Intermountain Trustee AN EMAIL BRIEFING FOR INTERMOUNTAIN HEALTHCARE TRUSTEES September 2017 INTERMOUNTAIN ISSUES AND INITIATIVES Intermountain Supports Caregivers Affected by DACA Changes Leadership team, Board of Trustees commit to support some150 caregivers Intermountain’s leadership team and members of our Board of trustees have committed to support some 150 caregivers who may be affected by proposed changes to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which were announced recently by the Trump Administration. Intermountain will help the affected caregivers file the appropriate paperwork so they can continue to legally live and work in the U.S. “If you’re one of our caregivers who’s working as part of the DACA program, please know we value and support you!” said Intermountain CEO Marc Harrison, MD. “I want all Intermountain caregivers to know that we’re reaching out personally to let these colleagues know we’re offering resources to assist them in understanding what’s happening with this immigration policy and help them with extension applications if they’re needed.” An invitation has been sent to caregivers who may be affected by changes to DACA. They’ve been invited to meet with attorney Roger Tsai, of the firm Holland and Hart, who will help our caregivers by answering their questions and assisting with their applications at no cost. Anyone feeling stress and anxiety in these uncertain times is also encouraged to reach out to Intermountain’s Employee Assistance Program, which offers counseling free of charge (1-800- 832-7733). “Changes to DACA could affect about 150 of our valued caregivers working as nurses and medical aides, in food services and maintenance, and in many other areas,” said Joe Fournier, Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer. “Offering these resources is one of the ways we can show that we value everyone at Intermountain. Our caregivers demonstrate every day how dedicated they are to our patients and families who come to us for care, and to each other. We know we are stronger when we create a workplace where our caregivers feel supported in uncertain times.” Dr. Harrison added, “Please join me in expressing our support for those working through DACA and showing our appreciation for all of our fellow caregivers as we work toward ‘helping people live the healthiest lives possible.’” DACA is an immigration policy established by the Obama administration in June 2012. It allows undocumented immigrants who entered the country as minors, and who meet other requirements, to work and study in the U.S. They apply to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit. Approximately 690,000 such young people were enrolled nationally in the program as of 2017, including 9,000 Utahns. They are also known as “Dreamers.” The Trump administration recently ordered an end to DACA, phasing out the program’s protections over the next six months. President Trump has urged Congress to pass a DACA replacement. New applicants are no longer being accepted, but anyone whose status is set to expire by March 5, 2018, has until October 5, 2017, to apply for a new two-year permit. Primary Children’s Hospital Launches Campaign to Help Prevent Teen Suicide Campaign urges adults to watch for warning signs Suicide has become the leading cause of death for young people in Utah ages 10 to 17, and September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Primary Children’s Hospital is focusing on preventing youth suicide with a new public service announcement and accompanying information online and in social media. You can help spread the message by sharing the video, and by watching for the warning signs of suicide among young people you know. Studies show the risk of suicide increases dramatically when kids and teens have access to firearms, and more than half of all suicides in Utah are completed with a gun. That’s why Primary Children’s is sharing this powerful 60-second video, which advocates for gun safety and recommends guns and ammunition be stored and locked appropriately. Watch the ad and share it. Utah Drug Overdose Deaths Are Down 10.6 Percent, CDC Reports Utah has the largest percentage decrease in deaths in the U.S. and is one of only nine states to see a drop Utah drug overdose deaths are down 10.6 percent—the most significant decrease in the country— in the 12-month period ending February 2017. In provisional numbers released by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Utah is one of only nine states where overdose deaths decreased. Other states where overdose deaths decreased include Mississippi (-9.9%), Nebraska (-8.7%), California (-3.2%), and Washington (-3.2%). Utah reported 616 overdose deaths, compared to 689 for the 12-month period ending February 2016. By comparison, drug overdose deaths increased 128.8 percent in the District of Columbia, 63.8 percent in Maryland, 63.0 percent in Delaware, and 52.9 percent in Florida during the same period. In the United States as a whole, overdose deaths increased 20.3 percent. These provisional numbers include drug overdose deaths from all causes, including opioid-related deaths. The data are not considered final—they’re subject to change, according to the CDC’s report. In the previous year (February 2015 to February 2016), overdose deaths increased in Utah by 13.7 percent, from 606 deaths to 689 deaths. While the CDC report does not address the question of why deaths increased or decreased, the data suggest something is different in Utah compared to the U.S. as a whole. One possible factor is the effort being made in Utah to educate residents about the dangers of overdoses—from opioids and other drugs—as well as other prevention and treatment programs underway. Utah’s efforts involve collaboration among Intermountain Healthcare and other healthcare providers, the Utah Department of Health, other government and social services agencies, law enforcement, and other groups. Between 2015 and 2017, Intermountain donated $3 million in support of public awareness campaigns regarding safe use, storage, and disposal of prescription opioids, as well as provider education and support of medication assisted treatment for people with opioid use disorders. In August, we announced a goal to reduce the opioid tablets prescribed per acute pain prescription by 40 percent—which would be a reduction of more than 5 million tablets annually. Our goal seeks to ensure patients receive the number of tablets they actually use while eliminating extra, unneeded tablets that may end up being misused. The CDC’s provisional counts Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/National Center include deaths occurring within for Health Statistics (2017, September 11). Provisional Drug Overdose Death the 50 states and the District of Counts. Table 1: 12 Month-ending Provisional Counts of Drug Overdose Columbia. You can review the Deaths, Percent Change Over Previous 12-month Period, and Data Quality Metrics. Accessed Sep 20, 2017 at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/vsrr/ complete report here. drug-overdose-data.htm Intermountain and Our Caregivers Send $200,000 to Help Colleagues Affected by Hurricane Harvey More than 650 Intermountain caregivers personally support Hurricane Harvey victims More than 650 Intermountain caregivers stepped up to personally support the victims of Hurricane Harvey through making personal monetary contributions that added up to a nearly $50,000 donation to the Texas Hospital Association (THA) Employee Assistance Fund. Intermountain contributed an additional $150,000, bringing the total to $200,000. These funds provide disaster relief for healthcare workers who’ve been affected by the devastating hurricane and subsequent flooding. “Our caregivers go above and beyond every day to provide healing, comfort, and compassion to those who come to us when sick or injured,” said Marc Harrison, MD, Intermountain’s President and CEO. “Your willingness to reach out to our colleagues in Texas speaks to the humanitarian spirit of our team members throughout Intermountain.” “We’re pleased to direct our gift to our fellow caregivers in Texas,” Dr. Harrison added. “We want them to know that we stand by them in their hour of need, knowing they’re giving help and support to those who depend on them.” You can still donate to the THA Employee Assistance Fund. New Chief Consumer Officer Joins Intermountain from Disney Here’s more about him and how he’ll help us better focus on consumer needs Intermountain welcomed Kevan Mabbutt on August 24 as our new Senior Vice President and Chief Consumer Officer. He leads Intermountain’s efforts to create a customer-centric mentality across the organization and weave it into our culture. Mabbutt is a global leader in customer experience— where he’s worked to create best-in-class consumer outcomes for brands like Disney, Discovery Channel, and the BBC. Now he brings his expertise to Intermountain and to healthcare. “Kevan is superbly qualified to identify what our customers and patients need and expect from us, and to evolve our capability to create and deliver consistent, customer-centered, digitally enabled experiences for them,” said Marc Harrison, MD, Intermountain’s President and CEO. “We’re fortunate he’s chosen Intermountain and healthcare on his professional journey.” Mabbutt will be a member of Intermountain’s Executive Leadership Team—the team of top leaders—and will represent the voice of the customer at the strategy-setting level of the organization. He’ll also succeed Bruce Jensen, who’s retiring in January 2018, as the leader of Intermountain’s Communications team (including its marketing, advertising, public relations, internal communications, and media functions). Mabbutt has served as the global head of consumer insight for The Walt Disney Company, based in Los Angeles, for the past seven and a half years.