Innovations

What are innovations?
In this section, the Fund highlights practical tools, case studies, and innovative state strategies that can help you put sound policy into practice.

Parkwest Medical Center: Focusing on Patient and Staff Satisfaction

May 26, 2009 - Eighty-seven percent of patients recently discharged from Parkwest Medical Center said they would recommend the hospital to a family member or friend—a patient satisfaction level 19 percentage points higher than the national average.

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A Guide to Developing State Child Health 'Improvement Partnerships'

February 24, 2009 - A new online guide from the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program provides state leaders in child health with step-by-step instructions to developing sustainable collaborations of public and private partners that are dedicated to improving the quality of children's health care.

Investing in Nursing Home Transformation: A Toolkit for States

April 21, 2009 - The State Investment in Culture Change Toolkit, created by the Institute for the Future of Aging Services, the research arm of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, aims to help states play an active role in getting nursing homes to initiate or expand "culture change" efforts.

Child Health Services: A Framework for States

April 21, 2009 - The Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut has released a report, A Framework for Child Health Services: Supporting Healthy Child Development and School Readiness of Connecticut's Children, that offers a strategic vision and a series of specific recommendations for strengthening and integrating children's health services into a comprehensive system of early childhood services.

Implementing Change in Long-Term Care: A Practical Guide to Transformation

April 20, 2009 - Implementing Change in Long-Term Care: A Practical Guide to Transformation is a manual for nursing home staff that offers evidence-based recommendations on preparing a nursing home to take the first steps toward clinical and cultural changes, as well as methods to implement and sustain those changes.

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The Valley Hospital: Leaders Set the tone for Patient Service and Satisfaction

May 22, 2009 - At The Valley Hospital, hospital leaders exemplify on a daily basis the hospital's dedication to patient service. Each morning, the chief executive officer and chief financial officer visit patients.

Case Study: State of Maine Ranks Providers Based on Quality

April 15, 2009 - A state employee health plan designated hospitals, and later primary care physician practices, that met certain performance criteria as "preferred" providers, and then gave employees incentives to use them. While this initiative appears to have improved the quality of care, its impact on costs has not yet been evaluated.

St. Mary's Health Center: Focus on Core Measures Improves Quality

April 14, 2009 - In 2005, under pressure to improve performance on indicators of financial well-being, patient satisfaction, and clinical quality, St. Mary's Health Center leadership made a deliberate decision to focus on Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services process-of-care measures, or "core" measures.

Oklahoma Heart Hospital: Clinician Leaders Establish Culture of Quality

April 14, 2009 - Oklahoma Heart Hospital, a for-profit hospital in Oklahoma City, Okla., has consistently demonstrated high adherence to process-of-care or "core" measures and high patient satisfaction.

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Idaho's Plans to Improve Access in Troubled Times

April 21, 2009 - Idaho Governor C. L. "Butch" Otter (R) discussed difficult choices during our "troubled times" in his January 12 "State of the State" address. He proposed a 7.5 percent budget cut for the state's Department of Health and Welfare, along with even greater cuts in other state agencies.

Governors Discuss Health Policy in "State of the State" Addresses, With Interactive Summary Table

April 21, 2009 - Since early January, state governors have been discussing health care in their annual "State of the State" addresses, despite not knowing exactly what the federal stimulus package or CHIP reauthorization would look like. Among the 40 speeches made through mid-February, the health policy messages varied in content and tone. The health-related provisions are summarized in an interactive feature.

New York's Plan to Expand Coverage and Combat Obesity

April 21, 2009 - New York Governor David Paterson (D) outlined four key health reform initiatives in his State of the State address on January 7: public coverage expansion, enrollment reforms, private insurance expansion for dependents, and multiple efforts to combat obesity.

Arizona Narrowly Rejects Ban on Coverage Mandates and Choice Restrictions

January 23, 2009 - Arizona voters narrowly rejected a state constitutional amendment that would have banned laws restricting choice of health plans or mandating that people obtain coverage. The amendment would have been at odds with certain elements of President-elect Obama's health care proposal. Of 1.8 million votes, 50.2 percent voted against, and 49.8 percent voted for, the amendment.