PeaceHealth embraces Medicaid expansion
"We cannot design our organizational strategy around government policy," said
Gregory and Dr.
One of the biggest challenges of the Affordable Care Act locally has been the expansion of Medicaid, Gregory said.
The influx of patients led some providers to limit access.
"We think Medicaid is going to be here in one shape or another, and we're advocating for expansion to remain," Gregory said. "We think it's the right thing."
When it comes to the Affordable Care Act, the strategy at
"We're spending way too much, and we're not getting the outcomes we need," Virgin said.
To improve care and outcomes, the local health system has focused on how it can help patients avoid costly care, Gregory said. For example, adding care managers and increasing home visits can reduce more costly visits to hospital emergency departments, he said.
For too long, Gregory said, hospitals have only been focused on what happens within their walls. That needs to change, he said.
"We have to take more ownership of people outside of the hospital," Gregory said.
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