CEO Message

The Long Fight for Financial Relief

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Late last month, the respected health care financial analyst Kaufman Hall released its latest examination of the condition of hospitals as the nation continues to toil through the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the conclusions is something hospital leaders know all too well. From the report:

“As many push for a rapid return to ‘normal,’ hospital and health system leaders face a hard reality that there may never be a return to the old normal. The pandemic likely will have long-lasting repercussions on patient behavior, volumes, and the role of telehealth in an evolving healthcare landscape.”

Specifically, the report calls attention to several factors likely to influence hospitals’ ability to provide care in the same manner as prior to the pandemic, including:

CEO Message: Two Big Wins for California Hospitals

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This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.In a year like no other, it’s safe to say the victories have been few and far between. But today, California’s hospitals got two big wins in Congress.   First, the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 1868 as amended, which will continue to delay […]

CEO Message: 2021 Legislative Landscape Demands Focus, Engagement, and Some Compromise

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For hospitals, the past year of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic was one of the most frenetic, intense periods in health care in memory. 

For other sectors – restaurants, tourism, and more – things slowed to a snail’s pace. This is also true of government, where state and federal legislators in 2020 processed a limited number of bills as they focused on the crisis and their communities. 

CEO Message: Relief for California Hospitals Can Come in Many Ways — But it Must Come

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Today, President Biden signed a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package that will bring much-needed relief to a wide swath of the country including: an extension of jobless supplement programs, direct $1,400 payments to most Americans, an expansion of the child tax credit, support for restaurants, rental assistance, support for schools, and billions of dollars to state and local governments. 

CEO Message: Our Selfless Health Care Workers

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“Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.”  – Oscar Wilde 

As COVID-19’s winter surge continues to wane, as the supply of vaccinations begins to grow, and as the warmer months of spring and summer approach, state and federal leaders are under increased pressure to return to “normal” — whatever that might look like — in all facets of life: schools, businesses, restaurants, entertainment, and more. 

CEO Message: Hospitals Endure Massive Financial Hit from COVID-19

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As Congress continues to deliberate President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, with House approval expected Friday, a new report from financial consulting firm Kaufman Hall paints a troubling picture of the financial toll the pandemic has taken on hospitals. 

CEO Message: COVID-19 Support Tops 2021 Advocacy Agenda

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Tomorrow is the last day for California lawmakers to introduce bills during the 2021 legislative session and — despite the persistent challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic — legislation has been piling up. Already, CHA is tracking some 300 bills and is actively engaged on many of them.   

A new administration in Washington, D.C., means new and different approaches to federal health policy as well. 

CEO Message: Federal Action Needed to Help Hospitals

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Negotiations on President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package are continuing at a rapid pace, and the budget reconciliation process used to advance the proposal means the House could take a final vote by the end of February. 

Despite the size of Biden’s plan, there’s one glaring hole: No hospital-specific aid to support patient care, workforce sustainability, and health care infrastructure. 

CEO Message: Adjusting to the COVID-19 Whiplash

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“Always focus on the front windshield and not the rearview mirror.” ― Gen. Colin Powell 

Almost a year ago to the day, Feb. 3, 2020, Santa Clara County declared a local health emergency due COVID-19, the first county in California to do so.  

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