The HASD&IC Board of Directors convened on July 6. Board Chair Tom Gammiere, corporate SVP/Regional Chief Executive – South, Scripps Health, officiated. Recognition and thanks were expressed for Robert Smith, MD, who retired from VA San Diego Healthcare on June 30 and served on the HASD&IC Board since 2016.
- 2022 CHPAC/CHPAC-FED Campaign: The campaign had reached 75% of the statewide goal as of July 5. Thank you to members for your collective support of the California Hospital Association Political Action Committee (CHPAC) and helping to elect and connect with candidates who understand the important role hospitals play in our state. Please visit CHPAC to learn more and join in support.
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS): Board members received an update on our collaborative work with the County of San Diego EMS and engagement in the strategic planning process, followed by discussion to guide HASD&IC’s continued advocacy efforts.
- Community Health Needs Assessment: Board members received an update on the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment. The report will be published later this year.
- Hospital Quality Institute (HQI): HQI continues to add new reports and improved functionality to the Hospital Quality Improvement Platform. This web-based comparative quality analytics platform is free for members. Participation is encouraged. This year’s 2022 HQI Annual Conference will include a leadership summit for C-suite attendees with focus on workforce/peer support, health equity, and health care transparency. The Southern California event is scheduled for Oct. 3-4 in Long Beach.
California Hospital Association (CHA): Carmela Coyle, CHA President & CEO, presented an overview of hospital associations’ current focus on and long-term commitment to health equity. She also gave an update and led discussion in several areas:
- Legislative Update: Senate Bill 213 (Cortese, D-San Jose) and Assembly Bill 2080 (Wood, D-Santa Rosa) were opposed by CHA, and both will not proceed this year.
- Federal Issues: CHA will join with the American Hospital Association to advocate for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to revise the hospital inpatient prospective payment system rule for federal fiscal year 2023 to more accurately reflect the cost of providing hospital care to patients.
- State Issues: CHA will continue to press for reform on the state’s 2030 seismic standards. The Office of Health Care Affordability will remain a priority focus with hospitals’ financial challenges an ongoing concern.
For more information on the HASD&IC Board of Directors meeting or any of the issues discussed, please email Dimitrios Alexiou.
