Published by: Jane Hooker on 12/10/2010 11:26:09 AM
I just came back from the 22nd Annual IHI National Forum and as usual, it did not disappoint. I had identified several objectives for my attendance at this meeting:
• See members I had already met and meet new members I had not yet met;
• Connect with individuals from the National Association of Healthcare Quality to discuss opportunities for NAPH and the members;
• Learn about exciting new breakthroughs from across the nation for the delivery of safe and effective care; and,
• Get re-energized for the upcoming year by being around people filled with good ideas and positive energy for improving healthcare.
In Maureen Bisognano’s keynote address, she reflected on the inception of IHI and the growth of the organization under Dr. Don Berwick and articulated her vision of the future for IHI. During this year’s Forum, several respected patient advocates participated by introducing key presenters. I heard Special Interest Keynotes from George Halvorson of Kaiser and a joint presentation with Dr. Atul Gawande from Brigham and Women’s and Dr. Elliot Fisher from The Dartmouth Institute. I also attended an educational session on the Triple Aim with Matthew Stiefel of Kaiser, Dr. Bonnie Zell of NQF, Kevin Nolan from IHI and Rebecca Ramsay from CareOregon .
The highlight of this meeting was listening to the Honorable Cory A. Booker, Mayor of Newark, New Jersey. He was smart, energetic and funny. But most impressive were his examples of the work accomplished to improve the overall health, wellness and living standards of the population of Newark, New Jersey. Listening to what he had done I could not help but think that he had been describing the Triple Aim in action in Newark. He described bringing unusual groups together to solve significant intractable problems as well as the actions of individuals to contribute to the changes now occurring in the city. And most importantly, he talked about the need to think big and set high aims to accomplish amazing things.
I know that our members create these types of partnerships every day to improve the delivery of care for the patients they serve. Innovations have been a corner stone for the successes of our members. With healthcare reform, partnering more consistently beyond our usual relationships will become a crucial skill necessary for delivering care during the current world-wide economic crisis. I look forward to highlighting the success of our members as they embark towards the new future of healthcare.