Our Point of View

November 7, 2008

Partnership for Quality Care Report Spotlights Chronic Care Solutions

The largest labor-management health care coalition in the United States released a report Wednesday about how the coalition’s members are taking on the escalating costs of treating and managing chronic disease.

The report, "Quality, Cost Control, Universal Healthcare," was sent this week by the Partnership for Quality Care to every member of Congress. George Halvorson, chairman and CEO of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, is chairman of the PQC, whose member non-profit hospital systems and unions care for more than 50 million Americans.

Edited by Dr. Kenneth Thorpe of Emory University, the report states that there are proven strategies to combat chronic diseases that account for seven of 10 deaths in America and 75 cents of every health care dollar spent nationwide.

"Too often, we are told that increasing access to health care is only possible if costs are raised and quality lowered," Halvorson states in the press release announcing the report. "In fact, leading health care providers have already implemented programs that contain costs, expand access, and, most importantly, improve the quality of care for chronic patients. That points the way to nationwide reform."

The Partnership for Quality Care is a coalition of not-for-profit health care providers and health care workers dedicated to guaranteed, affordable, high-quality health care for every man, woman, and child in America. Members of the PQC include Kaiser Permanente, several units of the Service Employees International Union, the Greater New York Hospital Association, Group Health Cooperative in Washington state, and HealthPartners in Minnesota, among others.

For more, read the Partnership for Quality Care's press release and download the report, "Quality, Cost Control, Universal Healthcare" (pdf).