HJNO Nov/Dec 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  NOV / DEC 2020 19 our community provides the best possible setting for all aspects of cancer care, includ- ing integrative therapies and survivorship support. What are your current needs as a hospital? While we are proud to be a FitchA+-rated hospital with a positive outlook with no tax millage attached to our service district, we readily recognize that federal and state legis- lative support for hospitals and health issues are vital to our own success and that of all our fellow health providers. Nationally, we are all on a journey from fee-for-service medicine into value-based care, focused on quality metrics and popu- lation healthmanagement. Our current needs from the federal standpoint are the contin- ued advancement of quality and population health initiatives, legislative solutions for the social determinants of health and funding for needed care through programs such asMedi- care, Medicaid and 340B funding of cancer therapies, which are all vitally important for our health system and our partners in care. From our state leaders, we are grateful for their unwavering support of healthcare heroes in the face of the global pandemic, which has wreaked havoc in our state, and appreciate their efforts to continue the emer- gency declaration that supports how we are delivering care in these harrowing times. We also encourage our legislators to carry forward the goodwill and remember that we need their continued support and fund- ing for the most vulnerable populations in our state, who statistically have challenging health outcomes. Do you feel like you are succeeding? In a word, yes!We were founded to ensure the families of west St. Tammany and sur- rounding areas did not have to travel for care. Today, we embody that purpose, and our board of commissioners, executive team, partners and medical staff collaborate to ensure we grow strategically to support the needs of our local population, ensuring we will always deliver on the promise of world- class healthcare, close to home. As we employ national best practices in our own daily operations, we are proud to see national agencies award our sustained performance over time. We are recognized by Healthgrades, Hospital Compare, Leapfrog, Quantros/CareChex,Women’s Choice and US News & World Report for continued stellar performance in hospital quality, patient safety and service excellence. That level of national recognition reaches all the way back to 2009. St. Tammany Health System is also recog- nized with many accreditations and certifi- cations including accreditation byThe Joint Commission as well as byAmerican College of Radiology for all imagining modalities at all our locations and as a center of excellence for breast imaging. The American College of Surgeons verifies our Level 2 Trauma ser- vices and accredits our community cancer program through its Commission on Can- cer and our Women’s Pavilion through its National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers. Beyond that, we have met national standards for programs including primary stroke center, chest pain center, infectious disease center of excellence, sleep disorders center, blood bank, cardio and pulmonary rehab center, diabetes program, and for the special training we have to support patients in breastfeeding, autismand elder care. All of these certifications, accreditations and com- mendations help us maintain our commit- ment to the community to provide safe, reli- able and high-quality care locally. Is there anything your community or local government can do to help support you as a hospital? We are so grateful to everyone in our