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Dr. Robert Nesse, president and CEO of Franciscan Skemp Healthcare, was one of more than 300 health care leaders attending the symposium in Washington, D.C., who gathered to make recommendations to the president and Congress.
Nesse, a member of Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center’s advisory panel, said the center convened more than 400 people nationwide over the last two years in four forums and a symposium to help develop the reform ideas.
“We all agreed that these principles are necessary for reform for the future of quality patient care,” Nesse said. “We want these principles to drive public policy.”
Dr. Denis Cortese, Mayo’s president and CEO, will outline the principles this week at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Then the symposium recommendations will be presented to community and business leaders in cities throughout the United States.
The first community presentation will be in La Crosse on April 28 when Cortese will present findings of the symposium.
“La Crosse will be the first city where we will be gathering community input on the recommendations,” Nesse said.
Other recommendations include Medicare paying for value, outcomes and prevention initiatives and setting evidence-based standards.
Nesse said the symposium members were patients, patient advocates, health care purchasers, providers of health care and representatives of the three presidential candidates.
“The timing of this is no coincidence,” Nesse said. “We’re interested in influencing the next president, and we are a well-documented voice to change the system.
“It’s going to be difficult for presidential candidates and Congress to ignore these recommendations, which are common principles of all these health reform people.”
One of the key principles is mandating health insurance for everyone with a minimum standard benefits package, Nesse said.
As a moderator of a patient group, Nesse said patients talked about their frustration with the lack of health insurance coverage for all and lack of care coordination.
“I didn’t expect the intensity of the problems they have encountered,” Nesse said.
Both La Crosse medical centers are engaged in health care reform from electronic medical records and coordinated care to value and evidence-based standards.
“But it’s important to reform the financial system to pay for things such as value, outcomes and prevention,” Nesse said.
A Harris Poll, commissioned by Mayo’s Health Policy Center in December 2007, showed more than half of Americans rated quality, coordination and value of health care as fair to poor.
“Our effort has been groundbreaking, and the health care system in the United States is ready for change,” Nesse said. “It will change and must change to ensure the quality of patient care.”
MAYO CLINIC HEALTH POLICY CENTER SYMPOSIUM
Recommended action steps for national health-care reform for the president and Congress:
Terry Rindfleisch can be reached at trindfleisch@lacrossetribune.com, or (608) 791-8227.
