Eleven Initiatives Preview National Opportunities to Control Costs, Improve Quality of Care
NEW YORK, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the national call for a solution to America's broken healthcare system emerges as a key driver in yesterday's election of President-elect Obama and several Congressional seats, the nation's largest joint labor-management healthcare coalition released a report today on how to tackle the most expensive problem in our nation's healthcare system: the escalating social, economic, and individual costs of treating and managing chronic disease.
According to the report, issued by the Partnership for Quality Care (PQC) and edited by Dr. Kenneth E. Thorpe of Emory University, there are proven strategies to combat chronic disease that accounts for 7 out of 10 deaths in America and 75 cents of every healthcare dollar our country spends. Nearly 50% of Americans suffer from a chronic condition such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or asthma.
"Our country needs a way to ensure that high quality care is affordable to everyone," said George Halvorson, CEO of Kaiser Permanente and Chair of the Partnership for Quality Care. "Today, leading healthcare providers have programs in place that are containing costs, expanding access, and improving the quality of care for chronically ill patients."
"Families have seen their healthcare costs skyrocket while wages have stagnated. Americans are struggling to afford basic necessities; they can't afford to wait any longer for a solution to our healthcare crisis," said Dennis Rivera, Chair of SEIU Healthcare which represents over 1.1 million nurses and healthcare workers.
Entitled "Quality, Cost Control, Universal Healthcare," the report
shares success stories from hospitals throughout the country, including:
Kaiser Permanente, the Mayo Clinic, Montefiore Medical Center,
HealthPartners, Daughters of Charity Health System, Massachusetts General
Hospital, Jackson Health Sy
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