Tsunami level of changes coming to health care, Navicent CEO says

Health care will undergo radical changes in the coming years, with clinics and retail health care becoming more popular and the length of hospital stays decreasing, the president of Navicent Health said Monday.

Ninfa Saunders, the head of Bibb County’s largest employer, spoke Monday about the level of challenges facing health care during a Rotary Club of Macon meeting. Navicent is preparing for the shifting dynamics, she said, during a challenging time for the industry.

“The worst of times are really here,” Saunders said during the meeting. “The only thing I consider the best about what we do is we are there for you, there to serve the economy.”

While the number of people that are uninsured has been drastically reduced from about 41 million eight years ago, the rate of the underinsured has quickly risen as well as the average deductible that many young people are paying, she said.

With the Department of Justice’s opposition to mega health care insurance mergers, the likelihood of some companies pulling out of markets increases. The upcoming presidential election could also determine whether the Affordable Care Act continues or if the system changes, Saunders said.

But while political lines could help determine the system and how it’s funded, the care is clearly shifting from a “hospital-centric” approach, Saunders said.

“(Health systems) will get paid one payment from the time you’re diagnosed to the time to have surgery to time of post acute” care, she said.

Saunders predicts that the average length of stay at Navicent will drop from slightly under six days to about 3.5 days in the next several years. This will mean hospitals will have to be more precise on what happens each day while a patient is there.

“We have to learn to be more expeditious in our decision-making process and critical thinking skills,” she said.

Clinics likely will become more common throughout communities. The retail nature of health care continues to emerge, with stores such as Wal-Mart and Walgreeens serving as portals of care.

“I would predict in the next couple years we will see free-standing clinics everywhere,” Saunders said. “Where you shop, where you get your food, where you get your clothes is where you’ll get your health care.”

Also, in New York, there has been the “Uberization” of health care, with people getting services delivered to their homes.

“Someone is going to re-enter that market sooner or later,” Saunders said.

Navicent is preparing for the changes in several ways, including partnerships and new programs.

The Peyton Anderson Cancer Center at Medical Center, Navicent Health, recently joined with the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University for a collaboration on cancer care.

Navicent will also open a “navigation center” that will be used to coordinate care for patients. The health system also continues to work with colleges and the Bibb County school district, and it has expanded its reach with hospitals in Monroe, Peach and Putnam counties.

Navicent is also working to identify retail partnerships and improve services through Stratus Healthcare, a network of hospitals, doctors and systems in central and south Georgia that pool resources.

“In an old adage it was build it and they will come,” Saunders said. “In the new platform we must go to the community to serve the community before they get sick.”

This story was originally published September 19, 2016 at 6:01 PM with the headline "Tsunami level of changes coming to health care, Navicent CEO says."