1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,000 This is Chris Sosa with the Becker's Healthcare 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,240 podcast. I'm thrilled to be joined by Matt 3 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:06,639 Cook, president and CEO of the Children's Hospital 4 00:00:06,639 --> 00:00:07,139 Association. 5 00:00:07,679 --> 00:00:09,380 Matt, thank you for joining us today. 6 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:12,480 Thanks for having me, Chris. I'm, excited to 7 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:13,460 be here with you. 8 00:00:14,004 --> 00:00:16,724 Wonderful. For our listeners who are not familiar 9 00:00:16,724 --> 00:00:18,884 with you and and or your background, could 10 00:00:18,884 --> 00:00:20,564 you please introduce yourself and tell us a 11 00:00:20,564 --> 00:00:21,464 bit about it? 12 00:00:22,004 --> 00:00:23,625 Sure. Absolutely. So 13 00:00:24,004 --> 00:00:24,804 I have, 14 00:00:25,125 --> 00:00:27,464 been working in the health care industry for 15 00:00:27,969 --> 00:00:29,269 about twenty five years. 16 00:00:29,730 --> 00:00:31,890 A good part of my career, I started 17 00:00:31,890 --> 00:00:33,509 out in management consulting 18 00:00:34,289 --> 00:00:36,850 and worked for exclusively in health care and 19 00:00:36,850 --> 00:00:38,309 worked for a number of hospitals 20 00:00:38,850 --> 00:00:41,170 across the country, including a number of children's 21 00:00:41,170 --> 00:00:41,670 hospitals. 22 00:00:42,484 --> 00:00:42,984 And, 23 00:00:44,164 --> 00:00:46,405 about the midpoint of my career, 1 of 24 00:00:46,405 --> 00:00:49,385 my clients was the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. 25 00:00:50,085 --> 00:00:52,645 And they were in the process of creating 26 00:00:52,645 --> 00:00:54,939 a chief strategy officer role and asked if 27 00:00:54,939 --> 00:00:55,759 I would, 28 00:00:56,379 --> 00:00:57,979 consider it. And I thought at the time, 29 00:00:57,979 --> 00:00:58,479 wow. 30 00:00:58,939 --> 00:00:59,600 I can, 31 00:01:00,619 --> 00:01:02,859 step off the road and really kind of 32 00:01:02,859 --> 00:01:05,020 focus on children's health with 1 client. And 33 00:01:05,020 --> 00:01:06,719 I was like, how great is that? 34 00:01:07,295 --> 00:01:07,795 And, 35 00:01:08,174 --> 00:01:09,614 and so I was there for a number 36 00:01:09,614 --> 00:01:12,254 of years and then was recruited out to 37 00:01:12,254 --> 00:01:12,754 Indiana 38 00:01:13,534 --> 00:01:16,094 to be the president of Riley Children's Health, 39 00:01:16,094 --> 00:01:18,194 which is part of the IU Health System, 40 00:01:19,215 --> 00:01:21,569 and then was recruited out to the Bay 41 00:01:21,569 --> 00:01:24,549 Area where I ran the 2 children's hospitals 42 00:01:24,689 --> 00:01:27,030 for UCSF, the 1 in San Francisco, 43 00:01:28,129 --> 00:01:29,750 and the 1 in Oakland. 44 00:01:30,530 --> 00:01:32,450 And at that time, I was also on 45 00:01:32,450 --> 00:01:35,224 the board of of CHA and was a 46 00:01:35,224 --> 00:01:37,084 member of the public policy committee. 47 00:01:37,465 --> 00:01:38,525 And when my predecessor, 48 00:01:38,905 --> 00:01:39,405 Mark, 49 00:01:39,944 --> 00:01:40,444 decided 50 00:01:40,984 --> 00:01:43,005 to, retire from CHA, 51 00:01:43,465 --> 00:01:45,545 the board asked me to take his place, 52 00:01:45,545 --> 00:01:46,045 and 53 00:01:46,530 --> 00:01:49,090 I felt honored and privileged to have been 54 00:01:49,090 --> 00:01:51,189 asked to take this role in, 55 00:01:52,049 --> 00:01:52,790 just about, 56 00:01:53,329 --> 00:01:54,790 just over a year in now. 57 00:01:55,730 --> 00:01:58,390 Matt, having worked all across the country, 58 00:01:58,689 --> 00:01:59,590 are there certain 59 00:01:59,924 --> 00:02:02,805 threads that you've learned or picked up as 60 00:02:02,805 --> 00:02:04,185 far as the children's hospital 61 00:02:04,805 --> 00:02:07,604 administration is concerned or any aspects that you 62 00:02:07,604 --> 00:02:09,604 think have stood out in your in your 63 00:02:09,604 --> 00:02:10,905 work travels, let's say? 64 00:02:11,604 --> 00:02:14,060 Yeah. That's a really good question, Chris. You 65 00:02:14,060 --> 00:02:16,039 you know, 1 thing I've noticed 66 00:02:16,900 --> 00:02:17,400 working, 67 00:02:18,259 --> 00:02:20,919 across the country is that health care truly 68 00:02:20,979 --> 00:02:21,479 is 69 00:02:22,180 --> 00:02:22,680 local. 70 00:02:23,219 --> 00:02:24,680 And the children's hospital, 71 00:02:24,979 --> 00:02:26,519 almost always by definition, 72 00:02:26,979 --> 00:02:28,519 is a safety net hospital. 73 00:02:29,245 --> 00:02:31,965 And they take care of all the children 74 00:02:31,965 --> 00:02:32,784 in the community, 75 00:02:33,245 --> 00:02:35,425 so regardless of their ability to pay. 76 00:02:35,724 --> 00:02:36,544 And often 77 00:02:37,004 --> 00:02:40,525 kids travel, you know, significant distances to receive 78 00:02:40,525 --> 00:02:42,064 care from a children's hospital. 79 00:02:42,629 --> 00:02:45,269 And so that mission component of what they 80 00:02:45,269 --> 00:02:45,769 do 81 00:02:46,469 --> 00:02:48,169 is a common thread 82 00:02:48,629 --> 00:02:50,409 throughout all children's hospitals. 83 00:02:50,949 --> 00:02:52,709 But the role they play in the community 84 00:02:52,709 --> 00:02:54,329 and the connection to the community, 85 00:02:55,324 --> 00:02:57,805 can differ from sort of 1 market to 86 00:02:57,805 --> 00:02:59,025 the next. And so 87 00:02:59,405 --> 00:03:02,444 it's it's so, it's fascinating, and it's so 88 00:03:02,444 --> 00:03:05,724 critically important when you're a hospital leader to 89 00:03:05,724 --> 00:03:06,784 really understand 90 00:03:08,219 --> 00:03:08,879 the community 91 00:03:09,180 --> 00:03:11,900 that you're you're serving and and what their 92 00:03:11,900 --> 00:03:13,979 priorities are and what their what their real 93 00:03:13,979 --> 00:03:14,799 needs are. 94 00:03:15,659 --> 00:03:17,659 Thank you for expounding upon that, Matt. And 95 00:03:17,659 --> 00:03:20,139 speaking of priorities, what are your top priorities 96 00:03:20,139 --> 00:03:21,819 today in the role that you're in right 97 00:03:21,819 --> 00:03:22,319 now? 98 00:03:24,094 --> 00:03:26,895 So our our priorities are to continue telling 99 00:03:26,895 --> 00:03:27,395 the 100 00:03:27,694 --> 00:03:30,254 the story of the good work that children's 101 00:03:30,254 --> 00:03:31,395 hospitals do. 102 00:03:32,014 --> 00:03:34,094 You know, I think it's easy to take 103 00:03:34,094 --> 00:03:34,915 for granted 104 00:03:35,215 --> 00:03:37,795 the fact that there's a children's hospital in 105 00:03:37,909 --> 00:03:38,729 in the community 106 00:03:39,430 --> 00:03:40,889 and not really understand 107 00:03:41,509 --> 00:03:43,990 what it is they do. And so children's 108 00:03:43,990 --> 00:03:45,849 hospitals take care of 109 00:03:46,469 --> 00:03:46,969 of, 110 00:03:47,590 --> 00:03:48,729 kids that are well, 111 00:03:49,110 --> 00:03:51,685 but they, more importantly, take care of kids 112 00:03:51,685 --> 00:03:54,185 that are really sick and have chronic complex 113 00:03:54,324 --> 00:03:54,824 conditions. 114 00:03:55,925 --> 00:03:57,865 And beyond that, they're also, 115 00:03:58,645 --> 00:04:00,665 hubs for innovation and research. 116 00:04:01,284 --> 00:04:02,504 There's a lot of, 117 00:04:03,125 --> 00:04:05,224 breakthrough treatments that have been 118 00:04:05,689 --> 00:04:07,469 pioneered at children's hospitals. 119 00:04:08,250 --> 00:04:10,569 In fact, when we think of cancer care 120 00:04:10,569 --> 00:04:11,069 today, 121 00:04:11,930 --> 00:04:14,650 and we we think about CAR T therapy, 122 00:04:14,650 --> 00:04:16,029 which is really the 123 00:04:16,490 --> 00:04:19,310 the cutting edge way to to treat cancer, 124 00:04:19,665 --> 00:04:21,425 I was working at the Children's Hospital of 125 00:04:21,425 --> 00:04:24,404 Philadelphia when we treated the very first patient, 126 00:04:25,904 --> 00:04:27,524 a young a young woman 127 00:04:27,985 --> 00:04:29,365 for relapse leukemia. 128 00:04:30,225 --> 00:04:32,100 And and so that's 129 00:04:32,580 --> 00:04:34,899 the important role that children's hospitals play. And 130 00:04:34,899 --> 00:04:37,399 so our priorities are to continue to message 131 00:04:37,459 --> 00:04:37,959 that 132 00:04:38,259 --> 00:04:39,959 and to message that with 133 00:04:40,259 --> 00:04:43,080 the public at large as well as with, 134 00:04:43,620 --> 00:04:46,360 the administration in Washington and Congress. 135 00:04:47,845 --> 00:04:49,605 Given all that you've just laid out, Matt, 136 00:04:49,605 --> 00:04:51,685 how do you anticipate your role is going 137 00:04:51,685 --> 00:04:53,444 to change and as well as the the 138 00:04:53,444 --> 00:04:54,725 role of your team? How is that all 139 00:04:54,725 --> 00:04:56,725 gonna evolve in the next eighteen months or 140 00:04:56,725 --> 00:04:57,225 so? 141 00:04:58,165 --> 00:04:58,665 Yeah. 142 00:04:59,060 --> 00:05:00,900 That's a great question, Chris. You know, I 143 00:05:00,900 --> 00:05:02,900 think as you know, we have a new 144 00:05:02,900 --> 00:05:03,400 administration, 145 00:05:04,339 --> 00:05:04,839 entering 146 00:05:05,300 --> 00:05:05,800 DC, 147 00:05:07,139 --> 00:05:07,540 and, 148 00:05:08,180 --> 00:05:10,279 many new members of Congress. 149 00:05:10,819 --> 00:05:12,759 And what's interesting about, 150 00:05:13,504 --> 00:05:15,365 the makeup of this Congress 151 00:05:15,745 --> 00:05:18,165 is the amount of turnover that's occurred. 152 00:05:18,865 --> 00:05:19,685 And so, 153 00:05:20,305 --> 00:05:23,105 we had a fair number of retirements in 154 00:05:23,105 --> 00:05:25,444 this, in this past election cycle, 155 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:28,160 and it's really not the sheer number that 156 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:28,899 turned over. 157 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:31,439 But what is important is the number of 158 00:05:31,439 --> 00:05:33,220 members of Congress that turned over 159 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:36,339 who were experienced in health care policy, 160 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:39,615 that's significant. We lost a lot of, 161 00:05:40,175 --> 00:05:43,474 of knowledge in this past election through retirements. 162 00:05:44,334 --> 00:05:45,935 And so we're going to have to do 163 00:05:45,935 --> 00:05:46,995 a lot of education, 164 00:05:47,854 --> 00:05:49,774 over the next couple of years with the 165 00:05:49,774 --> 00:05:50,995 new members of Congress, 166 00:05:52,014 --> 00:05:54,254 as well as with the new members of 167 00:05:54,254 --> 00:05:54,914 the administration. 168 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:57,879 And so we're gonna focus on topics like 169 00:05:57,879 --> 00:05:58,620 the workforce. 170 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:01,339 We've we have a perennial issue 171 00:06:01,959 --> 00:06:04,300 with the workforce and children's hospitals, 172 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:07,579 and that includes not just physicians 173 00:06:07,879 --> 00:06:10,540 in in many specialties, but also 174 00:06:11,044 --> 00:06:13,865 other types of caregivers like respiratory therapists, 175 00:06:15,044 --> 00:06:15,865 like radiology 176 00:06:16,165 --> 00:06:16,665 technicians, 177 00:06:17,044 --> 00:06:17,944 lab technicians. 178 00:06:18,564 --> 00:06:20,404 So we need to be talking about the 179 00:06:20,404 --> 00:06:22,884 workforce and how we can continue to invest 180 00:06:22,884 --> 00:06:24,185 in and support it. 181 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:26,560 We need to continue to talk about the 182 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:27,540 Medicaid program. 183 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:30,720 Medicaid is the single largest pair of children's 184 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:32,020 health care in this country. 185 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:34,020 It usually covers 186 00:06:34,639 --> 00:06:37,040 fifty five to sixty percent of the patients 187 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:39,460 walking through the doors of a children's hospital. 188 00:06:40,525 --> 00:06:43,564 And so how we how we continue to 189 00:06:43,564 --> 00:06:46,145 support that program so that it is sustainable, 190 00:06:47,324 --> 00:06:50,384 over the long term is incredibly important. 191 00:06:50,845 --> 00:06:52,685 And then, of course, we still have the 192 00:06:52,685 --> 00:06:55,899 issues with the, youth mental health crisis. 193 00:06:56,519 --> 00:06:58,939 And so we're gonna continue to talk to 194 00:06:59,079 --> 00:07:01,479 congress administration about those things that we can 195 00:07:01,479 --> 00:07:01,979 do, 196 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:03,339 to, 197 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:06,600 continue to mitigate that crisis and to really 198 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,019 focus on the well-being of children. 199 00:07:10,334 --> 00:07:12,975 Certainly a long list of priorities that you 200 00:07:12,975 --> 00:07:15,555 have there, Matt, but, obviously, everyone is 201 00:07:15,855 --> 00:07:16,915 very much important. 202 00:07:17,295 --> 00:07:18,514 Switching gears slightly 203 00:07:19,375 --> 00:07:21,720 here on the interview, I simply wanna ask 204 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:23,720 you it's a 2 part question. So what 205 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:25,399 makes you nervous right now? I understand it 206 00:07:25,399 --> 00:07:27,180 could be a long list, and that's okay. 207 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:27,980 And, 208 00:07:28,519 --> 00:07:31,160 just as importantly, though, what aspect or aspects 209 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,660 of health care are exciting you right now? 210 00:07:34,935 --> 00:07:35,914 So that's a, 211 00:07:37,814 --> 00:07:39,894 that's a good question that there's a lot 212 00:07:39,894 --> 00:07:42,055 in there. So what makes me nervous? I 213 00:07:42,055 --> 00:07:43,495 I don't know if it makes me nervous, 214 00:07:43,495 --> 00:07:44,935 but it just it it, 215 00:07:45,495 --> 00:07:47,800 you know, it spurs a lot of energy 216 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:49,720 in me, the fact that we do have 217 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:50,779 this new administration 218 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:51,660 and 219 00:07:52,279 --> 00:07:53,180 a very different, 220 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:55,819 makeup in congress. 221 00:07:56,439 --> 00:07:57,259 And so 222 00:07:57,720 --> 00:07:59,639 I just know that we're gonna have to 223 00:07:59,639 --> 00:08:01,204 do a lot of work educating 224 00:08:01,584 --> 00:08:04,725 about the policies that impact children's hospitals, 225 00:08:05,665 --> 00:08:08,625 how children's hospitals are different, that children are 226 00:08:08,625 --> 00:08:09,685 not little adults, 227 00:08:10,544 --> 00:08:11,444 that we have 228 00:08:11,824 --> 00:08:13,524 unique needs from a regulatory 229 00:08:14,019 --> 00:08:15,620 framework and and from a, 230 00:08:16,019 --> 00:08:19,079 reimbursement framework for for kids' hospitals. And so 231 00:08:19,459 --> 00:08:21,300 it it makes me a little bit nervous 232 00:08:21,300 --> 00:08:23,620 that we have to do as much education 233 00:08:23,620 --> 00:08:24,919 as we do. 234 00:08:25,459 --> 00:08:27,240 But at the same time, that's an opportunity. 235 00:08:27,620 --> 00:08:29,834 It's an opportunity to really level set 236 00:08:30,475 --> 00:08:31,294 and to 237 00:08:31,595 --> 00:08:32,495 really advance 238 00:08:33,034 --> 00:08:33,774 our priorities. 239 00:08:34,235 --> 00:08:35,914 So I kinda look at it both ways. 240 00:08:35,914 --> 00:08:37,214 Like, it makes me nervous, 241 00:08:37,514 --> 00:08:38,575 but it's an opportunity. 242 00:08:39,595 --> 00:08:39,995 And, 243 00:08:41,034 --> 00:08:42,495 and so that's that. 244 00:08:42,875 --> 00:08:45,259 And then I think to the second part 245 00:08:45,259 --> 00:08:46,959 of your question, which is, 246 00:08:47,500 --> 00:08:48,159 you know, 247 00:08:48,779 --> 00:08:50,319 what's coming down the road. 248 00:08:50,620 --> 00:08:53,759 You know, we've really made some significant advances 249 00:08:53,899 --> 00:08:56,779 in in children's health care on the research 250 00:08:56,779 --> 00:08:58,079 and innovation side. 251 00:08:58,485 --> 00:09:00,585 And I really feel like we're, 252 00:09:01,445 --> 00:09:04,264 making great progress in treating, 253 00:09:05,044 --> 00:09:06,904 conditions and diseases that, 254 00:09:07,205 --> 00:09:09,625 you know, not that long ago were, 255 00:09:10,325 --> 00:09:10,825 unfortunately, 256 00:09:12,259 --> 00:09:13,160 not treatable 257 00:09:13,540 --> 00:09:15,879 and really resulted in in death. 258 00:09:16,419 --> 00:09:19,700 And so we've made such significant progress that 259 00:09:19,700 --> 00:09:21,460 I really feel like the next few years, 260 00:09:21,460 --> 00:09:22,120 we're gonna 261 00:09:22,500 --> 00:09:24,134 see even more progress made. 262 00:09:24,774 --> 00:09:27,335 And that just means we're going to be 263 00:09:27,335 --> 00:09:28,475 able to give parents, 264 00:09:29,254 --> 00:09:30,875 good news and hope, 265 00:09:31,335 --> 00:09:31,835 and, 266 00:09:32,294 --> 00:09:33,355 you know, invest, 267 00:09:34,535 --> 00:09:36,634 investing in children is really, 268 00:09:37,909 --> 00:09:38,570 the most 269 00:09:39,029 --> 00:09:41,210 significant thing we can do for this country. 270 00:09:41,429 --> 00:09:43,269 And so I'm just really excited about where 271 00:09:43,269 --> 00:09:45,929 we stand in terms of, clinical advancements. 272 00:09:47,669 --> 00:09:49,190 The hope you hit on there, Matt, is 273 00:09:49,190 --> 00:09:51,850 certainly very important. I mean, obviously, it's it's 274 00:09:52,254 --> 00:09:54,894 heartwarming anytime you can go to a parent 275 00:09:54,894 --> 00:09:56,254 or a family and say, you know, we 276 00:09:56,254 --> 00:09:58,654 have good news for you. Well, Matt, we 277 00:09:58,654 --> 00:10:01,054 thank you so much for being so generous 278 00:10:01,054 --> 00:10:02,495 with all of your time and your insights 279 00:10:02,495 --> 00:10:04,414 today. We cannot wait to share them with 280 00:10:04,414 --> 00:10:05,934 the audience in the near future, and we 281 00:10:05,934 --> 00:10:07,714 look forward to connecting with you soon. 282 00:10:08,333 --> 00:10:10,413 Thanks, Chris. Really appreciate it. Have a great 283 00:10:10,413 --> 00:10:10,913 day.