2009 Programs

Tuesday, November 17, 2009: Promise or Peril:  Preparing Your Health System for Success in the New Healthcare Economy.  Bradford S. Koles, Jr., a healthcare economist and national spokesperson with the Advisory Board Company, will provide an up-to-the-date overview of lessons from the recession, and the factors, assumptions, and possibilities around healthcare reform.  Mr. Koles’ remarks will be shaped by the status of healthcare reform legislation.

Topics Discussed:

• Volatile growth engine - effects of the recession on O/P volumes
• Growth no longer on sale - access to capital markets that have rediscovered risk
• The newly insured and the specter of profitless growth
• Open season on fee-for-service

Thursday, September 24, 2009: "Annual All Day Educational Event".  The program focused on the contemporary key focus areas of: Care of the Uninsured and Underinsured, Comprehensive Quality Management Systems, Walking the Public Reporting Systems Minefield, and Ensuring Your Communities Emergency Preparedness.

Four panels, six ACHE Category I credits (Category I Credit pending), addressed the following discussion topics:

Panel #1:    Walking the Public Reporting Systems Minefield
-  How organizations are managing the reporting of information to these reporting systems/organizations
-  What systems seem to be garnering the attention of the public
-  What impact these reporting systems are having on healthcare organizations
-  How these systems will evolve and what trends are anticipated for the future

Panelists included:
Terris King, Deputy Director Office of Clinical Standards and Quality, CMS
Andrea Mazzaccoli, VP/CNO, Center for Clinical Excellence, Bon Secours Health System

Panel #2:    Comprehensive Quality Management Systems - Ensuring High Quality of Care

-  Advantages of an integrated quality management system versus a universal method
-  Organization infrastructure required to successfully develop and deploy an integrated quality management system
-  Organizational impact of implementing an integrated quality management system

Panelists included:
Vivian Miller, Research Project Manager, Maryland Patient Safety Center
T. Michael White MD,  Chief Medical Officer, Washington County Hospital
Barbara Epke, Sr. VP. Quality, LifeBridge Health System

Panel #3:    Care for the Uninsured and Underinsured

-  What hospitals are obligated to do under local state policy in terms of care for the un/underinsured and how do their charity care policies meet those obligations
-  Ways in which providers have developed community benefit processes without an unacceptable financial burden
-  How healthcare organizations work to minimize the costs for patients who over-utilize services

Panelists included:
Pegeen Townsend, Sr. VP. Legislative Policy, Maryland Hospital Association
Barbara Cook MD, Medical Director, The Access Partnership (Johns Hopkins Health System)
Salliann Alborn, Chief Executive Officer, Maryland Community Health System / Community Health Integrated Partnership
Samuel L. Ross MD, Chief Executive Officer, Bon Secours Baltimore Health System

Panel #4:    Ensuring Your Community's Emergency Preparedness

-  As an organization looks internally at its own plan, what key components should be evaluated
-  Looking externally, what are the key drivers in assessing the comprehensiveness of a local preparedness plan
-  What more can healthcare organizations be doing to collaborate before and during disasters

Panelists included:
Howard Gwon, Director of Emergency Preparedness, Johns Hopkins Health System
Bob Maloney, Director of Emergency Management, Baltimore City Fire Department
Charlene Perry BSN, Public Health Emergency Planner, Kent County Health Department 

Thursday, July 16th: Retention: How to Develop and Keep Your Best Staff in Good Times and Bad - Presenters were:  Mary Towe RN, BSN, MBA, Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer, Washington County Hospital; and Deborah Rowe, Regional Director, Genesis HealthCare.

Topic Discussed:

• What happens when the economy turns around?
• Most organizations now find their turnover rates decreasing owing to a struggling economy.
• Do the revolving doors of staff turnover start anew?
• How a couple of healthcare organizations with proven results have accomplished breakthroughs in developing and retaining their best.

• The role of executive leadership in setting an organizations strategic and operation direction
• Items that keep executive management up at night
• Organizational priorities and the accompanying measures of success as they relate to patients, employees and medical staff

Thursday, January 29th: Annual Legislative Update - The speakers for the panel include legislative leadership, MHA and physician leadership from the Baltimore City Medical Society.

Topic Discussed:

• The Special Session's Effect on Healthcare in Maryland
• The Healthcare Related Agenda for the 2009 Legislative Session
• Legislative Impact on the Provider Community

Thursday, March 19th: "Medical Homes".  Central to Medical Homes is the fundamental shift in the relationship between patients and their primary care physicians.  Medical Homes require a much higher degree of personalized care coordination across the continuum (acute care, identification of key medical and community resources, information technology and adequate payment methods).  It originated with a focus on chronic care for children, but has expanded exponentially.  It is becoming an important health care model nationally.  The presenter for the evening is Jon Shematek, MD, Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.  Dr. Shematek is a subject matter expert on the topic and will provide his insight.

Topic Discussed: