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Amanda Jekowsky , American College of
Cardiology, 202-375-6645, ajekowsk@acc.org
March
5, 2009
ACC President Weaver’s Statement
on Participating in the White House Summit on Health Care
Washington, DC – The American College
of Cardiology’s (ACC) President, W. Douglas Weaver,
M.D., today released the following statement after participating
in the White House Summit on Health Care:
“What I heard today was a consensus from the President,
leaders from both parties in Congress and industry--all of
whom agreed that we can and must work together to reform our
health care system. And the sooner we do that, the better
we’ll be able to provide quality care to our patients.
“For too long our health care system has rewarded poor
performance and inefficiency by continuing to fund the status
quo. And it’s become too expensive to pay for health
care that isn’t as good as it should be. Clearly cost
should be the driver – not the barrier – to reform.
I believe this administration is on the right track by offering
a budget that recognizes the need to incentivize doctors to
provide quality care.
“For instance, I heard a lot today about the costs
of re-admitting patients to hospitals. Currently, nearly 18
percent of the Medicare patients are readmitted to the hospital
within 30 days. In some of these cases, patient re-admission
could have been prevented. Fewer hospital visits means lower
costs. With over 43 percent of all Medicare dollars being
spent on cardiovascular disease – our country’s
leading killer – the College is committed to reducing
heart failure-related hospital re-admissions by 20 percent
in one year.
“I also heard a lot of good ideas from my fellow colleagues
on how to incorporate medical technology. One way is to ensure
the appropriate use of technologies, including diagnostic
imaging. With support from Congress and others, the ACC is
willing to commit to reducing the rate of inappropriate cardiovascular
imaging by 15 percent in the first year through the use of
physician created appropriate use criteria.
“By working together and making healthy patients the
center of our reform efforts, rather than grandstanding and
political maneuvering, we can achieve health care reform and
reduce the financial burden of our health care system –
a system that is already 17 percent of our GDP.”
“With the health of patients and the future of medicine
at stake, the ACC seeks through the following six principles
to reform the current system into one that:
- Provides universal coverage;
- Provides coverage through an expansion of public and
private (pluralistic) programs;
- Focuses on patient value—transparent, high quality,
cost-effective, continuous care;
- Emphasizes professionalism, the foundation of an effective
partnership with empowered patients;
- Ensures coordination across sources and sites of care;
and
- Includes payment reforms that reward quality and ensure
value.
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The American College of Cardiology is leading the way to optimal
cardiovascular care and disease prevention. The College is
a 36,000-member nonprofit medical society and bestows the
credential Fellow of the American College of Cardiology upon
physicians who meet its stringent qualifications. The College
is a leader in the formulation of health policy, standards
and guidelines, and is a staunch supporter of cardiovascular
research. The ACC provides professional education and operates
national registries for the measurement and improvement of
quality care. More information about the association is available
online at www.acc.org .
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) provides these news
reports of clinical studies published in the Journal of
the American College of Cardiology as a service to physicians,
the media, the public and other interested parties. However,
statements or opinions expressed in these reports reflect
the view of the author(s) and do not represent official policy
of the ACC unless stated so.
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