As the stroke of midnight Monday, the Maryland General Assembly adjourned its 438th session, concluding what by any measure was a very strong 90 days for Maryland’s hospitals. Among the many highlights:​ the annual Medicaid “sick tax” on hospitals was reduced by $30 million, the state will provide $20 million in grants to establish and improve crisis response for behavioral health patients, Maryland’s individual health insurance market was stabilized, without any new taxes on hospitals, which could have totaled $75 million.

Last week’s report from RTI International offered some promising findings about how Maryland’s hospitals have transformed care delivery while controlling costs and improving quality. Among the highlights, which draw data from the first three years under the All-Payer Model: Inpatient admissions dropped significantly – 5 percent for Medicare beneficiaries and 4 percent for commercially insured individuals, and Medicare spending declined $679 million, a 2.7 percent reduction.

Earlier this week, a General Assembly conference committee deliberating the state’s budget approved a $30 million reduction in the hospital Medicaid tax – the ‘sick’ tax – for fiscal year 2019.

Earlier this month, Gov. Larry Hogan made his way to the nation’s capital to testify before Congress for the first time in his nearly four years leading Maryland. His purpose was singular: to ask for help in combating a deadly crisis that has afflicted our state for years.

Earlier this week, Maryland Health Secretary Bobby Neall sent a formal request to care transformation leaders at every hospital to help build an inventory of hospital-led transformation efforts. I want to underscore that request and invite a high level of participation.

As I was going through the interview process for MHA’s President & CEO position, many of you pointed out to me that MHA had a staff that was second to none, one that was working hard to bridge the gap between the position’s vacancy last year and my starting this week. Now that my first week is coming to a close, I can see what you mean. This is a group of people who love what they do, and who are dedicated to the cause of Maryland’s hospitals and health systems.