“For the sick it is important to have the best.” – Florence Nightingale​ Next week, hospitals throughout the country will celebrate the women and men who support the health and well-being of their communities. The celebration is part of the American Hospital Association’s National Hospital Week, May 6-12, a time for hospital leaders to show their appreciation both for hospital associates and for the communities that rely on and support their organizations.​

There’s a common refrain among health care providers when it comes to discussing health disparities. It goes something like this: “I treat all my patients exactly the same, regardless of their color.” Or this: “A disease ought to be treated the same, no matter who has it.” Or this one: “I’m a doctor/nurse/pharmacist/etc. – I treat illnesses, not personal problems.”

This week, the nation mourns the death of Barbara Bush, one of just two women in history to be both a First Lady and a mother to a U.S. president. Two days before she died, a family spokesman announced that Mrs. Bush would no longer accept medical treatment and had chosen the option of “comfort care.”​

As the stroke of midnight Monday, the Maryland General Assembly adjourned its 438th session, concluding what by any measure was a very strong 90 days for Maryland’s hospitals. Among the many highlights:​ the annual Medicaid “sick tax” on hospitals was reduced by $30 million, the state will provide $20 million in grants to establish and improve crisis response for behavioral health patients, Maryland’s individual health insurance market was stabilized, without any new taxes on hospitals, which could have totaled $75 million.

Last week’s report from RTI International offered some promising findings about how Maryland’s hospitals have transformed care delivery while controlling costs and improving quality. Among the highlights, which draw data from the first three years under the All-Payer Model: Inpatient admissions dropped significantly – 5 percent for Medicare beneficiaries and 4 percent for commercially insured individuals, and Medicare spending declined $679 million, a 2.7 percent reduction.

Earlier this week, a General Assembly conference committee deliberating the state’s budget approved a $30 million reduction in the hospital Medicaid tax – the ‘sick’ tax – for fiscal year 2019.