Over 250 ACC members gathered in Washington, D.C., last week to educate Congress about the ACC’s important work in improving quality and promoting evidence-based care. President Doug Weaver kicked off the meeting and attended many Hill visits, along with other officers. Our Legislative Conference participants held nearly 250 meetings with their national representatives to discuss the need for health system reform and incentives to encourage the adoption of HIT. In addition, participants communicated the importance of long-term reform to the Medicare physician payment system. I myself was able to meet with Rep Pete Stark (D-Calif.), Rep. Nathan Deal (R-Ga.), Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.), Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.), Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.), Rep. Dan Lundgren (R-Calif.), and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

What’s apparent to Dr. Weaver, the ACC officers, the attendees and me is that Congress is poised to really try to eliminate the SGR in ’09. How they will do that is uncertain, but getting that albatross from around our necks is essential. Secondly, we are approaching having a critical mass of congressional members who understand and support our quality of care ideas and goals — and might therefore fund some projects to make these ideas tangible using the NCDR. These reflections were NOT characteristic of what we heard last year. We are having an impact.

During the meeting, Doug Weaver kicked off an ACC press conference and panel with Reps. Barton and Capps to discuss how better to integrate quality into the health system reform priorities. During this press conference, the ACC released the results of a health care reform public opinion survey we conducted recently using prominent DC pollster Frank Luntz. Modern Healthcare published a great story covering the findings. View the survey results.

But, in essence, members of Congress don’t yet support having the profession lead the way in measuring and promoting quality (we are definitely turning that around for ACC and STS). However, the public would support us to do that, and in particular if we partner with trusted consumer entities like AARP and Consumers’ Union. The public doesn’t trust Congress or insurers to lead the way. The public is beginning to get a sense of what quality of care means (not just great magazines in the waiting room), and in valuing quality measurement as part of what is needed.

The College has a set of bold plans to take health system reform challenges/opportunities and develop actionable plans to protect members and promote patient centered, evidence-based solutions. Our Health System Reform priorities and the Quality First campaign are central to that.

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