Henry County Hospital has a long and successful
history of participation in the Friends of Indiana Hospitals Political Action Committee campaigns. We
sat down with Henry County Hospital’s President and CEO, Paul Janssen, FACHE,
to discuss the value he and his team see in the campaign, how it impacts Henry
County’s patients and tips for how to get started on your own campaign.
How do
you communicate the value of Friends?
I think we have such a strong tradition because
we communicate to our hospital leaders, executives, board members and other
stakeholders in the community how public policy impacts Henry County Hospital
and the patients we serve. Through that education, people immediately realize
the value of investing in Friends and participating in the political process.
We also let employees know about the positive
public policy benefits, such as IHA’s recent efforts to have the Healthy
Indiana Program expanded.
This communication and education is what
connects the dots between our hospital’s participation in Friends and the
positive “wins” in the Indiana General Assembly. Contributing to Friends means
investing in sound health care policy.
What are
the benefits you have seen of electing lawmakers who support our issues?
Just in the past few years, we’ve had increases
in Medicaid payment for hospitals and a statewide smoke-free air law enacted,
both of which have been beneficial to our hospital and our community. But, one
thing we don’t always think about is that bad policies are thwarted because of
our contributions to Friends. People don’t always realize that there are groups
in Indianapolis that are actively working against the interests of hospitals.
What doesn’t happen is just as important as what
does happen. IHA has to fight bad policy that could be looming down the road,
and we must be prepared to deal with those issues, although they sometimes get
less attention.
What
would you say to your fellow CEOs about Friends?
There’s no reason why every hospital cannot be
as successful as Henry County has been over the years. As leaders, it’s our
responsibility to help the association reach their PAC goal. I’m proud to be
part of the strong tradition Henry County Hospital has of leading the way, but
I would be just as happy to relinquish that title if other hospitals achieved
similar participation. This would mean we are strong as an industry and a
united front supporting Hoosier patients.
Any tips
for running a successful campaign?
IHA makes it easy to be successful. Reach out to
Brian Tabor or Laura Mrozinski and they’ll provide you with all of the
resources you need.
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Our thanks to Paul Janssen and Henry County
Hospital in New Castle for their continued support for Friends of Indiana
Hospitals. If you have questions about the campaign or want help getting
started, contact Laura Mrozinski at lmrozinski@IHAconnect.org or 317-423-7734.
