Hospitals: Job Re-Training Programs Allay Community's Layoff Fears
To head off a community crisis involving potential layoffs and restructuring from a recent hospital merger in Buffalo, N.Y., CGF Health Systems is offering job-retraining programs that targets minorities.
Most of the community backlash came from African-American organizations like the Black Leadership Forum that attempted to block the hospital consolidation because of the impending job loss within the African-American community.
At Buffalo General, for instance, 28% of its workers are minorities. And the community it serves already suffers a 26% unemployment rate and 45% poverty level.
To soften the economic blow of cutting at least 460 full-time jobs, the three hospitals launched a community relations campaign to:
- retrain workers;
- boost minority recruitment efforts for future job openings; and
- conduct a health needs assessment study of the community's African-American residents.
The initiatives will be outlined during employee "town meetings," says John E. Friedlander, CGF's CEO.
The hospital network received $857,000 in state funding to retrain workers and CGF is earmarking $400,000 to run an employment center.
So far, the initiatives are working. In a statement to the Buffalo News, BLF legal advisor James McLeod commended the program for allowing the minority community to be "at the table where decisions are made" and ensuring that "the impacted people will have a life after the hospital." (CGF, 716/859-2146)
Managed Care: Health Plan Rewards Calif. Network with 'Blue Rewards'
To boost provider-satisfaction and reduce physicians' operations cost, Blue Shield of California (BCC) launched its "Blue Rewards" program this month. The program offers Blue Shield's network of 85,000 providers deep discounts of up to 40% on their overhead costs.
Blue Rewards is the first plan in the state to offer providers discounts on products and services they use everyday like Airborne Express, MCI, Konica Medical & Surgical Products and Xerox, says Wayne Moon, BCC's CEO. There is no cost to the provider for this discount program.
The concept of Blue Rewards is similar to the health plan's "Lifepath" program for members that involves discounts on alternative healthcare services. Both of the programs are being positioned as high quality care at an affordable price.
BCC serves more than 1.9 million members statewide. (BCC, Lisa Citron, 415/229-5281)
Awards: Hospital Receives Recognition For 'Living the Vision'
The American Hospital Association (AHA) awarded its first "Living the Vision" award to Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, Fla. for innovative community outreach and partnering programs.
Memorial's "Community Benefits" program exemplifies the AHA's "vision of a society of healthy communities," according to AHA President Dick Davidson.
The program worked with several community organizations to better serve the needs of more than 500,000 residents in South Broward County through more than 100 initiatives.
The four-hospital system cites among its community accomplishments:
- prenatal and child development services in local public schools;
- school-based primary healthcare services;
- mental health services in the community; and
- local heath fairs in medically under-served areas. (AHA, Alicia Mitchell, 202/626-2339; Memorial Healthcare, Lisa Kronhaus, 954/985-3455)