Schwartz on Health Care Quality Improvement

from the inbox:

On Friday May 6th, U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Deputy Administrator Cindy Mann, and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Regional Director Joanne Grossi, will join hospital officials, patients, industry representatives, and other key health care stakeholders at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to highlight the Partnership for Patients initiative.

The Partnership will help save 60,000 lives by stopping millions of preventable injuries and complications in patient care over the next three years and has the potential to save up to $35 billion, including up to $10 billion for Medicare. Over the next 10 years, it could reduce costs to Medicare by about $50 billion and result in billions more in Medicaid savings.

Schwartz has led the charge in Congress for health care quality improvement through innovation in the delivery system. Her work on the Affordable Care Act included the establishment of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, which will administer the Partnership for Patients.

Already, more than 1,200 hospitals, as well as some 2,500 physicians and nurses organizations, consumer groups, and employers have pledged their commitment to this initiative. Among hospitals committed to patient safety, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is highly regarded in the industry and has been recognized at both the national and local level.

For more details on the Partnership for Patients, please go to http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/partnership04122011a.html .