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Wayne Smith gave guests at Council Capital’s Healthcare Breakfast on Friday, January 20, perspectives on an array of issues, needs and opportunities facing the U.S. healthcare system from his vantage point as chairman and CEO of one of the nation’s largest operators of acute care hospitals.

While he noted that the resources to respond to the increasing amount of regulation have been and will continue to be the biggest issue for healthcare providers, he also identified the economy and large numbers of unemployed who have no healthcare insurance as major challenges. 

Smith considers healthcare reform good in many ways, particularly getting 32 million more people insured. But, as this large number gets access to health insurance, hospitals and physicians will have to manage the utilization challenges that will result.  In his opinion, the way existing managed care plans work is a better option than the new exchanges.