As the vice president of data and member solutions for the Indiana Hospital Association (IHA), Matt Browning, MHA’10 has worked alongside Fairbanks School of Public Health faculty and alumni to help with the healthcare industry response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Browning utilizes the healthcare data and information available from IHA members and governmental agencies to serve as a strategic resource for Indiana Hospitals. The data helps organizations develop strategic plans, growth strategies, business plans, and emergency response plans.
As an alumnus and a healthcare leader, Browning is grateful for the relationship and support of the Fairbanks School of Public Health during this crisis.
“At one point, we had 70% of the state’s hospitals working with Fairbanks to receive hospital-specific forecasts related to the COVID-19 patient surge,” Browning said. “Fairbanks also supported us by educating our members on modeling; not only the Fairbanks model but the importance of looking at several models at one time.”
This personalized attention helped IHA members understand the recommendations being made based on the predictions from all the known data at the time. Data has informed Browning and the Indiana State Department of Health on decisions regarding the distribution of personal protective equipment and remdesivir, a broad-spectrum antiviral medication used for the treatment of COVID-19.
As Indiana reopens and emerges from immediate crisis, Browning is encouraged by the learnings from March and April, specifically related to telemedicine.
“Telemedicine is a real alternative for primary care, and anyone who was a naysayer in the beginning and didn’t feel it provided value certainly sees the value now after COVID. However, we need to expand reimbursement related to telemedicine services.”
Additionally, Browning feels that Indiana is ready if the state experiences a COVID-19 resurgence in the fall. “We learned a lot from data about how hot spots and transmission occur. In the fall, we will use this data to help inform us on how to move forward if there is a resurgence. This data will help us make decisions in the future regarding elective surgeries and patient care.”
In the meantime, Browning encourages individuals who have delayed care to understand that it is safe to visit physicians and hospitals because delaying care is not healthy.
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