NASHVILLE—Anna Roth, CEO of the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and Health Centers, says she listens to patients, not naysayers.
As keynote speaker Monday at the Modern Healthcare Women Leaders in Healthcare conference, Roth, a high school dropout who ended up graduating from Harvard, told 250 healthcare professionals to be bold and empower can-do people around them.
About three years ago, the 166-bed county hospital in Martinez in Northern California, instituted 24-hour family visiting hours after Roth said she learned from staff that a very sick child was unable to see his grandfather because of visiting-hour restrictions.
Since then, employees have gone even further to connect family members by arranging Skype sessions, she said.
Roth said she had her eyes opened again two years ago when the hospital and clinics decided to ask patients waiting for care what their biggest needs were.
She said they thought they would hear complaints about taking care of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and other infirmities. Instead, a majority of those who responded to the survey said they needed access to nutritional foods.
“It was hunger,” said Roth, who started in healthcare professionally as a nurse.
Contra Costa, which also operates a health plan, responded by working with vendor Health Leads to connect food pantries and other social services with patients of the hospital, health plan and 11 systems clinics.
Contra Costa is piloting an app with Health Leads that will help those patients find services beyond their doctor visits, Roth said.
These types of programs help population health because they allow physicians and patients to concentrate on the immediate health needs, she said.
“We have to have the courage to challenge the status quo at a fundamental level,” Roth said. “Why don't we address hunger?”
“These things seem like simple moves, but they're pretty bold for a health system.”
Among the other speakers at the conference were Dr. Rhonda Medows, executive vice president of population health at Providence Health & Services, and Nancy-Ann DeParle, an architect of the Affordable Care Act who is currently partner and co-founder of Consonance Capital Partners.
