HJAR Sep/Oct 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  SEP / OCT 2020 9 Dianne Hartley, Editor Arkansas seems to have fared much better during this pandemic than most states. What do you attribute that to? Governor Asa Hutchinson Simply staying after it, working hard on it every day. With COVID-19, you realize very quickly that you can’t get cocky about any level of suc- cess, because the virus will come back and hit you again. It was very key that when we had our first case, I declared a state of emer- gency, we marshalled our resources, and we communicated effectively to the public on the importance of wearing masks and social distancing. We really have an incred- ible leadership in the Department of Health that guided us in terms of building our test- ing capacity and contact tracing, and so with all of that together, at least at this point, we’ve not been hit as hard as some states have. I think we’ve managed it, which was our goal, to manage our way through this crisis. We started with a phased approach. In other words, we didn’t close everything; we targeted what we needed to close to address those face-to-face businesses, to avoid spread through them. Then, when it came to reopening, we didn’t do that all at once. We did it by gradually lifting restric- tions, and that helped us measure where the challenges were, and to address them. As we’ve gone through this, I’ve learned very quickly that communication with the public is the most important part of it, and that’s why I’ve done almost daily COVID-19 brief- ings with the people of Arkansas, so they go on this journey with us, and learn with us. I think that’s made a difference as well. Editor How do you think the healthcare system in Arkansas is holding up so far? Gov. Hutchinson I think they’re holding up well. The medical staff in many of the hos- pitals that deal with COVID-19 patients are stressed, and it’s wearing on them because there’s a lot of pressure in that environ- ment. The workload is heavy, but in terms of our hospital capacity, it’s still sufficient, and the strength of our healthcare system is the partnership between the hospitals, so that when one is under some stress, they can adjust within the system, or with a partner hospital. That teamwork has really helped us to manage the ebb and flow of the virus, and its impact on the hospitals. I really think the key ingredient was the relationship that the hospital community had between themselves, and the Hospital Association has been a very good partner in this as well. When we had a testing surge, they helped us to mobilize the hospitals. When we had PPE to distribute, they helped us partner with the hospitals as well, so it’s just been a good team effort. Editor A lot of rural hospitals were facing financial troubles prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Do you think they are in better or worse shape now? Gov. Hutchinson I try to visit with them as I go out in my weekly COVID-19 updates. I try to get out in different parts of the state at least once a week and visit with the hos- pital administrators. They were financially stressed early on because they lost their revenue stream from routine surgeries and medical procedures. Since then, they have received an infusion of federal money, as well as state money that we sent to the hos- pitals, and those two, combined with the fact that their revenue stream picked back up because of the reopening for routine pro- cedures, has stabilized rural hospitals. We’ll monitor them in the future, but right now, I think they are back to pretty close to where they were before the pandemic started. Editor What have you learned about the healthcare system that you did not know prior to the pandemic? Gov. Hutchinson I think a large part of what I’ve learned is the integral role the Depart- ment of Health plays. Our electronic sys- tem to monitor hospitalizations has been so effective, and the reporting system for infectious diseases, so I’ve learned the Asa Hutchinson is the 46th governor of the state of Arkansas. He has won recognition for the state as a leader in computer science education, cut taxes by $150million, and signed a law that exempts the retirement pay of veterans from state income tax. Under his economic development policies, over 100,000 more people are working in Arkansas than when he took office, and he has signed incentive agreements with nearly 450 companies that were expanding or opening in the state. President Ronald Reagan appointed Governor Hutchinson as U.S. Attorney for theWestern District of Arkansas. In 1996, he won the first of three successive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. During his third term in Congress, President George W. Bush appointed him director of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and later as an undersecretary in the newly created Department of Homeland Security. His experience has established him as a national resource for his expertise on trade, energy, national security, and education. The governor has been invited to theWhite House several times to join discussions about health care, Medicaid, and education issues. The Governor is the co-chair of the Council of Governors, and the former chairman of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC), Southern States Energy Board (SSEB) and the Southern Regional Education Board. Governor Hutchinson is a graduate of the University of Arkansas law school.