Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf visited ProspHire headquarters to celebrate the Firm as a small diverse business and discuss some of the most pressing issues in healthcare.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf arrived at ProspHire’s downtown Pittsburgh headquarters on Friday, Aug. 10 to cheers and applause. He was greeted by Firm co-founders, Lauren and Chris Miladinovich and walked the penthouse loft space shaking hands with every single event attendee.
Then the Governor settled in (to a high stool on ProspHire’s putting green) for a conversation about his views on healthcare, his administration’s accomplishments and his support for small businesses.
Speaking about Pittsburgh’s metamorphosis in the last several decades, the Governor said the city was, “one of the best in the world.” He specifically commended Pittsburgh for its diversity, accessible cost of living, appeal to youth and emphasis on equality.
Governor Wolf briefly touched on the accomplishments of his administration. Chief among them was creating the first statewide LGBTQ Affairs Commission in the U.S. He also took credit for making the education system more relevant and creating a budget surplus for the first time in decades. Governor Wolf also made it clear he believed in, “fairness for everybody, regardless of gender, color and who you love.”
Chris then led the Governor through a more in-depth discussion of healthcare and small diverse business. After sharing that ProspHire works with many of Pennsylvania’s Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), Chris asked the Governor to please speak to his view on the importance of managed care and why what we do every day is so important.
Governor Wolf said, “There is a real mistrust from people about what we as a society can give each other.” He stressed that cost-effectiveness in healthcare is paramount and insisted that trust in government needs to be rebuilt so individuals can get the care they need.
When asked what MCOs can do better, the Governor admitted he didn’t have a definitive answer. But he said we all have to adopt a, “continuous improvement mindset.” The key, he stressed, is to have, “open and honest dialogue.” Aligning with that belief, Governor Wolf discussed Community Health Choices in Southwestern Pennsylvania and how it positively impacts the lives of senior citizens. Through Health Choices, his administration is committed to increasing opportunities for older Pennsylvanians and individuals with physical disabilities to receive the services they need to remain in their home.
To close, Governor Wolf was asked about his passion for small business, to which he said, “small businesses are where big businesses come from.” Speaking from his experience as a business owner, he referred to small businesses as, “the breeding grounds for fairness and ethical behavior” and said there is more we can all do to build trust with our employees that will lead to better outcomes and results.
The ProspHire team then presented the Governor with a “Re-elect Tom Wolf” golf flag and the Governor posed for pictures with event attendees.
