical school for a reason. They know how to take care of patients. The legislatures keep trying to legislate how we are taking care of patients and they are trying to dictate to us how to do things.
Thank you to BP Action for sharing these important interviews with today’s thought leaders in our industry. We will be highlighting more of them over the next few months, stay tuned.