Winter Spring 2018

11 Winter/Spring 2018 Employers, experimenters, conveners, benefactors: the mission of Oregon’s hospitals and health systems has always extended far beyond physical wellness. But how do you keep your community (and your hospital) robust in a health care era defined by disruption? From long-term funding and political uncertainty to shifting patient demo- graphics, from new market competition to novel delivery mechanisms, Oregon’s hospital leaders are contending with noth- ing less than a systemic transformation. Thriving in this environment requires cre- ativity and collaboration, and the read- iness to hang a question mark on some long-held notions of how health care is best delivered to Oregonians. ‘People aren’t just standing still’ Oregon’s health system is no stranger to shifting winds, but the current moment strikes Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems president and CEO Andy Davidson as singularly tumultuous. Over the course of 25 years in hospital policy and advocacy work, he’s watched markets move, regulations change, and funding strategies evolve, but never have quite so many disruptive forces con- verged at once. “It’s coming from every single angle,” he says. “The issues in play are huge and more numerous than at any time I’ve ever seen. The bumper sticker for the last 24 months—and for the foreseeable future —is uncertainty.” continues 