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Local Health Departments in a Managed Care Environment
Managing Change
Within Your Local Health Department
Presenter: Stephanie B.C. Bailey, M.D., M.S.H.S.A., Director of Health, Metropolitan Nashville Davidson County Health Department, Nashville, TN.
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This session examined the important question of how local health departments can effectively
manage the process of redirecting resources toward new roles and responsibilities in the new
health care environment.
Dr. Stephanie Bailey described the major changes that her organization went
through in response to the implementation several years ago of TennCare, Tennessee's Medicaid
managed care initiative. These included:
- A shift away from the department's traditional role as a primary care provider.
- A significant downsizing of department staff levels.
Dr. Bailey provided a
number of practical recommendations to participants based upon her experiences. These
included:
- Not losing sight of your organizations' mission.
- Communicating clearly, openly, and frequently with department staff about the change process.
- Striving to play a leadership role in presenting a new vision for public health to both departmental staff and the community as a whole.
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