NAPH Pushes Conversation on Health Reform Forward at Well-Attended Conference - November 11, 2010

NAPH welcomed more than 100 public hospital leaders from across the country to Washington, DC, this week to participate in its fall conference on health reform implementation issues. The conference was also attended by representatives from the National Association of Children’s Hospitals, the Leapfrog Group, Center for American Progress, American Hospital Association, New America Foundation, National Quality Forum, American College of Cardiology, National Health Policy Forum, and others. Conference attendees heard from nationally recognized experts on an array of implementation issues including the future of Medicaid, accountable care organizations (ACOs), and quality-driven payment changes. US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius delivered the keynote address, during which she praised public hospitals for their innovative strategies to lower costs and deliver high quality care to their communities.

NAPH took the conference online this year by making live-streaming video of many of the sessions available to those who were unable to travel to DC. NAPH also moderated a number of Twitter conversations throughout the two days. Nearly 60 people, including a few NAPH staffers, contributed to the online conversations, which reached more than 17,000 people. Archived webcasts of the recorded sessions will be available on the NAPH website in the coming days and the presentation slides are available now.