Nash on the road with Catholic Health Partners

I just returned from Boardman OH having spoken to the Board of Trustees of Catholic Health Partners (CHP). They are one of the best managed, most forward thinking, multi hospital systems in the country. I was privileged to have been a board member of CHP for more than ten years with my tenure ending in 2009. The Board is aggresively focusing on a population health agenda---they are participating as a Medicare ACO, they are creating alliances with managed care organizations like Kaiser Permanente and, they are seeking out new partners such as Summa and others. Their leadership academy has produced a core group of system leaders who are now committed to producing value and reducing variation. In a word, CHP appears to get it!! I told the board that I was "bringing coals to Newcastle"...that they could be teaching me about population health. I just helped them to refine their focus and to recognize once again, that physician leadership will also be vital to their success. I also reinforced the fact that we will all need more primary care doctors but waiting for medical schools to "produce" them will take far too long. Therefore, we need to practice team based care and engage all practioners in this effort. I am confident that CHP, and their leaders such as Mike Connelly and Jane Crowely,are firmly headed in the right direction. It will be a struggle,but if I were a betting man, my money is on this team. Is your Board engaged in the population health conversation?? DAVID NASH