Who
- Northern Sierra Section hospital CEOs and leaders
What
The Northern Sierra Section met on April 10 at Sutter Health Park with an agenda focused on information sharing between and among hospitals, the California Hospital Association (CHA), and Hospital Council.
During the hospital roundtable, it became evident that integrating advanced practice professionals (APPs) into the care model poses challenges for several hospitals. Many hospitals emphasized the importance of clarity in their model and communicating with staff who have questions about the role of APPs. It was noted that APPs need to practice at “top of license” to effectively meet community needs. “Top of license” means each employee practices to the full extent of their education and training instead of doing tasks that could be performed by someone else.
Hospitals also discussed the ongoing difficulties with recruiting staff and gave updates on their projects related to seismic requirements and other major projects.
Some of the meeting participants had spent the prior day working with CHA in support of Senate Bill (SB) 1423. This bill, introduced by Sen. Brian Dahle (R-Bieber), is meant to help critical access hospitals by expanding their cost-based reimbursement to Medi-Cal (currently, it is only Medicare).
Joining other leaders representing rural hospitals from around the state, some of the meeting participants met with a dozen influential legislators and staff members working on the state budget. The commitment remains strong on the part of critical access hospitals to find funds for sustaining and modernizing services.
Takeaway/Next Steps
Continue to monitor the progress of SB 1423 via CHA’s online state advocacy information.
Contact
RVP T Abraham at tabraham@hospitalcouncil.org