Healthcare Reform: We Cannot Wait
This was sent to the media as a letter to the editor
from Roy Hitchings Jr., CEO, Pen Bay Healthcare

Tensions are running high on both sides of the healthcare reform debate. Many people I have spoken to recently seem genuinely concerned as to what exactly is being proposed, are frustrated as they try to separate the rhetoric from the specifics, or both.

Is it any wonder people are frustrated? We are facing huge problems that have been dealt with piecemeal for too long. Speaking on behalf of your local healthcare system, there are a number of pressing reasons something must be done—the sooner the better. Consider: 46 million Americans (15 percent) have no health insurance; healthcare cost inflation is growing 3 to 4 times faster than the consumer price index; Medicare is predicted by the Congressional Budget Office to be bankrupt within eight years and state economies like Maine can no longer afford Medicaid (MaineCare)—the list goes on and on. The point is that the old system is no longer sustainable.

As CEO of Pen Bay Healthcare, I think it is time to stop treating the symptoms and address the root causes of our unsustainable, national system with real, meaningful reform. Our position is clear:

Pen Bay supports legislation that will ensure access to healthcare for everyone, provides fair reimbursement for safe, high quality patient care and fosters cost containment.

We believe these pillars of reform are essential. So much so that the have already begun taking steps in these directions. For example, we have been working for several years to fully integrate electronic health records (EHR) into the way we deliver care. This is a long and expensive process. Legislation and federal funding supporting this initiative would allow us to achieve this goal sooner.

Similarly, as a non-profit, regional healthcare system, our mission is to provide high quality care to people in our community regardless of their ability to pay. The amount of free care the hospital provides has risen 50 percent over the last two years. Legislation to ensure that every American had some form of good, basic health insurance would enable them to get timely care when needed. It would also help us to afford to invest in the people and technology we need to provide exceptional care for our community close to home.

Lastly, we work every day to contain costs and routinely take advantage of group purchasing networks to save on supply costs without sacrificing quality. Recently we have invested in more "green" technology that will allow us to not only save money, water and electricity, but reduce our carbon footprint. Legislation designed to reign in other costs would make a substantial impact on the total cost of providing healthcare and likely the cost of insurance coverage.

As I write this there are a number of proposals and bills making their way around the national political stage. Much debate, and a good deal of compromise, will likely occur before any decision is made. To be effective, national healthcare reform must simultaneously address both the issue of access to care and cost containment.

I want to assure you we are actively engaged in this debate. Organizations like the Maine Hospital Association (MHA) and American Hospital Association (AHA) are working diligently to represent hospitals and healthcare organizations at both the state and national level. We support the MHA and AHA, and have confidence in the work they do.

We will continue to analyze proposals as to how likely they are to affect how we care for patients here in Midcoast Maine.

Pen Bay Healthcare and I will continue to be engaged in this important debate on meaningful national healthcare reform. We hope you will too.

Sincerely,

Roy Hitchings, Jr.
CEO, Pen Bay Healthcare