Current Issues Future Outlook

1
Current IssuesFuture Outlook

• January 12, 2009
• Economic Summit
• Wendy Warring, Connecticut Childrens Medical
  Center

2
True or False?

• Most free-standing childrens hospitals either
  break even or lose money.
• On average, a third of the patients at a
  childrens hospital are insured by Medicaid.
• It costs more to operate an adult hospital than
  to operate a childrens hospital
• The need for pediatric services in the Northeast
  will decline over the next five years as the
  pediatric population declines

3
T or F ?

• A quarter of the kids treated at Connecticut
  Childrens are under the age of 1 and nearly half
  are under the age of 5.
• Connecticut Childrens is one of the smallest
  childrens hospitals in the country.
• Connecticut Childrens is one of the most
  expensive childrens hospitals in the country.
• There were a record no. of hospitals that pursued
  mass layoffs in 2008.
• The number of employees at hospitals grew in 2008.

4
Current and Future Issues for CCMC

• Size
• Reimbursement
• Number of Patients
• The Economy
• Information Management Affording and Adopting
  Technologies
• Physician Sub-Specialty Recruitment
• Reputation
• Federal Legislative Changes

5
National ViewCompelling Reasons for Health Care
Reform?

• Need for universal coverage.
• Unsustainable Costs
• Lack of Coordination of Care/Primary Care
• Quality Need for Useful Information

Quality
Access
Cost
6
Connecticut Compelling Reasons?

• Reform here? Are there problems with Access,
  Cost, or Quality?
• The Business Community no, YES, not sure
• Consumers/Advocates YES, YES, not sure
• Government no, YES, yes
• Insurers no, yes, yes
• Providers (Hospitals and physicians) yes, yes,
  yes

7
Connecticut Opportunities for Leadership

• Defining common ground Balancing and aligning
  key interests of consumers, providers, insurers,
  and the business community
• Ensuring reasonable access to high quality care
• Building sustainability and developing
  opportunities for diversification and innovation
• Measuring and obtaining value (an improvement on
  controlling costs)
• Making tough choices defining what key
  stakeholders need to get and give (Politics
  AGH!!)
• Resolving immediate crises (need cash) while
  pursuing the larger agenda

8
Next Steps?

• WHAT
• Clarify the immediate issues in the context of a
  long term vision
• Define a long term vision with sufficient
  buy-in
• WHY
• Goes without saying The health care sector is a
  critical part of CTs economy and well-being of
  CTs communities
• Whats the alternative? Muddling through will
  lead to repeated crises

9
Next Steps

• HOW
• Develop forums for constructive and actionable
  dialogue among stakeholders with political clout
• Communicate key information.
• Set deadlines for specific achievements
• WHEN
• Now
• WHO
• Depending on scope of the vision, who are the key
  stakeholders???? Dont forget consumer/ patient
  advocates