A Note from Troy
A
s summer gives way to fall and we enter September, we find ourselves reflecting on the significance of September 11, 2001. The horrible events surrounding that day are etched in the collective conscience of generations. Equally as impactful was the incredible sacrifice and service to others from fire fighters, first responders, and medical personnel who rallied together to help. They braved treacherous circumstances, many losing their own lives in the hope of saving others. Twenty years later, we are still a grateful nation humbled by the heroic efforts witnessed in those fateful moments. Today we find ourselves facing challenges of a different nature requiring no less of a heroic effort by caregiving team members. The global Coronavirus pandemic has strained our health systems and communities in ways unseen for nearly 100 years. Eighteen months into this battle, our community is blessed to have the brave team members at Boone Health giving of themselves by sharing their knowledge, skills, and gifts to care for others. Our collective “thank you” to our healthcare team members feels inadequate to express our heartfelt appreciation for their sacrifices.
It really is amazing to consider our creation 100 years ago was, in part, to address the last major global pandemic due to the Spanish Flu. What challenges did our founders see in the immediate future? What needs did they identify and how might they have addressed opportunities? Could they have envisioned a healthcare system 100 years later with nearly 2,000 team members, more than 400 providers, a home health agency, ambulance service, retail pharmacy and 13 clinic locations with the furthest clinics being 95 miles apart? Although they may not have envisioned what Boone Health became, they certainly had vision for the future of a growing mid-Missouri. Looking to our immediate future, how might we build on this legacy of service to our community for the last 100 years? Although detailed projection of activities can be difficult, we can look at present trends and identify categories of activities that will be critical to meeting the healthcare needs of our community. Three of these categories are Access, Value, and Operational Excellence.
