subject: HealthLeaders' Top 20 Healthcare Thought Leaders for 2010 [print this page] HealthLeaders' Top 20 Healthcare Thought Leaders for 2010
Recently, HealthLeaders Media published a list of its 2010 "20 People Who Make Healthcare Better." It is comprised of some well-known names, such as Nancy Pelosi, David Blumenthal, Donald Berwick, MD, Tony West - assistant attorney general, Civil Division, U.S. Justice Department, and some unsung heroes such as Cmdr. Robert Neil McLay, all exceptional individuals who are playing a crucial role in moving the healthcare industry forward. The ongoing work, commitment and dedication from these twenty notable leaders is a testament to the increased resolve in our industry to increase the quality of patient care and find fixes that work - innovative solutions that are inextricably powered by new approaches and technologies. At NaviNet, we believe in the benefit of harnessing health IT by offering solutions and services that are patient-centric, reduce costs, increase efficiencies, and improve quality of care.
Here are just a few of the inspirational stories and achievements from those healthcare leaders at the frontlines:
Dr. David Blumenthal, national coordinator for Health Information Technology, is described as a "rock star" among health IT leaders and healthcare professionals for his championing of Electronic Health Records. Once a staunch believer in paper records, he embraced EHRs in 2002 when, testing an EHR to order a prescription for one of his patients, he was alerted, right on the screen, via bold red letters, that the medication he was about to order could cause his patient a life-threatening allergy. Blumenthal is also known for his commitment to collaboration: "We envision a future where information follows patients." His belief that adoption of health IT will result in improved patient care is one that NaviNet whole-heartedly supports as evidenced by our solutions for unified patient information management (UPIM).
The Leapfrog Group, known for the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, compiles survey data and public reporting to help consumers and employers compare the safety, quality and efficiency of hospitals. Leah Binder, CEO of The Leapfrog Group, is committed to monitoring health information technology and making sure it's used safely and effectively. She is hoping that the Leapfrog Group Hospital survey findings will be an additional push for hospitals to quickly make changes for the better.
Michael Dowling is president and CEO of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, where for the last ten years, he has worked toward making North Shore-LIJ an organization renowned for quality, patient safety, innovation and care coordination. In 2009, North Shore-LIJ, comprised of 14 hospitals with a workforce of more than 42,000, announced the investment of $400 million to integrate EHRs in the practices of employed, community-based physicians and other facility physicians, with a subsidy of up to 85% of the software and operating costs of an EHR system for roughly 7,000 affiliated physicians. Dowling understands that this level of implementation requires changing ingrained business processes, but believes the use of health IT will lead to better care coordination, and ultimately, better care outcomes.
Donald Berwick, dubbed by HealthLeaders "the Good Doctor at CMS", is hoping to transform the Center for Medicare and Medicaid from a "bureaucracy into something more like a revolutionary force". With Medicare covering 47 million Americans and accounting for 12% of all federal spending, and 48 million signed up for Medicaid, Berwick is quoted as determined to use the reach and power of the federal government to "herd elements of a fractured industry" in an effort to close waste gaps that cost taxpayer's dollars and threaten patient care.
We commend all the leaders who were honored by HealthLeaders and salute their achievements. The above examples are just a few of the innovative ways health IT is changing the future of healthcare to be more patient-centric and unified. To see the full list or for more information on the leaders highlighted above, the article is available here. http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/20people/##
