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Jim Perry tells Senate panel state health plan needs better data, urges staffing and tech investment
Summary
Jim Perry, introduced as a reappointed member of the State Board of Health, told a Senate committee the state's health planning is hampered by inconsistent, outdated data and urged investment in staff and technology to improve Certificates of Need analysis and policy making.
Jim Perry, introduced to the committee as a current member of the State Board of Health who had been reappointed by the governor, told senators the board and the Department of Health need more consistent and timely data to make policy decisions.
Perry, who described a background in public policy and municipal finance, said the state health plan is being used effectively as a regulatory manual for Certificates of Need (CON) but that the underlying data are often old and inconsistent. "There's a lack of consistent data to inform policymaking," Perry said, noting that hospitals report procedures in inconsistent ways and that the state has started a consultant-led effort to overhaul data collection. He told the committee that better information would support work on CON reviews, rural hospital sustainability and other priorities and said modest budgetary support or staff reallocation could make a substantial difference.
Committee members asked whether legislative action would be required. Perry recommended continued budgetary support and reallocation to create planning capacity within the department and to modernize information systems; he cited a statutory deadline discussed in his remarks to review CON issues with Medicaid by "12/1/26." Senator Blackwell asked Perry to complete a statement of economic interest; Perry said he submitted the most recent filing the day before the hearing.
