Committee Staff:
Mission: The Health Care Committee reviews policy matters that affect the health care and health insurance industries. It identifies and learns about health care issues that impact the businesses in the region and their ability to control health care costs. In coordination with the GBC president and CEO, the committee communicates to legislators and opinion makers the value of the health care industry to the region and the benefits of a healthy workforce.
Chairman: The committee is chaired by Albert R. (Skip) Counselman, chairman and CEO of Riggs, Counselman, Michaels and Downes (RCM&D).
Members: This is a large committee with about 40 members, including: Christopher Brandt, CEO, Audacious Inquiry; Bonnie Phipps, CEO, St. Agnes Hospital; and Carmel Roques, CEO, Keswick-Multicare.
What does the committee do:
- In 2014, the GBC Health Care Committee formed an exclusive partnership with the Maryland Chapter of the American Diabetes in a year-long pilot program “CEOs Stopping Diabetes.” Data has shown that when CEO’s personally lead corporate wellness programs the results improve dramatically in terms of compliance. The GBC recruited six of its CEOs to take part in this program. The CEOs came from both large and small companies with diverse types of employees ranging from investment bankers to young techies. Each CEO was encouraged to initiate and lead his or her own programs to promote corporate wellness. At the end of the pilot year, an evaluation will be made of each program but early reports have already shown that the CEO engagement made a difference and inspired workers to pursue a healthier lifestyle.
- For the last two years, the Health Care Committee has worked closely with the Healthiest Maryland initiative under the auspices of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. As a partner in the Healthiest Businesses component of Healthiest Maryland, the Health Care Committee signed up 130 private companies to participate in programs that would encourage workforce wellness.
- This year the Health Care Committee hosted a series of experts on different aspects of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in order to learn more about how the ACA will affect hospitals, insurers and businesses in Maryland.
Presentations:
November 4, 2014:
By Roger Clark, chairman of the Medi Awards Advisory Board and COO of Medical Home Development Group
By Louise Mitchell, sustainable foods program manager for Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment