Telling the Hospital Story:
―Showing We’re Different‖
WHA Community Benefit Survey Training
March 22,23,24
Mary Kay Grasmick
Uninsured charged more,
Top hospital rates hit group charges; Area
underinsured hospitals dispute that poor
pay more for care
Woman's $36,540 surgery
eventually halved By JOE MANNING
Posted: July 27, 2004
By JOE MANNING
Posted: Dec. 25, 2004 Hospitals charge uninsured
Barbara Hill's arthritic hip caused people three to four times
her excruciating pain. The West more than health insurance
Allis woman knew that she companies for the same
couldn't live with the discomfort, medical procedures, the head
but she was stunned when the bill of a Hispanic group said in
for her operation came to Milwaukee on Tuesday.
$36,540. Insurance companies
negotiate client discounts
with hospitals, he said, but
the uninsured don't have that
advantage, said K.B. Forbes,
executive director of the Los
Angeles
“It’s the most feel good thing that I
do. Some have pretty severe
problems ,but all you see is a little
baby that needs your help. They’re
so tiny and helpless.
- Ann Vande Hei
2004 Community Involvement Report
Wisconsin Public Service
(Utility based in Green Bay)
Why stories?
• Stories have more impact than the data alone,
we will report data, but LEAD with stories
• Differentiates our community benefits from
those of other industries in our communities
• Majority will be health care related – how
hospitals help people get well, live stronger, live
longer—raise the health status of a community.
For each community benefit
service or program…
• Try to find a real life story that illustrates
WHY that program is important to the
community—or how it was important in
someone’s life.
Now, let’s tell a story…
Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital,
Milwaukee (Web site)
Patient Turnarounds
The Huiras Family Ozaukee Community Health Clinic
provides ongoing care to many patients with chronic and
complex diseases. Often it is difficult to see the full impact of
our work, but occasionally we see patients who make clear
and dramatic turnarounds in their health because of the Clinic.
Two such stories show the impact of skillful diagnostics and
treatment available to all.
Shelly was a middle-aged woman who worked hard as an
in-home caregiver and as a beautician. Unfortunately,
neither of these service-industry jobs provided health
coverage. When she began to have fluid retention problems,
she knew she needed medical help. She came to the Clinic
and was diagnosed with severe kidney failure. She was
helped to receive fairly expensive medication and now is in
full remission. As her health returned, Shelly was able to
gain employment in a job with health coverage. She no
longer needs the services of the Clinic, but her life is much
better for the service she did receive.
John, an uninsured man in his twenties, came to the
Clinic for what he was sure was just a chest cold.
Since Clinic clients receive the same attention to detail
and quality of care as any Columbia St. Mary's patient,
his physician was careful to make a complete
diagnosis. John’s symptoms were not consistent with a
simple chest cold and he was sent to a pulmonologist
for further work-up. A bronchoscopy helped to
diagnose a rare fungal infection, which required six
months of antifungal medication.
Meet Bill Solberg
How to collect ―real stories‖
• Finding the stories
• HIPAA
• Tie the story to an activity
• The interview
• Patient approval of story/photo
How can you use stories?
• Community newsletter
• Employee publications
• Community Benefit Report
• Newspaper feature stories
• Regional news conferences
How will WHA use stories?
• Statewide community benefit report
– Distributed to media, legislators, key leaders in the
community
– Aggregated by WHA, but you can localize
• Statewide News Conference this summer
• Web site
– Stories will be collected for inclusion in the
statewide website – by region/city
• WHA’s newsletter, ―The Valued Voice‖
From New
Jersey Hospital
Association
Web Site