Quality and affordable health care for all Nebraskans will be the underlying focus during the daylong Nebraska Health Summit on Thursday, May 29, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Durham Research Center on the west end of the UNMC campus.
The summit – titled “Are We Prepared for Changes?” – will bring together leaders in the public and private sectors, including health care, state government, labor and civic organizations, chambers of commerce, and leaders of the Nebraska Medical Association and Nebraska Hospital Association.
The summit will run from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free. Registration and a continental breakfast begins at 7 a.m. The program starts at 7:30.
The goal of the summit is to provide background on the status of health care in Nebraska and to generate a commitment to changes in health care delivery, finance and outcomes in Nebraska. Organizers say they hope the current crisis in health care finance can move leaders to take action within Nebraska to influence national policy.
Speakers will include: Nebraska State Sen. Joel Johnson, Paul Pietzsch, Iowa Health Buyers Alliance, Catherine Hess, National Academy for State Health Policy, and David Palm, Ph.D., director, Office of Public Health, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
Richard O’Brien, M.D. and John Benson, Jr., M.D., co-chairs of the Nebraska Medical Association Health Care Reform Task Force, will present a task force report on behalf of the Nebraska Medical Association. The report is a comprehensive plan that focuses on transforming how health care services are organized, financed and delivered. In addition, Laura Redoutey, president, Nebraska Hospital Association, will provide an overview on the framework for reform of the NHA.
A panel presentation will feature Matthew Canedy, director of health care research, Bipartisan Policy Center; Sen. Johnson, Glenn Fosdick, NHA board chairman and president and CEO, The Nebraska Medical Center; Ron Asher, M.D., president and board member, Nebraska Medical Association; and Steve Martin, president and CEO, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Nebraska.
Sen. Johnson, who conceived the idea for the summit, said as chair of the Nebraska Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee, he has met with many national and international health policy and other health experts. “I’ve seen what other states have started doing in taking an active role in finding solutions to the health care crisis. I think it’s time we begin that discussion as well.”
He said the percentage of the United States’ gross national product consumed by health care continues to rise to a point where the cost of health care is not sustainable.
“With Nebraska having a growing elderly population and an increase in obesity rates in our younger generation, the outlook is such that we must begin a comprehensive discussion of all stakeholders as to how Nebraska is best-suited to answer this challenge. It is imperative that we come to an understanding of how we may best provide excellent health care at a price Nebraska can afford,” Johnson said.
Keith Mueller, Ph.D., interim dean of the UNMC College of Public Health, said he hopes what will come out of the summit is a continuing dialogue and action.
“We’re really trying to create a public-private partnership initiative and a continuing forum that generates a lot of specific ideas and activities statewide,” he said. “The context is if you really want the appropriate health care delivery system for the 21st century, you’ve got to deal with all of these issues all at once.”
An estimated 150,000 to 190,000 people in Nebraska don’t have health insurance, Dr. Mueller said. Nationwide, about 47 million Americans don’t have insurance. “We want to discuss the problems in the current system and try to describe a health care system that is focused on patient care with measurable quality outcomes, that is affordable to the consumer who buys the care, and that is accessible to everybody regardless of their personal circumstances,” Dr. Mueller said.
Dr. Asher said health care in America in many ways is envied through out the world. “Because we have such wonderful resources to improve the lives of our patients, it is particularly frustrating that so many lack access to even the basics,” he said. “For far too many, there is no primary care, no coordination of care, no preventive care or attention to wellness. Mental health care is even more fragmented and disconnected. Simply stated, it is a schizophrenic health care system that costs too much, does too much for some and too little for others. We can do better which is why the NMA along with others is choosing to focus on ways to improve our health care system.”
Redoutey said all Nebraskans have a stake in the debate. “Only until we collectively embrace the challenges of an unequal payment system where access is neither guaranteed or equitable, an unhealthy population with increasing chronic diseases and states that are unable to sustain the levels of current funding, will we be able to begin the hard work of restructuring our current system,” she said.
Sponsors of the summit are UNMC, the Nebraska Medical Association, Nebraska Hospital Association, Alegent Health, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska. The summit is hosted by the UNMC College of Public Health.
For the summit program, go to http://www.unmc.edu/publichealth/ and click on Nebraska Health Summit. Registration for the conference is not required but is welcomed. Please RSVP by e-mailing or calling Fran Neff at fneff@unmc.edu or 402-559-5260.
Nebraska Health Summit “Are We Prepared for Changes?”
Detailed program
7:00 a.m. – 7:30 a.m.: Continental Breakfast
7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.: Welcoming Session
Harold M. Maurer, M.D., chancellor, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Keith Mueller, Ph.D., dean, College of Public Health, UNMC
Senator Joel Johnson, M.D., chair, Health and Human Services Committee, Nebraska Unicameral: Senator Johnson will share his perspective on why Nebraska needs to have a discussion of the need for change in health care finance, organization and delivery.
8:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.: How Should the Current System Change?
Keith Mueller, Ph.D. moderator, associate dean, College of Public Health, UNMC
The purpose of this session is to provide a national context for the reasons to change the health care system and some of the directions change is taking both nationally and in other states.
Paul M. Pietzsch will discuss the role of business coalitions in motivating change in health care delivery, with a focus on the successes he has experienced in Iowa.
President, Health Policy Corporation of Iowa and facilitator, Iowa Buyers Alliance
Catherine Hess, Senior Program Director, National Academy for State Health Policy will provide an overview of state activities focused on improving the health care system, and how those can be the focus of private-public partnerships to induce change. Her presentation benefits from an April, 2008 report by the National Academy on State Health Policy, for which she was the lead author.
Mary R. Grealy, J.D., President, Healthcare Leadership Council will discuss the proposal for change, “Closing the Gap: A Proposal to Deliver Affordable, Quality Health Care to ALL Americans,” developed by the Healthcare Leadership Council. The proposal emphasizes public-private partnership and the role of information technology.
9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.: Break
10:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.: Are We Prepared for Change in Nebraska?
This session will provide an overview of current conditions in Nebraska and proposals for change.
David Palm, Ph.D., director, Office of Public Health, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, will describe the health care system in Nebraska and the state’s relative rankings in performance of the system and in health care indicators. He will also describe innovative projects in Nebraska that are changing the delivery of health care.
Richard O’Brien, M.D. and John Benson, Jr., M.D., Co-Chairs, Nebraska Medical Association Health Care Reform Task Force, will present a summary of the report of the Nebraska Health Care Reform Task Force on behalf of the Nebraska Medical Association.
Laura Redoutey, President, Nebraska Hospital Association : Redoutey will present the reform framework of the Nebraska Hospital Association, adapted from the American Hospital Association, “Health for Life.”
11:50 a.m. – Noon: Lunch
Noon – 1:00 p.m.: Speaker to be announced
1:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.: Break
1:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.: Preparing for the Next Decade in Nebraska
The purpose of this panel session is to reflect on early comments and discuss ways in which participants want to keep the dialogue going after the summit. The College of Public Health will facilitate any future activities desired by the participants.
Matthew Canedy, Director of Health Care Research, Bipartisan Policy Center will reflect on major themes in discussions of health care reform, including those expressed during this summit.
Panelists:
Senator Joel Johnson, M.D.
Glenn Fosdick, Chairman of the Board, Nebraska Hospital Association
Ron Asher, M.D., President, Board of Directors, Nebraska Medical Association
Steve Martin, President and CEO, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Nebraska