CEO Myers says Hamilton Health Care is looking at growth

April 01--As president and CEO of Hamilton Health Care System for the past eight years, Jeff Myers has seen a tremendous amount of change in both local health care and the larger health care market. And he is currently spearheading projects such as the Peeples Cancer Institute and the Anna Shaw Children's Institute, which have the promise to make Dalton a national destination for care in those fields. The Daily Citizen-News spoke with Myers recently about the projects currently underway at Hamilton and the challenges it faces.

The Daily Citizen-News: How many employees does Hamilton have and what is its total revenue?

Myers: Hamilton Health Care System Inc. employed approximately 2,491 individuals as of Sept. 30, 2017. For the 12 months ended Sept. 30, 2017, net patient revenue was $291 million.

DCN: Construction is currently underway on the Peeples Cancer Institute and the Anna Shaw Children's Institute? When will those institutes open and what impact will they have in Hamilton and on the Dalton community when they are open? What other capital improvements are either currently underway or have been completed in the last year?

Myers: It is well known that health care is one of the key factors families evaluated when deciding to move to a community, and we believe Hamilton Health Care System has consistently provided advancements and comprehensive treatment for the residents in this region. Hamilton is on a growth trajectory that many hospitals and health care systems have not been able to take on -- and many hospitals are closing their doors or are being purchased by larger conglomerates. Our system is not just strong but is also innovative and has the ability to be nimble and responsive to the needs of our community.

Evidence of this can be seen with a quick look at the construction and development over recent years and to be completed within the next two years:

--Peeples Cancer Institute, with a targeted completion of summer 2019, will be a four-story, state-of-the-art comprehensive cancer treatment center. Cancer care for the patient will be all under one roof through individualized treatment plans specific to the needs of each patient. Support services for the patient and the family will also be available in the Peeples Cancer Institute as we believe cancer care is more than just treating the disease -- it is caring for the whole person. Cancer treatment is physically and emotionally draining. Adding the stress and further physical drain of traveling to larger cities for often very difficult treatment regimens is not only unnecessary, but is counter to the emotional and physical needs of the patient and family going through this. Having advanced cancer care and the support services right here at home -- with just a short drive and close to the patients' family and friends who are available to support them through the process -- is outstanding. Few of us can say that we have not been touched by cancer in some way, whether we have experienced a family member or friend's battle with cancer, or possibly even a personal diagnosis. Having the Peeples Cancer Institute in our community changes cancer care for our community and for the region.

--Anna Shaw Children's Institute, with a planned completion date of April 2019, is another big win for the families in our community as well the region, the state, and quite expectedly, the nation. Children dealing with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and developmental delays are quite often without the necessary options for diagnosis, early intervention, treatments and support for families. The demand is so high that the wait to see a provider can be months or even years, with great travel distances for ongoing treatment, and the necessary support services often seem out of reach when the just basic treatment is so far away and difficult to access. Anna Shaw Children's Institute will bring hope to these families, and like the Peeples Cancer Institute, it will be a beacon in our community with a reach that spans near and far. To have these two facilities, in addition to the already expansive, award-winning care provided by Hamilton Medical Center and its entities, is a draw for new families looking to become a part of our community as well as an influencer in recruiting physicians to our system. What we have here is nothing short of remarkable.

Additional capital projects include:

--The expansion of the our endoscopy program with the construction of a larger endoscopy suite in the former Bandy Parking area.

--Parking deck construction is underway.

--Patient room renovations continue.

--Hamilton Physician Group Murray Campus Phase 2 construction was completed this past year which has been very well received with many new patients joining the practice, additional providers coming on board and our Convenient Care side of the building expanding and seeing patients during the day and in the evenings and on weekends.

--Hamilton Physician Group Catoosa is will be opening within just a matter of weeks in Ringgold.

The biggest challenges we face, now and always, is ensuring our community always has the care they need when they need it, and that is a challenge we have the privilege and honor to accept each and every day. We not only strive to be the best, we are the best at caring for our friends and family in our community. When our teams care for a patient, they approach it with the Heart of Hamilton -- the heart of neighbors taking care of neighbors -- and skill and expertise that would stand up to and exceed any of the hospitals in the surrounding large cities. Our CareChex awards demonstrate our commitment to excellence and patient safety and I could not be more proud of the care we provide day in and day out to this community and our region. There is a reason we are the No. 1 hospital in this region (including Chattanooga) and in the top 10 percent in the nation. It is our people. It is the heart of our people. It is the determination to continuously advance health care. It is the Hamilton difference.

DCN: Believe Greater Dalton is working to address one of the major issues facing this community: many of Whitfield County's highest-earning individuals don't live in Whitfield County. What percentage of local doctors actually live in the county? When you talk to doctors who work here but don't live here what is their explanation for why they live elsewhere?

Myers: Seventy five percent live in Whitfield/Murray counties. The most common reason given for not moving to our area is available housing.

DCN: How much of Hamilton's revenue comes from Medicare and Medicaid? Do payments from those programs fully cover the costs of caring for those patients? How much does Hamilton write off each year for charity care? What impact would it have if Georgia expanded Medicaid covering as other states have done?

Myers: Medicare and Medicaid make up approximately 43 percent of Hamilton's net revenue, but Medicare and Medicaid revenues do not cover any hospital's full cost to provide services. The Affordable Care Act has provided coverage for some individuals but payments are not such to materially affect charity care write offs. For Hamilton, the cost of charity care during the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2017 was approximately $7 million and the total cost of uncompensated care (which includes uncollectible accounts and the uncompensated cost of Medicaid) was $34.3 million. Other community benefit expenditures for subsidized health services totaled $15.6 million during the same period. Although it is not possible to quantify the exact amount, if the Georgia Medicaid program were to expand, as it has in other states, the cost of uncompensated care for Hamilton would undoubtedly decrease.

DCN: There have been a number of changes to Obamacare over the past 15 months? What impact will they have on Hamilton?

Myers: Our assumption is the uninsured rates will continue to become higher as premiums continue to move higher.

DCN: What do you see as the biggest challenges facing Hamilton Medical Center and Hamilton Health Care System overall over the next five years?

Myers: The biggest challenges come from the ever-evolving landscape of changes in Washington, D.C., as it relates to a national policy on health care finance, deliver and regulatory involvement. Over the last 30 years government intervention, technology and pharmacology continue to shape the health care landscape. Our challenge is to keep abreast of these changes and retain our focus on providing the best care possible for our friends, families and neighbors.

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