Tag: CEO Report

MHA Monday Report April 14, 2025

Member News, Monday Report

U.S. House Advances Budget Resolution, Sets Up Potential Medicaid Cuts

The United States House of Representatives advanced a Senate budget resolution April 10 that calls for a minimum of $1.5 trillion in federal spending reductions. A separate budget resolution previously passed by the House in …

Registration Now Open for MHA Annual Membership Meeting

Registration is now open for the MHA Annual Membership Meeting June 25 through 27 at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. The annual meeting will feature an outstanding lineup of speakers, including Geeta Nayyar, MD, …

AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack Addresses MHA Board

The MHA Board of Trustees welcomed AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack to its April 9 meeting at the MHA’s Capitol Advocacy Center in downtown Lansing. The board meeting primarily focused on how to effectively …

MHA to Host GME Capitol Day May 21

The MHA is hosting the 2025 MHA Graduate Medical Education (GME) Capitol Day from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. May 21 in Lansing. The event is an opportunity for Michigan’s physician residents from teaching hospitals …

MI AIM Spring Regional Training Approaching

The Michigan Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (MI AIM) is offering regional training sessions for inpatient maternal health providers focused on implementing the hypertension safety bundle and addressing common challenges with implementation. The one-hour …

MHA Virtual Member Forum on Cybersecurity and Cyberattack Response

The MHA, in conjunction with its statewide Health Information Technology Strategy Committee, is hosting the virtual member forum Cybersecurity and Cyberattack Response from 9:30 to 11 a.m. May 9 as an ongoing effort to strengthen …

MHA Shares Medicare and Medicaid Enrollment Analysis

The MHA recently updated its analysis of Medicaid and Medicare enrollment based on February 2025 data. The analysis includes program enrollment as a percentage of each county’s total population and the split between fee-for-service and …

Excellence in Governance Fellowship Offers Meaningful Dialogue Among Trustees and Experts

Applications are now being accepted for the 2025-2026 the MHA Excellence in Governance Fellowship. Launched more than 20 years ago, is a rigorous and comprehensive program delivering tools and knowledge in effective governance, improving quality …

The Power of Patient-Centered Care

It’s no secret that patient experience within hospitals and health systems has evolved over the years – especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. With Patient Experience Week (PX Week) around the corner, it’s a good time to recognize the …

Keckley Report

The 5 Emergent Issues for Boards in Trump-DOGE Healthcare

“This was a week for healthcare that’s unprecedented in modern history …

None of these is a surprise. Since the Trump inauguration January 20, a shake-up in federal government has been promised and last week’s actions show it’s serious.  Polls show a majority of Americans distrust the federal government, Congress, the media and the health system, so disruption is expected. But the nation’s divided about solutions, and healthcare is no exception.  …

The events of last week portend more pressure on healthcare Boards and management to execute. In these 5 areas, each organization should revisit current policies and strategies and refresh where appropriate. And each organization should evaluate current relationships with trade groups with whom advocacy efforts are coordinated to assure they’re responsive to the realities of healthcare in the Trump-DOGE era.”

Paul Keckley, April 6, 2024

New to KnowNews to Know

  • Kara Heck, MHA, BSN, RN-BC, CCRN, chair of the MHA Safety & Quality Committee, shares a testimonial encouraging healthcare leaders to attend the MHA Keystone Center Safety & Quality Symposium, taking place April 28–29, 2025, at the Kellogg Conference Center & Hotel in East Lansing.
  • The American Hospital Association (AHA) is accepting applications for the annual 2026 AHA Foster G. McGaw Prize now through May 6, 2025.

Laura Appel speaks with 9&10 News.

MHA in the News

The MHA received media coverage the week of April 7 on potential Medicaid funding cuts, pediatric behavioral health and healthcare costs. 9& 10 News aired a story April 9 on potential federal Medicaid funding cuts. MHA …

MHA Monday Report April 7, 2025

Member News, Monday Report

Deadline Nearing to Register for the MHA Keystone Center Safety & Quality Symposium

The April 18 registration deadline is quickly approaching for the MHA Keystone Center Safety & Quality Symposium, scheduled for April 28 –29, 2025, at the Kellogg Conference Center & Hotel, East Lansing. Multiple breakout sessions, …

New Resources for Patient Rights in Psychiatric Hospitals

The MHA recently collaborated with the Mental Health Association of Michigan and Disability Rights Michigan to develop resources outlining patient rights in psychiatric hospitals across Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio. These assets are modeled after …

Michigan HR Professionals Gather at the MHA Human Resources Conference

More than 100 healthcare human resources (HR) professionals from across the state gathered at the MHA Human Resources Conference March 25 in Lansing. Attendees participated in small group discussions that developed innovative ideas focused on …

MiCare Champion Cast Header PhotoHow Could Medicaid Cuts Impact Michigan?

The MHA released a new episode of the MiCare Champion Cast exploring how proposed reductions to Medicaid could disrupt access to care and harm Michigan hospitals, patients and communities. Laura Appel, executive vice president of …

MHA Rounds image of Brian PetersMHA CEO Report — Prioritizing Rural Health

While snow continues to fall in northern Michigan, spring is officially here, and for many, that means our weekend travel plans shift from skiing and snowmobiling to camping, hiking and boating. Rural Michigan is an amazing travel destination for many, …

Keckley Report

Healthcare is Low Hanging Fruit for Trump: Disruption is the Aim

“The health system is low hanging fruit for federal spending hawks and government reformers. It’s increasingly evident the Trump administration’s well aware. …

This week, Congress returns to DC to continue its budget reconciliation deliberations against a backdrop of growing anxiety about an economic downturn and potential recession.  The stock market is down 10% from its February 19 high and consumer sentiment about the economy hit a 12-year low last week. Notably, households of low and middle-income means are experiencing record levels of debt and unpaid bills: these include 4 million in lower-paying healthcare jobs and 3 million unpaid family caregivers who can’t afford to pay for outside care. And physicians, now 3 months into their fifth-year without a Medicare reimbursement increase, are simply mad and burnt-out.

Today, every healthcare organization (public/private) is operating in limbo: leaders are worried, lenders are more cautious, researchers and public health agencies are paralyzed, state and local health officials are preparing for the worst and hospitals, medical practices, ancillary and long-term care providers face an insecure, disgruntled workforce.

The playbook for everyone in U.S. healthcare—payers, providers, suppliers and advisors—is being re-written.”

Paul Keckley, March 30, 2025

News to Know

  • The MHA was recently awarded $2.5 million to expand hospital-based peer recovery coach (PRC) services and is requesting members complete a brief survey by April 11 to assess current use and interest in PRC programs.
  • The Michigan Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (MI AIM) is offering regional training sessions April 23 for inpatient maternal health providers focused on implementing the hypertension safety bundle and addressing common challenges with implementation.
  • MHA Endorsed Business Partner AMN Healthcare will host the free webinar Balancing the Complexities of the Healthcare Workforce in Rural Markets from 11 a.m. to noon ET April 10.

MHA CEO Brian Peters speaks during a virtual media roundtable about Medicaid.

MHA in the News

A virtual media roundtable hosted April 3 by the Michigan League for Public Policy included MHA CEO Brian Peters as a panelist, where he discussed the consequences for potential Medicaid funding cuts by Congress. Crain’s …

MHA Monday Report Jan.13, 2025

Member News, Monday Report

103rd Legislature Begins With Introduction of Earned Sick Time Bills

The Michigan Legislature officially commenced their 103rd session on Wednesday, Jan. 8, including the introduction of legislation to amend Michigan’s Earned Sick Time Act . The session brings a new partisan divide with the Senate …

HHS Submits New HIPAA Security Proposed Rule

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently submitted a proposed rule to update the HIPAA Security Rule and enhance the protection of electronic protected health information. The changes aim to address the …

Healthcare Leadership Academy Enrollment Deadline Approaches

The enrollment deadline for the MHA Healthcare Leadership Academy is Feb. 3. The cohort meets Feb. 19 – 21 and April 10 and 11 at the MHA headquarters in Okemos. The Healthcare Leadership Academy, in partnership …

Applications Open for New Medicare Funded Rural Residency Slots

Qualifying rural hospitals may now apply for new residency positions created by Section 126 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and Section 4122 of the CAA of 2023, which allow hospitals to expand …

HRSA Announces Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently announced the establishment of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program, which trains physicians to become addiction medicine specialists. The program aims to expand the number of fellows at …

Behavioral Health Internship Stipend Program Application Released

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is offering the Behavioral Health Internship Stipend Program, a key initiative aimed at increasing Michigan’s behavioral health workforce. Now in its second year, the program provides up …

Nominations Open for 2025 Hometown Health Hero Award

The Michigan Public Health Week Partnership is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Hometown Health Hero Award. This award recognizes individuals and organizations that made a meaningful impact on improving the health of their community.

MHA Rounds image of Brian PetersMHA CEO Report — Impacting Communities

As we turn the page on 2024 (and celebrate our success in preventing harmful government-mandated nurse staffing ratio legislation, as well as harmful changes to our medical liability system, during the lame-duck session of the legislature), …

Keckley Report

The Two Events that Changed U.S. Healthcare for Everyone

In late 2025, two events reset the U.S. health system’s future at least through 2026 and possibly beyond…

Transforming the U.S. health system is a bodacious ambition for the incoming Trump team. Early wins will be key—like expanding price transparency in every healthcare sector, softening restrictions on private equity investments, targeted cuts in Medicaid and Medicare funding and annulment of the Inflation Reduction Act. In tandem, it has promised to cut Federal government spending by $2 trillion and lower prices on everything including housing and healthcare—the two spending categories of highest concern to the working class. Healthcare will figure prominently in Team Trump’s agenda for 2025 and posturing for its 2026 mid-term campaign. And equally important, healthcare costs also figure prominently in quarterly earnings reports for companies that provide employee health benefits forecast to be 8% higher this year following a 7% spike the year prior. Last year’s 23% S&P growth is not expected to repeat this year raising shareholder anxiety and the economy’s long-term resilience and the large roles housing and healthcare play in its performance.”

Paul Keckley, Jan. 6, 2025Lauren LaPine

MHA in the News

Second Wave Michigan published a story Jan. 7 on how state officials, healthcare providers and community organizations are focusing on expanding the continuum of care for people experiencing a mental health crisis. Lauren LaPine, senior …

 

MHA Monday Report Sept. 9, 2024

Monday Report

MHA Updates Medicaid and Medicare Enrollment Analysis

The MHA updated its analysis of Medicaid and Medicare enrollment to reflect July 2024 data. The analysis now includes program enrollment as a percentage of each county’s total population and the split between fee-for-service and …

Oct 10 Webinar to Explore Health Equity Regulatory Requirements

The MHA and the MHA Keystone Center is hosting an educational webinar from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Oct 10 about the current and future state of regulatory and accrediting health equity requirements from the Centers …

Deadline Extended for Michigan Reconnect Scholarship Program

The Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential extended its deadline to enroll in the Michigan Reconnect scholarship program. Those interested now have until Dec. 31, 2024 to apply. Michigan Reconnect is a program …

Learn More About Munson Healthcare’s Ask-A-Nurse Program

The MHA released a new episode of the MiCare Champion Cast focused on Munson Healthcare’s innovative Ask-A-Nurse program. The free, 24/7 call center is staffed year-round by registered nurses and offers easy access to health-related …

MHA Rounds graphic of Brian PetersMHA CEO Report — Site-Neutral Payment Policies: The Latest Threat to Patient Access

Operating a hospital has never been more challenging than it is today. At the most fundamental level, hospitals are small towns that operate 24/7, year-round, built around expert clinicians, as well as a wide variety …

Keckley Report

The Four Questions Healthcare Boards must Answer

“In 63 days, Americans will know the composition of the 119th Congress and the new occupants of the White House and 11 Governor’s mansions. We’ll learn results of referenda in 10 states about abortion rights (AZ, CO, FL, MD, MO, MT, NE, NV, NY, SD) and see how insurance coverage for infertility (IVF therapy) fares as Californians vote on SB 729. But what we will not learn is the future of the U.S. health system at a critical time of uncertainty. …

For Boards of U.S. healthcare organizations, the imperative for transformational change is urgent: the future of the U.S. system is not a repeat of its past. But most Boards fail to analyze the future and construct future-state scenarios systematically. Lessons from other industries are instructive. …

Until and unless healthcare leaders recognize the imperative for transformational change, the system will calcify its victim-mindset and each sector will fend for itself with diminishing results. No sector—hospitals, insurers, drug companies, physicians—has all the answers and every sector faces enormous headwinds. Perhaps it’s time for a cross-sector coalition to step up with transformational change as the goal and the public’s well-being the moral compass.”

Paul Keckley, Sept. 3, 2024

 

MHA CEO Brian Peters

MHA in the News

Becker’s Hospital Review published an article Sept. 3 that provides responses from 87 healthcare executives sharing their ideas on ways to boost the patient experience. MHA CEO Brian Peters provided a response, mentioning the MHA …

MHA CEO Report — Site-Neutral Payment Policies: The Latest Threat to Patient Access

Issues in Healthcare, Top Issues - Healthcare, MHA Rounds
MHA Rounds graphic of Brian Peters

“The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal.” — Aristotle

MHA Rounds graphic of Brian PetersOperating a hospital has never been more challenging than it is today. At the most fundamental level, hospitals are small towns that operate 24/7, year-round, built around expert clinicians, as well as a wide variety of highly skilled employees in multiple disciplines. Collectively, they are tasked with the awesome responsibility of delivering a broad spectrum of high-quality healthcare services to everyone in their respective communities, regardless of their health or socio-economic status.

Our MHA Chief Medical Officer, Gary Roth, DO, often says “healthcare is everyone’s destiny.” He’s right: at some point, all of us – or our loved ones – will require the assistance of our healthcare system. And when that day comes, we as patients can and should expect that we have ready access to care. Michigan hospitals take that expectation very seriously, whether that comes in the form of physician recruitment, retention and call coverage, drug acquisition, facilities maintenance and expansion, or ensuring that the latest diagnostic and treatment technology is on-site.

Here is an economic reality: being prepared to care for anyone, for any diagnosis, at any time, creates high fixed costs. In classic business terminology, hospitals are “price takers” when it comes to government payers, because Medicaid and Medicare effectively tell hospitals what they will receive in reimbursement.

Against this backdrop, our field is currently facing a strong push at the federal level to prevent hospitals from receiving Medicare reimbursement at a level that appropriately recognizes the higher fixed and operational costs referenced above. Referred to as “site-neutral payments,” this policy would force hospitals to accept the same rates as those paid at other sites of care. This ignores the fact that the cost structures between the two settings are very different because hospitals go to great lengths to have the infrastructure in place to save lives every day. Non-hospital settings serve a very valuable but different role, and the reimbursement they receive today reflects those differences. In addition to being open 24/7/365 to all patients – including those with multiple comorbidities, and little or no health insurance coverage, hospitals must have redundant systems for energy and water so surgeries and other patient care can continue uninterrupted when the power goes out or other systems are compromised. Physician offices have no such requirements and don’t bear these costs.

Hospital outpatient departments also provide convenient access to care for the most vulnerable and medically complex patients. These settings are more likely to treat Medicare patients who have more chronic and severe conditions, have been recently hospitalized or in an emergency department and are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. These patients are more expensive to care for and rely on hospital outpatient departments for their increased healthcare needs.

Implementing site-neutral payment policies would be detrimental to access to care for patients across Michigan and the country. If reimbursement is slashed across the board, hospitals will be forced to reduce their costs, which will come in the form of reduced hospital beds, service lines or even potentially hospital closures. This plan for inadequate payment can be particularly harmful for hospitals serving a high percentage of vulnerable patients, including rural hospitals. When a hospital closes services due to site-neutral payment policy, they will close to everyone, not just people covered under Medicare.

I was recently honored to be appointed to the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees and this issue is clearly a key focus of their advocacy work on Capitol Hill. The MHA is joining that effort by advocating with Michigan’s members of Congress, and our message is unambiguous: comparing hospitals with other sites of care is not comparing apples and oranges – it’s comparing apples and space shuttles. More importantly, reducing healthcare costs can’t come at the expense of reduced access to care.

As always, I welcome your thoughts.

MHA Monday Report Aug. 26, 2024

Monday Report

Register for MHA 2024-25 Strategic Action Plan Webinar

The MHA is hosting a virtual member forum 11 a.m. to noon Oct. 14 to outline the MHA 2024 – 2025 strategic action plan approved by the MHA Board of Trustees. The plan will include …

MHA Submits Comments on Proposed MDHHS Medicaid Behavioral Health Policies

The MHA submitted comments to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) regarding two Medicaid proposed policies Aug. 20 pertaining to the establishment of Intensive Care Coordination with Wraparound and the implementation …

Kelley Cawthorne Ad

 

Guide for Michigan’s Adult Guardianship Process Available Digitally

The MHA published a resource for hospital and healthcare teams to support patients and families navigating the guardianship process. A printable copy as well as digital version are now available. The Guide for Michigan’s Adult Guardianship …

MHA CEO Report — Adding Value for Hospitals

I discussed last month how the MHA continues to create highly successful and impactful outcomes for our members through our outstanding advocacy in the public policy arena, at both the state and federal levels. …

The Keckley Report

The Two Tipping Points prompting Outsider Demand for Health System Transformation

“As Democrats gather in Chicago and Epic users convene in Verona WI this week, the future of the healthcare system will be on the agenda for both gatherings, but with a different focus: …

In Chicago and Verona, opportunities to improve the U.S. system are readily acknowledged. Which flaws deserve attention first, how and how fast reflect contrasting views. But perhaps as never before, the direction of the system is impacted by two convergent realities …

As congregants assemble in Chicago and Verona this week, outsiders hope they’ll look beyond incrementalism and pursue transformational change. They’re tired of waiting. It’s reached its tipping point. …”

Paul Keckley, Aug. 19, 2024

News to Know

  • MHA offices will be closed and no formal meetings will be scheduled Sept. 2 in honor of Labor Day.
  • Due to the holiday, Monday Report will not be published Sept. 2 and will resume its normal schedule Sept. 9.
  • MHA Endorsed Business Partner CorroHealth will host the webinar Investing Wisely in the Healthcare Continuum Aug. 28 to share strategic solutions for integrating utilization management, clinical documentation integrity and denials management into a unified revenue integrity framework.

MHA CEO Brian Peters

MHA in the News

MHA CEO Brian Peters joined The Common Bridge podcast for an episode published Aug. 18 to discuss various healthcare policy topics, particularly those impacting rural Michigan.  Areas of focus include the Affordable Care Act, the impact of Medicaid provider taxes …

MHA Monday Report Feb. 12, 2024

Monday Report
MHA Monday Report

capitol buildingExecutive Budget Supports Healthcare, Other Legislative Action

Governor Whitmer and Budget Director Jen Flood released the executive budget recommendation Feb. 7 for fiscal year 2025. The MHA is pleased to see that the Governor’s budget continues vital funding for Medicaid, rural and …

MDHHS Director Hertel Presents at MHA Board Meeting

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Director Elizabeth Hertel presented an overview of her department’s key priorities to the MHA Board of Trustees at their Feb. 7 meeting. Hertel shared ongoing efforts to …

MHA Behavioral Health Learning Series Begins Feb. 14

The MHA is hosting a five-part webinar series to provide hospital staff with a deeper understanding of Michigan’s behavioral health system and the hospital’s role in connecting patients with care. These webinars are part of …

Healthcare Remains Key Piece of Executive Budget Recommendation

The following statement can be attributed to Brian Peters, CEO of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association. Healthcare access is vital for the physical and economic health of our local economies. This budget proposal presented …

Virtual Training Offered Feb. 22 for FY 2021 Medicaid DSH Audit

Myers and Stauffer LC, Michigan’s contractor for the federally mandated Medicaid disproportionate share hospitals (DSH) audits, encourages hospital staff to participate in the upcoming virtual training Feb. 22 at 10 a.m. Hospital staff are encouraged …

MHA CEO Report — The State of Healthcare

The new year always brings two traditional speeches from lawmakers: Gov. Whitmer just recently delivered her annual State of the State address, while President Biden will share the annual State of the Union address on March 7. While the economy …

The Keckley Report

Is the Tax Exemption for Not-for-Profit Hospitals at Risk?

“Last Thursday, Seattle-based Providence Health System announced it is refunding nearly $21 million in medical bills paid by low-income residents of Washington and erasing $137 million more in outstanding debt for others. Other systems are likely to follow as pressure con mounts on large, not-for-profit systems to modify their business practices in sensitive areas like patient debt collection, price transparency, executive compensation, investment activities and others.

I believe not-for-profit hospital systems are engines for modernizing health delivery in communities and a lightening rod for critics who think their efforts more self-serving than for the public good. Most consumers (55%) think they earn their tax exemption but 34% have mixed feelings and 10% disagree. (Keckley Poll November 20, 2023). That’s less than a convincing defense.”

Paul Keckley, Feb. 5, 2024

 

News to Know

The Michigan Society of Healthcare Risk Management is now accepting nominations for the Paul Venzke Award for Outstanding Performance in the field of Healthcare Risk Management.