CHARLESTON – In a recent op-ed for the Charleston Gazette-Mail, West Virginia Hospital Association (WVHA) President and CEO Jim Kaufman discusses WVHA’s main priorities for the upcoming year.
Mr. Kaufman discusses how WVHA is adapting to major changes in American healthcare, including shifts in how care is delivered and paid for as well as ongoing uncertainty around the Affordable Care Act (ACA). He emphasizes WVHA’s mission remains unchanged – to support the delivery of high-quality, reliable, and affordable care to every community in the Mountain State – and outlines the specific ways WVHA is meeting this moment.
Below are key excerpts from the op-ed:
- “West Virginia’s hospitals provide far more than just care within their own walls. They serve as economic anchors, employers, educators, and partners in community well-being. Hospitals in our state provide $1.12 billion in annual community benefit and drive $16.9 billion in economic impact statewide, supporting about 14 percent of West Virginia’s total workforce.”
- “At a time when federal debates threaten to reshape everything from coverage to payment models, West Virginia cannot afford policies that weaken the very hospitals that hold our communities together. That starts with ensuring sustainable payment across Medicare, Medicaid and the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA). Let’s be clear: Hospitals cannot maintain services, invest in technology, or retain staff when payments don’t even cover the cost of providing care.”
- “From Wheeling to Welch, Huntington to the Eastern Panhandle and everywhere in between, I am proud to work alongside so many dedicated and talented individuals. But like the rest of the country, we face critical staffing shortages…Our workforce priorities focus on growing the pipeline through in-state tuition programs for healthcare students and updating the licensing process to allow us to license physicians faster.”
The full op-ed can be found here.
For more information, please contact:
Whitney Cherry
WV Hospital Association
304-353-9717
[email protected]
