The Hospital Association of Southern California is greeting 2020 with familiar but renewed challenges to navigate the rest of the year. Our hospitals recently shared the most daunting issues they face in providing patients the care they deserve. Topping the list of issues include behavioral health, reimbursement (Medi-Cal and Medicare), governmental regulations, quality and safety, access to care (including emergency services) and workforce. With our members endorsing these strategic priorities, we’ve developed comprehensive plans to achieve success by leveraging our strong relationships, collective knowledge and specialized services to ensure that we’re making positive health policy change.

Our members have the benefit of accessing a host of services as a result of the resources within HASC and through our strategic relationships. HASC provides advocacy leadership at the local level across six counties and supports state and federal advocacy through our partnership with the California Hospital Association; AllHealth, a HASC subsidiary, provides specialized fee-for-service products to help hospitals improve operations; National Health Foundation (NHF), a HASC affiliate, focuses on improving the health of individuals and under-resourced communities by taking action on the social determinants of health; under the leadership of HASC, Communities Lifting Communities (CLC), is a health improvement initiative focused on reducing health disparities and improving community health; and ReddiNet, a medical communications network that links hospitals, EMS agencies, paramedics, dispatch centers, law enforcement, public health departments and other health care system participants. This year we will leverage all of these resources and relationships to make a meaningful impact on behalf of our members.  

I am honored to be a part of the innovative changes we’re leading across the region with our new Cherished Futures for Black Moms & Babies initiative that launched last week. Cherished Futures is a collaborative, strategic effort to reduce infant mortality and improve maternal patient experiences and safety among black moms and babies in South Los Angeles and the Antelope Valley. In Los Angeles County, black women and families continue to disproportionately experience higher rates of infant and maternal mortality and morbidity compared to other racial or ethnic groups. With a cohort of five hospitals already participating in the pilot initiative, I’m confident we will lead the way to birth equity in Southern California and take best practices from this initiative to other communities, women and babies of all ethnicities.

We also welcomed our new Board chair this past week – Bernie Klein, MD, chief executive at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center. Dr. Klein has been an instrumental voice as a member of the Board of Directors and under his guidance and leadership, we will continue to make tremendous progress in advancing health care.   

As you can see, the start of 2020 has been productive and engaging. I look forward to continuing our momentum through our partnerships, collaboration and teamwork.

George W. Greene, Esq.

Contact:
George W. Greene, Esq.
(213) 538-0706
ggreene@hasc.org