As I was going through the interview process for MHA’s President & CEO position, many of you pointed out to me that MHA had a staff that was second to none, one that was working hard to bridge the gap between the position’s vacancy last year and my starting this week. Now that my first week is coming to a close, I can see what you mean. This is a group of people who love what they do, and who are dedicated to the cause of Maryland’s hospitals and health systems.

Challenging times like these are enhanced by personal connections, and as always, MHA is here to facilitate that connection. Our annual membership meeting in June provides an excellent opportunity to gain insight and understanding into how your organization can plan for the future amid a whirlwind of change. The event begins the evening of June 11 at the Four Seasons in Baltimore with a reception that offers time to connect with one another, as well as with MHA’s new President & CEO, Bob Atlas. On Tuesday, June 12, the program will feature prominent speakers, including Dr. Atul Gawande.

This week marks the midpoint of the 90-day 2018 General Assembly legislative session. A flurry of legislation has come to Annapolis, including items related to hospitals' top three priorities: the hospital "sick" tax, behavioral health, and medical liability.​ Gov. Hogan has included the agreed-upon $25 million spend-down of the hospital sick tax in his proposed budget, a measure that will help reduce the financial burden on hospital patients. MHA is working closely with the House and Senate to protect the governor's reduction and look for opportunities to increase that amount. If the $25 million remains, the sick tax would be reduced for the coming fiscal year to $339 million.​

At its heart, Maryland’s current All-Payer Model – and its next iteration – are about the fundamental transformation of health care delivery. They are testing, on a statewide scale, whether health care can not only make the tectonic shift from volume to value, but survive and thrive while keeping patients and communities healthier than ever.​

The most recent data on fatal overdoses in Maryland, released at the end of January, offer at least one positive sign: the total number of heroin-related and prescription opioid-related deaths shows a slight drop. Through the third quarter of 2017, the number of heroin-related deaths fell by 56 and the number of prescription opioid-related deaths fell by 11, compared to the same period in 2016.

Last month, MHA shared with hospital CEOs and other hospital leaders tasked with reducing health disparities the most recent data on how each hospital fared over the past year. The measures, stratified by race, gender, age, ethnicity and language are: inpatient admissions, readmissions, mortality, and infections.