The Health Care Reform Dialogue Continues at JSPH

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was on the Jefferson campus last week with a local Congressional delegation. She emphasized the need for reform of our broken system and campaigned for the house bill. She is committed to a public option and to universal coverage. Her comments were compelling and they attracted a good deal of local press attention too. Dr. Nash was fortunate enough to be interviewed by Jefferson’s local ABC affiliate in a story that aired just after the Speaker’s visit!

Last week the Jefferson School of Population Health (JSPH) also hosted a symposium on The Future of Health Care in Pennsylvania: Developing Leaders in Health Care Quality and Safety. Thomas Jefferson University (TJU)’s president, Dr. Bob Barchi, kicked off the event by speaking about the need to improve quality, outcomes and access to health insurance. He also highlighted TJU’s commitment to improving the health care crisis by founding JSPH. The event included two panel discussions, and Kim Taylor, President of Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc., announced the recipients of full scholarships for two JSPH Health Policy students.

Rosemarie Greco, Senior Advisor to the Governor’s Office of Health Care Reform, served as the featured speaker and talked about the need for cultural transformation within health care. According to Greco, everyone must be involved in this transformation, and everyone must ask and understand the “why” behind need for health care reform. Unless there is a common understanding of the “why,” meaningful reform cannot take place.

The first panel discussion, moderated by Josh Goldstein of the Philadelphia Inquirer, focused on the stimulus plan and its national impact on health care. Much of the conversation centered on stimulus dollars for Health Information Technology (HIT) and the use of HIT to improve outcomes. Panelists also called for research to build the evidence base for higher quality bedside care and better outcomes.

The second panel, moderated by Chris Satullo of WHYY, explored health care reform in Pennsylvania and how we can leverage our state resources. Significant takeaways from the panel included innovation and its role in health care reform, opportunities and obstacles in the greater Philadelphia region to encouraging and embracing innovation, and the lack of a regional start-up culture. The panel also touched on public medical education in Pennsylvania and the importance subsidizing the cost of medical education in this region in order to bring young, talented people into a setting where medical innovation thrives. Dr. Nash concluded the afternoon by announcing that he hopes everyone will continue to participate in local and regional dialogue about these key issues.

David B. Nash, MD, MBA
Dean, Jefferson School of Population Health

Laura Kimberly, MSW, MBE
Director of Special Projects, Jefferson School of Population Health