Jan 07, 2015
Message From Your ACHE Regent for Texas — Southeast
Winter 2015
Happy New Year! I trust that your holiday season was a safe enjoyable time spent with friends and family.
Modern Healthcare and Becker’s Hospital Review have both published retrospectives of the top issues in 2014. The rollout of the health insurance marketplaces, the ICD-10 delay, the ‘two midnight’ rule, precedent setting antitrust cases, data breaches, the lack of electronic record interoperability and Apple healthcare apps were among the most read and top stories for the year. Penalties for 30-day readmissions, infections, injuries and meaningful use participation were levied against many healthcare organizations. Additionally, the release of Pioneer ACO quality and financial performance data, record high healthcare industry CEO turnover, the largest-ever HIPPA settlement ($4.8M) and emergency preparedness opportunities exposed by the Ebola outbreak, provided for a very eventful year. Many of these stories, including multidisciplinary perspectives on population health and an ever increasing focus on value-based reimbursement, will continue into 2015 and beyond. Even if these quality, policy, regulatory, legal, infection control and financial stories don’t directly impact your organization, they provide insights that may be useful in anticipating and preparing for the future. Additionally, a better understanding of the organizational latitude afforded for creative ventures could lead to avoiding costly missteps.
ACHE and the ACHE-SETC are offering two opportunities this spring that will better prepare us for the future: The annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership in Chicago, March 16-19, and the Medical World Americas (MWA) Conference in Houston, April 27-29. The Congress (Healthcare in Motion: Leadership Center Stage) and the MWA Conference (Applying Game Changing Strategies to Today’s Healthcare Challenges) are both great opportunities to network and learn about best practices from around the world. Aimed at assisting us all in improving quality, the use of analytics, efficiency and financial performance, there are a wide range of sessions available for every aspect of the healthcare industry. As we strive to improve and sustain the absolute value of our services and products, these educational offerings will prove to be worth attending.
Congratulations to our many Fellows and members that have advanced, re-certified or joined ACHE in the past few months. The membership in Southeast Texas has grown to 1,373 and we remain the 7th largest chapter – only 4 members short of being the 6th largest – of the 80 recognized by ACHE. Please continue to encourage your colleagues to consider becoming members, volunteer, join committees and participate in our events.
Finally, as always, I look forward to hearing your suggestions and feedback as we seek to provide our organizations with the very best leadership possible.
Warmest Regards,
Jessie Tucker
Regent for Texas – Southeast