2005 Highlights
Cleve L. Killingsworth
William C. Van Faasen
Collaborating for Quality
Financial StatementsGroundswell for Change
Transforming the Massachusetts health care delivery system so that it consistently provides effective, safe, efficient, and affordable care to each and every person is an enormous challenge. What approach will yield the most positive results?
There is a growing recognition across the United States that change within the health
care system is urgently needed. Increasingly, physicians, hospital administrators, public
officials, leading scholars at medical schools, patients, and others recognize that the
health care delivery system as it currently exists does not serve patients, doctors, or
nurses nearly well enough.
In its landmark study, Crossing the Quality Chasm, the Institute of Medicine concluded that widespread quality problems exist throughout American medicine and affect many patients. Under the current system, best practices are not always used. Research indicates that the delivery system fails to support the passionate commitment of doctors and nurses. And, studies show that mistakes are nearly always the result of system failures.
Lucian Leape, MD
The groundswell for change is based, in part, on the recognition that
systemic problems require systemic solutions. Dr. Lucian Leape, a pioneer
in working to make the delivery of care safer and more efficient, observes that:
"Errors are seldom due to carelessness or lack of trying hard enough.
More commonly, errors are caused by faulty systems, processes, and conditions
that lead people to make mistakes. They can be prevented by designing systems
that make it hard for people to do something wrong and easy to do it right."
—Lucian Leape, MD, Harvard School of Public Health
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy
Public officials also recognize the need to improve the health care system.
"We need to transform health care so that quality is at the top of the agenda." —Senator Edward M. Kennedy
Ronald M. Hollander
"This is the most exciting time ever in American health care because we are going to transform the system." —Ronald M. Hollander, President, Massachusetts Hospital Association
The Power of Collaboration
At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, we believe that constructive change is only possible through collaboration. We take pride in our ability to partner with many different health care stakeholders—members, providers, accounts, community organizations, and public advocates. And, as the groundswell of support for change grows, so do the efforts to ensure that the health care system delivers the highest quality of care possible.
We work collaboratively on some of the toughest problems that directly affect people's lives and health. We know that when we work together great things are possible. Hear what some of our partners say about our ongoing efforts:
Thomas H. Lee, MD
"We can't make health care safer, more reliable, or more efficient by asking physicians to get smarter or work harder. To transform health care, we have to implement systems—both electronic and human—that help doctors improve their decisions and work more effectively with their colleagues. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is a great collaborative partner in making this happen."—Thomas H. Lee, MD, CEO of Partners HealthCare System, Inc. and Network President for Partners HealthCare, Inc.
Jeanette Clough, RN
"At Mount Auburn, the only thing that matters—and has ever mattered—is the care of the patient. Care. Comfort. Compassion. Our world-class doctors, nurses, and staff strive every day to make the delivery and outcomes of care even better. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is a great partner in supporting our focus on the patient and providing the very best in quality care."—Jeanette Clough, RN, CEO, Mt. Auburn Hospital
This is an exciting time in health care. The system is in the process of being transformed! It will happen as a result of robust and sustained collaboration among individuals and organizations committed to ensuring that all residents of Massachusetts have access to the best health care possible. All of us at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts are committed to participating fully in these critical efforts.