Sustainability Study - Support for Our Course

This message is from CCHS Director, Dr. William Walker and CCRMC/HCs CEO, Anna Roth

All Staff Message: Sustainability Study - Support for Our Course

After many months, the sustainability study of our Regional Medical Center and Health Centers is complete.

The report describes our strengths and the work we have underway to further improve and transform our system in order to continue to care for our community and help implement changes as part of Health Care Reform.

The County Board of Supervisors (BOS) asked for the sustainability study as part of the budget process in 2009 to look at how we provide care and how we can optimize services while controlling costs. The consultant, Health Management Associates, was awarded a $390,000 contract in January of this year to do the study. The final report has been posted on the county website (http://ca-contracostacounty.civicplus.com/index.aspx?NID=2728)and will be presented to the BOS CCRMC Joint Conference Committee on September 28 and then to the full Board of Supervisors on October 4.

We worked closely with the consultants on this study. In their findings, they point to how our integrated health system is well positioned for Health Care Reform and how we are fully accessing federal funding streams to continue to be the safety net provider of choice for our community.

The study describes our current efforts to improve service delivery and patient experience. Many of these efforts are underway, including implementing an Electronic Health Record, which will "go live" in July; increasing access and improving response time for appointment scheduling; and integrating behavioral health and primary care among many other efforts. In addition, the report highlights our long-standing commitment to quality improvement, applauding and calling for further support of the unique and innovative improvement work we are doing.

The study identifies the critical need to increase capacity and the importance of our current efforts to expand primary care capacity in both our system and in the partnerships we are developing in the community. Information on options for governance structure is presented but no specific recommendations are made. The study also identifies several external factors we do not control that have significant financial impacts on our ability to operate as a health system, such as personnel processes, and the cost of health and retirement benefits.

We view this study as an excellent overview of our planned transition to Health Care Reform in 2014 and beyond. The findings validate that we have been, and are on the right path. We all can be proud of the crucial work we do in caring for and improving the health of our community.

Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the people we serve,

William B. Walker, M.D., Director and Health OfficerContra Costa Health Services

Anna M. Roth, Chief Executive Officer, Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and Health Centers