With increasing insurance premiums, and swirling policy and fiscal debates, the word “healthcare” has almost become a dirty word.
But in Thurston County, a strong healthcare industry is as important to our collective community “body,” as quality healthcare is to our physical bodies.
We are fortunate to have a bright, dedicated, medical community that is making the best of a difficult environment, while contributing significantly to our local economic health.
Benefits of a Strong Healthcare Community
A thriving healthcare industry is a community asset. It attracts young professionals needed to meet workforce needs in a variety of sectors.
It attracts retiring military and other active retirees with disposable incomes. It supplies needed taxes for community services. It provides well paying jobs.
The quality and breadth of our community’s healthcare services not only benefits our well-being, but it attracts people from a five country area, acting as an importer for our local economy.
Additionally, the healthcare community includes some of our largest philanthropic contributors.
Collaboration, Innovation and Visionaries
Whether it’s the size of our community – not too big and not too small – or that we just all play well together,
Thurston County medical professionals are known for collaboration.
“The medical community is exceptional in its willingness to work together,” said Mariella Cummings. “People here are interested in doing the right thing. It’s more about collaboration than competition. More about quality.”
For 44 years, Cummings has been involved in the industry across the nation and from the vantage point of nurse, hospital CEO, claims administrator and consultant. Today she is the CEO of Physicians of Southwest Washington (PSW).
She cites many examples of our community of collaboration for increasing access to the uninsured, naming efforts like Project Access, the volunteer dental clinic, Choice and the new Bridge to Primary Care.
Cummings sees providers in this community as focused on patient care. “The community is blessed with wonderful organizations with committed medical staff,” she said.
These attributes allow not only the uninsured to receive healthcare through creative collaborative programs, but act as a catalyst for innovative ideas that can become best practices throughout the medical community.
A specific example of innovation is the insurance company created by Cumming’s organization, Physicians of Southwest Washington (PSW). Because of low reimbursement rates for Medicare patients – at only 60% of cost – these patients were losing access to doctors who couldn’t afford to serve them.
In an “outside the box” move, the doctors pooled their money and created a insurance company, Puget Sound Health Partners, a Medicare Advantage health plan. This plan reimburses doctors at a more reasonable rate by taking out some of the “middle man” expenses, allowing Medicare-eligible patients to continue to receive care in their local community.
Community’s Role
“The healthcare industry in our community has a substantial impact on many fronts,” reiterated Chamber President/CEO David Schaffert. “It is important as a community that we support this industry and activities that help it grow and stay competitive.”
To this end, the Chamber has been a catalyst in workforce development discussions between educational institutions and medical providers. The Chamber also acts as mentor and advocate as physicians, specialty groups, clinics and even hospitals run into permitting and policy roadblocks related to expansions, new facilities, energy use and parking.
Workforce Needs and Educational Offerings
The health services sector is also a catalyst for our local education community. As our educators strive to keep up with workforce demands, both in terms of qualifications and quantity, new programs and resources are developed.
New Market Skills Center, South Puget Sound Community College, Saint Martin’s University (SMU) and local employers have a strong history of working together to meet community needs. Providence St. Peter Hospital also has a family residency program, graduating primary care doctors who sometimes choose to stay in our community.
The Professional Medical Careers Program at New Market Skills Center graduates scores of students annually. And one of the newest developments on the educational scene is SMU’s exploration of a bachelor’s degree (B.S.N.) program for those already with supporting licenses and long term consideration of a four-year bachelor’s program and perhaps a master’s program.
Technology Impacts
Improving operational efficiencies of facilities and processes not only makes the costs of doing business less, it creates streamlined pathways to care. This frequently is done through new technologies.
“As reimbursements decline and demand for healthcare increases, facilities need to be more competitive to stay in business,” says Dr. Andrew Taylor, South Sound Radiology. This is especially true in the electronic age where images can be sent anywhere in the country, or to another country, to be interpreted.”
For medical providers to stay competitive, they need infrastructure investments including things like Electronic Medical Records (EMR). “Operational efficiency allows groups to provide timely service for a reasonable cost, especially as demand grows due to an increasing and aging population,” said Taylor.
Reducing the Cost of Doing Business
Another innovation example is the Distribution Operations Center, LLC (DOC) in First Park Meridian Campus in Lacey’s Hawks Prairie. This 159,000 square foot building is home to around 40 employees and procures non-pharmaceutical medical products. These are distributed to owner facilities daily, including Providence St. Peter Hospital.
The DOC represents another example of the important role the medical sector plays in our area’s economy, as well as how non-traditional industry methods are being used to reduce service delivery costs.
Future
From technology changes, to people living longer, to the Baby-boom bubble, to healthcare reform…. there are many changes in the air and much uncertainty. So where will we land from a competitive position as a community? “This community is blessed with visionary leadership,” said Cummings. “We’ll probably be ahead of the curve.”
