Reforming Health System, not Health Care

Last month, the Salt Lake Chamber, supported by business leaders representing nearly half a million Utah workers, signed the Health System Reform Business Bill of Rights and Responsibilities on the steps of the State Capitol. The demand for change was clear and the document outlined reform imperative to our current health system.

While the Chamber stands firm that significant, bold change is a must for our health system, it is also important to make clear what a wonderful state this is for health care.

Differentiating between health care and health system is more than one of semantics. When we use the term health care, we’re talking about the actual care given by doctors, nurses and technicians. When we use the term health system, we’re talking about the manner in which the care is paid for and by whom.

The fact that our current health system is unsustainable is as irrefutable as is the evidence that our health care is unbeatable.

Dr. Richard Sperry of the University of Utah recently spoke at the Chamber and cited the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care which says, “if, over the four years of our study, hospitalization had been at the level of Salt Lake City, Medicare spending for inpatient care would have been reduced by $34.3 billion—a savings of 32.4 percent. If physician rates had been at the level of Salt Lake City, spending would have been $5.8 billion less—a saving of 34 percent.”

The same day, Senator Bob Bennett also spoke at the Chamber and said right now, Utah is one of the top three states in the entire country where you would want to come for health care. And the Wall Street Journal writes, “If everyone got care at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, our health care costs would be lowered by one-third.” (April 5, 2007)

Health care in our state is better than almost anywhere in the country and continues to strive for improvement and innovation. I applaud the efforts of our incredible health care organizations including University Health Care, the Huntsman Cancer Institute, Intermountain Healthcare, MountainStar/HCA, Iasis Healthcare and other companies such as ARUP Laboratories for their dedication to providing world-class care in Utah.

Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of the state-of-the-art Intermountain Medical Center in Murray. The 1.5 million square foot campus is comprised of five specialty centers including the Women/Newborn Center, the General Hospital/Trauma Center, the Heart/Lung Center, the Cancer Center and the Outpatient Center. The Intermountain Medical Center is the flagship of Intermountain Healthcare’s system, however, like the 20 other hospitals in the system and the other great hospitals and clinics throughout our state, it’s not the facility that makes the difference; it’s the quality of the care.

Recently, the New York Times lauded the innovative approach taken by Intermountain Healthcare citing the fact that 80 percent of care given is based on evidence collected from electronic medical records.

“The data is analyzed by researchers, and the best practices are then incorporated into the clinical process, resulting in far better quality care at a cost that is one-third less than the national average.” (Oct. 24, 2008)

Intermountain eagerly embraces new technology and advancements in patient care. For the ninth time in ten years, Intermountain Healthcare was ranked among the nation’s Most Wired organizations by Hospitals & Health Networks. The recognition comes for its pioneering role in the development and advancement of health information technology. In addition, Intermountain has been developing computerized health records for nearly forty years and is currently working on a project with GE Healthcare to develop the next generation of electronic medical records.

During a presentation to health care professionals and business executives yesterday in Salt Lake City, former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich made a strong case for establishing an electronic record keeping system to be used nationwide to improve care.

Better use of the incredible amount of information flowing through Intermountain’s various facilities, including 116 clinics, has amazing benefits. Recently, the CEO of the famed Mayo Clinic told a television station in Minnesota that if he were ever diagnosed with diabetes, he would seek treatment right here in Utah from Intermountain Healthcare.

Intermountain Healthcare has again been ranked as one of the nation's top integrated health systems, receiving the second highest score in an annual study of health care organizations by Modern Healthcare magazine. And this was no aberration; Intermountain has rated first in five of the last nine years and second four times.

Other organizations play a significant role in providing a high level of medical care in our state, as well. Our local medical professionals’ ability to touch lives extends beyond the traditional doctor-patient relationship and into the laboratory. While speaking to the Chamber’s Board of Governors, President Michael Young of the University of Utah talked about the quality of research in our state, thanks in large part to USTAR, an initiative organized and supported by the Chamber and others. He pointed out that a doctor will apply her skills and benefit thousands of people during her career but a researcher who discovers a new way to treat a condition or illness will touch millions. The quality of medical research performed in Utah is truly world-class.

As a state and a nation our health system falls far short of what we deserve. The Health System Reform Business Bill of Rights and Responsibilities gives direction for the bold and meaningful change. Over the next several months we will all hear more and more about health system reform. When we improve the system to match the level of care already provided in Utah, we will truly have something special.