KANSAS HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION
2008 STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL PLAN

Vision: An organization of hospitals working together to improve access, quality and the affordability of health care for all Kansans.

Mission: To be the voice and resource for community-based hospitals by meeting member needs for advocacy and service.

2008 Strategic Issues

The Kansas Hospital Associtaion Board of Directors has identified eight issue strategies for KHA to address in 2008. Click on any of the issues below for more information.

Adequate, Well-Trained and Affordable Hospital Workforce
Keeping a strong, educated, dedicated workforce is one of the most demanding challenges our hospitals face. Providing an environment conducive to retaining employees is difficult at a time when demand for health care employees at almost every level outweighs the supply. The main issues identified as leading to our current workforce shortage include the need for nursing instructors, as well as a lack of classrooms and clinical rotations for students. KHA will continue to work on these issues and
advocate for regulations that do not burden an already critical situation.

Clear Public Understanding of the Role, Function and Value of Community Hospitals
The Kansas Hospital Association takes our mission to advocate for policies, which improve access, quality and affordability of health care for Kansans very seriously. As we discuss these issues, we find that many consumers and leaders are confused about the role of community hospitals in the health care system. KHA’s recent statewide public opinion survey results showed that the cost of health care services and the high number of uninsured citizens are by far the biggest concerns of Kansans. Kansas hospitals must address the needs and concerns of their constituents and communicate with their patients, community and leaders, telling their story in a way that can best be understood. KHA’s role is to provide resources and implement strategies to target communications to a variety of hospital constituents and publics.

Fair and Equitable Regulation
Our state and federal governments take their role of regulating hospitals and health care providers very seriously. What is often lacking in their efforts is the knowledge of what is realistic and necessary to regulate. Kansas hospitals continue to work diligently to meet the myriad of state and federal regulations, many of these regulations, while intended to protect the public, in fact pull valuable resources from critical patient care and add cost to already costly health care services. KHA serves as a voice of regulatory reason on behalf or our members. 

Health Care Financing and Reimbursement
Effective capital planning is becoming increasingly important for hospitals as they face tighter access to capital markets. This is intensified by aging facilities, greater regulatory pressures and ever-changing technology needs. The ever-changing reimbursement arena complicates the process for capital planning. Maintaining adequate cash flow is equally important. The Kansas Hospital Association must keep health care executives alert to all of the reimbursement changes from Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance as they evolve, as well as advocate on behalf of hospitals in the areas of Medicare’s Outpatient PPS, Inpatient PPS, Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH), Medicaid Provider Tax, Workers’ Compensation, managed care, Medicare Advantage, and all other reimbursement changes.

Health Care Reform
Health Care Reform is perhaps the single biggest challenge facing the U.S. Congress and states today. The issues are incredibly complex and have been many years in the making. While many proposals are on the table, most focus on fixing a particular part of the current methodology for assuring universal access, controlling spiraling costs or improving the delivery of care. In Kansas, the Health Policy Authority, fully operational July 2006, is charged with establishing health policy for Kansas and combining state purchasing to bring about system change. In addition, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius is and has been taking a leadership role on health-related initiatives. Reforming the Kansas health care system is a long-term challenge and will require a willingness to collaborate among payers, providers and consumers.

Positive Hospital/Physician Relationships
A strong health delivery system relies on a strong and complementary relationship between physicians and hospital leadership. Today's environment often challenges us to find new ways to deliver care to our patients, which, at times, can strain these traditionally good relationships. While every hospital and community have unique relationships and challenges, KHA's role is to collaborate at the state level with physician organizations and provide resources that assist local physician and hospital communities with tools supportive of effective relationships.

Quality and Patient Safety
Kansas hospitals continually stive to provide patient care that meets the highest standards of safety and quality. To improve the care provided and to meet regulatory requirements, our member hospitals measure and report specific quality initiatives to interested audiences, including both the state and federal government, as well as consumers of health care. Current reporting requirements are often duplicative and difficult for even providers to understand and use. KHA fulfills an advocacy role related to both effective improvement processes and meaningful reporting and use of data.

Transparency
The desire for increased access to health care pricing, quality and outcomes data from policy makers and the public continues to escalate. Hospital billing and collection practices are coming under increased criticism from many sectors. A coordinated approach to increased hospital data transparency is essential. KHA will, through the various councils and task forces, endeavor to lead, or at a minimum, be a part of the discussion and decision-making process in the areas of best practices for billing and collection, pricing transparency and quality reporting.

2008 KHA Strategic and Operational Plan Scorecard

KHA Values
Service to members ... Equal Representation ... Visionary Leadership ... Ethics, Honesty and Integrity

Our Beliefs
Every Kansan deserves access to quality health care.
Hospitals are a valuable community resource.
Hospitals should have an equitable marketplace in which to operate.
Publicly-funded programs should not endanger the viability of community hospitals.