Hospitals In Focus

The ACA is once again in front of the Supreme Court and a decision on its future will be likely handed down in June 2021. In the meantime, Larry Levitt joined Chip to discuss the ACA’s impact on hospitals and providers over the past decade. The EVP of Health Policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation shared his views on what we could expect from the Supreme Court and if the ACA is settled law once and for all.

One of the biggest challenges facing hospitals during the pandemic is workforce shortages – specifically beside nurses. This crisis started before COVID-19 and will continue after – fueled by a myriad of developing issues. One constant is that we face an increasing need & a decreasing supply of the hospital nurses who are critical to providing the lifesaving care that patients need every day.

Dr. Peter Buerhaus joins Chip to discuss the cyclical nature of these shortages, how COVID has made it worse, and what hospitals and policymakers can do to alleviate some of these challenges.

A nurse by training, Peter is also a health care economist and active researcher on the economics of the nursing workforce. His most recent research was published in Health Affairs titled “Nurse Employment During The First Fifteen Months Of The COVID-19 Pandemic” and detailed critical information about the country’s nursing infrastructure. A short summary of the findings was outlined by Montana State University.

Would you like to hear from a nurse who travelled to one of the nation’s first hotspots to battle COVID-19? Listen to Fighting on the Frontlines with Fiona Chew for a firsthand depiction of saving patients during the pandemic.

Our country is facing a doctor shortage of nearly 124,000 physicians in just 2 years and the impact on patient access could be devastating. The problem is especially acute in economically disadvantaged areas, like California’s Inland Empire which is comprised of San Bernadino and Riverside Counties east of Los Angeles. The Inland Empire is also now the home of the California University of Science and Medicine, a unique institution built on a public private partnership. CUSM was created to promote health equity by training the next generation of caregivers in their own community by the Prime Healthcare Foundation. The school just graduated its very first class of doctors last month and Chip wanted to learn more about the school and the graduates. Joining Chip is Dr. Paul Lyons, President of CUSM and Dean of the school of Medicine.

Then at 18:51 hear our latest Making the Rounds from Paddi Juliano, the Nurse of the Year at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center – a Universal Health Services hospital in Florida. Paddi knew she wanted to be in a helping profession since a young age and dreamed of being a Buffalo, New York Firefighter! She achieved her dream and then transitioned into nursing after moving to Florida.

Tune into hear Paddi tell us her story of caregiving and what her profession means to her.

Courtney Clarke is a nurse at Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital in Somerset Kentucky and her efforts to help a patient and protect her kids during treatment made such an impact that she was recognized by the state’s governor. The Federation’s new campaign is embarking on a mission to tell The Real Story of hospitals through the eyes of patients and caregivers. Courtney’s story is our first.

Learn more about The Real Story at fah.org/TheRealStory.

Rachel Watson is a survivor. Last year Rachel and her husband David fell ill with COVID-19. Though David recovered without intervention, Rachel needed extreme measures. When HCA Florida West Marion Hospital received Rachel she was immediately placed on oxygen, but it wasn’t enough. She was transferred to another HCA Florida facility, HCA Florida North Florida and placed on an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine where she remained for 89 days. The family credits hospital integration and outstanding caregivers for saving her life. Rachel and David joined Chip to share the story of her care and recovery on the Federation’s new campaign, The Real Story. Learn more about The Real Story at fah.org/TheRealStory.