Bringing Excellence to Scale: A Conversation with CMS Administrator Donald Berwick

GIH Health Reform Resource Center

When:

• Monday, October 31 , 2011 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern / 2:00 p.m. Central / 1:00 p.m. Mountain / 12:00 p.m. Pacific

Who:

• Donald M. Berwick, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Lauren LeRoy, President and CEO, Grantmakers In Health (moderator)

What:

Participants joined this webinar to talk with CMS Administrator Donald Berwick about how health philanthropy can support three initiatives of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—Partnership for Patients, Million Hearts, and Innovation Advisors—that aim to jump start the transformation of the health care delivery system.

-Partnership for Patients is a program intended to help patients heal without complication. Over three years, the goals are to reduce preventable hospital-acquired conditions by 40 percent and to decrease preventable hospital readmissions by 20 percent.
-Million Hearts is an initiative that aims to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes in five years by focusing on improved aspirin use, blood pressure and cholesterol control, and tobacco prevention.
-Innovation Advisors is being launched to deepen the capacity for delivery system transformation by creating a network of experts who can test, refine, and deploy new models for health care improvements in quality and cost.

Dr. Berwick discussed the genesis and goals of the initiatives, provided an overview of current activities and accomplishments to date, reviewed upcoming opportunities for coordination and collaboration, and reflected upon foundation activities that have been particularly effective in the past.