Interview: Brian Sweeney, President

Brian Sweeney

President & COO Jefferson Health – New Jersey

What fundamental shifts are occurring in the healthcare industry?

Many patients coming to the emergency department for lower acuity, non-emergency cases are now using urgent care, primary care or telehealth. We think this is a permanent shift and it’s helping to optimize the total cost of care. Telehealth programs and services are likely to become more comprehensive, as they have become critical in providing well-coordinated care. There will also likely be permanent changes going forward in terms of site of service from a surgical perspective. Many surgeries previously performed at a hospital can now be done in a surgery center. There has been a migration of lower risk, lower acuity cases to surgery centers.

What is being done to improve healthcare costs?

There is a lot of process redesign needed to position our organization at a point where we can drive the best possible outcomes at the lowest possible costs. Shifting patients to the most appropriate site of service is key in achieving that goal. We’re fortunate to have multiple surgery centers throughout the marketplace, where we can shift joint-replacement and same-day surgery cases.

We are also very focused on evidence-based guidelines, which will be accelerated as a result of COVID. One of the challenges in healthcare, especially for us as an academic organization, is that we have a lot of smart people on our team. Smart people have a lot of strong opinions, so trying to align them around standardized, evidencebased care is harder than you think. When we identify the best treatment, that which delivers the best outcome at the lowest possible cost, we all need to conform to it.

Decision-support software is helping achieve the most effective treatments. As a provider, it tells you the best possible course of action for specific symptoms and lab results. The physicians, PAs and NPs can override the suggestions because there will be exceptions. However, 90% of the time, the computer logic is right. Including input from the software leads us to better outcomes. We’re excited about the future of these algorithms.

There are 11,000 active or open clinical trials happening in New Jersey.

Biden’s signature stimulus and infrastructure bill, also boosts subsidies that would make health insurance much cheaper on the open marketplace.

And it’s not just health insurance, but medical research in general that is in the crosshairs of this administration. The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic reminded everybody of the importance of investing in medical and research infrastructure. Internationally, the United States still reigns supreme in terms of scientific research, and this is not a position Biden is going to easily surrender, as he highlighted in a speech to Congress in April 2021, suggesting the creation of an agency similar to DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, but in the realm of healthcare.

On the state level, Gov. Murphy’s 2022 budget continues his ambitious healthcare agenda. He has proposed the largest budget in New Jersey’s history — $44.8 billion — which is a 10% increase in year-

over-year spending. A sizeable amount of this budget is set aside for healthcare: $25 million to reduce monthly premiums for those who already buy their own healthcare; $20 million set aside to provide coverage for the state’s 88,000 uninsured children; $8.5 million for new mothers to hold onto coverage during the first year of their newborn’s life; $6.85 million toward 20,000 low-income senior citizens to use the Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled and Senior Gold Programs; and $4.2 million toward jobs at the state Health Department Payroll.

Looking ahead Like elsewhere in the country, South Jersey is at a moment when it can redefine its economy. The shock of the pandemic upended the old order, and where the region goes in the immediate future will have an outsized influence on economic activity for at least the next generation. All signs point to health being a major pillar of South Jersey’s economy as the recovery gathers pace. The sector’s outsized growth in the past several decades, combined with a renewed interest from society and a government eager to help, will ensure that it is one of the preeminent industries of the region.

It would not be a moment too soon. The COVID-19 pandemic was a tough one for people working in the sector. This is expected to change though. For every elective procedure that did not happen last year, there is expected to be twice as many this year as people get back to normal. And with the increase in coverage flowing at both the federal and state levels, the coming year is sure to be a busy time for the healthcare industry.

Toni Pergolin

President & CEO – Bancroft

We’ve seen a spike in complex individuals. The community is beginning to understand there are more people with autism around us in our everyday lives. We get training requests related to treating people with autism. This includes first responders, flight attendants and emergency room personnel who may need to deal with a child with autism in a different way. We are beginning to see that there is an acknowledgment that these people are part of our community. The other trend along the same line is that while there is a labor shortage everywhere, people with disabilities are excellent workers. They are dependable and can do many tasks. This is a great opportunity to help employers.