Charleston region ‘moving the needle’ on health care issues
By Bill Settlemyer
Executive Publisher
When you’re trying to “move the needle” on big social issues like education or health care, it takes a great deal of time and effort to achieve small gains, and time is often the most precious commodity. Yet advocates for change press on, knowing that the ultimate goals are worthy of their efforts.
That holds true in the Charleston region, where incremental steps to address the challenges of health care are bearing fruit.
Two news items from the week of April 10 highlight some important developments. The first was the announcement of the Well Region initiative, in which the CEOs of more than 20 area businesses pledged to establish or expand wellness programs for their employees and to mentor other companies in the region so they too will focus proactively on the health of their employees.
Well Region initiative
The Well Region initiative is a program of WELCOA, the Wellness Councils of America, a nonprofit founded by Fortune 500 companies to stress the importance of workplace wellness.
Bringing this program to our area was the brainchild of Deb Campeau, a hospital executive at Trident Health System. Campeau has long been active at the community level on health care issues, and, in the past, the Charleston Regional Business Journal has partnered with Trident Health System to inform area employers about workplace wellness and related health insurance issues.
Ideally, the Well Region initiative will help build a corporate culture among companies here that will move the needle in the right direction on workplace wellness. Among other things, participants in this effort are required to become WELCOA members, which is a good thing because of the wealth of specialized information on wellness available to members. The Business Journal is pleased to be a part of this important initiative along with a number of leading area businesses.
Tri-County Project Care
Another positive development is the “restart” of Tri-County Project Care. This initiative was the brainchild of Dr. Casey Fitts, a surgeon who took time off from his practice several years ago to launch a program to provide care for the working uninsured.
Area hospitals, physicians and others chipped in with services and funding. The result was a successful demonstration program showing that high-quality primary care and access to acute medical care could be provided for a relatively modest cost.
The program had to suspend operations for a time due to lack of funding, but it’s now up and running again on a limited basis, this time with legislative approval from the General Assembly to charge a fee for participation in the program. While the fees, paid by employees and/or their employers, won’t provide adequate funding over the long run without other financial support, they are an important step in the right direction.
This program is particularly important because of its potential to “fill the gaps” by providing coverage for those who work but can’t afford or don’t have access to traditional employer group health coverage.
Trident United Way
Since early last year, Trident United Way’s Promoting Health and Wellness Vision Council has stepped up its activities to promote wellness by connecting with community groups and programs in the Charleston area. With the addition of a full-time staff person to communicate and coordinate activities, new energy has been focused on getting the word out about how people can take personal responsibility for maintaining better health through increased physical activity and improved nutrition.
For example, last fall’s Body and Soul Food Fest in North Charleston drew 1,500 people to Park Circle to sample healthy food, play physically active games and participate in health screenings and health education. This is a potential model for continuing efforts modeled on the popular weekend farmers markets as a venue for health education.
Charleston Area Health Council
While the United Way’s effort is focused on promoting individual health and wellness, there’s also a need to tackle the complex issues surrounding the delivery of health care.
It’s widely acknowledged that health care in the United States is characterized by high costs and, all too often, uneven care or no care at all, depending upon an individual’s personal circumstances.
Some of the high costs are due to the exceptional medical technologies and pharmaceutical products that can preserve and extend life as never before. But other costs are due to inefficiencies and poor delivery of care.
A prime example is the lack of electronic medical records systems to maintain patient care records and health histories. Too often, patient information is buried in paper files in doctors’ offices and isn’t easily available to other specialists and hospitals when critical care decisions are made.
Addressing issues like these is a huge challenge in a balkanized health care system that is barely a system at all. The situation cries out for a collaborative community effort to develop win-win solutions that will benefit both medical care providers and area citizens as consumers of health care services.
A venue for this type of problem solving may be in the making—the Charleston Area Health Council. Thus far, the health council is only an idea, but things are moving forward.
The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and Trident United Way have agreed to convene a group of community leaders, including physicians, hospital executives, employers and other stakeholders, to discuss the formation of the health council and define its mission and role.
The competitive edge
I continue to believe that improving the health care delivery in our region and promoting wellness and prevention will give us a competitive edge over other regions when it comes to economic development.
Moving the needle on this one is not easy, but the payoff can be huge.
I hope you’ll consider joining other business and community leaders who see this as a great opportunity to help our citizens, our workers, their families and the region’s economy.
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