Former Navy Nurse Corps officer Kenneth Zeri has led Hospice Hawaii for nearly 14 years and collectively has 30 years of experience in hospice and palliative care.
On the state of health in Hawai‘i:
While America ranks highest in health care spending per capita, we are performing poorly in overall health, and despite the Affordable Care Act, there are still millions of individuals who lack even basic insurance. What was once a landscape of smaller, individualized hospitals has transformed into giant corporations spanning many states and even the nation. Similarly, primarily local nonprofit and community-based hospice programs have transformed into huge multi-state hospice corporations.
On the state of the industry:
The most significant challenges involve balancing the quality of care with costs, all while achieving meaningful outcomes specific to each individual and their family. This is called the “triple aim” of health care. We must strive to increase efficiencies, improve outcomes and promote positive experiences for patients and families. While working to achieve these goals, we also continue to wrestle with increasing regulations, decreased funding and an evolving workforce.
