The annual “Healthcare In Your Future Summit” hosted by UC Health and Larimer and Weld county local Chamber of Commerce offices in November, consisted of major presentations by various healthcare industry leaders. Over 300 people attended the hybrid event. Jonas McKinley with UC Health provided opening remarks followed by Nikki Caputo (UC Health) and Shawna Hocknadel (Banner Health), who presented the future in telehealth, artificial intelligence, and robotics and how it is innovating the healthcare industry.
Yvonne Myers
Due to the shortages of medical personnel, supplies, and facilities related to personnel retirements and COVID-19, innovations are required to adapt to the challenges of these shortages. These include new diagnostic tools, clinical and medical evaluations, virtual nursing, and other creative solutions.
A panel of speakers including moderator Evan Hyatt (Care Synergy), Stephanie Merrel (K-12), Andy Yost (Weld Co), David Cessna (Counselor), and Nick Peterson (Poudre Schools) discussed Building the Pipeline on how to keep existing and finding new healthcare workers. There has been success in attracting new workers starting at early elementary to high schools in career counseling, on the job training, apprentice programs, internships, working with local community colleges and universities in adopting more medical programs and degreed programs. Healthcare is one of the top three careers in Colorado. Nursing has the highest job postings in Larimer and Weld counties.
PhDs Catlin McKinne andThomas Hartman (CO Workforce), and Angela Mills, MD (Banner Health) discussed the current workforce crisis due to the pandemic and workforce burnout. Sadly, 29% of the nursing staff left their professions in 2021 due to burnout, thus the industry brought in outside help at higher costs to accommodate the higher patient traffic.
Panelists Kim Collins (UniteUs) and Wade Nyhuis (RM Crisis) discussed the behavioral health of the current workforce and the effects during the pandemic crisis. Several strategies were adopted to help the shortages and fatigue issues.
Moderator Jonas McKinley (UC Health) with panelists Craig Luzinski (Village Medical), Dr. Jennifer McCabe Lentz, and Lane Mattox (Family Physicians) explained the concerns with your primary care medical staff. Village Medical Group in Texas has acquired the Associated in Family Medicine Group in Northern Colorado, which will help Medicare patients and private insurers with more beneficial services.
Liz Ward (Front Line), a lobbyist explained the latest legislation on improving the medical industry challenges in Colorado and nationally. And the last presentation by Yvonne Myers (FC Chamber) discussed a summary of the many challenges and innovations in the medical industry.