IHI

Once again we were lucky to share the experience of attending the annual Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) national conference. The conference attracts 6,000 people from around the world and another 15,000 people attending via satellite. It is the Disney World of innovation and learning about health care improvement and is, appropriately enough, held in Orlando, Florida, the first week of December.

It was one of those weeks. Many people could not ignore economic news, despite the abstract way we talk about it that makes so many people feel powerless and intimidated.

The administration announced its “compromise.” Bush-era tax cuts, including those for the richest people in the country, would remain in effect for another two years. The president’s own party was in revolt.

Without a safe work environment, it would be nearly impossible to provide safe care to patients. Senior VP Barb Grimm says Kaiser Permanente is committed to providing both, but there is still work to be done. She caught up recently with Doug Bonacum, vice present of safety management, about the role of unit-based teams in making Kaiser Permanente the safest place to work and to receive care.

Senior VP Barbara Grimm recently visited Scotland for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement meeting in Edinburgh. While there, Barb visited some Scottish National Health Service facilities, and was struck by the country’s patient-centered care.

Senior VP Barbara Grimm recently returned from an Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland. Among those she caught up with was Donald Berwick, MD, the former head of IHI who now leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. It got Barb thinking about what his appointment means for Kaiser Permanente and the future of health care.

President Obama recently nominated Don Berwick, MD, to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that oversees the programs and payment of more than $800 billion annually. This is the largest source of payments to health care providers in the U.S. If he is confirmed, the appointment of Dr. Berwick may be the most significant first step since the passage of the Health Care Reform bill.

At the Union Delegate Conference, Barb Grimm ran into her friend and colleague, Alide Chase, senior vice president of quality and service for Kaiser Permanente. Chase was thrilled to be a conference of frontline workers who are committed to improving quality and service every day.