Today I gathered with medical professionals including chaplains from all over the state of Maryland.  We met at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore MD.  The event focused on community health partnerships.  In community health partnerships health care delivery is structured to overcome the barriers that prevent people who need health care from receiving it.  The most intriguing concept presented is that more health care is provided in private homes and apartments than any other setting, including hospitals and clinics.  If the care provided is our homes and apartments are done well, the need for office visits and hospital admissions DECREASES!  As the Baby Boomer generation enters the Medicare phase of their lives the old health care provision model will produce costs that are unsustainable.  Moving to an increased focus on health care being provided outside the hospitals and clinics is the key to containing health care costs.  For this to happen each community will have to develop plans that are designed for their locality that include partnerships with medical, governmental, and faith-based organizations who will all work together for the common good of their community and its citizens.

If you are reading this and are thinking, “This won’t be easy”, you are correct!  We have learned in life that other important changes that were necessary are not easy, and this important change is no different in that regard.  I encourage you as you learn of discussions of new programs in your area arise to get involved in the discussion.  This is a grass roots effort and there is a role for everyone in making it work!