James March-April 2025 web - Flipbook - Page 47
I
n the ever-evolving landscape
of healthcare
management, few
have risen as rapidly and as capably as Caylee Noggle, the president
and CEO of the Georgia Hospital
Association (GHA). Since taking
the helm of the association in August 2023, Noggle has been called
by many a beacon of leadership
for steering GHA with a focus on
improving healthcare delivery and
tirelessly advocating for Georgia’s
hospitals and health systems.
Noggle must navigate the
complex and often-controversial
landscape of healthcare in Georgia
today— especially when the General Assembly tackles a wide range
of healthcare policy issues. And
so far, so good. With a background
that spans over two decades in
state government, culminating in
her role as Commissioner of the
Department of Community Health
before joining GHA, those who
have worked with her say her
journey is a testament to her deep
understanding of public health policy and her capacity to be a leader.
Her transition from a key state
government role to leading GHA
was driven by her known capabilities— especially as a relationship
builder. Under her leadership, GHA
is a respected voice of healthcare in
Georgia, and she has been instrumental in pivotal healthcare reform
initiatives. For example, it was just
last June when Gov. Brian Kemp
appointed her to chair the Comprehensive Health Coverage Commis-
sion. This further places her at the
forefront of advising on healthcare
access and quality for Georgia’s
low-income and uninsured populations, underlining her commitment
to making a substantial difference
in the lives of the most vulnerable.
By the way, a bit more about
her background. It includes significant roles such as deputy chief of
staff for operations in the governor’s office and various leadership
positions at the Georgia Student
Finance Commission. These experiences have naturally honed her
skills in strategic oversight and
operational management.
GHA supports ensuring greater
access to safe, high-quality behavioral health care by supporting additional funding options to ensure
behavioral health facilities have
necessary resources. It also seeks
to support underserved communities by working to ensure the 340B
drug pricing program functions as
designed, providing hospitals and
contract pharmacies access to discounted prescription drugs. “This
allows hospitals to invest those
savings back into local healthcare
needs,” she underscores.
BIG PRIORITIES
Under Noggle’s leadership,
GHA is tackling several critical
challenges head-on as it enters the
2025 session of the General Assembly with an aggressive agenda.
The number one issue is healthcare
liability reform— a subset of tort
reforms aimed at reducing the legal
pressures and costs that often burden healthcare providers. Noggle
says this initiative is not just about
easing the financial load but is also
seen as a catalyst for improving
patient access and quality of care.
“GHA supports efforts to modernize Georgia’s healthcare liability
laws, which we feel negatively
impact patient care and providers’
abilities to practice. Extremely high
jury awards and settlements, leading to higher insurance premiums
and limiting insurance access, have
led to an increased cost of care and
exacerbated the physician shortage,” she says.
+ Increasing long-term viability of
rural hospitals.
Other GHA priorities include:
+ access to quality care.
+ preserving Georgia’s 2024 updates
to the Certificate of Need (CON)
program.
+ ems funding
+ Financial stability
+ Insurer Accountability
+ Licensure Advocating for a streamlined process that enables qualified providers to swiftly enter the
workforce and support initiatives
aimed at addressing the backlog
of licensure.
+ Scope of practice Supporting policies that allow licensed healthcare professionals to practice to
the full extent of their training
and experience.
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