Monday, September 28, 2009

The Health Care Reform Dialogue Continues at JSPH

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was on the Jefferson campus last week with a local Congressional delegation. She emphasized the need for reform of our broken system and campaigned for the house bill. She is committed to a public option and to universal coverage. Her comments were compelling and they attracted a good deal of local press attention too. Dr. Nash was fortunate enough to be interviewed by Jefferson’s local ABC affiliate in a story that aired just after the Speaker’s visit!

Last week the Jefferson School of Population Health (JSPH) also hosted a symposium on The Future of Health Care in Pennsylvania: Developing Leaders in Health Care Quality and Safety. Thomas Jefferson University (TJU)’s president, Dr. Bob Barchi, kicked off the event by speaking about the need to improve quality, outcomes and access to health insurance. He also highlighted TJU’s commitment to improving the health care crisis by founding JSPH. The event included two panel discussions, and Kim Taylor, President of Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc., announced the recipients of full scholarships for two JSPH Health Policy students.

Rosemarie Greco, Senior Advisor to the Governor’s Office of Health Care Reform, served as the featured speaker and talked about the need for cultural transformation within health care. According to Greco, everyone must be involved in this transformation, and everyone must ask and understand the “why” behind need for health care reform. Unless there is a common understanding of the “why,” meaningful reform cannot take place.

The first panel discussion, moderated by Josh Goldstein of the Philadelphia Inquirer, focused on the stimulus plan and its national impact on health care. Much of the conversation centered on stimulus dollars for Health Information Technology (HIT) and the use of HIT to improve outcomes. Panelists also called for research to build the evidence base for higher quality bedside care and better outcomes.

The second panel, moderated by Chris Satullo of WHYY, explored health care reform in Pennsylvania and how we can leverage our state resources. Significant takeaways from the panel included innovation and its role in health care reform, opportunities and obstacles in the greater Philadelphia region to encouraging and embracing innovation, and the lack of a regional start-up culture. The panel also touched on public medical education in Pennsylvania and the importance subsidizing the cost of medical education in this region in order to bring young, talented people into a setting where medical innovation thrives. Dr. Nash concluded the afternoon by announcing that he hopes everyone will continue to participate in local and regional dialogue about these key issues.

David B. Nash, MD, MBA
Dean, Jefferson School of Population Health

Laura Kimberly, MSW, MBE
Director of Special Projects, Jefferson School of Population Health

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

First Day of School at JSPH

Last week was quite a week at the Jefferson School of Population Health. On Tuesday we hosted our first Orientation to welcome our incoming students, and Wednesday – 09/09/09 – was the first day of classes for the new school. Appropriately enough, President Obama brought his case for health care reform before a joint session of Congress that very same evening.

It’s likely that the students we greeted last week – the inaugural class of the Jefferson School of Population Health – will have witnessed historic changes to the way we organize and deliver health care in the United States – all by the time they complete their first year as a JSPH student. I continue to be amazed at the synchronous path we at JSPH continue to follow with our nation’s top domestic agenda in passing meaningful health care reform. I know that our students are tuned into our national dialogue on health care reform and how it meshes with our mission of preparing leaders with global vision to develop, implement and evaluate health policies and systems that improve the health of populations, and thereby enhance the quality of life.

The healthcare industry plays an increasingly vital role in our national economy, as employer and generator of almost 20 percent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The intensifying complexity of this industry in an era of heightened expectations and scrutiny means that there is both need and demand for professionals and researchers who are well versed and prepared to assume leadership roles in public health, health policy and healthcare quality and safety.

To the members of our inaugural class, we look forward to serving you, and wish you success in the 2009-2010 academic year as we work together to fulfill our mission. The future of the United States as a vibrant nation depends on the nation’s leaders bringing affordable, quality health care to all Americans, and we will play a significant role in training and equipping these leaders for the job.

- Caroline Golab, PhD
Associate Dean, Academic and Student Affairs
Jefferson School of Population Health


Wednesday, September 9, 2009

SHAPE THE FUTURE

SHAPE THE FUTURE---In a stirring and forceful speech, President Obama delivered a bipartisan centrist message that appealed to our character as a nation. Noting that we cannot fix the economy without fixing health care and promising not to increase the deficit he inherited, the President called for mandated insurance coverage for all Americans. Recognizing that the status quo is untenable, he called for the creation of an insurance exchange and for the so called "public option" to be created whereby those without insurance currently, could get coverage ----noting that it might take up to four years to implement. He also explicitly linked our need to reduce waste, improve quality, reduce hospital acquired infections and practice better team based care to the set of tools needed as part of the solution. From a policy perspective the speech clarified his own views and reinforced the notion that we have to build on the existing system. He did not disconnect insurance from the place of employment, he did not call for a major Medicare overhaul and he did not create major new federal bureaucracies to make his plan operational. Much more work needs to be done but I believe he effectively re--set the clock, re--set the arguments, and crafted a political umbrella under which lawmakers can now operate together. DAVID NASH MD MBA, Dean, Jefferson School of Population Health, Phila, PA

Monday, September 7, 2009

We Are Back and Ready to Go !!!!

This coming Wednesday is a watershed day for Thomas Jefferson University and the new Jefferson School of Population Health. The date is 9--9--09 !! and the significance is the first day of school for all of our students across our three degree programs---Public Health, Health Policy and Quality and Safety. As the founding Dean I am incredibly proud of our team and the nearly two years of work leading up to this momentous day. We are proud to report that the inaugural class numbers more than 115 persons from all across our region with a very heterogeneous set of skills and backgrounds. I want to thank again several key individuals including of course our university President, Dr Robert Barchi and our Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr Mike Vergare for their amazing support and encouragement. The Dean's staff including Caroline Golab, Alexis Skoufalos, Neil Goldfarb and David Glatter get special kudos for their tireless work. I am indebted to our faculty and staff who share my enthusiasm and are committed to helping to fix what is wrong with our broken health care system. No matter what happens in Washington DC in the next few weeks, our Jefferson School of Population Health is going to be a part of the solution, not just another part of the ongoing problems we all face!! Thanks again and I sure would like to hear about any similar programs and encourage persons to go to our school website at www.jefferson.edu/population_health DAVID NASH