Amber Banducci is an MPH candidate at the Colorado School of Public Health. Banducci is interested in health care policy, particularly when it affects hospital administration operations, and the resulting health outcomes of patients. Banducci is attending the Symposium as part of its Symposium University program.
Today's discussion touched on a myriad of important topics to wrap up the Symposium. Some of the presentation highlights were cultural competency, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Children's Hospital Colorado innovations, and business in health care. Dr. Ian Smith started the day by bringing to light how the lack of cultural competency can have detrimental effects on the health care system and the outcome of patients. Dr. Smith emphasized that cultural change is inevitable, and we should embrace these changes to be at the forefront of effective and quality care. Cultural competency is more than overcoming language barriers; it is interacting with and treating patients in a way that respects their cultural mores. The presentation elicited audience members' concerns about how to address the issue of cultural competency. A concern I had that another audience member presented is the conflict with generalizing interactions based on race or ethnicity and treating each patient as a unique individual. How does a physician apply their cultural competency without losing the individuality of the patient during brief physician-patient interactions?
Senator Hank Brown followed by highlighting some of the challenges of the ACA and the aspects that are likely to stick for at least several years. There has been some media and public speculation about the life of the ACA. Sen. Brown asserted that the bill would not likely be repealed in the near feature, and that the bill pre-appropriated funding for the regulatory phase of the bill, thus funding is stable for the implementation of the ACA for at least several years. It was refreshing to get an honest legislator's perspective on the state of the ACA, which has a tendency to mystify the public.
A variety of perspectives on health care problems and solutions were presented through the rest of the morning. I particularly enjoyed Jena Hausmann's honest and direct presentation on the innovative solutions Children's Hospital Colorado is implementing. Children's Hospital has implemented some creative changes such as telemedicine, electronic health records, automated reminders using text messaging and other technology, and performance transparency. There was one concern that I had regarding performance transparency. If a hospital is alone in posting performance in their market, could this be detrimental to that hospital's business due to the consumer's inability to compare performance to other hospitals?
Reflecting upon the Symposium as it comes to a close, many important and difficult health topics were covered over the past three days. Many questions were answered, and of course, we still leave with many uncertainties. Despite the uncertainties, health professionals leave the Symposium today with renewed motivation and new ideas that will inform their practice. It is inspiring to see a large group of passionate health professionals dedicated to improving our nation's health. I am honored that I could participate in a stimulating discussion of problems that challenge our nation's health and learn about the many creative and innovative solutions that are being developed and implemented. Walking away with a better understanding of the state of our nation's health and a toolbox of ideas for solutions, I can be a more engaged and effective contributor to the health community. I cannot thank the Colorado Health Foundation enough for giving me the opportunity to participate in these important discussions and develop my skills as a health solutions leader.
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