PORT ANGELES — Proposed health care reform doesn’t go far enough to repair a broken system, Olympic Medical Center’s chief executive told the board of commissioners Wednesday.
“It’s focusing too much on cutting reimbursement to get the money to pay for access,” CEO Eric Lewis said in an administrator’s report.
“I think they need to change the system more. But there are some positive things in the reform, for sure.”
The Obama Administration is determined to pass sweeping health care legislation this year or in early 2010, Lewis said.
Plans are moving though Congress with strong support, Lewis said.
“I’m tracking this legislation very closely,” he said.
“It really could make OMC’s future much better, or it could really challenge us with some severe financial cutbacks with really limited improvements to the system.”
Jim Leskinovitch, who chairs the hospital’s six-member governing board, criticized a lack of tort reform in the proposed health care packages.
“One of the major costs in medicine is the malpractice insurance and getting insurance period,” Leskinovtich said.
“They don’t address this. That’s a national problem everywhere.”
Commissioner Jim Cammack encouraged hospital officials to attend the health care forums put on by the Clallam County League of Women Voters.
“We need to get our national representatives out here and put them in front of this whole room full of people with these ideas,” he said.
“Let’s get in their ears.”
Letter with proposals
The Clallam County Department of Health, OMC and Forks Community Hospital have outlined health care reform proposals in a letter that addresses universal coverage, health care shortages, reducing the cost of medication, dealing with inefficiencies of private insurance companies, prevention and wellness and end-of-life care.
“I think we need to go with far more changes to the system and not just focus on reimbursement cuts,” Lewis said.
“It’s just putting more people into a system that doesn’t function very well.”
Lewis expressed concern about a Senate proposal to cut home health reimbursement by 12 percent. He spoke favorably of a Senate proposal for performance-based funding.
“In order to change the delivery system, what they want to do is move heavily toward pay for performance,” Lewis said.
“If you do a good job, you’re going to get 2 to 5 percent extra. If you don’t do a good job, they’re going to take away 2 to 5 percent. I think OMC will do very good in this.”
Lewis also favors a Senate proposal for a 5 percent bonus to rural general surgeons.
Leskinovitch commended Lewis for paying close attention to the legislation.
“There’s so much stuff going on, we’re going to miss some of it unless we monitor it very closely,” Leskinovitch said.
“It’s going to be really, really important for us in the future.”
Lewis said there is an “amazing amount of detail” in health care reform.
“It gets quite complicated, but I don’t think it’s really changing the delivery system enough,” Lewis said.
In a roundup of an annual rural health care conference he attended with commissioners John Beitzel, Arlene Engel, Cammack and Leskinovitch, Lewis said OMC is well-positioned to benefit from a federal stimulus bill that pays hospitals with certified electronic medical record technology.
OMC signed a contact with GE Centricity for electronic medical records earlier this year.
“It’s quite exciting because it’s going to give us a way to fund our IT initiatives in the next five years,” Lewis said.
OMC officials also met with their colleagues from Forks Community Hospital and Jefferson Healthcare to discuss common issues at the conference held at Lake Chelan.
Radiology agreement
In board action, the commissioners unanimously approved renewable two-year professional radiology services agreement with Everett-based Radia, which has 67 radiologists that provide round-the-clock coverage for hospitals throughout the northwest.
OMC received five proposals.
“I think Radia’s was by far the best,” Lewis said.
“It’s a very good fit for us culturally, and I think we can establish a long-term relationship with Radia.”
Assistant Administrator Pam Hawney and Cammack praised the interview process that led to a unanimous selection of Radia.
“We just had a great team,” Lewis said. “I agree that it was a very thorough selection process.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
