The Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce held a Focus Friday presentation featuring Novant Health, where Mike Riley and his team discussed healthcare trends and challenges in the Lake Norman community. The presentation covered Novant's five strategic pillars, including team well-being and safety and quality, while addressing rising healthcare costs, physician and nursing shortages, and the aging population's impact on healthcare demand. Dr. Brian Cain and Dr. Bikki Gautam explained Novant's technological advancements in stroke care and cardiac treatment, while Chief Nursing Officer Ali Moody detailed nursing workforce challenges and solutions including AI-assisted charting and virtual clinical resource nurses. The discussion highlighted Novant's commitment to safety and quality, at Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center by achieving nine consecutive Leapfrog A’s and CMS 4-star ratings, while also addressing workplace violence prevention and mental health support for healthcare professionals.

Healthcare Safety and Professional Wellbeing

The group discussed safety for medical professionals, with a focus on workplace violence and healthcare burnout. Pat Jackson, Chamber Public Policy Chair, mentioned that healthcare sessions are always popular with young participants who are idealistic about helping others. The conversation included personal experiences with healthcare providers, including discussions about finding the right doctor and managing antibiotics and immunizations.

Healthcare Trends in Lake Norman

Mike introduced his healthcare team and presented on healthcare trends in the Lake Norman community. He discussed Novant Health's five pillars of success and the challenges of rising healthcare costs, which are growing faster than general inflation due to factors like competition and medical technology advancements. Mike explained that the aging population, known as the "silver tsunami," is contributing to increased healthcare needs and workforce challenges in nursing.

Lake Norman Healthcare Demographics Update

Riley also presented statistics on population growth in Lake Norman, highlighting that the 65+ age group is growing at three times the rate of overall population growth, creating increased demand for healthcare services. He discussed challenges around healthcare costs, noting that while technological advances may create efficiencies, new medical technologies and medications continue to increase overall costs. Dr. Cain followed by explaining how the healthcare system is implementing new technologies like AI for stroke care and advanced heart attack treatments, while emphasizing the importance of expanding primary care access points in the community.

Healthcare Access Expansion Plans

Mike discussed the expansion of healthcare access points, including a new freestanding emergency department in Cornelius and a clinic in Davidson planned for Q3. He highlighted efforts to address workforce shortages through physician residencies and partnerships with medical schools, noting Novant's collaboration with UNC School of Medicine. He also explained the importance of virtual care and primary care relationships in managing patient needs and reducing unnecessary emergency department visits.

Novant Health Safety Performance Update

Mike Riley presented on safety and quality at Novant Health, highlighting their consistent performance in external benchmarking through partnerships with organizations like Vizient, Leapfrog and CMS. He shared that Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center has maintained 9 consecutive Leapfrog A’s and is a CMS 4-star rated hospital, with 3 Novant hospitals achieving CMS 5-star ratings. He also discussed their performance in treating heart attacks, noting their median reperfusion time of 42 minutes compared to the national 50th percentile of 62 minutes. The discussion concluded with a brief mention of virtual care solutions and the growing role of AI in healthcare.

Nursing Shortage and Retention Strategies

Ali Moody presented statistics on nursing shortages and retention challenges in acute care hospitals, noting that while Huntersville's RN vacancy rate of 11% is better than the national average of 15%, the focus should be on retention rather than shortage. She highlighted key issues affecting nurses including increased patient acuity, workplace violence, and burnout, while outlining Novant's initiatives to address these challenges including AI-powered staffing solutions, virtual clinical resource nurses, and wearable panic alarms. The conversation ended with information about upcoming Chamber events and Novant's continued support as a presenting sponsor of various programs.