Aaron Beaston Blaakman Comments on Plight of LSU Hospital Funding

NEW YORK, NY, August 23, 2012

While health care and funding has become a hot button issue in the upcoming election, many hospitals have already experienced a variety of changes in recent years that have impacted the way costs and care is balanced. In Louisiana, the LSU hospital network--comprised of ten hospitals throughout the state--has recently implemented budget strategies in response to budget cuts. According to a recent article from CBS News, Governor Bobby Jindal (R-LA) and his administration have "decided to levy much of an ongoing federal Medicaid cut on the LSU-run network of hospitals and outpatient clinics." As a health costing professional, Aaron Beaston Blaakman expands on the nature of LSU's budgetary concerns as a result of inadequate business plans.

According to CBS, Jindal's effort to reduce Medicaid funding has caused LSU officials to consider strategies on how to eliminate a quarter of the hospital system's funding--valued at more than $300M--from its annual budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. LSU released several documents of proposals on how to address the cuts, with each scenario involving "likely hospital closures, thousands of layoffs, jeopardized patient care and medical training programs pushed to the brink of elimination."

Health and Hospitals Secretary Bruce Greenstein explains the reasons behind the increased pressure for LSU to adjust its budget, "The U.S. health care system has been changing dramatically over the last decade, and the LSU system has not kept pace. In order to make the system sustainable, it must change to have a stronger business model, to be more efficient and to focus on its core mission." Having witnessed similar scenarios throughout his career in the health industry, Aaron Beaston Blaakman responds, "The situation in Louisiana within the LSU-run hospital system provides an example of health care systems which have failed to keep up with the evolving market for health care and the need to focus on balancing costs with the provision of quality care."

As of now, CBS reports that LSU officials have responded to the situation by implementing "stopgap funding to stave off many of the immediate cuts." Regardless of the temporary fix, Jindal's administration has announced that continuing budget cuts will be made annually. With this in mind, LSU representatives are now considering other ways to become financially stable, including possible partnerships with outside medical providers and using bridge funds in combination with upcoming Medicaid expansion funds. Aaron Beaston Blaakman suggests, "Hospital managers need to be skilled at understanding hospital cost structures and where to identify possible in-roads for cost-efficiency in order to maximize value for money in the health sector."

ABOUT:

Aaron Beaston Blaakman, a health financing and health costing professional, has worked in countries around the globe, including the United States, Malawi, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Lao PDR, Iraq, and more. Aaron Beaston Blaakman, who is fluent in the both English and French languages, has the tools necessary to successfully interact with people from various cultures, countries and backgrounds. Additionally, his work has allowed him to partner with international organizations, local governments, and other entities to produce health costing solutions.

Website: http://aaronbeaston-blaakman.com