What happens when health care leaders from different regions in the country get in the same room and talk about their efforts to redesign patient care? Among other things, there’s often a sense of relief that, across state lines and political affiliations, there’s a shared concern for improving people’s health, improving their health care experiences, and lowering the costs of care. Washington may be able to bring about broad reforms for health care, but communities of all shapes and sizes are increasingly being looked to for the day-to-day solutions and innovations that will “bend the cost curve” and offer new, humane models for the future.
Fresh off a meeting in the Washington, DC, focused on building low-cost, high-quality health care regions in America, WIHI hosts a timely discussion about what 14 “Hospital Referral Regions” are starting to figure out about their quality data, their cost data, and the way forward. John Hogan is at the nexus of important changes taking place in Tallahassee, Florida; Tom Nolan, Carol Beasley, and Laura Landy are part of a group of national leaders (others include Don Berwick, Elliott Fisher, Atul Gawande, and Mark McClellan) who’ve been digging for the data and the ingenuity across the country that can be harnessed, shared, and turned into blueprints for change the nation so badly needs.
Grab your competitor from across town, or find a collaborator, or notify anyone you think is a stakeholder in your community looking for fresh thinking about costs, quality, and the health of the population. You’re sure to walk away with some new ideas from this WIHI.