The following OpEd, by John J. Herman, CEO of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, was published in LNP Perspective Section on Sunday, May 8, 2022.
My wife and I moved to Lancaster County just over a year ago, when I joined Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health as Chief Executive Officer. It didn’t take long for me to recognize the very special connection that exists between our health system and the communities we serve. Throughout LG Health’s 129-year history, we have accomplished some remarkable things by working alongside others in our community, whether it’s combating the opioid epidemic or reducing childhood lead poisoning.
Today we begin National Hospital & Healthcare Week, an annual celebration of America’s hospitals and health-care workers. On behalf of LG Health’s Board of Trustees and leadership team, we extend appreciation to all health-care professionals at local hospitals, nursing homes, physician practices and community clinics. At LG Health, we are humbled to lead a dedicated team of professionals, whose determination and resilience—especially during the past two years—have been truly inspirational.
The week is also a fitting time to consider how LG Health’s efforts to fulfill our Mission to advance the health and well-being of the communities we serve can also inspire our region to become the healthiest community to live.
We understand that our responsibility to our community extends well beyond delivering exceptional health care. Indeed, we know that social determinants—such as access to healthy food; safe, affordable housing; and quality education—have a significant impact on the overall health of a community. LG Health’s long-standing commitment to addressing these social determinants and related health inequities is a foundational component of our Mission. Our history of partnering with organizations from all sectors of the community in these efforts resulted in our being honored with the national Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service in 2018.
Reflecting upon all of our collective efforts and successes, I wonder: Is our community as healthy as it could be?
Furthermore, I wonder if there is a national measurement of a community’s health that we could use? It seems like there should be. There are reports ranking everything from the best hospitals, to the best cars to buy, to the best places to retire. Some we agree with; some not.
What would be the benefit of a national measurement, versus something developed locally? I suspect a national benchmark would be more objective, with less potential for bias. It could provide an opportunity for us to compare results, to identify high-performing communities to learn from, and to measure our improvement over time.
What would we want a healthy community report to measure? A start would be to evaluate recognized social determinants that impact community health: Population Health, Food & Nutrition, Public Safety, Housing, Environment, Community Vitality, Equity, Economy, Education, and Infrastructure.
I wonder: How well Lancaster would rank? I would hope we are nationally ranked. If not, I wonder if Lancaster County could achieve a national ranking within the next … 10 years? Is this goal too ambitious? I suspect not, if we work together. We have previously achieved remarkable results through collaboration.
But why would we want to make Lancaster the healthiest community possible? Maybe to ensure our children have the healthiest place to go to school. Maybe to help recruit additional talented workers to Lancaster to grow our economy. Maybe to make Lancaster an even better place to retire. For me, it is because it simply is the right thing to pursue.
In my first year in Lancaster County, I have seen countless examples of individuals and organizations doing outstanding work in service to our community. As I mentioned, LG Health has a long tradition of partnering with many organizations to improve community health. We have used our Community Health Needs Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan to identify priority initiatives. Initiatives like LG Health’s Lead-Free Families program are one example. In 2021, LG Health committed $50 million to identify and remediate lead hazards in at least 2,800 county homes over the next 10 years. And with the support of our community partners, we are already making significant progress. In the program’s first six months, we have remediated lead in 30 properties, with an additional 84 in progress. While the benefits of initiatives like Lead-Free Families to individuals and families are clear, it has been challenging to measure the impact on overall community health. A national survey, with validated criteria, measured over many years, could enable us to identify areas that would be most impactful and track our progress in a meaningful way.
For our part, LG Health is committed to making Lancaster the healthiest community possible, because Lancaster means the world to us. But we recognize we cannot achieve this alone. It will require many successful partnerships, from all sectors of the community, including other health-care providers, government agencies, educational institutions, large and small businesses, churches and nonprofits.
This Hospital & Healthcare Week, as we recognize and remain grateful for the incredible efforts of those in our community who care for others at hospitals and beyond, we also share our hope for a healthier future and ask for your support. This isn’t about appearing on a list. It’s about doing all we can, right now, to ensure the future health and well-being of our community. At Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, we believe that we have a responsibility to do so. We look forward to partnering with anyone who is interested in taking on the challenge of making Lancaster the healthiest community possible. Together, we can create a healthier future for us all.
John J. Herman, MBA, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health
MEDIA CONTACT:
Marcie Brody
Marcie.brody@pennmedicine.upenn.edu