The rise of a public health manager professional : John Adlesich on healthcare industry trends: Think outside your ZIP code. With the emergence of virtual services and virtual workforces, the talent pool is expanding and new entrants are emerging that can offer services at a lower cost and often at a higher quality than is possible for some organizations. One example is the collaboration between tele-ICU service providers and small, rural hospitals to improve their patients’ access to highly specialized critical care. Organizations also have increased flexibility to find personnel in clinical areas, such as subspecialty radiologists, and to cover nonclinical areas where it’s difficult to recruit talent, such as revenue cycle specialists, IT staff and customer service representatives.

John Adlesich about behavior therapy in 2021: The Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) indicates that Applied Behavioral Analysis techniques: Are effective for eliminating challenging behaviors such as stereotypies, hitting, biting or self-harm Can promote socially significant behaviors like reading, communication, engaging in eye contact, and social interaction Must be developed by a professional trained and certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), but can be carried out by other, non-certified technicians under the professional’s supervision Are time consuming and intense – usually implemented 40 or more hours per week, although in brief time spans Provide one-to-one interaction and learning, which is thought to be a highly effective component of the therapy Can be utilized by parents and other caregivers cooperatively within the treatment paradigm, although parents may need support and training to utilize effectively.

John Adlesich on healthcare industry trends: The new administration will also likely push to expand healthcare program funding, including ACA programs and value-based care, and expansion of coverage. The Senate may use the budget reconciliation process to push through a COVID-19 relief package and some healthcare-related policies. Budget reconciliation requires only a majority vote, as contrasted to a supermajority vote for regular legislation. However, budget reconciliation can only happen a couple of times per year, generally speaking, when the budget is up for approval, and is limited to budget-related items. Budget reconciliation pushed through some provisions of the ACA in 2010. While some of the ACA expansions, increased subsidies, and tax credits could occur through budget reconciliation, this process would not be available for bigger picture health policy issues that are unrelated to the federal budget. These bigger picture items include issues such as a public option, Medicare for all, and lowering the Medicare eligibility age to 60. John Adlesich currently works as administrator at Marquis Companies. His latest healthcare industry experience includes positions as executive director at Powerback Rehabilitation Lafayette (Genesis Healthcare) between Aug 2020 – Jan 2021, administrator at Mesa Vista of Boulder between Mar 2019 – Aug 2020, chief executive officer at Sedgwick County Memorial Hospital between Jul 2018 – Feb 2019, interim chief operating officer at Toiyabe Indian Health Project between Mar 2018 – Jun 2018.

John Adlesich thinks that 2021 is an important year for the healthcare industry. Assuming that we do make these great strides in lessening the societal impact of COVID-19 and move to a new normal, I think we will begin to make some key shifts that will ultimately improve health care’s cost, quality, reliability, and underlying data infrastructure. Repeal and replace or Medicare for All? A public option or an individual mandate? Drug price controls or an international pricing index? For the last 10 years, big moves in health care have largely been frozen as providers, insurance companies, investors, and others waited to see which policies would remain permanent and which would end up on the scrap heap of history. The Democrat’s extremely narrow margins of control of government and need to heal the nation by avoiding extreme polarization means that sweeping changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will be off the table—probably not for 200 years, but certainly for the next two years and more likely four. That said, the Biden administration will take advantage of every administrative tool to further cement current law in place. With a legislative détente in place and more stability on implementation, private sector bets become more certain. There is every reason to assume rapid investment and modernization across the health care sector.