The WSBT Fact Finder team is taking a look at what health care reform means to you.
We explored how Obamacare could affect where you get treated and who treats you.
Historically, the American health system was identified as hospitals and doctors. Now, it’s the effective use of clinical procedures.
So, what does that mean?
It means finding the right procedure in the right location at the right time with the right caregiver. It’s not hospital dominant anymore. It’s a more holistic approach to medicine.
There are new rules, and it’s the task for health systems to make it all work.
To help us make sense of it all, we enlisted the help of Al Gutierrez, the president and CEO of St. Joseph Regional Medical Center.
He says it’s their job to make the health system one of the best in the world.
“We clearly supported the Affordable Care Act from the beginning,” said Gutierrez. “Insuring more Americans leads to a better health status, and we also believe that a lot of the efficiencies that need to occur, we created some of the inefficiencies. So, we now have the technology and the complex information systems to be able to do better decision making quicker and more cost effective.”
St. Joseph Regional Medical Center is consolidating with cuts of $21 million in costs the past 2 years.
Gutierrez says it has to be done, making health care more affordable for all.
