We are just barely three months into 2023, and the pressures on your hospitals are continuing to mount. Financial challenges. Delays in payments by health plans. Workforce shortages. $25 minimum wage proposals.
These are just some of the issues that are creating financial and operational instability for your hospitals that threaten the ability to care for your communities. This is why Hospital Council and CHA are advocating for a $1.5 billion lifeline for your hospitals — so access to care can be protected and hospital services will be there for ALL Californians when they need them.
Last week, many of you may have received an email asking you to lend your name and your organization’s name to two letters seeking immediate financial help — one to the California congressional delegation and one to Gov. Gavin Newsom, state budget committee chairs, and Assembly and Senate leaders. Your strong, collective voices will convey to our state and federal leaders the sense of urgency that financial relief is needed right now.
CHA has also sent a letter to the secretary of the California Health & Human Services Agency, asking him to direct the state’s health plan regulators to take immediate action to address the plans’ unfair payment practices. Making sure that health plans meet their obligations to promptly arrange and pay for care must be part of the state’s strategy to protect access to care and avoid further hospital closures or reductions in services.
To bolster these efforts to protect access to care, Hospital Council has been utilizing Twitter to communicate and engage with local and regional media. In addition to the main Hospital Council Twitter account, myself and all the regional vice presidents also have accounts and are actively advocating on your behalf. We have already seen increased engagement and hospital perspective from regional media and elected officials on the issues that matter to you and your communities.
But we need your help too, as we work to get the messages in front of lawmakers, legislative staff, media, and politically involved Californians.
To help us in these efforts to amplify the communication, please follow our Twitter accounts:
- @HospCouncil (Main Hospital Council account)
- @HC_CEO (President & CEO – Bryan J. Bucklew)
- @HC_CenValley (RVP – David Bacci)
- @HC_EastBay (RVP – Rebecca Rozen)
- @HC_NorthSierra (RVP – T Abraham)
- @HC_NorthCoast (RVP – Meghan Hardin)
- @HC_SacValley (RVP – Brian Jensen)
- @HC_SF_Marin (RVP – Michon Coleman)
- @HC_SouthBay (RVP – Jo Coffaro)