FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts: Chris Davis/Flannery Hill (805) 687-3322
Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care Hosts 2nd Annual
PHorum: Perspectives in Healthcare
(L to R) Lynda Tanner, RN, MSN, President & CEO of Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care; Kurt N. Ransohoff, MD, CEO and Chief Medical
Officer at Sansum Clinic; Bob Freeman, CEO at CenCal Health; Fred Kass, MD, Medical Director of Research and Wellness at Cancer
Center of Santa Barbara with Sansum Clinic; Steven Fellows, Executive Vice President and COO at Cottage Health System; and Michael
C. Bordofsky, MD, Medical Director at VNHC, and President at Santa Barbara Preferred Health Partners. (Photo Credit: Rhianna
Mercier)
Santa Barbara CA, March 30, 2015 – Continuing the conversation about the dynamic transformations in the
healthcare industry, Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care (VNHC) hosted the 2nd Annual PHorum: Perspectives in
Healthcare, Thursday evening at The Fess Parker. Local healthcare industry leaders returned, participating in a
panel discussion about the Affordable Care Act, and included other topics such as access to providers and rising
healthcare costs, insurance gaps, and end of life care.
“At last year's incredibly successful PHorum, a panel of healthcare leaders provided their perspectives on the
challenges and opportunities that the new Affordable Care Act would pose in our community,” said Lynda
Tanner, VNHC President & CEO. “We are thrilled to welcome the panelists back this year to discuss national,
state and local issues that impact our local healthcare delivery system in Santa Barbara.”
The impressive lineup of panelists included: Michael C. Bordofsky, MD, Medical Director at VNHC, and
President at Santa Barbara Preferred Health Partners; Steven Fellows, Executive Vice President and COO at
Cottage Health System; Bob Freeman, CEO at CenCal Health; Fred Kass, MD, Medical Director of Research and
Wellness at Cancer Center of Santa Barbara with Sansum Clinic; Kurt N. Ransohoff, MD, CEO and Chief
Medical Officer at Sansum Clinic. Lynda Tanner, RN, MSN, President & CEO of Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care
served as the panel moderator.
Coincidentally, panelist Kurt N. Ransohoff, MD, CEO and Chief Medical Officer at Sansum Clinic had just
returned from Washington D.C., where President Barack Obama addressed an audience of national healthcare
leaders on the rollout of the affordable care act (ACA) and Medicare.
“President Obama gave a speech about the ACA and what has happened nationally, which I believe reflects what
is happening here,” said Ransohoff. “We’ve been very successful in expanding access to insurance. Nationally,
the number of uninsured has dropped by 16 million people, or 30%, in a little over a year. The ACA worked to
expand access and now we are going to witness efforts to control the cost.”
During the question and answer session that followed the panel discussion, Fred Kass, MD, addressed the
challenges providers faced dealing with insurance limits. “What we are faced with in regard to cancer medicine
are the holes in coverage for therapies and out-patient medications you get at the pharmacy. We are focused on
handling the influx of patients who now have insurance to get in the door, but don’t have the insurance to cover
the wide variety of therapies out there now,” explained Kass.
Over 250 guests gathered, including representatives from healthcare industry partners and organizations,
government offices, foundations and businesses along with interested community members. The event kicked off
with a wine and cheese reception in the rotunda, and then guests were seated in the Reagan Room. The program
commenced with VNHC presenting its Community Partners in Excellence award to Carole Dodero, NP and Anne
White, DO, Sansum Clinic Rehabilitation & Extended Care. Next was the panel discussion followed by a question
and answer session.
“We see great worth in this type of exchange with our community,” said Tanner. “The PHorum was designed as
an annual healthcare industry forecast, to present relevant, timely information. We’re grateful for the added value
of the experts and audience participation.”
About Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care
Since 1908, Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care has been Santa Barbara’s trusted home care expert. Serving the
greater Santa Barbara area, and Santa Ynez and Lompoc Valleys, VNHC provides high quality, comprehensive
home health, hospice, and related services necessary to promote the health and well-being of all community
residents. For more information on Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care, visit www.vnhcsb.org or call (805) 965-5555.
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