The Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal sat down with Wicks to discuss current topics faced by the health-care industry across the state as well as in Kitsap County.

KPBJ: What are the top issues for WSMA for 2008?

Wicks: The biggest thing is we need to strengthen patient safety by modifying how doctors are disciplined by the Medical Quality Assurance Commission… We have as much interest to get rid of bad doctors as anyone else. Up to this point, physicians are lumped in categories… with the same team investigating physicians and animal therapists, for example. Due to limited resources, you don’t get timely decisions on these cases, and they (escalate) to high-profile cases like the obstetrician in Burien who was arrested and charged with rape.

KPBJ: How do you hope to fix this?

Wicks: If we’re able to remove the disciplining of physicians from the Department of Health… we could be more effective — similar to what attorneys do through the bar association… We’ve discussed it with the governor and she’s voiced support for the concept. The difficulty is that other health-care providers who also would like to be separated, and that’s created some friction. We feel it’s a fight worth fighting for.

Wicks: We want to increase the funding for Medicaid reimbursement. There were efforts to increase the reimbursement rates for pediatric care, but it’s been difficult for specialty providers. We need appropriate rates for healthy kids and all health-care needs. Another contentious issue is that plaintiff trial attorneys are looking to expand the scope of who can sue somebody for a loss of relative in a wrongful death. We’re concerned that will increase costs for everybody by allowing the attorneys to cast the net wider.

KPBJ: Is tort reform no longer on the front burner?

Wicks: We still feel reforming the liability (system) is in everybody’s best interest. The legislative bill did quite a bit of good, and the publicity opened people’s eyes to the issue of large payouts. The severity and the number of suits has decreased. The fight was definitely worth it — but it could get fired up again and make malpractice insurance unaffordable. A byproduct has been a groundswell about the idea of patient safety. If you can improve the system, a lot of the (negative) outcomes can be avoided. People should be compensated, but not with millions of dollars. The battle over tort reform has spawned a lot of discussion over the evolution of medical liability issues.

KPBJ: What are the current challenges facing health care in the state?

Wicks: Patient access to health care. If your practice is predominately based on Medicaid and Medicare, it’s very hard to have a paycheck at the end of the month. If we look at a 10 percent cut as of Jan. 1, you’ll find a very serious situation for access to care for people who have Medicare. Physicians will severely restrict, and stop seeing, Medicare patients. There are a lot of efforts, especially on Sen. Murray and Cantwell’s part, to get this fixed; Washington State gets one of the lowest reimbursement rates for Medicare services than any other state because we’ve always been appropriate with how we use the expenditures. When the Medicare system was set up in ’65, the government said, “You don’t spend that much so you don’t need as much.” A 10 percent cut from something already low will cause serious problems with access.

KPBJ: What are the top issues in Kitsap County?

Wicks: In Kitsap, there is a lot of effort and discussion on how to improve visibility of services, how to show folks that for their overwhelming majority of needs, they don’t need to go to Seattle or Tacoma.

KPBJ: What is being discussed specifically?

Wicks: Expanding into areas that traditionally have been served by Seattle. For example, The Doctors Clinic opened a clinic on Bainbridge Island (in December). Harrison has many new services, like first-rate treatment for prostate cancer, which is one of the tops in the state. This used to be a small medical community that’s “close to Seattle” — now you don’t have to go to Seattle for surgeries (and other services). We’re relatively blessed in Kitsap County because of the job support by the federal government. There is economic stability compared to other areas, which allows for continuous investments by (medical providers) into improvements and equipment.

KPBJ: Any upcoming challenges for Kitsap?

Wicks: The main challenge will be the increased competition from St. Anthony’s in Gig Harbor. We still don’t know how that will affect us. Harrison Hospital hopes to create enough loyalty so South Kitsap patients will stay here. This is the first substantial competitor Harrison has had. There is some angst about the presence of competition but there is also a feeling that competition improves the level of services. We’re optimistic the presence of St. Anthony’s will ensure Harrison’s system will function as smoothly as possible, and it will help spur improvements.