Timothy Pehrson
The work that goes on day-after-day in Oklahoma’s well being system transforms lives. Whether or not it’s offering lifesaving care for gratis to underserved members of our neighborhood, creating cutting-edge options to raised deal with complicated diseases, or offering preventive care to maintain our neighborhood wholesome, 1000’s of lives are touched day by day by the work of our state’s nurses, caregivers, and physicians.
All of us perceive that entry to high-quality well being care is central to our high quality of life. Equally, companies trying to launch or relocate perceive the significance of a robust well being system. Potential workers is not going to transfer their households to a brand new place with out understanding there can be entry to high-quality and inexpensive care once they get there.
In a world the place companies should compete greater than ever to draw gifted workers, and as our state works to draw new companies and industries, a robust, neighborhood well being business has by no means been extra beneficial.
Over the previous two years, our business has labored to proceed this life-changing work regardless of intense challenges and interruptions. We all know that the pandemic didn’t halt the necessity for liver transplants, chemotherapy, or coronary heart surgical procedure – in reality, the stress of the previous two years has typically elevated the necessity for non-COVID medical care.
Fortunately, we’ve largely emerged from the pandemic; nevertheless, new challenges face our nation – provide chain disruptions, employees shortages, and record-breaking inflation are only a few. These pressures are being felt by households and companies throughout Oklahoma, and the well being care business is not any completely different. Within the final yr, prices dealing with well being care suppliers have soared. Pharmaceutical costs have elevated greater than 35% since 2019, and provide and labor prices have outpaced inflation as effectively.
Overcoming the problem posed by inflation can be tough, and the answer would require suppliers and well being plans to work collectively. By working collectively, we are able to develop methods to coordinate care and handle complicated illnesses to maintain sufferers wholesome and scale back the general value of well being care. This can take cooperation and funding – nobody group can accomplish this alone.
Well being care leaders are working day-after-day to scale back prices, as a result of we perceive the significance of inexpensive and accessible well being take care of our state. As we emerge from two years throughout which we’ve considered well being care entry greater than ever earlier than, suppliers stand prepared to work with any companion who values our state’s well being system for the neighborhood asset that’s it.
Timothy Pehrson is president and CEO of Integris Well being.
