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Memphis, TN. - On Tuesday, March 10th, Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton will be in Washington to meet with Members of Congress from the Mid-South regarding The Regional Medical Center at Memphis ("The MED"). Mayor Wharton is set to formally request that these lawmakers endorse and authorize the formation of a "regional health care association" which would give Arkansas and Mississippi a more formal role in the governance of The MED through seats on the board of this proposed body.
This request comes on the heels of Congress reauthorizing and expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program ("SCHIP"). This legislation included a provision making it easier for Arkansas and Mississippi to contribute additional funding to The MED for services rendered to citizens from these neighboring states.
Mayor Wharton remarked, "Through their support of SCHIP legislation, our Congressional delegation for this region has shown a tremendous sensitivity to the good work and importance of The MED and to the larger issue of regional solutions. In fact, the progress we have made recently should encourage us all to go further in seeking a shared approach in addressing The MED and other medical challenges for the Mid-South. It is against this backdrop that I am requesting the support of our Congressional delegation in forming an association that formally makes the governance of The MED more regional in scope, a structure that gives our partner states of Arkansas and Mississippi an official voice." He continued, "I would compare this organization to a MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) for health care which for me underscores how we have learned the lesson of systemic, regional collaboration with transportation, but not with medical services and needs." The association Wharton is proposing could allow for shared decision making on issues related to The MED such as uniform rates, charges, reimbursement, and accounting policies, as well as form the basis of a more comprehensive regional medical strategy.
Congressman Steve Cohen, who has led efforts to gather regional partners around the subject of The MED commented on the subject: "I think the idea is on point, especially when considering the capital expenditures of a tremendous regional resource like The MED. A regional structure would provide us with the opportunity to ensure that needless duplication is avoided while pooling our resources to adopt and pursue plans that are beneficial for all stakeholders, governments, and communities involved."
Mayor Wharton will also ask that these Members of Congress create a regional health congressional caucus or task force that would support the formation of this regional health care association while also studying and working to eliminate barriers that exist in preventing more collaborative efforts in addressing medical needs and services. Wharton emphasized, "With the emphasis this Administration is putting on health care reform and on the idea of innovative solutions, I think that now is definitely the time for us to move forward with these efforts in hopes of benchmarking an idea and set of plans that can be successfully replicated in other similar communities across the country."
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