Committees & Councils

MHA Committees, Councils and Task Forces

Participation in an MHA committee, council or task force allows MHA members to Influence and guide policymaking decisions for the association. The call to serve on its committee, councils and task force is now closed until May 2024.

MHA committees, councils and task forces have specific purposes:

• MHA Committees focus primarily on programmatic issues.
• MHA Councils explore and examine issues unique to a specific group within the MHA membership.
• Participating Hospital Advisory (PHA) Committees provide nonbinding input on Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan PHA activities including billing, payment practices, utilization management and quality assurance.
• Task Forces work primarily on a single issue, generally over a short time period. Work groups convene as circumstances warrant or input is required.

The MHA also convenes work groups when circumstances warrant their creation or input on a specific issue is required.

MHA Committees

Hospital Affiliated Legislative Officers (HALO)

The Hospital Affiliated Legislative Officers Committee complements the MHA Legislative Policy Panel through the coordination of day-to-day advocacy efforts with members and by monitoring and reviewing healthcare policy, state budget activities and proposed/pending state and federal legislation.
Staff secretary: Elizabeth Kutter

Michigan Green Healthcare Committee

The Michigan Green Healthcare Committee operates virtually, providing an online platform to promote sustainable strategies for healthcare facilities and generate new ideas and initiatives to respond to emerging needs or concerns and meet environmental, economic, and social objectives.
Staff secretary: Erica Leyko

Safety and Quality Committee

The Safety and Quality Committee provides input on MHA policy issues related to health equity, safety, quality management and compliance, including performance improvement and accreditation/regulatory compliance. The committee also identifies, develops and recommends policy solutions, guided by the MHA data principles, to position the MHA as the primary source for hospital and healthcare data and information. As delegated by the MHA Board of Trustees, the committee will provide member feedback for the www.verifymicare.org website, including measure addition, removal and maintenance.

The committee routinely reviews accreditation standards and policy changes that affect providers as proposed by organizations such as the Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.  The committee will regularly receive updates from the Health Equity Task Force and discuss opportunities to integrate Health Equity into the everyday quality and safety efforts. Additionally, this committee facilitates MHA feedback regarding national quality initiatives, including those of the American Hospital Association, National Quality Forum, and the Joint Commission.

Staff secretaries: Michelle Norcross and Gwen Schroeder

MHA Councils

Behavioral Health Integration Council

The Behavioral Health Integration Council guides the MHA’s policy efforts for behavioral/physical health integration. Develops recommendations addressing access to behavioral healthcare services and fostering integration with the greater healthcare delivery system.
Staff secretary: Lauren LaPine

Chief Financial Officer Council

The Chief Financial Officer Council identifies and analyzes finance policy and payer matters that affect MHA member hospitals and health systems. In addition, the council develops and recommends strategies to address identified issues based on MHA Board of Trustees’ priorities.
Staff secretary: Jason Jorkasky

Council on Children’s Health

The Council on Children’s Health focuses on issues unique to the advancement of children’s health in Michigan.
Staff secretary: Elizabeth Kutter 

Health Equity Task Force

The Health Equity Task Force provides strategic guidance and recommendations to the MHA Keystone Center around identifying priorities and perspectives on interventions to improve the care delivery system by eliminating disparities to advance equity and improve quality and safety. These activities will also support broader MHA health equity efforts.

Staff Secretaries: Sarah Scranton and Jim Lee

Health Finance Committee

The Health Finance Committee works with the MHA to identify and analyze finance policy, payer matters, and operational issues that impact the financial performance of hospitals and health systems. The committee also develops and recommends strategies for issue resolution to the MHA CFO council as needed in alignment with the MHA Board of Trustees’ priorities.

Staff secretary: Vickie Kunz

Health Information Technology Strategy Council

The Health Information Technology Strategy Council identifies and develops strategies to help the MHA and its members with health information technology issues by reviewing regulatory and industry trends with significant implications for member hospitals.
Staff secretary: Jim Lee

Human Resources & Workforce Council

The Human Resources & Workforce Council advances the mission of the MHA as well as the role of human resource leaders by providing input on legislative and regulatory issues relevant to healthcare employers, including diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, workplace safety, and workforce development. The Council offers networking and educational opportunities for HR professionals, dissemination of best practices, and data collection and reporting relating to hospital and health system workforce metrics.
Staff secretaries: Nancy McKeague & Rob Wood

Legislative Policy Panel

The Legislative Policy Panel identifies and analyzes healthcare legislation impacting MHA members and Michigan’s healthcare community. It also recommends formal association positions on legislation and helps guide association advocacy efforts based on the MHA Board of Trustees’ legislative and political priorities.
Staff secretary: Adam Carlson

Person & Family Engagement Advisory Council (PFEAC)

The Person & Family Engagement Advisory Council promotes and accelerates person and family engagement and the principles of person- and family-centered care in Michigan hospitals and gives a voice to patients and families within the MHA and MHA Keystone Center.
Staff secretary: Erin Steward

Physicians Health Leadership Council

The Physician Health Leadership Council focuses on the unique issues related to physicians, including physician integration and interaction within hospitals, healthcare systems and physician practices. This council promotes and advances the role of physician leadership and facilitates their education; provides insight, advice and recommendations to the MHA and the MHA governing boards; and serves as a catalyst for healthcare delivery.
Staff secretary: Gary Roth, DO

Public Health Task Force

The Public Health Task Force focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic that has systematically changed both the public health and healthcare sectors. The pandemic has exposed differential strengths and deficiencies in both systems and has highlighted the need for transformative change. Based on the recommendations of the MHA Board of Trustees in November 2021, the MHA has convened a task force of healthcare leaders to come together to collaboratively identify systemic challenges, propose solutions, and identify policy levers for positive change.

Staff secretaries: Laura Appel and Lauren LaPine

Small or Rural Hospitals

The Small or Rural Hospital Council identifies and examines issues unique to small or rural providers from a regulatory and policy development viewpoint. Informs policy- and decision-making bodies of the MHA.
Staff secretary: Lauren LaPine

Participating Hospital Agreement Committees

The BCBSM committees are populated by invitation and appointment. The PHA Advisory Committee is an MHA Board-level Committee.

Benefit Administration

The Benefit Administration Committee provides input to BCBSM on billing and claims processing issues.
Staff secretaries: Lindsay Peters & Jason Jorkasky

PHA Advisory

The Particpiating Hospital Agreement Advisory provides input to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) on Participating Hospital Agreement contract matters.
Staff secretary: Lindsay Peters & Jason Jorkasky

Utilization Management & Quality Assessment

The Utilization Management & Quality Assessment Committee provides input to BCBSM on matters that are relevant to utilization, quality, and health management.

Staff secretaries: Renee Smiddy & Jason Jorkasky

MHA Regional Councils