Senior Caucus A Special Interest Group Affiliated with Group Health Cooperative Annual Report

Transcription

1 Senior Caucus A Special Interest Group Affiliated with Group Health Cooperative 2014 Annual Report Senior Caucus Officers Carlye Teel, Chair Jay Sundahl, Vice Chair Doug Beeman, Secretary Janet Claypool, Treasurer Doug Beeman Georgie Brewer Tom Brewer Susan Casey Janet Claypool Gordon Harper Melanie Johnson Rick Rice Gayle Sharp Jay Sundahl Carlye Teel Margaret Thue Dorothy Watson Executive Committee Members Caucus Secretary, Coverage and Legislation Vice Chair Health Care Committee Vice Chair Coverage and Legislation Committee Chair Caucus Treasurer Health Care Committee Chair Immediate Past Caucus Chair Caucus Vice Chair Caucus Chair 2014 Senior Caucus Goals The Caucus goals are ongoing and broad enough to cover contingencies and change but specific enough to keep the Senior Caucus true to its Constitutional purpose. 1. Monitor and advise on coverage and dues for seniors 2. Monitor and advise on legislative and advocacy processes affecting health care for seniors 3. Provide information and education to increase enrollees knowledge about and encourage participation in self- directed health promotion opportunities at Group Health Cooperative 4. Monitor and advise on health care services 5. Enhance the effectiveness of the Caucus 6. Encourage involvement of Group Health members in governance of GHC 1

2 Senior Caucus Overview The Senior Caucus continued its transition in The Senior Caucus continues to strive for a working partnership with the Board of trustees, GHC management and medical staff. We are a special interest group providing open forums for discussion that lead to useful advice to the organization s leaders in order to improve quality of care and coverage for all senior enrollees. Continuing changes to the Caucus occurred. The chapters had been discontinued in 2013 and the thought had been to make a wider range of information available in a larger geographic area and of interest to a wider range of enrollees. These were not successful. As a result, the Senior Caucus worked this year on the design of its future direction. To that end the Development Committee was formed and has been meeting regularly. Two focus groups were held to get member feedback on the future direction of the Caucus. Results from the focus groups were used to design an electronic survey to get feedback from GHC seniors on activities that the Caucus should focus on in the future. Based on the focus group and survey results, the Development Committee proposed that changes should be implemented to have meetings become more action oriented, less formal and more focused in a way that enables the Caucus to be an advocate for senior health care and wellness, and federal and state senior health care issues. The proposal was approved at the Caucus s December 2014 Executive Committee meeting. This work is ongoing and will continue in Executive Committee The Executive Committee met eight (8) times in The December meeting was a joint meeting with Health care and Coverage and Legislation committees. Members of the Board, departmental managers and specific Group Health physicians were invited to attend our meetings to share information and accept feedback and ideas. The Annual Spring Meeting was in April and the topic was Understanding Your Personal Values and End of Life Choices. Susan Powell was the featured speaker. The annual Fall Meeting and Trustee Candidate Forum was held in September. The topic was Access to Care; Quality of Care. This meeting was well attended. Dr. Steve Tarnoff was the featured speaker and he did a wonderful job. Board President Porsche Everson was very helpful and stayed for an extra hour after the program concluded to meet with attendees regarding the advisory resolution which was a hot topic at the meeting. Below are several noteworthy accomplishments: The Caucus was very helpful in working with Group Health on the Access to Care advisory resolution issue. 2

3 The Caucus was an advocate for our Silver Sneakers participants by helping to keep the pressure on Healthways to improve health club exercise options. The Caucus gave Group Health management very valuable feedback on potential bylaw changes. The educational programs were interesting and informative but the primary accomplishments were in the above areas. Guest Presenters during the year were: Terri Boehm, Director of Web Services Beverly Green MD, MPH Denise Klein Susan Byington Development Committee Porsche Everson Kim Wicklund Virgil Clarkson/ Madeline Otto Electronic Medical Records Update Grant Proposal to prevent heart disease and strokes Village Network for Seniors Bylaws Update Update Future Direction od SC State of the Cooperative Shared decision Making Impacts on Patient Outcomes and Costs Senior Lobby Update and Federal Legislative Update The Inspiration Award was presented to two leaders, Rick Rice and Jay Sundahl, who inspired the Caucus with their efforts in fulfilling the Caucus mission. The committee meetings were well organized and supported by Jane McNamee, Governance Partner, Caron D Amelio, Administrative Coordinator and additional Governance staff. The Caucus thanks Anne-Marie LaPorte, Governance Services Director, for her expert advice and cooperation that enables the Senior Caucus to be an effective Special Interest Group of Group Health Cooperative. 3

4 Annual Report 2014 Coverage and Legislation Committee Susan Casey, Chair Doug Beeman, Vice Chair and Acting Secretary In 2014, the Coverage and Legislation Committee had three meetings (January, March, and May) and held a joint meeting with the Executive Committee in December. The name of the committee and its two goals aptly describe its focus. Goal 1 Monitor and advise on coverage and dues for seniors addresses coverage of programs available for seniors. Goal 2 - Monitor and advise on legislative issues and advocacy processes affecting health care for seniors -- is the legislative focus. The year started off with news that the availability of SilverSneakers programs was being further cut back when it was announced that Healthways Inc., with whom GHC contracts to provide SilverSneakers sites, was no longer going to be able to offer the program at the Olympic Athletic Club in Ballard beginning March Coverage and Legislation had several briefings from Rick Henshaw (GHC Sales Director) who met with the committee. While GHC was not successful in having the cancelled SilverSneakers program reinstated at Olympic Athletic Club or at the three YMCA s that were cancelled in 2013, GHC did provide more information about where SilverSneakers and EnhanceFitness opportunities were available in the Seattle area. In addition to meetings with Rick Henshaw, Stacey Eggleston and Jessica Martin from Healthways met with the committee in March. On the recommendation of the Coverage and Legislation Committee, the Executive Committee of Senior Caucus shared their concern with the Board of Trustees about reduction of health and wellness opportunities, Specific programs during the year included: Paula Lozano, MD (GHC Assistant Director, Preventative Care) discussed the connection between the Affordable Care Act and Group Health Medical Home 2.0 Liz Mercer (SHIBA Regional Training Consultant) presented information about longterm care insurance and what is and is not available Madeline Otto (GHC Director, Federal Government Relations) and Amber Bronnum (GHC Analyst, Public Policy) presented an update on the changing federal landscape. Madeline Otto also gave an update at the end of the year on federal healthcare legislation Rick Henshaw (GHC Director, I&F and Medicare Advantage Sales and Account Management) gave the committee an update on Medicare Open Enrollment. 4

5 DRAFT Annual Report 2014 Health Care Committee Melanie Johnson, Chair Tom Brewer, Vice Chair The two main goals of the committee were to 1) provide information and education to increase enrollees knowledge about and encourage participation in self-directed health promotion opportunities at Group Health Cooperative; and 2) monitor and advise on health care services. These goals were accomplished through meetings of the Health Care Committee which featured presentations in February, June, and November, as well as the Spring Meeting in April. February Meeting The February meeting s focus was on obtaining feedback from members on the 2014 goals and objectives, the upcoming spring meeting, and future health care committee topics. Spring Meeting This year s spring meeting was attended by over 70 people. Susan Powell, psychosocial manager at Group Health, and manager of the Home Health & Hospice program led the program with the presentation, Understanding Your Personal Values and End-of-Life Choices. A contingent of members who formed a group called Concerned Members of Group Health Cooperative also attended to seek Caucus support for a potential advisory resolution pertaining to access to care at religiously affiliated hospitals. Sally Yates, vice president and general counsel concluded the meeting by giving a brief overview on potential Group Health Cooperative bylaw changes and asked for Caucus s feedback. June Meeting Dr. Bruce Smith, associate medical director for Medicare and Medicaid presented a dementia update that focused on current findings of the disease, differences between Alzheimer s disease and dementia, and ways to prevent and mitigate the disease. November Meeting Jessica Lee, resident physician, and Terrence Clark, OD and Tacoma chief, gave an eye care/eye disease presentation entitled The Cloudy Eye and They Scary Eye. Health Care Committee Chair During the December Joint Executive, Health Care, and Coverage and Legislation Committee meeting, Melanie Johnson, Health Care Committee chair announced that she was stepping down from this position. Carlye Teel, Executive Committee chair, thanked Melanie for her service and encouraged Caucus members to apply for the open chair position. Pat Kenney accepted the chair position effective January 1,

6 Need to add information on Rick and Jay winning the leadership award. 6