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Planning for Better Health
by Bruce D. Greenstein
Secretary, Louisiana DHH
PUBLISHED: September/October 2011
READ PAGE FLIP or READ PDF
There is no doubt that a well-performing government, at
any level, is an important part of a successful society.
Where failure has occurred is when public institutions
begin counting success as simply continuing to exist. The world
is changing, particularly around health care. We may continue
to merely exist and churn out the same processes of each previous
year, perhaps with fewer dollars and people, but then we
should not be surprised when our children remain among the
most obese, our babies continue to be born premature, and our
adults die earlier with unmanaged chronic disease.
Governor Jindal took office in 2008 with a vision to transform
government to deliver better services at lower costs.
While DHH is an organization filled with dedicated individuals,
we have lacked the structure to plan executable goals
and effectively manage and measure our progress. In early
September, the Department of Health of Hospitals publishes
its business plan for fiscal year 2012 (the second of its kind).
I do not pretend this plan will solve our state’s health challenges.
What it does say—and I think this is incredibly important—
is that the government agency charged with the mission
of protecting and promoting the health of the people of
this state is, in many areas, challenging the notion of “business
as usual.”
I invite you to visit new.dhh.louisiana.gov and explore the plan
thoroughly. Within, you will find thoughtful analysis of our
state’s current health status, including both challenges and
opportunities we have before us. We’ll explore DHH’s impact
as the state’s health care agency, including a business review
of critical functions and an honest look at performance. The
heart of this plan is a detailed description of our top policy
and programmatic priorities for health care that put the Governor’s
vision into action. It also includes internal development
initiatives designed to help us work smarter and deliver higher
value to taxpayers and the people who receive our services.
These priorities are expressed through transformative
initiatives that, while not inclusive of the department’s entire
book of business, fit within a business platform we have
identified as the basis for our objectives: using technology to
transform health care, innovating delivery of care, improving
our health outcomes, and building a
smarter and more efficient agency.
They include things like the successful
transformation of Medicaid through
implementation of Coordinated Care
Networks, continued execution of the
state’s health information technology
agenda, and our commitment to expand
access to community-based care for the elderly and
people with developmental disabilities.
While this business plan is focused on objectives for fiscal
year 2011-2012, we have an eye on the long-term horizon as we
begin to think carefully about how our state is preparing and
responding to an evolving world. That’s why you will also find
passages aimed at sparking a thoughtful dialogue about the
future of public health, rural health, our health care workforce
and long-term care in our state. Following the release of this
plan, DHH will publish a series of white papers around these
issues and host summits where stakeholders and consumers
can participate in a discussion about their future. Hopefully,
together, we can create an executable plan that will place Louisiana
at the forefront of innovative and effective health care
delivery in the twenty-first century.
Another overarching theme of this plan, and of our entire
philosophy, is ownership. Through the priorities and commitments
made within, DHH is accepting ownership and accountability
for the successful execution of the responsibilities bestowed
upon us by people of this state. We pledge to seek
every opportunity to ensure that we are spending the dollars
that you, the taxpayer, have entrusted to us with the highest
levels of integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness. But, in this
case, ownership is a two-way street. It is no secret that our
state lags in countless health rankings and indicators, but we
should not accept 49th in perpetuity. Our potential is much
greater and we will only succeed by working together and
taking personal responsibility, so I encourage you to take
ownership of you and your family’s health. Better well-being
can be achieved one thoughtful decision at a time: soda or
water; fried or baked; an hour of television or a walk around
the neighborhood. These are the challenges we are faced with.
They are not easy and, like you, I face my own each day. Nevertheless,
I aim to choose better health: for me, my family, and
my state, and I hope you will too.
Learn more at new.dhh.louisiana.gov.
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