- Michigan: Flint Mayor Karen Weaver on Tuesday recommended that the city get its water from Detroit's system—now known as the Great Lakes Water Authority—for the long term. As a cost-saving measure, Flint in April 2014 temporarily started using water from the Flint River while a pipeline connecting to the Karegnondi Water Authority (KWA) was completed. However, tests in 2015 found elevated lead levels in the city's water supply, which led Flint to return to using Detroit water. According to NPR, Weaver's decision to stick to with the Detroit water marks a reversal of her previous plan for Flint to eventually use the KWA water (Wamsley, NPR, 4/18).
- Nebraska: Veterans Affairs officials this week announced that VA has signed an agreement with Veterans Ambulatory Center Development to raise $30 million to build a new VA outpatient clinic in Omaha. According to VA officials, the partnership is the first of five public-private pilots planned around the country for VA. The $30 million will be added to the $56 million already appropriated for the new clinic, which will be part of VA's Nebraska/Western Iowa Health Care System (AP/Sacramento Bee, 4/19).
- Ohio: Drug and medical products distributor Cardinal Health on Tuesday announced that it intends to acquire Medtronic's medical supplies business for $6.1 billion. With the deal, Cardinal would gain access to Medtronic's 23 product categories in patient care, deep vein thrombosis, and nutritional insufficiency. The portfolio includes more than 10,000 employees across 17 manufacturing facilities. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2018, according to Modern Healthcare (Kacik, Modern Healthcare, 4/18).
12 things CEOs need to know in 2017
The continued growth of the consumer-driven health care market threatens the durability of patient-provider relationships—and, at the same time, the push toward population health management and risk-based payment is greater than ever.
Hospitals and health systems must adopt a two-pronged strategy to respond to these pressures and serve both public payers and the private sector.
At the core of that strategy? A formula of accessible, reliable, and affordable care that wins consumer preferences and drives loyalty over time. Below, we share 12 key insights for senior executives working to create a consumer-focused health system.