What’s happening: Earlier this week, Lori Morgan, MD, MBA, President & CEO of Huntington Health in Pasadena — who is also a member of the boards of both CHA and the American Hospital Association — shared an important perspective before the state Assembly Health Committee on how the Los Angeles fires impacted surrounding communities and the role of hospitals in California’s response to this and other disasters.
What else to know: Dr. Morgan’s testimony was an important opportunity to share perspective on hospitals’ unique role in disaster response and the ways that state government can be helpful before, during, and after crises to ensure an efficient, rapid response that delivers care for Californians.
Dr. Morgan also touched on other significant challenges facing hospitals that threaten their ability to not only respond to natural disasters, but also continue meeting the needs of all patients. These challenges include: ongoing financial instability (53% of California hospitals lose money every day to care for patients), workforce shortages, inadequate reimbursement practices, and more.
CHA continues to reinforce these messages with state and federal policymakers to secure hospital care for all Californians.
