Supes, planning committee discuss future of health care

Given the changes predicted in demographics, the economic realities facing doctors and the escalating advances in health care technologies, how does the future look for community health care systems?
First and Third District Sonoma County Supervisors Valerie Brown and Tim Smith, along with Sonoma County Health Services Director Rita Scardaci, addressed the question before the Sonoma Valley Hospital Strategic Planning Committee at its Sept. 17 meeting.
Brown, who recently attended a health care symposium in Washington D.C., said she’d seen a nationwide concern with health-care issues ranging from the need for universal health care to access to individual health care records. “If L.L. Bean can remember the sweater you bought two years ago,” she said, “the drugstore should be able to remember the pills you got last week.”
The speed of change is a complicating factor. “Frequently, I’m asked, ‘What does the health care system look like in 20 years?’ said Rita Scardaci. “And there is no system. We all know that.” She said things are changing so fast, even experts won’t predict what a viable model for a health care delivery system will look like in the future.
On the bright side, Scardaci praised the JPA for its strength in collaboration, and despite the field of challenges encouraged the hospital representatives: “You’re on the path because of your relationship with your community clinic, you have a dedicated and passionate community, and you have leadership that is willing to look at the whole spectrum of disease, from prevention to primary care.”
SVH boardmember Arnold Riebli was less optimistic. “The health care system is broken,” he said, “and it’s broken because there’s no money. Look at what’s working: Kaiser. Delivers the service. Low cost. The JPA – it’s like the four broke sisters going to the debtors’ ball.”
Carl Gerlach, SVH CEO, said, “I’m with Arnie. You’re going to have a serious public health disaster if you don’t have enough primary care physicians. I don’t know what you can do to help us with that.”
Brown took the long view. “I guess I look at where we were three years ago and where we are today. Understand that the issue about primary care physicians isn’t just us, it’s nation wide. And big medical centers are now talking about how they need to re-formulate themselves to create less specialty care and more primary care physicians. We have not heard the district hospitals come forward with a plan. And I think that is up to you.”