Winter Spring 2018

» A magazine for and about Oregon Community Hospitals. 6 Over the last year, Oregon’s community hospitals have been faced with more instability and uncertainty than I have ever seen over the course of my 25 years in hospital policy and advocacy work. From the headline-grabbing push to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act, to a state-based ballot box referendum challenging Oregon’s Medicaid funding model, along with business uncertain- ties tied to shifting marketplace dynamics, our hospitals have managed through these uncertainties without wavering in their commitment to quality patient care. Through these ups and downs, hospitals continued to focus their advocacy on policies core to the mission of the triple aim: improving the experience of care, improving the health of populations, and reducing the cost of health care. In this issue of Hospital Voice, you will read more about how hospitals have managed through these uncertain times and how they have stepped up as collaborative community partners. On page 10, you will read how hospital leaders are pushing forward to continue to provide higher quality patient care. You will also read on page 7 about hospitals role in the Measure 101 campaign, the ballot measure aimed at unwinding Oregon’s Medicaid funding model, thus threatening the coverage we have all worked so hard to obtain. Now more than ever, I am proud of the commitment our community hospitals have demonstrated to the Triple Aim. No matter what policy or political challenges we face in the coming year, I am confident that the work hospitals do and their core focus on the Triple Aim will afford us a great chance of success in build- ing a better, more sustainable health care system for all. H Andy Davidson President & CEO Oregon Association of Hospitals & Health Systems To find out more about your community hospitals, please visit us online at www.oahhs.org.