Best Health Care Solutions Come from Nurses, Others Doing the Work

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/04/25/the-best-health-care-solutions-come-from-the-nurses-and-others-who-do-the-work/

by Mike Hall, Apr 25, 2008

When front-line workers are part of the team developing new strategies and techniques to improve health care quality and reduce costs, the results are effective and often innovative—from the easily implemented, like a reflective vest, to a top-to-bottom revamping of operating room procedures.

John August, executive director of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, told a health care forum yesterday:

“You create the best quality care by having the front-line workers mobilized to find the innovations to do that.”


George Halverson, CEO of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, says worker input boosts care quality.


August, along with several other Kaiser Permanente labor and management representatives, union leaders, health care experts, lawmakers and others took part in the First Annual Health Care Forum presented by the Kaiser Permanente Health Care Institute at the National Labor College (NLC) in Silver Spring, Md.

Preserving and improving quality care was a major focus, but the forum also touched on a wide range of topics including the vital components of health care reform, the political outlook for reform and bargaining and protecting union health benefits.

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney told the 300 participants that “high-valued and patient-centered” is a “non-negotiable issue” in the health care reform debate.

Our goal is not just to create universal health coverage, but high-quality, affordable universal health coverage.…In our national political arena’s debate over the shape and substance of health care reform, for us the words affordable, high-quality health care for all are inseparable.…We will not bargain for nor will we accept a second-class health plan.


FULL story at link.

[patrice]

1. That's what the Green House Project and Person-Centered Care is all about.

It's refered to as Culture Change and it's going to be very very relevant as Boomers come into need for Long-Term Care. It's an attempt to elevate the professional status of the lowest paid workers in long-term care, because they are responsible for some very vital aspects of the care regime.

http://www.ncbcapitalimpact.org/default.aspx?id=146