The health care industry has experienced dramatic changes in recent years due to the influence of local, state and federal government. The Affordable Care Act, Medicare reform, Medicaid expansion, certificate of need laws, and scope of practice legislation are examples of how significantly our mission is affected by legislative decision making.
Some of our most ardent supporters have formed a new political action committee (PAC) called Baptist Making Healthier Communities PAC (BMHCPAC). The BMHCPAC was established to raise funds to support officeholders and candidates in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas who understand the challenges hospitals are experiencing and the importance of quality health care in the communities they serve.
In the future, approximately 75% of our patients will be covered by some type of governmentally connected payer source. We need elected leaders who support patients, hospitals, and physicians and will impact regulation and legislation in positive directions.
I am pleased to announce that the president of BMHCPAC is Jim Ainsworth, a longtime Baptist team member who retired as vice president for the regional market. Don Pounds, our recently retired chief financial officer, will serve as treasurer, and Robert Gordon, our former chief administrative officer, will serve as secretary.
This PAC will give us ‒ and more importantly, our patients ‒ a voice in government. We will use that voice to ensure that the communities we serve will continue to have exceptional health care close to home.
Do you have questions about our new PAC? Feel free to email them to me, send me a tweet @jason_m_little, or ask me on LinkedIn. I look forward to hearing from you.