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The
Sin of Stigma Before you put down this issue of Arkansas Hospitals, I urge you to go to page 2 where you'll find a thought-provoking article by Ashley Adams, daughter of AHA vice president Don Adams and Little Rock businesswoman Judy Adams. Ashley, a resident of Washington, DC, has served both on the White House staff during the Clinton administration and on the staff of vice president Al Gore. She is also one of millions of Americans who suffer from mental illness. For you, our readers, Ashley has consented to share what it is like to experience the stigma of mental illness. Her message is a strong one, written with honesty, pain, frustration, and the hope that by sharing her thoughts she can help make a difference in the way our society seems to view mental illness. Mental disorders befall one in five Americans every year. While most people can be effectively treated with drugs, therapy, or a combination of the two, less than two-thirds of those with mental disorders seek treatment. Some don't know that effective treatments exist. Others fear the stigma about which Ashley Adams writes and the discrimination that can accompany it. Most health insurance plans do not adequately cover mental illness. And even those people who do have access to treatment may get substandard or inappropriate care. All of this comes at an enormous cost to ourselves, our families, our coworkers, and society in general. A report released in December 1999 by U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher reveals mental illness as a public health crisis of far greater magnitude and impact than smoking. Mental illness exacts a toll on our nation's health and productivity that is second only to heart disease. The social cost of mental illness is hidden in the fabric of our daily lives: in damaged interpersonal and family relationships, in absenteeism from work or school, in lost productivity, and in substance abuse. The financial cost is staggering, too, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. In 1990, the last time the cost of mental illness was calculated, the total (including lost workdays) was $148 billion. Legislation has been proposed in Congress as well as in Arkansas and other states to require insurance companies to offer the same coverage for mental illness as they do for physical illness. By and large, those efforts have not borne fruit, primarily because many insurance companies and employers believe health insurance premiums would increase. Seldom factored into the equation is the fact that the cost of workplace absenteeism and lost productivity could be dramatically lessened if those with mental disorders got adequate treatment. Recovery of those costs could easily offset increased health insurance premiums. Some believe that mental health parity in health insurance, combined with some type of managed care could actually lower health insurance premiums! But, we can talk about all of that another day. For now, let's give our attention to Ashley Adams who speaks for so many millions of Americans.
AAHT Annual Meeting, May 19, Little Rock Jamie Orlikoff, noted governance consultant, will be the featured speaker at the Arkansas Association of Hospital Trustees' annual meeting Friday, May 19, at the Embassy Suites in west Little Rock. Involved in leadership and strategy issues for more than 17 years, Orlikoff has designed and implemented programs in four countries and consulted with healthcare governing boards since 1985. Both new and veteran trustees are encouraged to attend the orientation/refresher session to gain insight from this thought-provoking speaker. "The most fundamental characteristic of excellent governance is that all board members have a shared understanding of their job," says Orlikoff. "Healthcare has undergone dramatic changes in the past few years, so trustees must understand the market and how it affects their hospitals. The healthcare environment today is characterized by a transition from single facility, acute-care hospitals to integrated delivery systems which incorporate high-quality, cost-effective hospitals that have affiliations with other providers. Governance boards have been forced to learn new rules and adapt to handle oversight of not just hospitals, but accountable health plans and multi-hospital systems." From finance and liability to quality and credentialing issues, Orlikoff will focus on what every trustee should know. He'll also share vital trends about the current healthcare environment and assist hospital and health system governing board members in strengthening their effectiveness and oversight of quality. Call Beth Ingram at 501-224-7878 for registration information. Hold
the date!
Arkansas Newsmakers and Newcomers Ron Rooney, president of Arkansas Methodist Hospital in Paragould, has been named chairman and Jeff Curtis, CEO of HSC Medical Center in Malvern, chairman-elect of the regional board of the Arkansas Workers Compensation Program administered by The Virginia Insurance Reciprocal. Ray Kordsmeier, chairman of the board of Conway Regional Medical Center, has been elected to a three-year term which began January 1 as an American Hospital Association Regional Trustee alternate delegate to Regional Policy Board 7. Kordsmeier also will become president of the Arkansas Association of Hospital Trustees at the group's spring meeting. Stephen Erixon, former associate administrator of Baxter Regional Medical Center (BRMC), was named CEO of the facility effective December 31, 1999. Erixon was formerly CEO of Memorial Mother Frances Hospital in Palestine, Texas. Bill Anderson, BRMC administrator since 1982, has been named administrator emeritus by the hospital's governing board. Patrick Flynn, CEO of Washington Regional Health System in Fayetteville, has been elected to a three-year term which began January 1 as an American Hospital Association alternate delegate to Regional Policy Board 7. Flynn will represent the Section for Metro Hospitals. Roy Wright has been named CEO of Siloam Springs Memorial Hospital, succeeding Don Patterson who resigned November 1. Wright is a former CEO of Des Moines General Hospital in Iowa. William "Bill" Bradley has been named president and CEO of Northwest Health System, Inc., in Springdale. Northwest Health is the parent organization of Northwest Medical Center in Springdale, Bates Medical Center in Bentonville, and Northwest Family Care Physicians. Bradley is a former senior vice president of Tenet Healthcare Corporation's Central States Region, and CEO of St. Mary's Regional Medical Center in Russellville. David Fuller has been named chief executive officer of Harris Hospital in Newport. He succeeds Rob Lake, who accepted a similar position in Oklahoma. Fuller most recently served as CEO at Lane Memorial Hospital in Zachary, Louisiana. Travis Roderick has been named chief executive officer of Mena Medical Center, effective January 31, succeeding Albert Pilkington, who now serves as CEO at Muhlenberg Community Hospital in Greenville, Kentucky. Roderick is a former chief operating officer at Central Arkansas Hospital in Searcy. George Fray has been named administrator of Ozark Health Medical Center in Clinton, succeeding interim administrator Gerald Ragland. Fray is a former administrator of Cleburne County Hospital (now Baptist Health Baptist Medical Center Heber Springs) in Heber Springs and Baptist Memorial Hospital in Forrest City. Renee Mallory, RN, has been named director of the Division of Health Facility Services at the Arkansas Department of Health in Little Rock. Mallory has worked at the ADH for 10 years, most recently as supervisor of home health activities. John N. Robbins, FACHE, has been named president and chief executive officer of Conway Regional Medical Center effective February 14. Robbins succeeds Jim Summersett, who accepted a similar position at Wadley Regional Medical Center in Texarkana, Texas. During the last 10 years, Robbins has been associated with Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation in Memphis holding the positions of senior vice president, executive vice president, and executive vice president for system development.
Summer Management Conference, June 14-16 The Arkansas Hospital Administrators Forum/Arkansas Health Executives Forum summer management conference will be held June 14-16 at the Chateau on the Lake in Branson, Missouri. Representatives from Jennings, Ryan & Kolb, healthcare management consultants, will present "Strategy in the 21st Century: The Reality of Uncertainty." They will focus on such topics as: Who will be the biggest winners in healthcare over the next ten years? And how will these organizations win...through unique foresight? by using strategies to enact the market? as a result of market momentum? or through sheer luck? All healthcare organizations will face a dynamic and increasingly uncertain future. The seminar will explore specific approaches to strategic planning and positioning in an era of uncertainty - approaches that move beyond traditional analytic planning tools and processes that emphasize consensus-building. Lynda Johnson, an attorney with Friday, Eldredge and Clark in Little Rock, will present a legal update for CEOs; and Lisa Dahm with Deloitte & Touche will discuss the new HIPAA regulations and their immediate impact on hospitals. Along with the planned educational activities, Branson offers many opportunities for family entertainment. Call Beth Ingram at 501-224-7878 for registration information.
Calendar
In Memoriam... John A. Gilbreath John A. Gilbreath, who served 54 years (38 as chief executive officer and 16 as president emeritus) with what is known today as Baptist Health in Little Rock, died November 29 at the age of 81. Mr. Gilbreath was chairman of the Arkansas Hospital Association board of directors in 1950-51. AHA president Jim Teeter said of Mr. Gilbreath, "Like other great leaders, Mr. John had a penetrating vision. He saw things others didn't see, like the need to establish Arkansas' first Blue Cross Blue Shield plan in 1948, and the wisdom of moving his flagship hospital to the suburbs in 1974." Teeter attributed several "firsts" to Mr. Gilbreath, such as "the first to transform a single Arkansas hospital into a large private healthcare system; the first to establish on-campus schools for nurses and other healthcare professionals; and the first in Arkansas to provide open heart surgery in a private hospital." Russell D. Harrington, Jr., president of Baptist Health, offered a eulogy of John Gilbreath, mentioning the ways Harrington's own life and career had been touched by such a great man. Here are excerpts from Harrington's tribute: "After escaping from the pressures of his office one day and moving to Mr. Gilbreath's office on the Baptist Health campus to get some much needed work done, Harrington told of the closeness he felt to Mr. Gilbreath, reading all the plaques and looking at the photos that lined his office walls. "Within 15 minutes of returning to my own office, my dad who serves as a part-time chaplain at Parkway Place (where Mr. Gilbreath spent his last few months), called to tell me of Mr. Gilbreath's death. The thought entered my mind that 29 years ago it was my dad who set up the appointment and took me as a young graduate student to meet his friend, John Gilbreath, for the very first time. So, my dad was the first to introduce me to Mr. Gilbreath and he was the first to call to give me the news that Mr. Gilbreath was gone." Harrington touched on Mr. Gilbreath's characteristics that affected all that he knewcommitted, compassionate, persistent, generous, full of integrity, a visionary, mentor, teacher, cheerleader, and encourager. "In his 53 years with Baptist Health, Mr. Gilbreath never wavered in his commitment and the support for the organization and the people in management." "He loved meeting people and he loved meeting people's needs." "He was known for helping doctors and nurses with their medical education. And, for years he served as a foster parent to children from the Methodist Children's Home in Little Rock, bringing many of them into his home." "When I think of integrity, I think he's the one who invented it." "If everybody pursued their daily work the way Mr. Gilbreath did, in America, you wouldn't need things like corporate compliance programs and integrity agreements with the federal government." "He never backed away from his responsibilities or any challenges that came his way. He always said, 'Russ, you've got to constantly be moving forward, going forward. Or if not, if you're not going forward and growing, you're going backwards.'" In summing up Mr. Gilbreath's life, Harrington said, and all who knew him would agree, that "perhaps the best way to characterize Mr. Gilbreath is just to say he was a true Christian gentleman."
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