Mainebiz

V O L . X X I N O. X M AY 1 8 , 2 0 1 5 20 P RO F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T / WO R K F O R C E T R A I N I N G F O C U S Fast forward seven years: In their fi rst-year report on its State Innovations Model initiatives, delivered last November, Maine's SIM partners note that upwards of 74 primary care practices, with roughly 567 providers, are participating in the patient-centered medical home pilot program. Another 100 practices, with roughly 508 providers, are participating in a similar initiative for MaineCare, a federal/state program that provides assistance to people with limited resources. Although the SIM initiative won't end until 2017, the fi rst-year report cites a consensus among stakeholders that the transformation of Maine's primary care system is heading in the right direction — setting the stage for improved coordination of health care as well as payment reforms that are tied to keeping people healthy. In Harnar's view, that's an affi rma- tion of the Hanley Center's collabora- tive leadership focus and the impact that hundreds of its graduates are now having in the real world of Maine's health care system. " is has been building now for a number of years — virtually every piece of Maine's health sector is undergoing massive and most would say 'long overdue' change that should lead to less duplication, better coordi- nation of care, greater effi ciencies, all resulting in better quality and bending the cost curve. We have been right in the center of this work, building the case for greater collaboration and pro- viding leaders with the skills, knowl- edge, trusted networks and confi dence to lead change." New generation of leaders Harnar's successor, Judiann Ferretti Smith, is a 2009 graduate of the Hanley Center's Health Leadership Development program. She cred- its it with giving her the skills and confi dence to take on a broader leadership role as Spurwink's vice president of strategy and government relations, a job that had her spending a fair amount of time working with lawmakers in Augusta. "Relationships are key," she says. "Maine is a small state. You can't get anything done without trust and relationships. I took it upon myself to share Spurwink's story, sharing my knowledge, whenever I could." In her leadership program at the Hanley Center, Smith says her project focused on health care disparities in Maine, which can be based on geog- raphy, age, race or income levels. Too often in health care, she adds, knowl- edge is in silos, with each specialty working in isolation of all the other specialties. In recent years, she says, health care providers have become increasingly aware that behavioral health issues —often thought of as "mental health" but in fact including substance abuse, autism and other barriers to optimum health — often contribute to poor general health. Although integrating behavioral and primary care medical records would give family doctors a deeper understanding of their patients' total health picture, that goal can hit the roadblock of confi dentiality sur- rounding mental health diagnoses. Removing that barrier, obviously, will require trust and collaboration among medical providers, patients and insurers. " at was part of my goal in the behavioral health fi eld," to break through those barriers, Smith says, noting that the Hanley Center is continuing to work with health care partners on fi nding ways to incor- porate mental health information, with patients' consent, into electronic medical records so that providers can better manage their overall care. "It was an opportunity to be exposed to a broader health care community," she says of her Health Leadership Development program. "I came to have a real comfort level in making system-level changes happen." A lawyer with a license to practice in Massachusetts, Smith says her legal training has served her well in health care. "Lawyers are trained to be criti- cal thinkers," she says, adding that she expects those skills will be put to good use in her new role as the Hanley Center's executive director. Harnar, whose 30-year career in health care includes stints as vice president of public aff airs at the Maine Policies and procedures are important, but training for workers is the cornerstone of any workplace safety program. Employers who are choosing MEMIC for their workers' compensation insurance have access to the training they need through the MEMIC Safety Academy. Policyholders can sign up for FREE workshops and webinars covering topics such as challenges of an aging workforce, OSHA recordkeeping, office ergonomics, back injury prevention, accident investigation, hazard communication and how to implement a stretching program. Policyholders of MEMIC also have FREE access to recordings of our popular webinars through the MEMIC Safety Director—our electronic resource library. Visit memic.com/safetyacademy to learn more about the tools and resources available to MEMIC policyholders and to see our current listing of workplace safety workshops and webinars. choosingmemic. www.memic.com » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Relationships are key. Relationships are key. Relationships are key. Relationships are key. Relationships are key. Relationships are key. Relationships are key. Relationships are key. Relationships are key. Relationships are key. Relationships are key. Relationships are key. Relationships are key. Relationships are key. Maine is a small state. Maine is a small state. Maine is a small state. Maine is a small state. Maine is a small state. Maine is a small state. Maine is a small state. Maine is a small state. Maine is a small state. Maine is a small state. Maine is a small state. Maine is a small state. Maine is a small state. You can't get anything done without trust and relationships. — Judiann Ferretti Smith, new executive director of Daniel Hanley Center for Health Leadership

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