The Hospital Council Northern and Central California is the
unified voice of our members, acting as a catalyst to empower
hospitals to act together on issues affecting patient care and
the health status of communities.
We are dedicated to advocating for our member hospitals at the
local and regional level and in support of California Hospital
Association (CHA) at the State and Federal level. Together, we
are far more powerful nationally, statewide and locally than any
single hospital or system can be on its own.
Hospital Council will support CHA on government regulations and
financial challenges and will utilize local advocacy
relationships, our unifying voice and convening expertise to
address emergency medical services, behavioral health, community
health improvement, health information exchange, and workforce
policy issues as well as any proposed local government
regulations that may emerge during the year.
Behavioral health is a public policy priority with a significant
impact on other policy priorities: access, financial challenges,
emergency services, governmental mandates, and workforce.
Barriers to timely access and coordinated services include:
Community health is impacted by myriad policy issues including
access to care, care coordination, pre- and post-acute service
availability, community support service availability, as well as
the social determinants of health status such as poverty, housing
instability/affordability, food insecurity, lack of physical
activity, race/ethnicity, education, health literacy and
documentation status. These social determinants can become
chronic, co-morbid conditions for our patients.
Secure, effective exchange of patient health information is
critical to increase coordination of care and decrease costly
duplication of services. Issues involved include: data
ownership; privacy; connectivity; access; and local vs. statewide
HIEs.
Many of the barriers to effective emergency care systems are also
barriers to effective population health management and the
Associations’ vision of an optimally healthy society.
Pre-hospital care and services, emergency department crowding,
alternate destinations and treatment sites as well as post-acute
transfer options impact the effectiveness of emergency
departments and the ability of residents to receive the right
care, at the right time, in the right place.
Without sufficient, well-trained health care professionals at all
levels of the care continuum, access, quality, timeliness and
safety for patients and staff is compromised. Shortages include
specialty nurses, clinical lab scientists, respiratory and
physical therapists, radiology technologists and more.
Behavioral Health
Behavioral Health
Behavioral health is a public policy priority with a significant impact on other policy priorities: access, financial challenges, emergency services, governmental mandates, and workforce. Barriers to timely access and coordinated services include:
Community Health Improvement
Community Health Improvement
Community health is impacted by myriad policy issues including access to care, care coordination, pre- and post-acute service availability, community support service availability, as well as the social determinants of health status such as poverty, housing instability/affordability, food insecurity, lack of physical activity, race/ethnicity, education, health literacy and documentation status. These social determinants can become chronic, co-morbid conditions for our patients.
Advocacy Initiatives:
Health Information Exchange (HIE)
Health Information Exchange (HIE)
Secure, effective exchange of patient health information is critical to increase coordination of care and decrease costly duplication of services. Issues involved include: data ownership; privacy; connectivity; access; and local vs. statewide HIEs.
Advocacy Initiatives:
Emergency Services
Emergency Services
Many of the barriers to effective emergency care systems are also barriers to effective population health management and the Associations’ vision of an optimally healthy society. Pre-hospital care and services, emergency department crowding, alternate destinations and treatment sites as well as post-acute transfer options impact the effectiveness of emergency departments and the ability of residents to receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place.
Advocacy Initiatives:
Governmental Regulation and Mandates
Government Regulation and Mandates
Local current and proposed regulations can impede hospitals’ ability to provide quality, affordable, coordinated care in their communities.
Advocacy Initiatives:
Workforce
Workforce
Without sufficient, well-trained health care professionals at all levels of the care continuum, access, quality, timeliness and safety for patients and staff is compromised. Shortages include specialty nurses, clinical lab scientists, respiratory and physical therapists, radiology technologists and more.
Advocacy Initiatives: