Dr. Martin Attends White House Meeting

 

ACOFP President Paul A. Martin, DO, of Dayton, Ohio, (right) accompanied AOA President Martin S. Levine, DO (center) and AOA President-Elect Ray E. Stower, DO, to town hall meeting at the White House, June 6.  

Approximately 30 physician groups were invited to send representatives to the meeting, which featured senior officials from the Obama Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Topics included health care delivery reforms, programs, and resources.  

Cecilia Munoz, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, whose talk was entited “Doctors Know Their patients Best and What They Need,” convened the forum by discussing the need for medical system transformation.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius,  reiterated that the SGR (Sustainable Growth Rate) payment system is broken and must be fixed .  Noting that it is one of President's top priorities, she said  the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) is charged with the testing of new payment and delivery healthcare systems as well as gathering population data for the provision of quality care.

A panel chaired by Richard Gilfillan, MD, a family physician and director of CMMI, disucssed innovative projects currently underway.  Panel members included:

Following the panel discussion, AMA Past President Nancy Nielson, MD, who was guest speaker at Dr. Martin's inauguration, fielded questions and suggestions from the audience regarding health care transformations that have increased value and improved care coordination and quality while decreasing costs. Dr. Nielson is also a Senior Advisor to CMMI.

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