Health Care Leaders Convene for QI Summit

More than 180 health care leaders from various organizations and agencies throughout the state attended the Ohio Health Quality Improvement Summit, November 17-19, 2008, sponsored by the Office of the Governor, the Health Policy Institute of Ohio, and the Ohio Business Roundtable.

Attendees developed twelve strategies, each with multiple tactics, to transform Ohio's health care system into a high quality, cost-effective, high performing system that will optimize the health of Ohioans across the continuum of care from prevention through end of life.

OOA President Barbara A. Bennett, DO, Richard J. Snow, DO, and OOA Executive Director Jon F. Wills attended as OOA representatives. Kyle Allen, DO, of Summa Health System, also participated.

As the summit reached its conclusion, participants expressed a strong commitment to reform and asked that the resulting recommendations be carefully considered and acted upon. Immediately after adjournment, conference organizers convened an Implementation Team from various statewide organizations and agencies to determine next steps and compile information from the summit. Wills was invited to serve on the Team.

In addition, the planning team placed a priority on creating a report both for those in attendance and for those interested in health reform who could not attend the summit. The report from the Summit, as well as the executive summary, can be found at http://ohqis.pbwiki.com/Report.