Legislation that would restore a cap on non-economic damages (pain and suffering) at $750,000 received a huge boost late Thursday night, March 2. By a bipartisan vote of 74-22, AB 1073 passed the State Assembly and is now on its way to the Senate.

WHA President Steve Brenton hailed the vote. "This vote is proof positive that overwhelming, bipartisan support exists for addressing tomorrow’s access to care crisis today," Brenton said. "We are very grateful for the efforts of the Assembly leadership to bring this compromise bill to the floor, and equally appreciative of the 74 members of the Assembly, including 58 Republicans and

16 Democrats, who came together and voted for the bill. They are all to be commended for doing the right thing."

Want to know how your State Representative voted? See a complete list of who voted for and against AB 1073 below.

The vote came amid heavy lobbying from the Wisconsin Academy of Trial Lawyers (WATL), which is working to either kill the bill or make it easier for Governor Doyle to veto, even if it has a strong majority in the State Senate.

"The trial lawyers are pulling out all stops to kill this bill and will turn their guns squarely on the State Senate next week. It is up to hospitals and doctors to make sure that good public policy prevails," said WHA’s Eric Borgerding. "Instead of fearing the trial lawyer lobby, legislators should stand up and be proud of taking such a laudable step towards assuring availability of quality health care in Wisconsin. AB 1073 is WHA’s absolute highest priority, and we will recognize those who stand with us in support of quality and accessible health care."

Borgerding said he believes the Senate will act quickly next week, with AB 1073 coming to the Senate floor for a vote as soon as Tuesday, March 7. He asked all hospitals to redouble their efforts over the next few days to contact their State Senators and urge them to pass AB 1073 (see related article).

For his part, Governor Doyle remains mum on the specifics of AB 1073, continuing to indicate that he will sign a new cap into law as long as it is constitutional. The 74 votes cast in favor of AB 1073 in the Assembly are eight more than what is needed to override a veto.

"Our sincere desire has always been to pass a good bill and in a bipartisan fashion and not play politics. The vote in the Assembly demonstrates, quite clearly, that there is a bipartisan belief this bill can be found constitutional, and that a veto would very likely be overridden," Borgerding said. "We hope that after the Senate vote next week, that will also be an opinion shared by Governor Doyle.

Four other important tort reform bills also passed the Assembly this week. AB 1021 – inadmissibility of an apology or condolence by a health care provider, AB 1071 – statute of limitations in certain medical malpractice cases, AB 1072 – allowing evidence of collateral source payments, and AB 1074 – imposing a cap on attorney fees to assure victims receive a greater portion of their damage award. These bills were also opposed by WATL.

"It was a darn good day for liability reform," Borgerding said.

Also on March 2, the Assembly and Senate overwhelmingly voted to support WHA’s Health Care Quality Improvement Act, companion bills AB 993 and SB 578. With only three "no" votes in the Senate and a unanimous vote in the Assembly, Republicans and Democrats again demonstrated their commitment to improving health care quality and patient safety.

Senators Hansen (D-Green Bay), Risser (D-Madison) and Wirch (D-Pleasant Prairie) were the only members of the entire 132-member Legislature to vote against the bill.

"This legislation will allow health care providers to participate in quality and safety improvement efforts beyond even the nationally recognized efforts we are engaged in today," said WHA’s Vice President of Quality Initiatives Dana Richardson. "If signed into law by Governor Doyle, this legislation will further encourage innovative initiatives that rely on health care providers, purchasers, and consumers working together to create a culture of quality."

The bill’s authors, Rep. Gregg Underheim and Sen. Ted Kanavas worked tirelessly to ensure that the bill would allow for collaboration among providers, purchasers, and quality improvement organizations; encourage consumerism in health care through public reporting initiatives; expand defined quality improvement activities; and allow more people within an organization to participate in quality improvement activities.

Health care attorneys from around the state, both in-house and in private practice, devoted untold hours working on the legislation, and WHA and its members appreciate their efforts.

"Health care attorneys, unfortunately, have had to recommend against some quality improvement activity because the current backward looking peer review statute stifles innovative initiatives," said WHA General Counsel Laura Leitch. "The current statute has caused health care providers too often to perform quality improvement activity while looking over their shoulders in fear of being sued. This bill will change that; it will be a tremendous incentive to do even more quality improvement activities."

The Wisconsin Academy of Trial Attorneys (WATL) attempted to derail the bill and stifle Wisconsin’s quality improvement efforts. In a memo to the Legislature, WATL complained that, "[Trial attorneys] are only beginning to understand how this bill may affect their practices." WHA emphasized how the bill will affect patients – improved access to information about health care quality through public reporting initiatives and, ultimately, improved health care quality.

The bill now goes to Governor Doyle for his signature or veto. For more information about the Health Care Quality Improvement Act, go to WHA’s Web site at www.wha.org.

WHA needs your URGENT help in making contacts to your State Senator and Governor Doyle to tell them to "Support AB 1073," legislation that restores a cap on non-economic damages and maintains availability of health care in Wisconsin.

Go to www.wha.org/speakUp/emailLegislator.aspx or call the legislative hotline toll free at 1-800-362-9472 to leave a message urging your State Senator and the Governor to support AB 1073!

For more information, talking points, etc. visit the WHA Web site at: www.wha.org, or call Jenny Boese at 608-274-1820.

WHA’s 2006 Advocacy Day agenda is packed with interesting speakers, an address by Governor Jim Doyle, and most importantly, time to visit with your state legislator.

Visiting with your lawmaker is the most important part of Advocacy Day because your voice needs to be heard on restoring a liability cap in Wisconsin and other important issues.

Bring your grassroots team, key leaders, volunteers, auxilians, and trustees to this important event. It’s easy to register, and Advocacy Day is a free event to all participants. The brochure and registration form are included in this week’s packet, and are available online at www.wha.org. Registrations are due March 27.

For questions about registration, contact Sherry Rabuck at WHA, 608-274-1820, or email srabuck@wha.org.

To schedule your legislative appointment, please call Angela Miloszewicz at 608-268-1801 by Monday, March 27.

2006 Advocacy Day: Learn about the issues that impact your hospital and then do something about them. Register today!

The deadline to submit the name of one employee to be honored at the Wisconsin Health Care Employee Pride Program 2006 is just around the corner. Each hospital’s honored employee’s name and story is due to WHA by April 7. A reception and dinner will be held on Thursday, May 4, at the Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan to honor these employees from around the state.

The formal submission form, reception/dinner registration form, and information about making hotel reservations at the Blue Harbor Resort can be found on the WHA Web site at www.wha.org. Click on the Pride Program logo on the home page to be linked to all the appropriate information.

Pride Program Timeline

March 15, 2006     Suggested deadline for employees to submit their Pride Program story to their hospital representative

April 7, 2006         Deadline for hospital representative to submit the following to WHA:

WHA members will soon be given the opportunity to rate the Association’s effectiveness and value. WHA will conduct a confidential membership satisfaction survey during late March and early April, the results of which will be shared with members as early as May and be used by the WHA Board during the summer planning session.

Survey questions will solicit feedback on issues associated with appropriate WHA programming and issue priorities; quality of professional staff; understanding of where health care is going; "clout" as a political advocate on statewide and national issues; ability to mobilize grassroots support; leadership and policy development; source of timely, useful data and information; helping members anticipate and prepare for future challenges; emphasis on the "right" issues; and presenting a unified voice on behalf of hospitals and health systems.

WHA has once again contracted with the California-based organization, SatisfactionWorks. This organization undertakes similar benchmark surveys for state hospital associations across the country. SatisfactionWorks conducted a WHA member survey in 2003 and 1997. Results from our 2006 survey will be benchmarked with results from previous efforts.

Member participation in the confidential survey will be critical to the success of this effort. An astounding 80 percent plus participation rate in 2003 can be duplicated this year. Only 10-15 minutes will be needed to complete the survey instrument, which will then be forwarded directly to SatisfactionWorks. Significant participation, followed by incorporation of survey findings into WHA’s current and future programming, will enhance member value of WHA.

Steve Brenton, President

"Wisconsin competes nationally and internationally to attract and retain physicians. While our facilities have already lost physicians due to Wisconsin’s uncapped liability environment, the ultimate losses will be felt by you, the public.

You may lose the physician you have known for decades because he or she decides to retire rather than face skyrocketing malpractice premiums.

You may lose access to a neurosurgeon locally because he or she decides to practice in a state with a cap, not in Wisconsin.

You may lose access to needed health care services, such as OB-GYN, because your family practice doctor can no longer afford the premiums associated with providing this high-risk service.

Right now there is a solution circulating in the Legislature. It is a proposal by Rep. Curt Gielow and Sen. Scott Fitzgerald to cap non-economic damages at $750,000 without any indexing or other add-ons. This proposal is the right thing to do and we need to do it now. We urge...area legislators to vote in support of this bill and for Governor Doyle to sign it into law."

Joseph Neidenbach,         James Coller,                                     Mark Wiest, MD,
St. Vincent Hospital         St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center       Prevea Health

MADISON (February 27, 2006) — Prominent constitutional scholar Gordon B. Baldwin endorsed legislation today that would reinstate a cap on awards for pain and suffering at $750,000.

"In my opinion, the proposed legislation (AB 1073) is constitutional and will cure the defects associated with the present cap on non-economic damages found by the Ferdon court," Baldwin said in his 10-page analysis. "There is more than an adequate basis to find that legislative enactment of a cap at $750,000 on non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases is rational and reasonable and will overcome (the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s) objections on equal protection and right to jury trial grounds." (A full copy of Baldwin’s analysis is available at www.wha.org/medliabilityportal.htm.

Wisconsin Hospital Association and the Wisconsin Medical Society requested Baldwin’s February 24, 2006 analysis of AB 1073 (as draft legislation). Rep. Curt Gielow (R-Mequon) and Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) introduced AB 1073 last week. More than 60 legislators from both parties are sponsors of the legislation that will establish a new cap at $750,000 without indexing for inflation.

"The Governor has said repeatedly that he will sign a cap into law that is constitutional," said WHA President Steve Brenton. "While no one other than the seven Justices on the Supreme Court can say what is constitutional, one simply cannot ignore the opinion of a scholar the stature of Professor Baldwin."

On December 1, 2005, Governor Jim Doyle vetoed legislation that would have reinstated a cap on non-economic damages at $450,000 for adults and $550,000 for minors. As grounds for vetoing the cap, Doyle relied on a letter authored by UW law professor Walter Dickey, an expert in criminal law, and two other UW law school professors.

Professor Gordon B. Baldwin is a nationally recognized expert in constitutional law who has argued successfully in front of the United States Supreme Court (Welsh v. Wisconsin). Among his many national and international accomplishments, Baldwin has chaired the Wisconsin Elections Board, served on the Wisconsin Ethics Board, and served as Assistant Dean and Associate Dean of the UW Law School.

Baldwin is the latest legal notable to line up behind AB 1073. Last week, former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice William Bablitch endorsed the proposal at a Capitol press conference. Bablitch, who served on the Wisconsin Supreme Court for 20 years, and 11 years in the State Senate before that, assisted in crafting AB 1073.

"The bill you see before you today is the result of a lot of work by a lot of people," Justice Bablitch said in a press conference last week. "I am confident it resolves the concerns of at least a majority of the Supreme Court, if not all of them."

Justice Bablitch will join several others today testifying in support of AB 1073 in front of the Assembly Committee on Insurance.

"For those looking for a guarantee that AB 1073 will be found constitutional, there is none. Only the Supreme Court can do that," said Wisconsin Medical Society CEO/Executive Vice President Susan Turney, MD. "But before we can even get to the Court, a new cap must be passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Doyle. We join with Professor Baldwin, Justice Bablitch and dozens of legislators who believe not only is AB 1073 urgently needed, but that it will also be upheld by the Wisconsin Supreme Court."

State Senator Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) and Representative David Ward (R-Fort Atkinson) recently met with physicians and staff of Fort HealthCare to discuss the current lack of a medical liability cap in Wisconsin.

Approximately 50 members of the Fort HealthCare staff, including 18 physicians attended the session, in which both Sen. Fitzgerald and Rep. Ward expressed support for new legislation that caps medical liability for non-economic damage awards on pain and suffering.

That legislation, Assembly Bill 1073, restores a cap at $750,000 without indexing or any other add-ons. The State Assembly passed AB 1073 on March 2 by a strong bipartisan vote of 74-22. The bill is expected to be voted on by the State Senate as early as Tuesday, March 7. Sen. Fitzgerald is the lead Senate author of AB 1073 and Rep. Ward is a cosponsor.

During the forum, Sen. Fitzgerald expressed his support for restoring a cap when he said: "You don’t have to convince me you need a cap…I know many specialists are leaving because of this. It needs to get done…."

Since the cap was found unconstitutional last July, there have been many concerns in the health care industry over massive jury awards. Those fears were confirmed in early February when a Dane County jury awarded $8.4 million in the case of Greenfield v. Huepenbecker. The $4.25 million in non-economic damages awarded exceed the previous cap by almost tenfold. Another $4 million was awarded in economic damages for lost wages and future medical bills. Economic damages have never been subject to a cap in Wisconsin, and there is no attempt to do so under AB 1073.

According to Sen. Fitzgerald, the original cap was overturned due to its arbitrary nature. The Legislature attempted to restore a cap last fall, setting the limit at $450,000, but Governor Jim Doyle vetoed that legislation. Sen. Fitzgerald said that the $450,000 figure the Governor vetoed was based on actuarial studies conducted by the Wisconsin Hospital Association and the Wisconsin Medical Society, and data from other states.

According to the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health, there are currently 320 physician openings, nearly half for primary care physicians. Close to 30 percent of the doctors now practicing in Wisconsin are approaching retirement. And the prognosis for the physician workforce shortage is bleak as the population ages and requires more medical services.

These facts all compound the problem of being in an uncapped liability environment. States without caps are viewed as less desirable places to practice by physicians because of high insurance premiums. When more physicians are leaving a state than are coming in, it quickly turns into a medical access crisis for residents of that state. Restoring a cap on non-economic damages will help Wisconsin to reverse this downward spiral and keep physicians and access to care available for our residents.

WHA’s grassroots advocates told state legislators that Wisconsin could not be without a cap on non-economic damages, to sign on to legislation restoring that cap and to vote in support of that legislation. Sixty-one bipartisan legislators cosponsored WHA-endorsed legislation authored by Rep. Curt Gielow (R-Mequon) and Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau). That legislation is Assembly Bill 1073. AB 1073 restores a cap at $750,000 without indexing or other add-ons.

Jean Doty of Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield was one of those grassroots advocates. She had this to say to her legislator, Senator Julie Lassa:

Representatives: Gielow (author), J. Fitzgerald, Wasserman, Ainsworth, Albers, Ballweg, Benedict, Davis, Fields, F. Lasee, Freese, Gottlieb, Gronemus, Gunderson, Hahn, Honadel, Hubler, Hundertmark, Kerkman, Krawczyk, Kreibich, LeMahieu, Loeffelholz, Lothian, McCormick, Meyer, Montgomery, Musser, Nerison, Newcomer, Nischke, Ott, Pettis, Pridemore, Shilling, Seidel, Sheridan, Stone, Strachota, Suder, Towns, Underheim, Van Roy, Vos, Vruwink, Vukmir, Ward and Ziegelbauer

Senators: Fitzgerald (lead Senate author), Brown, Cowles, Darling, Grothman, Harsdorf, Kapanke, Kedzie, A. Lasee, Leibham, Olsen, Roessler and Zien

On March 1, the Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR) voted to suspend an objectionable portion [Section 9.32(2)(c)] of INS 9, an administrative rule crafted by the Insurance Commissioner that would have required hospitals and other health care providers to essentially act as insurance companies. The rule was scheduled to go into effect that same day.

WHA’s Eric Borgerding testified before JCRAR in support of suspending the troublesome portion of the rule in December 2005 and again on Wednesday. The rule would have required preferred provider plans (PPPs) to include in all contracts with health care providers a requirement that the health care provider disclose to the PPP enrollees the names of each health care provider that may participate in an elective or non-emergency procedure, including surgery. Further, the rule would have required hospitals to determine if any of those providers who may be involved are participating providers in the patient’s PPP. Fortunately, this portion of the rule was suspended by JCRAR.

In his testimony, Insurance Commissioner Jorge Gomez indicated that his department has spent the past five years working on the rule with input from some of state’s "major insurance companies." Commenting on the contract requirements in the rule that required hospitals to provide to the patient a list of all providers who may be involved in a scheduled procedure he remarked, "In this day of computers, I don’t understand why they shouldn’t be able to do this."

JCRAR voted 10-0 to suspend Section 9.32(2)(c) of INS 9, which means that for all practical purposes this portion of the rule could not go into effect until the end of the next legislative session in 2008. In the meantime, WHA committed to working with the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, the Wisconsin Preferred Provider Organization (formerly Wisconsin Association of Provider Networks) and others to identify and share information that can be used by enrollees to make wise decisions when scheduling procedures. WHA has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to improving the distribution of useful information to consumers of health care without a government mandate.

For more information about this legislation, contact WHA’s Jodi Bloch at 608-274-1820.

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Attendees at the Wisconsin Student Nurse Association Convention and Nursing Matters Expo 2006 had the opportunity to view incredible photos of nurses at work, taken by nurses themselves, courtesy of the Wisconsin Hospital Association. The featured pictures were winners of the American Journal of Nursing Photo Contest and highlighted nurses at work. Twenty-three powerful examples of nurses in a wide variety of workplaces were a source of comment and awe from attendees at both events. Student nurse comments focused on the many practice environments where nurses work, while Expo 2006 participants found the images of nurses with vulnerable patients deeply touching.

Judy Warmuth, WHA vice president for workforce, who coordinated the display, said the photos proved to be a good recruitment and retention tool.

"Nurses new to the profession were impressed by the wide variety of careers available to nurses, as nurses in burn, pediatric, oncology units, and even nurses working in New Orleans following Katrina were featured in the display," Warmuth said. "Nurses who had been practicing for a while found the photographs to be a source of inspiration—a reminder to them about why they chose nursing, and why they stay."

Community benefits reporting is one of the Association’s top priorities for 2006. WHA is holding three training sessions in March to prepare hospitals to publicly report these important benefits. If you have not registered at least one person for a training session, please do so as soon as possible by contacting Sherry Rabuck at WHA.

The training sessions, at no cost to members, will be held in three locations:

March 22 – Olympia Resort, Oconomowoc
March 23 – The Plaza Hotel & Suites, Eau Claire
March 24 - Holiday Inn, Stevens Point

Participants will learn how to identify, collect and quantify community benefit activities and then report them to WHA using a new online survey instrument. Another important communication vehicle in illustrating hospital community benefits is by relating how hospitals have touched the lives of those they serve. These stories will be used in the statewide report, as well as in several WHA publications to ensure that the public, legislators, and the press know the vital difference hospitals can make in the lives of those they serve. WHA has been publishing examples of patient stories and community benefit programs in The Valued Voice. To see all the examples that have been included so far, go to www.wha.org/financeAndData/commben_stories.aspx.

WHA recommends that at least one representative from each hospital register to attend this complimentary training; additional registered attendees are welcome. Attendees who will benefit from the training include community and public relations professionals, chief executive officers, and others involved in the collection or distribution of community benefits information.

The Wisconsin Organization of Nurse Executives (W-ONE) will host its annual convention for nurse leaders and managers April 26-28 in Wisconsin Dells. Barbara Mackoff, MA, PhD, will open the convention as the keynote speaker, where she’ll explore how exceptional leaders understand and learn to use their own experiences as leaders, and translate them into powerful habits of mind for leading and inspiring others. Mackoff is a widely acclaimed expert on the psychological dimensions of effective leadership – on how great leaders think. Mackoff’s presentation will be followed by a variety of interesting breakout session topics and the opportunity to network, see old friends and make some new ones.

The convention will be held at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. Anyone who has responsibilities in leading and managing RNs will benefit from the educational agenda and is welcome. Attendance is not limited to current W-ONE members or to registered nurses.

The brochure and registration form are included in this week’s packet and on the W-ONE web site at www.w-one.org. This program has been approved for 8.1 contact hours. Aurora Health Care, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Wisconsin Nurses Association Continuing Education Approval Program Committee, and accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

For more information on the program content, contact Jennifer Frank at 608-274-1820 or email jfrank@wha.org. For registration questions, contact Sherry Rabuck at 608-274-1820 or email srabuck@wha.org.

Community benefits collection and reporting is a WHA priority in 2006. In line with that priority, the Wisconsin Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing Society (WHPRMS) is offering a half-day educational session that will help hospitals and clinics organize and implement a community benefits plan. The program is led by Michael Bilton, director of the Health Research and Education Trust (HRET), and Deborah Bohr, also with HRET, both who are recognized experts in the area of community benefit program planning. Bohr is currently working on a project related to measuring the results of community initiatives.

The training is an introductory overview intended to provide resources and direction for those who are responsible for community benefit planning and reporting activities. Training will include processes and tools for participants to use in their work, and will include real examples and exercises. Each participant will receive worksheets, sample plans, policies and job descriptions.

This seminar complements, but does not replace, the training that WHA has scheduled to help member hospitals identify and report community benefits to WHA using an online survey instrument. WHA highly recommends that each hospital send a representative to both the WHA and WHPRMS community benefit training seminars. The WHA community benefit seminar is free. Registration information is at www.wha.org/education/communityBenefits.aspx.

The WHPRMS training coincides with WHA’s Advocacy Day, which will be held April 5 at Monona Terrace in Madison. The WHPRMS seminar will be in the afternoon, which will allow registrants to attend the WHA Advocacy Day program in the morning and the WHPRMS training in the afternoon.

The cost to attend the WHPRMS community benefit seminar is $95 for WHPRMS members, and $125 for non-members. WHA Advocacy Day is a free event, and it includes lunch. A registration form for the WHPRMS Community Benefits Seminar is included in the packet, and is available at www.whprms.org. For information, contact Siobhan Marks at smarks@wi.rr.com or 414-719-0531. For information on WHA’s Advocacy Day, go to www.wha.org. You can register for both events on the WHPRMS registration form.

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The Digital Healthcare Conference, presented by the Wisconsin Technology Network, will bring together experts in health care delivery, technology and the law to improve your grasp of the complex issues driving the adoption of information technology. It will be held May 3-4 at the Fluno Center for Executive Education in Madison, Wisconsin. Since its inception, the Digital Healthcare Conference has been an annual forum for health care knowledge and experiences.

General admission is $425. Health care providers can register for the lower rate of $300, with an additional $75 early bird discount available until March 17. The Digital Healthcare Conference will meet all day Thursday, May 4, after a reception and a pre-conference session on "Managing Healthcare Data, The Quest to Deliver Knowledge" Wednesday night presented by William Hendee, PhD, and a panel of informaticists.

Visit www.dhc2006.com for more information or call Deb Klein at 608-438-1006.

Two national quality organizations announced they would merge. Janet M. Corrigan, PhD, MBA, was chosen to head the new organization, which will focus on enhancing and building strategic alliances with other organizations to bring more alignment and coordination to the quality movement. The newly reconstituted entity will be called the National Quality Forum.

NQF (www.qualityforum.org) is the nation’s standard setter for performance measurement; NCQHC (www.ncqhc.org) is an organization of health industry leaders focused on improving quality. NQF’s mission is to dramatically improve quality of care. Its portfolio includes the endorsement of performance measurement consensus standards, educational programs for health care leaders on key environmental trends, and award recognition programs. NQF, a non-profit organization with diverse stakeholders across the public and private health sectors, was established in 1999 and is based in Washington, DC.

Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield has been awarded the recognition of "children’s hospital" by the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI). At the same time, the hospital has revealed a new name for its comprehensive pediatric services that reflects the designation – Saint Joseph’s Children’s Hospital of Marshfield.

The designation defines Saint Joseph’s Children’s Hospital of Marshfield as a true children’s hospital, offering high quality 24-hour-a-day subspecialty care for children – from premature infants to 18-year-olds.

"While the new recognition validates the hospital’s exceptional pediatric and neonatal programs, it in no way changes the high level of specialty care provided to adult patients," according to Michael Kryda, MD, chief executive officer. "Saint Joseph’s Hospital will remain a leader in providing the highest quality medical care for cancer, heart, orthopedic, neurological, pulmonary and other conditions," Kryda said. "Our commitment has been and will continue to be offering the best technologies and care to patients of all ages."

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