Several major local health providers described the Hillsborough County Health Care Plan as a vital safety-net that reduces costly emergency-room visits and connects medically needy residents to ongoing care.

Sarah Dodds, president of Saint Joseph's Hospital North for BayCare, told the board BayCare's Hillsborough footprint includes six hospitals and extensive specialty and behavioral-health services for HCHCP members. "Patients under the health plan don't have to make that choice" between gas and prescriptions, Dodds said, calling medication access a key driver that prevents readmissions.

Joe Lione, executive director of IBIS Healthcare, said IBIS expanded into primary care five years ago because behavioral-health patients have a life expectancy 12 to 15 years shorter than the general population and frequently lack primary care. "The plan has saved lives," Lione said, describing examples of patients who avoided severe outcomes after getting primary-care follow-up through the program.

Sherry Hoback, president and CEO of Tampa Family Health Centers, described Tampa Family as the largest network provider for the county plan, with 14 centers, mobile units and programs that include pharmacies and food-pantry partnerships. Hoback cited per-member-per-month costs and HEDIS-quality measures as indicators of the network's cost-efficiency and clinical outcomes.

Steve Harris of Tampa General Hospital stressed TGH's role as the area's only level-1 trauma center and the largest inpatient provider for HCHCP. He described HealthPark's specialty clinic network in East Tampa, noting it operates at capacity and at a reported operating loss (about $15,000,000 annually) while providing specialty care access to HCHCP patients.

Brad Harrimans of Suncoast Community Health Centers emphasized the plan's role bringing behavioral health and primary care together, noting Suncoast cares for about 4,000 HCHCP patients and that the plan helped coordinate community responses to the opioid crisis.

All providers asked commissioners to consider program impacts as the board debates whether to spend down reserves or alter surtax policy. Commissioners said they would seek more data on how much of each partner's services are funded by HCHCP before making funding decisions.

Sources: Presentations by BayCare, IBIS, Tampa Family Health Centers, Tampa General Hospital and Suncoast Community Health Centers at the Hillsborough County HCHCP workshop. Quotes are attributable to presenters listed.