Jumping In

I'm currently attending a conference organized by Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA entitled, "Jumping In: Learning from CEOs about driving health care quality improvement." This conference represents the summation of a BCBS program called Lead, in which five MA health care institutions created a community of practice to learn about ideas, concepts, and implementation of meaures to improve the safety and quality of care.

My colleagues in crime in the Lead program are (seated): Vinod Sahney, SVP at BCBSMA; Jeanette Clough, CEO of Mount Auburn Hospital; Helen Streider, CEO New England Baptist Hospital and Maureen Broms, VP of Health Care Quality and Patient Safety at NEBH; and (standing) Eugene Lindsey, CEO of Atrius Health; Craig Melin, CEO of Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Yup, that's Don Berwick standing to Gene's right: More on him in a second.

All of the program materials are, or will be, available online here for providers and here for employers. There are some impressive stories, including how Mount Auburn virtually eliminated medical errors over a period of several months.

The keynote presentation will be given by Don Berwick in a few minutes. I'll try to pick up highlights and get back to you.