Schwimmer Script Blog
Seeing What’s Possible in Health Care — Up Close
In my job, I don’t just get to envision the possible in health care. I get to see the possible in action. As we look at how to improve health and health care in the Garden State, you, our members, often provide creative and powerful examples. A favorite part of my job is the bird’s…Read More…
In Patient Safety Journey, The Goal is ‘Chasing Zero’
At our recent Quality Breakfast, we recognized the ten New Jersey hospitals that received the Leapfrog 2017 Top Hospital designation. There was a common theme among the hospital leaders who spoke on our panel: The safety grade is not the goal. The goal is “chasing zero.” Work toward creating a culture of safety, they said, and…Read More…
In Maternal Health, Simple Change is Powerful
A glamorous Serena Williams landed on the cover of the February issue of Vogue, holding her newborn daughter and wearing a fire engine red gown. Inside the issue, along with the story of her celebrity friendships and tennis ambitions, Williams described the six horrifying days that followed the birth of her child. The day after…Read More…
Our Ambitious Plans for 2018
We’re moving into 2018 with uncertainty on the federal level, new leadership on the state level, and our own ambitious plans to make health care work better for the people of New Jersey. There is no time to waste. I’m sharing with you an outline of our 2018 goals to make real impact, as we…Read More…
Truth Tellers in Health Care Spending
If you were able to attend our winter conference, you know we hit on themes at the very core of our work at the Quality Institute. How can we improve quality and reduce costs? We all know it’s possible. And we all know it’s going to be really tough. As our keynote speaker Niall Brennan…Read More…
Is Health Care Earned? Or A Right?
I recently watched a video of Seema Verma, the current Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, outlining her vision for Medicaid. She spoke of the need to give states greater flexibility in administrating their Medicaid programs, a change that we at the Quality Institute support. She also touched on a question I…Read More…
CMS Innovation Center Wants Your Ideas
If you believe we need new approaches to pay for and deliver health care — and you have some good ideas — Washington wants to hear from you. CMS recently put forth a Request For Information, asking for suggestions to foster a more affordable and accessible health care system that puts patients first. As the Quality…Read More…
Let’s Get Real on Reducing Costs
It’s October. That means Halloween and something even scarier — insurance premium increases. This year, people in the individual market will face hikes even higher than usual thanks to the federal government’s concerted effort to undermine the marketplace. Small businesses in New Jersey also feel the fright. Plans now offered in the Small Employer market have…Read More…
ACA Enrollment Needs You
Open enrollment for the ACA Marketplace begins November 1 and runs through December 15. New Jersey residents will have three carriers to choose from: Horizon BCBSNJ, AmeriHealth, and Oscar. The 2018 rates should come out any day now and will be higher than they otherwise would have been if Congress or the Administration had authorized…Read More…
Best Care is Best Kept Secret
I recently visited my new physician, Dr. Randi Protter, at R-Health, which provides a new model of care — called Direct Primary Care — that could improve patient outcomes while also reducing costs. The state, seeking ways to reduce costs, began this model for people covered by the State Health Benefits Program (state and local government employees,…Read More…