Accelerating Health System Transformation By Disrupting The Status Quo

However the nation’s policies evolve in the months ahead, one thing is clear—how policy makers meet our health and health care challenges remains among the core questions we face as a country. Going back to the time of former President Teddy Roosevelt, lawmakers have tried to address the health of the US population. And while various policy solutions have been tried over the past 100 years, we still don’t have it right. To get to the solution, we have to start by being honest with ourselves: we know that America’s health system is failing us, and we know why. Too often, we don’t properly value population health, the cost of care continues to rise, policy decisions happen in silos, financing decisions are shortsighted, and we continue to neglect opportunities to improve health where we live, work, and play. The list goes on and on. To break from this endless cycle, we’re going to need to try something new. Investing To Accelerate Transformation In the 1950s and 1960s, Julius A. Rippel, the first president of the Fannie E. Rippel Foundation, advocated a role for foundations as “pioneers in neglected or untried areas of need.” He firmly believed, “We must have substantially new manners of thinking to enable mankind to bridge the gap between the things that have been and the things which will be.” Foundation leaders, such as myself, are in a unique position. How we think about and use foundation resources can make a real difference. These times call for truly ...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Costs and Spending GrantWatch Organization and Delivery Population Health Source Type: blogs