Four Maryland hospitals Wednesday announced plan to hire 1,000 people from high poverty, high unemployment areas into entry level positions.
“This measure means more options for our city. The effort aims to increase the number of entry-level workers we can hire, creating career paths for some while advancing the stability of our community. It is a win-win,” Ronald R. Peterson, president of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine, said in a statement.
The four hospitals – Johns Hopkins Hospital, Medstar Health, Mercy Health Services and the University of Maryland Medical System – are backing a proposal that would change the way the state sets costs for health care at Maryland hospitals.
“Because of the strong correlation between poor health and poverty, we must understand and address these social determinants of health if we are to be successful,” Bradley S. Chambers, president of MedStar Union Memorial Hospital and MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, said in the release.
The partners are call the initiative the Health Employment Program, with a goal of starting Jan. 1, 2016.
From the release:
Organization representatives presented at a meeting of the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC), a state regulatory body that sets prices for health care at Maryland hospitals. The HSCRC, Maryland law and federal agreements limit hospital revenue to a greater degree than in other states. The aggregate amount available for these awards is up to 0.25% of statewide revenue. The HSCRC will approve an amount any individual hospital may receive.
The proposed changes would lead to a $2.50 increase per $1,000 in hospital charges, according to the release, generating $40 million to support the new jobs.
