Thank you to all who attended the HASD&IC annual meeting on Nov. 15-18. It was a chance to gather — albeit virtually — to hear about the issues important to hospitals and our members.
The meeting kicked off with a session called Reflections on 2021 and Looking Ahead to 2022 with CHA President & CEO Carmela Coyle. She addressed topics ranging from the latest COVID-19 surge that is upon us and what CHA is doing to address it, three tectonic shifts that hospitals in California are dealing with — workforce, behavioral health, and affordability — and what is being done to confront them, and other key policy issues (seismic, integration, increases in Medi-Cal reimbursement) we will be dealing with as we move into the new year.
Tuesday’s sessions included cybersecurity, which has become a growing threat to health care systems with impacts on patient care, continuity of ongoing treatments, prolonged times with reduced capacity and reliance on paperwork processes, and ultimately can be very costly. Todd Walbridge, special agent in the FBI’s San Diego office, and other panelists discussed federal, state, and local trends in cybersecurity threats to health care facilities and steps to take before and after a cyberattack.
Physician supply, demand, and staffing — no doubt top of mind for many hospitals these days as a record number of health care employees have left the workforce due to the pandemic — was the topic of a session led by Kurt Mosley of Merritt Hawkins. He shared projected health care workforce needs and best practices in creating a workforce pipeline, staff recruitment, and staff retention.
While Medi-Cal enrollment has soared during the pandemic, a panel that included CHA’s Ryan Witz, group vice president, policy discussed why it’s such a complex program, the future of Medi-Cal (CalAIM), why we need reform, and why partnerships are needed to ensure success at the state and local levels.
The meeting wrapped up with a roundtable featuring CEOs and leadership from local health systems. They shared their experiences during the response to COVID-19, and the panelists took turns discussing what is happening in each of their systems, the highs and the lows throughout the past two years, and how they innovated and collaborated with their colleagues to address the challenges.
There was great discussion on so many topics that directly impact our health care system, and while there is still work to be done, it’s clear there is hope on the horizon. I am so proud to be able to work with our executives as we navigate the waters ahead.
HASD&IC would like to thank Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan for sponsoring the annual meeting, along with meeting attendees who donated more than $2,400. The number will be matched and donated to local nonprofit organizations — Monarch School in San Diego County and Imperial Valley College’s Student Housing Program in Imperial County. Both of these organizations help youth experiencing homelessness.
November was Runaway and Homeless Youth Prevention Month in California, recently designated by the state Senate in Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 57 to recognize the need for individuals, schools, communities, businesses, local governments, and the state to take action on behalf of runaway and homeless youth in California.
HASD&IC is pleased to be able to provide on-demand recordings for the following four sessions from the annual meeting:
- Reflections on 2021 and Looking Ahead to 2022
- Will There be a Doctor in the House?
- Medi-Cal – A Look to the Future
- CEO Roundtable: Moving Forward, Taking COVID-19 Lessons with Us
On-demand education credits are offered for the full, enduring program (all four recordings) through Dec. 31. Please contact Silka Benic at sbenic@hasdic.org for details and special viewing instructions.