Live Webcast Today at 10:00 a.m. EST at www.doctorshelpingdoctorstransformhealthcare.org
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Addressing the pressing need to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of health care in the U.S., physician leaders are gathering today in Washington, D.C. to launch Doctors Helping Doctors Transform Health Care (Doctors Helping Doctors), the goal of which is to support the transformation of health care, initially through greater use of health information technology (IT).
Through this non-profit, collaborative, social media effort, physicians are sharing their experiences and insights—through videos, audio programs, stories and blog posts—about why they decided to adopt health IT, the initial challenges they faced and the strategies they used to overcome them, the impact on their practices or organizations, and their lessons learned—to support other physicians as they make the transition to a health IT-enabled health care system that delivers better health and health care.
During the launch event, which will be held at 10:00 a.m. EST today in Washington, D.C. and also webcast live, physicians will share their stories about how electronic health records (EHRs) and health IT can improve health care delivery and improve patient outcomes, while also reducing costs.
Event speakers include founders of the effort and other physician leaders who have improved health and health care through health IT; Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, national coordinator for health IT within the Department of Health and Human Services; and Richard Baron, MD, group director, seamless care models, within the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Supported by unrestricted grants provided by the Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation, the Optum Institute for Sustainable Health and Siemens Healthcare, Doctors Helping Doctors is engaging physicians from a diverse range of settings—from small physician practices to large health care institutions--across a broad range of specialties, to participate in the effort.
Peter Basch, MD, an internist with Washington Primary Care Physicians and medical director of ambulatory EHR and health IT policy for MedStar Health, is one of the founding Board members of Doctors Helping Doctors and serves as its initial chair. “Our goal is to help other doctors navigate how to use health IT to make care better, safer, and more effective,” said Basch. “With ‘meaningful use’ incentives now being offered by federal and state programs to support the use of health IT, we have the opportunity to leverage this significant investment to transform health care.”
“Doctors must lead the way in transforming the U.S. health care system to one that delivers higher quality, safer, more cost-effective and evidence-based care for patients,” said Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, chairman of the Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation. “As a fellow physician, I am pleased to support the work of Doctors Helping Doctors to help pave the way for true health care transformation.”
Other founding board members include William Bria, MD, chief medical information officer, Shriners Hospitals for Children and president of AMDIS; Michael Zaroukian, MD, PhD, chief medical information officer and professor of medicine, Michigan State University and medical director, clinical informatics and care transformation, Sparrow Health System; and Janet Marchibroda, currently chair of the Health IT Initiative at the Bipartisan Policy Center, who serves as the organization’s initial executive director.
Doctors Helping Doctors is a collaborative effort led primarily by doctors—for doctors, engaging non-profit, clinician-led organizations and medical societies to provide input, identify physician leaders who have successfully transformed care through health IT, and highlight resources that will be helpful to physicians. Collaborators include the American College of Cardiology, the American College of Physicians, the American Osteopathic Association, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems (AMDIS). The American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Medical Association also serve in advisory roles.
To view the live webcast of the December 1, 2011, 10:00 a.m. EST Doctors Helping Doctors Transform Health Care launch event, go to www.doctorshelpingdoctorstransformhealthcare.org
CONTACT:
Doctors Helping Doctors Transform Health Care
Janet Marchibroda, 202-469-3470
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America District of Columbia
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Technology Data Management Internet Health Hospitals Public Policy/Government Healthcare Reform Other Health Public Policy Social Media Communications General Health Managed Care
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