Improving Healthcare In Jefferson Parish

With input from Jefferson Parish hospitals, business leaders and healthcare professionals, Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO) released eight strategies to improve healthcare in the Parish.

The strategies are designed to address three critical issues facing hospitals today: uncompensated care, post-Katrina burdens on the healthcare delivery system and overall health of Jefferson residents.

• Uncompensated care is a factor for all New Orleans metro hospitals since Katrina. With the closure of the Charity Hospital System, the burden to treat uninsured patients has fallen on two public hospitals in Jefferson: East Jefferson General Hospital (EJGH) and West Jefferson Medical Center (WJMC). Before the hurricane, approximately 2% of East Jefferson’s patients lacked health insurance. That figure rose to 8% in 2006. While it has since declined, the percentage remains higher than the pre-Katrina share. At West Jefferson, 14% of patients are now uninsured, up from 5% before the storm.
• Medicare compensation rates are based on pre-Katrina labor and insurance costs. Because an inordinately high percentage of patients at Jefferson Parish hospitals are on Medicare, the disproportionate reimbursements are not sufficient to sustain the hospitals’ operations in the long run.
• Louisiana consistently ranks at the bottom on national health statistics. The state is 49th for overall health as well as in incidence of cancer and premature deaths. There is a connection between a healthy lifestyle and improved health outcomes that needs to be communicated to the public. Healthier residents translate to fewer hospital visits, a more productive workforce and lower healthcare costs.

The fact that all three Jefferson hospitals, East Jefferson, West Jefferson and Ochsner, have operated continuously since Katrina with no decrease in in-patients or quality of care has played a major role in the recovery of Jefferson Parish and the entire region. In fact, over the last three years, all three hospitals have established new programs and received numerous awards. The following strategies will ensure the continued progress in Jefferson Parish’s core healthcare infrastructure:

1. Advocate for direct financial assistance from the federal government to assist hospitals in the New Orleans region.
   During the summer of 2008, Congress stripped a $157 million appropriation for assisting New Orleans area hospitals from the total appropriation package. This appropriation needs to pass, or services and overall capacity at major hospitals in Jefferson may need to be cut.
2. Work with the Federal Department of Health and Human Services to implement updates to the Medicare reimbursement schedule as soon as possible.
   Because of the lag time with Medicare reimbursement adjustments, interim adjustments to the Medicare reimbursement rates need to be made to account for changes in post-Katrina market.
3. Collaborate with state Department of Health and Hospitals to establish formal programs to increase enrollment in Medicaid.
   Many of the area’s uninsured population may be eligible for Medicaid, which at least offers some reimbursements to the hospitals. By increasing awareness of Medicaid through enhanced public outreach and by providing direct assistance in guiding people through enrollment at various healthcare points of entry (neighborhood clinics and emergency rooms), the number of uninsured will decrease.
4. Work with the State’s Department of Health and Hospitals to establish “certificate of need” program for specialty hospitals.
   Specialty hospitals take away insured patients from full-service hospitals and often do not handle uncompensated care. The certification program would require that proposed new hospitals demonstrate they will meet a well-documented need in the community without duplicating current capacity.
5. Work with LSU Hospital System to chart a mutually beneficial direction for the planned new hospital in downtown New Orleans.
6. Seek closer collaboration among service district hospitals, parish government and state to reduce operating costs and increase revenues.
   
   • Combine forces of both East Jefferson and West Jefferson hospitals to negotiate reimbursement rates from insurers and purchase goods or services
   • Ensure that revenue from traffic violation cameras be directed to EJGH and WJMC, as was originally stipulated
   • De-obligate hospitals from prisoner care and neighborhood clinics
   • Encourage reimbursement from state for accepting uninsured patients in lieu of a Charity Hospital
7. Adopt and implement a “healthy communities” component of the Envision Jefferson 2020 Comprehensive Plan.
   Through the Parish Planning Department, develop a framework for engaging the public to adopt healthier lifestyles through additional bicycle and walking paths, wellness centers, and by offering nutritional information at fast food restaurants.

View the full list of hospitals improvements

Hospitals Status Report 1: March, 2009 (PDF - 4 Pages - 336 KB)

Hospitals Status Report 2: October, 2009 (PDF - 6 Pages - 215 KB)

Hospitals Status Report 3: October, 2010 (PDF - 6 Pages - 2.36MB)

Download the full strategic implementation plan

Jefferson EDGE 2020 Strategic Implementation Plan - Hospitals Report (PDF - 2.8 MB )