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The Latest News, Press Releases and Publications.

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Press Releases

GDAHC receives Federal Distinction as a Chartered Value Exchange
HHS Secretary Leavitt Makes Announcement

March 19, 2008

Granholm, Detroit Business Leaders Agree: Health Care Strategy Would Produce Jobs for Southeast Michigan

October 15, 2007 Life sciences economic development opportunities abound for region   LANSING - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today joined with Southeast Michigan business leaders in applauding a state health care panel's assessment that a shared health care strategy for the region would help make Michigan a leader in the life sciences industry, creating tens of thousands of new jobs in the future. "Southeast Michigan represents an untapped life sciences economic development bonanza for the entire state of Michigan," Granholm said.  "When we all collaborate to leverage the region's considerable life sciences assets, our shared vision will make Southeast Michigan a world-class development zone for biosciences, biotechnologies, the health care industry, and pharmaceutical manufacturing."  The Panel on Medical Education and Research was established by the Detroit Regional Chamber and Detroit Renaissance - in cooperation with Governor Granholm - last May to assess medical education, research capabilities, and indigent health care needs in Southeast Michigan.  The 18-member panel, chaired by former Congressman and Michigan Senator Joe Schwarz, included representatives from businesses, universities, state agencies, insurers, and local government.    As part of its work, the panel completed a benchmark study of best practices in other regions of the country - including Baltimore-Washington, Boston, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle.  The study illustrates how other regions have successfully organized their life sciences development efforts - with a clear emphasis on how medical, education, and research institutions can combine effectively to support growth in this sector.  The panel's recommendations for growing the medical education and research sector in the region include:  -  Complete an asset map and economic impact study of the region's life sciences sector - an important first step for leaders such as the Greater Detroit Area Health Council (GDAHC).  The study's results also should be publicized to promote life sciences growth in the region.  -  Form a Detroit Regional Health Care Economic Development Council to implement the panel's recommendations - led by the Detroit Regional Chamber, Detroit Renaissance, GDHAC, and other critical regional partners.  -  Expand opportunities to co-locate life sciences research assets and technology companies through university partnerships.  This work could include expanding business accelerators that specialize in the unique needs of the life sciences sector. -  Continue efforts to enhance and promote technology transfer from universities to businesses, recognizing the importance of the process to economic development.   -  View health care as a critical economic sector, not just a supplier or product of population growth or demographic shifts, and include it in the region's business leadership structure. -  Develop a strategy to attract venture capitalists to grow business in the sector and provide a portal to access this capital. -  Provide a one-stop shop for centralized health care information that facilitates the growth of the health care industry regionally.    The panel also states in its final report that institutions critical to continued success in the Detroit region - such as Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center - need to pursue more partnerships together if health care economic development efforts are expected to thrive in the 21st century.  Further, the panel also called on the Detroit Wayne County Health Authority (DWCHA) to develop a comprehensive, long-range plan for an effective delivery system that meets the health care needs of the region.  In addition, the panel embraced new strategies to improve access to primary care in the region, such as supporting efforts to make quality health care coverage affordable and accessible, and to continue to expand the use of primary care nurse practitioners as a way to increase access and improve quality in underserved areas.    A complete copy of the panel's report can be found at www.michigan.gov.

Greater Detroit Area Health Council Designated as a Community Leader
HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt recognizes GDAHC's value driven health care work

The Greater Detroit Area Health Council today received formal designation as a Community Leader for Value Driven Health Care from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The recognition honors GDAHC as part of an expanded network of region-based organizations focused on improving the quality of health care while reducing health care cost inflation.

“The Health Council’s focus has long been increasing the value of health care while reducing its associated costs,” says Vernice Davis Anthony,” GDAHC president and CEO. “This HHS designation brings national attention to regional leadership here in southeast Michigan and the progress we have made in bringing our stakeholders together towards solutions to health care issues. It also presents the Health Council with an opportunity to expand our relationship with the federal government to bring even greater leverage to improving quality and reducing costs in our region.”

As a Community Leader organization, GDAHC will support four key national health care goals and work to achieve those goals at the local and regional level: public reporting of quality of care, public reporting of the cost of health services, interoperable health information technology, and incentives for achieving better value in health care. GDAHC’s recognition – only the second such designation in the country – represents progress toward efforts to develop a national network of regional organizations that bring together local stakeholders to improve health care while holding costs down.

“Through GDAHC’s Save Lives Save Dollars initiative, we have already made significant strides toward improving the health of individuals while reducing the costs of their medical care,” says Bruce Bradley, chair of Save Lives Save Dollars, and director, healthcare strategy and public policy, General Motors Corp. “Now in its second year of operation, Save Lives Save Dollars successes include development of a public reporting web site for hospital performance, securing agreement among area health plans on common hospital measures for differential payment, and involving physicians in finding solutions to current healthcare access, quality and cost issues.”

Save Lives Save Dollars is a 50-member GDAHC collaborative comprising health systems, physician organizations, nonprofits and the region’s top employers and unions. The initiative’s work has already been recognized by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Aligning Forces for Quality project, which aims to accelerate the use of market forces to leverage improvement in ambulatory care. GDAHC’s Save Lives Save Dollars was recognized for its work to align performance measurement and reporting, quality improvement and consumer engagement strategies. Nancy Schlichting, president and CEO, Henry Ford Health System, serves as vice-chair of Save Lives Save Dollars.

GDAHC to launch consumer web site
Report on hospital performance to help consumers become better

June 1, 2006

As the health care industry makes a move to encourage transparency in health care delivery, the Greater Detroit Area Health Council (GDAHC) is providing leadership and direction in doing so.  Beginning in July, the Health Council’s Save Lives, Save Dollars initiative, will launch a web site to help consumers become better “shoppers for health care.”  The web site will provide quality, easy-to-read and reliable comparative information on the 40 hospitals and health systems in southeastern Michigan.

The web site is a significant deliverable of the Save Lives, Save Dollars initiative, a multi-stakeholder effort convened by GDAHC to improve health care quality (save lives) and decrease health care costs (save dollars) in southeastern Michigan.  It will encourage transparency through public reporting.  It educates the consumer to help them make more informed decisions.  It is a driver for long-term and sustained adherence by our region’s health care providers to follow evidence-based guidelines and deliver quality health care.