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 From the Desk of Ken Cohen, Executive Director
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Federal Perspective
The federal government technically
shut down
on February 8, 2018 12:01 am Eastern time for the second time in three weeks. Shortly thereafter, Congressional leaders struck a deal that will fund the government and set up
a two-year budget agreement
.
The deal increases investments in domestic programs and the military to the tune of $300 billion over the next two years, including almost $90 billion in disaster relief in response to last year's hurricanes and wildfires, and a higher statutory debt ceiling. There was no resolution to for immigrant legislation to address DACA referring to children who may have been brought to this country illegally.
The budget includes a historic ten (10) percent increase in domestic spending, boosting non-defense spending from $539 billion to $591 billion this year alone. The legislation includes more money for areas including child care, college affordability and infrastructure. There is also additional money going to key health programs, extending the Children's Health Insurance Program for ten years, and staving off several cuts to Medicare and Medicaid program that would have been triggered had the spending cap not been lifted. About $7 billion will be spend on supporting community health centers. The legislation also will funnel $6 billion over two years to fight the nations opioid crisis with new grants, prevention programs and law enforcement efforts.
Association News
Please join me in welcoming Linda Wagner, CEO, Seneca Healthcare District who joined the ACHD Board of Directors in February. Linda has been an active member of the ACHD Education Committee and was formerly a long-term member of the ALPHA Council.
Congratulations to West Side Health Care District on becoming a "Certified Healthcare District" in February. Sheila Johnston, Vice President of Members Services and I will be attending the West Side Healthcare District Board meeting on March 29th to publicly acknowledge this achievement.
The ACHD Team had an opportunity to visit El Camino Healthcare District this month. Thank you to Dan Woods, Chief Executive Officer and Brenda Taussig, Government and Community Relations Director for providing an overview of the many programs and services provided by El Camino Healthcare District along with an overview of their impressive expansion project. Sheila Johnston and I will be visiting with Palomar Healthcare District and West Side Healthcare District during the month of March to continue AHCD outreach efforts and promote the Certified Healthcare District program.
ACHD's annual Leadership Academy was held in Sacramento in February at the Hilton Hotel. This year ACHD attendance has grown to the point that the educational sessions were moved to the hotel ballroom. The feedback from the Leadership Academy has been overwhelmingly positive and we are already planning some exciting changes for next year.
ACHD annual Legislative Day will be held in April 16 and 17 in Sacramento. Please mark you calendars and plan on participating. This is an opportunity to engage with your legislative delegation in Sacramento and to forge important relationships necessary to advocate for Healthcare Districts both statewide and locally.
This year, as part of our 2018 Annual Legislative Day event, ACHD will also be facilitating a Healthcare District CEO networking event that will allow CEO's from our Healthcare Districts to meet each other and to begin a conversation with their peers on common issues, such as: governance, LAFCO, community outreach, collaboration/support, and other. You will be hearing more about this event and we encourage all Healthcare District CEO's to participate.
Special Note
Amber King, Vice President, Government Affairs, will be on maternity leave through mid-July. In her absence please use the following contact information for the Advocacy Team:
For Association related questions, please contact Sheila Johnston, Vice President, Member Relations & Administration, at (916) 266-5208, or
[email protected]
.
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Special Report: Universal Health Care Hearings
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The Select Committee on Health Care Delivery Systems and Universal Coverage concluded its series of informational hearings on February 7. The Select Committee was co-chaired by Assembly Members Jim Wood and Joaquin Arambula and included Assembly Members Autumn Burke, David Chiu, Laura Friedman, Tom Lackey and Marie Waldron.
The series of lengthy hearings were largely comprised of panels of academics that provided detailed background and testimony to the committee on several topics. The proponents of SB 562 (Lara) remain convinced of the benefits of single payer and still want to push for that measure to receive a hearing in 2018. Incoming President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins (and co-author of SB 562) acknowledges that SB 562 will not be moving forward this year.
Over the course of the five hearings, the Committee was presented with significant hurdles to achieving single-payer. Perhaps the largest issue is necessary federal approvals. Importantly, several of the committee members are authoring bills this year to address issues discussed at the hearings
, including expanding health care coverage, addressing health care costs, and affordability.
The following provides a recap of the topics covered at the five hearings:
1. At the October 23-24, 2017 two-day hearing, the committee spent over nine hours discussing health care in California and other countries. The first day highlighted the serious federal challenges to the health care system - and the federal resources at risk. While the hearing was framed to help members understand the complexity of the existing health system, there was some impatience expressed from members about getting into the weeds. There was some discussion of short-term steps California could take to cover all Californians, including expanding Medi-Cal for undocumented adults or allowing higher income Californians to buy into Medi-Cal. The second day was focused on what other countries' health care systems look like. The presenters talked about both publicly financed health care and publicly financed health insurance models. Of note, none of the other countries discussed provide comprehensive coverage to undocumented individuals.
2. The December 11th hearing was focused on universal coverage and cost containment efforts in the United States, with discussions of Hawaii, Vermont, San Francisco, Massachusetts and Maryland.
3. On January 17th, the Committee was focused on achieving better access and greater value in California's health care system. They heard an overview of the current health care system, issues with fragmentation and opportunities to address fragmentation. They invited a panel of academic experts to discuss access to care and coverage; a second panel of academic experts to discuss high prices; and a third panel of consumer advocates to discuss consumer issues. Panelists discussed various ideas to address challenges with access and pricing such as all payer rate system, public option health plans, provider workforce improvements, improving provider directories, and expanding public programs.
4. The topic of fourth hearing on February 5th was "implementation considerations for universal coverage." Some of the questions that will need to be addressed immediately to move forward with single payer design include: 1) Who is in? 2) What benefits will be covered? 3) How will it be paid for? Secondary questions include: 1) Purchasing arrangements: use of intermediaries (such as health plans) versus direct purchase of health care; 2) Payment adequacy and methodology; 3) Provider participation; 4) Consumer participation: eligibility and enrollment; 5) Covered benefits and services; 6) Governance and administration.
5. At the final hearing, the Committee discussed "options for universal coverage." The Committee had a morning panel discuss single payer, including the SB 562 proponents, and an afternoon panel discussing other proposals, including Health Access, the California Immigrant Policy Center, the California Labor Federation and Small Business Majority. The second panel talked extensively about cost increases and controlling costs. California Immigrant Policy Center talked about expanding Medi-Cal to undocumented adults.
Please contact Kelly Brooks with any questions or concerns about this matter.
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Just Added: Legislative Day Preview Webinar
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ACHD's
Legislative Day, Beyond the Conversation: Taking Action, returns to Sacramento on April 16-17, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and the State Capitol. Legislative Day is a great opportunity for Healthcare Districts to enhance and create relationships with Legislators, educate them about the importance of your District and learn about policy topics that are most pressing to the mission and purpose of Healthcare Districts.
To better prepare you for this event, ACHD is hosting a webinar to prepare you for Legislative Day. The webinar will take place on March 20th from 10:00am - 11:00am.
During the webinar, ACHD's Advocates, Jean Hurst and Kelly Brooks of Hurst Brooks Espinosa, will present on the following topics:
- Importance of Legislative Day
- Tips for scheduling meetings with your Legislator
- Making the most of your meeting(s) with your Legislator(s)
- Preview the policy topics and speakers you'll hear from at Legislative Day
- General logistics to help you prepare for your trip to Sacramento
This is one webinar you do not want to miss!
Click here
to register f
or the Legislative Day webinar. To find out more information about Legislative Day and how to register,
click here
. We look forward to seeing you in Sacramento!
 Kelly Brooks-Lindsey
is a leading expert on California health and human services issues, recognized within the Legislature, Administration, and among counties for her expertise. She helped negotiate all major fiscal and policy changes in the health and human services landscape over the last decade, including the expansion of Medi-Cal in 2013 and the health and human services portion of 2011 Realignment. Most recently she lent her expertise to the development of the Drug Medi-Cal Waiver amendment and continues to work on the renewal of California's Medicaid Section 1115 Waiver for the California State Association of Counties (CSAC).
Prior to co-founding Hurst Brooks Espinosa, LLC, Kelly spent 14 years in service to counties at CSAC as their legislative representative, where she developed a robust network of relationships with elected and appointed state and county officials. Kelly came to CSAC from the California Health and Human Services Agency, where she served as a special assistant.
 Jean Kinney Hurst
brings unique and varied policy expertise in complex state and local fiscal matters. During the past 15 years as a legislative representative for the California State Association of Counties, she developed a reputation as a determined problem-solver, respected advocate, and effective strategist. She has been intimately involved in all aspects of major local government fiscal policy changes, including negotiation of the securitization of $1.2 billion in "borrowed" local agency property taxes in 2009 and negotiation of the constitutional protections for 2011 realignment contained in Proposition 30 (2012).
Additionally, Jean has worked on four statewide ballot measure campaigns from pre-campaign activities - including polling, focus group, language development, and legal and fiscal analyses - to campaigns, including fundraising, media strategy, and voter outreach. Jean also has extensive experience working with national, state, and local media, including print, television, and radio interviews.
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| ACHD Webinar Education Series |
ACHD hosted their monthly webinar series, Board Clerk Training, featuring Jim Mitrisin, Clerk of El Dorado County Board of Supervisors, and Florence Evans, Clerk of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. This webinar provided an overview of key components of the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, and discussed best strategies for board clerks. If you missed this webinar and would like to access a recording, please click here.
As a reminder, these webinars are
FREE! If you like to participate in future webinar education series, please reference the table below to access a schedule of upcoming webinar education topics and registration information. You may also access our
website to learn more about our webinar series.
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Best Practices in Grant Policies
March 22, 2018/11:00 am
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Identify and Combat Elder Abuse
April 26, 2018/10:00 am
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Harassment Training
May 24, 2018/11:00 am
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| In Case You Missed It... Healthcare District News from Around the State |
   
(Plumas District Hospital) Patients can receive same-day appointments with Prompt Care
Same day visits. Prompt care. No matter what it's called, Plumas District Hospital wants the public to know that they can see a healthcare professional when they need one. The service actually began last year and was called express care. It allowed for patients with particular symptoms - those that could be dealt with in a short 10-minute appointment - to be seen that same day.
Click here to read full article.
On Sunday, January 28th, more than 200 people gathered at the Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club in Menlo Park to celebrate Mission Hospice & Home Care's 39 years of service to the local community and the successful completion of its $6 million Hospice House Campaign. Click here to read full article.
Salinas Valley Memorial celebrates grand opening of Pediatric Diabetes Center
The Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System on Friday celebrated the grand opening of its Pediatric Diabetes Clinic, the only one of its kind in Monterey County offering specialized care for children with diabetes.
Click here to read full article.
(Palomar Health) New 4-D Cardio Ultrasound Machines Will Reduce Uncertainty
Palomar Health's purchase of four new stress test systems (three for Escondido and one for Poway) and two new 4-D cardiovascular ultrasound systems will improve patient and staff experience in numerous ways.
Click here to learn more.
In the event of a major injury or trauma, minutes can be what stands between life and death. Many times a police officer is the first on scene at an accident, and to help officers better assist those injured Leprino Foods donated $4,500 to the Lemoore Police Officer's Association (LPOA) so that Lemoore officers would have trauma kits for each officer. Click here to read article.
Washington Hospital Healthcare System announced today that it has received the America's 100 Best Hospitals Award™ from Healthgrades. This recognition places Washington Hospital Healthcare System among the top 2 percent of hospitals in the United States for clinical excellence. Healthgrades evaluated nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide for their clinical performance across a broad spectrum of conditions and procedures. Washington Hospital is also only one of 20 hospitals in California to receive this distinguished award from Healthgrades. Click here to learn more.
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| Wellness Summit Now Open for Registration! |
ACHD is hosting a one-day Wellness Summit to provide Healthcare Districts and their Community Partners with valuable wellness tools and inspiration for embracing existing programs and envisioning new initiatives. Your attendance at our Wellness Summit will assist you and your colleagues in creating an action plan to implement healthy initiatives at your District and throughout your communities.
ACHD will present valuable wellness tools and initiatives that will allow Districts to continue to make strides in improving the overall community wellbeing.
When:
Thursday, July 26, 2018, 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Where:
California Endowment
1414 K Street, Suite 500
Sacramento, CA 95814
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| Coming Soon: ACHD's 66th Annual Meeting |
|
The Association's Education Committee has planned the 66th Annual Meeting with a focus on preparing Healthcare Districts for the challenges ahead and the role of District's in the face of change. Our program is designed to inspire innovation and motivate Districts to prepare for the future.
Whether you're in your early years as a District Trustee or a seasoned Executive looking to grow, you'll discover the right insight to support your District's success in Pismo Beach.
Join us for what will be our best educational event ever!
Our Annual Meeting will take place September 12 - 14, 2018, at the Cliffs Resort in Pismo Beach.
Please contact
Sheila Johnston
with any questions or concerns. We hope to see you there!
Stay tuned for registration information!
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| Call for Nominations: Healthcare District and Trustee of the Year! |
ACHD is pleased to announce that we are now accepting nominations for Healthcare District of the Year and the Trustee of the Year awards! These prestigious awards seek to recognize a Healthcare District for innovation implemented to improve the health of the communities served and Trustees that have made notable impacts in the District through significant achievements in governance, strategic planning and partnership, stakeholder relationships, leadership or finance.
Nominations will be accepted through
June 29, 2018.
To nominate your District for Healthcare District of the Year,
click here.
To nominate a Trustee for the Trustee of the Year award,
click here.
Awards will be presented during the ACHD Annual Meeting taking place September 12-14 at the Cliffs Resort in Pismo Beach. And congratulations to last year's District of the Year award winner,
Mayers Memorial Hospital District!
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| Spotlight: Lee Michelsen |
Recently retired
Sequoia Healthcare District
CEO Lee Michelson has always been drawn to help other people, and he's quick to share that it's others who deserve credit for the
health and wellness innovation that occurred under his tenure with the District.
From a Board of Directors who shared a vision for serving low-income children, families and seniors to strong community support and a solid budget, Michelson points to the ways the District was able to work together to fill gaps in central and southern San Mateo County.
"We have had the good fortune and strong vision to start several new innovative programs that were needed in the community. I think they were instrumental in making a difference in the lives of people," he said.
Michelson started his career in social work but later became interested in the intersection of health care and how to improve the overall well-being of people's lives. He decided to pursue a master's degree in health care administration and eventually spent more than 30 years in that field, including as CEO for Sequoia Healthcare District for the last nine years before retiring in December.
Initiatives under his watch include starting one of the largest school-based programs in the area, serving 28,000 students and filling a gap in physical education, mental health and nursing services after schools cut such services in recent years. The District also launched the 70 Strong initiative to connect older adults with resources and activities and focused on food security programs in the community. As Michelson said: "In order to be healthy you have to have access to healthy food."
Many of the ideas the District launched came from Michelson's involvement with ACHD, including serving on its Board of Directors. He said learning and collaborating with other professionals across the state was beneficial for him and District residents.
"I also think we have a responsibility to participate in ACHD and give back in order to have a strong organization. It's not just the next person's job - it's everyone's job," he said.
If not for the call to spend more time with family, including grandchildren, on the East Coast, Michelson said he probably would have worked another 30 years. But alas, retiring at the end of 2017 was the right time for him and the District: "It really was a wonderful time and position for me and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the community of Sequoia Healthcare District."
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| Free Board Leadership Resources |
James A. Rice, Ph.D., FACHE, Managing Director & Senior Advisor, Governance and Leadership for Integrated Healthcare Strategies, is a seasoned expert in Board Governance and Leadership Strategies for Healthcare Districts in California and Boards across the country. Dr. Rice has also presented for ACHD in our Webinar Education Series and at Leadership Academy. We are very pleased Dr. Rice has provided us with three comprehensive resources for Healthcare District Boards and Executive teams to continue to improve their governing effectiveness. We encourage you to utilize these resources in your District.
Encouraging a Culture of Innovation
"Encouraging a Culture of Innovation" is designed to help Boards learn how to adapt to the ever-changing health care environment, analyze trends in health care, and explore new and creative ideas for addressing challenges.
Click here to view this resource.
Governance Authority Matrix Preview
As health systems move into population health management they are forming larger, more integrated, and more complex care systems. "Governance Authority Matrix Preview" is designed to help Boards and Executive teams define and understand their relative responsibilities.
Click here to view this resource.
Practices for High-Performing Health System Boards
"Practices for High-Performing Health System Boards" discusses sensible behaviors needed among the members of health sector boards in US hospitals and health systems. These is designed to encourage leaders to master and apply behaviors that facilitate successful leadership.
Click here to view this resource.
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| Apply to Serve on the ACHD Board, Today! |
The ACHD Board of Directors is presently seeking nominations from Member Healthcare Districts from an individual Trustee or CEO to immediately fill several vacant Director positions on the Board.
An individual Member may apply to serve as a Director on the ACHD Board by submitting a nomination of that person to the Governance Committee together with the candidate's resume or
statement of qualifications
. The Governance Committee shall recommend its choices for candidates to serve on the Board to the full Board.
A candidate who is selected by the Governance Committee shall be eligible for appointment as a Director and refer their recommendations to the Board. The Board will appoint Director(s) to fill Director positions by a majority vote of the the Board.
Please note however, that no Member may be represented on the Board by more than one (1) voting Director at the same time.
Individual Directors serve three (3) year terms and their appointment becomes effective upon approval by the Board.
If you are interested in being considered as a Director on the ACHD Board, please submit your resume and/or statement of qualifications to
[email protected].
Click here
to access the Statement of Qualifications.
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| Become a Member of CAPP Today |
The Association of California Healthcare Districts (ACHD) is a member of Californians Allied for Patient Protection (CAPP), the coalition created to protect access to health care through California's Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA). ACHD continues to strongly support the preservation of MICRA.
In 2014, California voters definitively rejected Proposition 46, an attempt by the trial lawyers to quadruple MICRA's non-economic damages cap. Had this ballot measure passed, California would have seen higher health care costs and decreased access to care, especially among vulnerable populations who are most in need. Despite this victory, the battle to protect MICRA continues.
ACHD is strongly urging its members to individually become supporters of the CAPP coalition.
There is
no cost to be a member of CAPP, and you will be in good company. Seven out of 10 Board Members are already CAPP members, with more than 1,000 other organizations representing community clinics, hospitals, physicians, nurses, EMTs, labor unions, local governments, dentists and other health care providers. A complete coalition list can be found on the CAPP website at
www.micra.org.
As a CAPP member, you will receive quarterly newsletters with updates on legislative activities concerning MICRA and direct access to the CAPP staff to be your one stop resource on MICRA. Additionally, CAPP holds events for legislators in their legislative district and CAPP members are invited to attend free of cost.
Please take a moment to complete and return the
CAPP Coalition Sign-Up Form. Thank you for endorsing this important organization and its goal to preserve MICRA.
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2018 Calendar of Events is on ACHD.org
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ACHD is pleased to announce that our events for
2018 is now loaded on our website!  Our calendar features committee and Board meetings, and all educational events for the entire year. To access our calendar,
click here
and once you find an event, simply click on the event title to save the event into your calendar.
For more information, contact Sheila Johnston.
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About ACHD:
The Association of California Healthcare Districts (ACHD) represents Healthcare Districts throughout the state. The Association serves the diverse needs of California's Healthcare Districts by enhancing public awareness, training and educating its members and advocating for legislation and regulatory policies that allow Healthcare Districts to deliver the best possible health services to Californians. Learn more at achd.org.
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