MATTHEW GIBSON, Phd. Chief Strategy Officer at Erlanger Health System (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
On the top challenge
"A study the governor commissioned and publicized [showed] diabetes, hypertension and heart disease as the leading need areas for the aggregate population across the state and really the areas we should all collectively focus on trying to impact, especially those of us in healthcare but also in leadership and state and local government. The study articulated that in Tennessee, $5.3 billion in annual costs could potentially be prevented."
On the hospital's response
"It's something we take very seriously. We are the largest integrated delivery system in our region here in south Tennessee. We're right at $1 billion in annual net revenue, and we offer really all capabilities across the care continuum. And I mention that because we feel like, to really impact these initiatives, we have to go upstream in addition to treatment.
Upstream we have invested significantly in primary care and grown our primary care practice in our Erlanger medical group. In addition, we work closely with independent physicians and federally qualified health centers, which manage a very important and disadvantaged population. We also work closely with our city, our county and our overall regional leadership to promote education. We are training the next wave of physicians. We have over 100 resident fellows on our main campus every year through our many physician training programs. We also have nursing students and other clinical students trying to build their awareness of the acuity of these conditions in our population."