Comments on: Bailing out Health Care: My Top 10 Priority List for the Next Secretary of HHS http://www.disruptivewomen.net/2008/09/29/bailing-out-health-care-my-top-10-priority-list-for-the-next-secretary-of-hhs/ Sun, 21 Mar 2010 21:47:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: NextGenWeb: New. Comprehensive. Innovative. » Launch of New Blog - Disruptive Women in Health Care http://www.disruptivewomen.net/2008/09/29/bailing-out-health-care-my-top-10-priority-list-for-the-next-secretary-of-hhs/comment-page-1/#comment-30 NextGenWeb: New. Comprehensive. Innovative. » Launch of New Blog - Disruptive Women in Health Care Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:43:15 +0000 http://www.disruptivewomen.net/?p=232#comment-30 [...] I was thrilled to host last week’s launch of a new women-based, collaborative blog called Disruptive Women in Health Care (www.disruptivewomen.net). The blog is dedicated to bringing together diverse voices in the field to disrupt the status quo of health care that too often is inadequate for many women. The blog promises to provide a unique and dynamic venue thanks to the participation of 24 founding “Disruptive Women,” including myself, as well as guest bloggers and the participation of the public through their readership and comments. There are already several postings representing numerous health-related non-profits, trade associations, industry and think tanks. Click here to read my most recent contribution to Disruptive Women, which provides my top 10 priorities for the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (http://www.disruptivewomen.net/2008/09/29/bailing-out-health-care-my-top-10-priority-list-for-the-ne...). [...] [...] I was thrilled to host last week’s launch of a new women-based, collaborative blog called Disruptive Women in Health Care (www.disruptivewomen.net). The blog is dedicated to bringing together diverse voices in the field to disrupt the status quo of health care that too often is inadequate for many women. The blog promises to provide a unique and dynamic venue thanks to the participation of 24 founding “Disruptive Women,” including myself, as well as guest bloggers and the participation of the public through their readership and comments. There are already several postings representing numerous health-related non-profits, trade associations, industry and think tanks. Click here to read my most recent contribution to Disruptive Women, which provides my top 10 priorities for the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (http://www.disruptivewomen.net/2008/09/29/bailing-out-health-care-my-top-10-priority-list-for-the-ne…). [...]

]]> By: Gary Levin http://www.disruptivewomen.net/2008/09/29/bailing-out-health-care-my-top-10-priority-list-for-the-next-secretary-of-hhs/comment-page-1/#comment-27 Gary Levin Mon, 06 Oct 2008 02:35:07 +0000 http://www.disruptivewomen.net/?p=232#comment-27 The next Secretary of HHS will also have a badly cracked plate.. The next Secretary of HHS will also have a badly cracked plate..

]]> By: Phyllis Kritek http://www.disruptivewomen.net/2008/09/29/bailing-out-health-care-my-top-10-priority-list-for-the-next-secretary-of-hhs/comment-page-1/#comment-24 Phyllis Kritek Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:26:25 +0000 http://www.disruptivewomen.net/?p=232#comment-24 I like your list, Robin. Two observations: 1. The tasks you described in the first item were once included in discharge planning and home health visits, services nurses performed before these services were essentially eliminated during hospital downsizing and reengineering, also known as "slash and burn", during the 1990s. I am still thinking about your solution... 2. I would like to move #10 to #1; the pattern I have observed over the last 20 years is that we tend to focus on an array of pressing issues, then mention that we should be patient-centered. If we put patient-centered first, then everything else we list has to somehow be shaped by this first, overriding priority. It would be interesting to have this priority be more than lip-service. To achieve that goal, I think we are going to have to somehow insist that everything else is shaped by this initial central value stance. I like your list, Robin.

Two observations:
1. The tasks you described in the first item were once included in discharge planning and home health visits, services nurses performed before these services were essentially eliminated during hospital downsizing and reengineering, also known as “slash and burn”, during the 1990s. I am still thinking about your solution…
2. I would like to move #10 to #1; the pattern I have observed over the last 20 years is that we tend to focus on an array of pressing issues, then mention that we should be patient-centered. If we put patient-centered first, then everything else we list has to somehow be shaped by this first, overriding priority. It would be interesting to have this priority be more than lip-service. To achieve that goal, I think we are going to have to somehow insist that everything else is shaped by this initial central value stance.

]]> By: Deron Schriver http://www.disruptivewomen.net/2008/09/29/bailing-out-health-care-my-top-10-priority-list-for-the-next-secretary-of-hhs/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Deron Schriver Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:38:10 +0000 http://www.disruptivewomen.net/?p=232#comment-19 Robin and Mindy - It was refreshing to read your well-thought out views. It illustrates just how multi-dimensional our solutions will need to be. We have to be careful not to underemphasize the role patients play in our "crisis". We as individuals MUST take more responsibility for our health. Eliminiating copays for preventive care is a good start, but we have a long way to go. Robin and Mindy – It was refreshing to read your well-thought out views. It illustrates just how multi-dimensional our solutions will need to be. We have to be careful not to underemphasize the role patients play in our “crisis”. We as individuals MUST take more responsibility for our health. Eliminiating copays for preventive care is a good start, but we have a long way to go.

]]> By: Mindy McGrath http://www.disruptivewomen.net/2008/09/29/bailing-out-health-care-my-top-10-priority-list-for-the-next-secretary-of-hhs/comment-page-1/#comment-17 Mindy McGrath Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:54:07 +0000 http://www.disruptivewomen.net/?p=232#comment-17 Finally! Someone is thinking clearly about the real root cause issues that continue to lead us to sound bite discussions on access and financing. This is a refreshing perspective on ten action oriented items that we must do if we are going to change the conversation on health and improve the healthcare system. I would add a couple more items to the agenda for Madame Secretary: 1) Focusing an effort on real preventive medicine where proactive screenings and $0 co-pays to keep individuals adherent to their medical regimen will be critical in mitigating some of the catastrophic results that we see. I think it is ridiculous that preventive screenings are not automatically covered for individuals. 2) A national agenda to provide consumers with information for them to make clear decisions in their healthcare choices. Most people don't purchase a stereo without checking out the quality, cost and overall value of the item and yet in our healthcare system, we have no idea how to choose physicians that will help us produce the best outcome. In order to be better consumers of healthcare, we need to information and the education to make informed decisions. 3) Re-align the incentives of healthcare providers from insurance companies to pharmaceutical companies to physicians. Somewhere in our healthcare maze the patient has been pushed to the side as all of these providers and payors battle for revenue. The reality is that healthcare is about the patient and extending and enhancing their life. Pay for performance for physicians, if you believe it will work (I don't), should be applied across the healthcare value chain so that the focus is on a coordinated effort to provide the best and most appropriate care to the patient. 4) Wellness! Wellness! Wellness! A national referendum on wellness for both patients and care providers needs to occur. If we don't start focusing on ways to mitigate chronic lifestyle diseases, and to better engage individuals in being proactive about their health we are in big trouble. In order to do this we need to address #7 and #9 above. But we also need to encourage employers to see wellness initiatives as a business strategy that can have long-term benefits on their employees and their bottom line. We are too focused on "who is paying for things" and not focused enough on the root causes of how we got to this conundrum in the health system. It is time to act now! Finally! Someone is thinking clearly about the real root cause issues that continue to lead us to sound bite discussions on access and financing. This is a refreshing perspective on ten action oriented items that we must do if we are going to change the conversation on health and improve the healthcare system.

I would add a couple more items to the agenda for Madame Secretary:

1) Focusing an effort on real preventive medicine where proactive screenings and $0 co-pays to keep individuals adherent to their medical regimen will be critical in mitigating some of the catastrophic results that we see. I think it is ridiculous that preventive screenings are not automatically covered for individuals.

2) A national agenda to provide consumers with information for them to make clear decisions in their healthcare choices. Most people don’t purchase a stereo without checking out the quality, cost and overall value of the item and yet in our healthcare system, we have no idea how to choose physicians that will help us produce the best outcome. In order to be better consumers of healthcare, we need to information and the education to make informed decisions.

3) Re-align the incentives of healthcare providers from insurance companies to pharmaceutical companies to physicians. Somewhere in our healthcare maze the patient has been pushed to the side as all of these providers and payors battle for revenue. The reality is that healthcare is about the patient and extending and enhancing their life. Pay for performance for physicians, if you believe it will work (I don’t), should be applied across the healthcare value chain so that the focus is on a coordinated effort to provide the best and most appropriate care to the patient.

4) Wellness! Wellness! Wellness! A national referendum on wellness for both patients and care providers needs to occur. If we don’t start focusing on ways to mitigate chronic lifestyle diseases, and to better engage individuals in being proactive about their health we are in big trouble. In order to do this we need to address #7 and #9 above. But we also need to encourage employers to see wellness initiatives as a business strategy that can have long-term benefits on their employees and their bottom line.

We are too focused on “who is paying for things” and not focused enough on the root causes of how we got to this conundrum in the health system. It is time to act now!

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