Our Vision of a Healthy Pennsylvania

December 30, 2013

What will health care look like in ten to 15 years?

This was the question that HAP used as the foundation for our new strategic plan. Working with HAP’s board and a HAP-member task force, we considered how health care might be financed, looking at government, employer, and consumer responsibility. 

We also looked at care delivery–through traditional health care facilities and the new models of care that are emerging on the scene.

Ultimately, we focused on HAP’s role in bringing value and relevance to our members under multiple scenarios. 

Our vision is that of a healthy Pennsylvania. Our mission is to be the leading advocate for improving the health and well-being of Pennsylvanians. 

To do so, we must be responsive to the way health care delivery is changing. When we talk about different models of care, we are referring to a range of options from accountable care organizations and integrated networks to: 

• Patient-centered medical homes
• Greater use of health care clinics
• Tele-health
• A return to "house calls"
• Use of mobile devices
• Greater focus on health and wellness
• Patient- and family involvement in decisions

Hospitals are not just providers of acute and emergent care. They are building relationships with patients and consumers that go beyond an episode of care. 

Hospitals are investing more resources in helping individuals stay healthy. They are providing more community–based opportunities to improve health status. They want to be long-term partners in care.

In response, HAP’s strategic plan aligns with principles developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, called the Triple Aim:

• Improving the patient experience with a focus on improved patient satisfaction scores; health literacy; and patient and family-engagement 
• Improving population health with a focus on access to primary care; community health status; disparities in care; and adequate health insurance coverage
• Reducing the per capita costs of care with a focus on providing the right care, at the right time, in the right setting; and achieving financial sustainability

HAP must support all our members as they determine what changes will be needed to best meet their communities’ health care needs. What will make our association effective in this environment? Among other strategies, HAP must:

• Expand our role as a convener to bring the right partners together to achieve high qualityand better value
• Engage the broader health care community in advocacy, including traditional and non-traditional partners
• Become more consumer-focused
• Serve as a catalyst to remove barriers to effective and efficient coordination of care and improve care transitions for consumers and families care across the continuum 

HAP’s strengths in advocacy and relationship-building serve as a strong foundation for these next steps. We are committed to providing high value services to meet our member’s needs. 

The blue and white “H” will always be a symbol for healing, health, and hope. But more than a building or campus, it also is people, services, and resources that improve quality of life for everyone.