To best support your needs, MHA must constantly balance the demand to address current issues while anticipating opportunities and challenges to come. Last Thursday and Friday, MHA’s Executive Committee of the Board met to ponder the issues shaping health care in Maryland over the next decade.

 

The group discussed forces affecting health care and how our hospitals and our state health system need to change over the next decade—and what’s needed from MHA to get there. Big picture themes include possibilities for collaboration, ways to disrupt our own industry, and how to think like our competitors. As one CEO said, “We fundamentally want to help communities. We want to change health—individually and at a broader level. The road is hard, but if we don’t do it, who will?”

 

We heard from the Health Service Cost Review Commission’s Chair Nelson Sabatini and Executive Director Katie Wunderlich, who praised the work that’s been accomplished over the last seven years, while remarking that there’s still much to do. Mr. Sabatini emphasized the commission’s priorities, particularly what they see as excess facility capacity, and Ms. Wunderlich said HSCRC staff aim to increase transparency and simplify methodologies.

 

We had robust conversations regarding MHA’s role with HSCRC and hospital payment policies and potential redistribution of funding. We also looked at how we demonstrate success to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). How do you measure quality and care transformation related to population health? While we didn’t fully resolve these questions, we’ll continue to work with you to demonstrate the value of your efforts.

 

On behalf of the MHA staff, I’d like to thank our Executive Committee and all of you for your input, guidance and support.