A State-by-State Approach to High Performance
<p>Anyone who has traveled around the United States is keenly aware that regional differences, from cooking to music, still exist. While some of these differences should be preserved, other variations, such as those affecting the quality of people's health care, must be eliminated. In a new column, titled <a href="/cnlib/pub/enews_clickthrough.htm?enews_item_id=24787&return_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecmwf%2Eorg%2Faboutus%2Faboutus%5Fshow%2Ehtm%3Fdoc%5Fid%3D410091%26%23doc410091">The Role of States in Achieving a High Performance Health System,</a> Commonwealth Fund president Karen Davis maintains that no matter which state they call home, all Americans deserve high-quality and efficient care.<br><br>While every state has room to improve its health care system, it is especially critical that low-performing states learn from the innovative strategies being tested in higher performing states. States can look to Rhode Island, for example, where the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner is implementing a plan to promote affordable coverage, and where the Department of Health and the Rhode Island Quality Institute are collaborating on an initiative to promote access to electronic health information data across the state.<br><br>"By observing these states' creative strategies in action," Davis says, "every state can develop initiatives tailored to its health care needs and unique circumstances."<br><br>Visit <a href="/chartcartcharts/chartcartcharts_list.htm?doc_category_id=1414">Chart Cart</a> to review selected slides from Karen Davis's Oct. 16 keynote presentation, on the role of states in a high performance health system, at the National Academy for State Health Policy annual conference.</p>
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletters/ealerts/2006/oct/a-state-by-state-approach-to-high-performance