Stephen Swensen, M.D., the Mayo Clinic Director of Quality, joined a group of national health care experts this week in Washington to advise the United States Department of Veteran Affairs on how to offer the next generation of health care quality by utilizing a method that offers top value to its patients, staff and those that fund its extensive network of hospitals.
Stephen Swensen, M.D.
The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs operates a health system of 153 hospitals across the United States. The price tag to operate the health care giant is about $50 billion annually in federal funds. Swensen and the panel of experts encouraged VA officials to accomplish the triple aim of health metrics – that is, improve the health of veterans and their satisfaction while lowering the cost of care.
“They’re delivering excellent care by national standards and getting most things right,” Swensen said. “But the opportunity for them to improve even more is great. They’re really looking to knock the ball out of the park, to get even better at creating major value.”
During his presentation, Swensen challenged the VA system to cut their costs by 2 percent each year throughout the next five years ($1 billion per year) by driving out waste. More specifically, he said they could improve care of veterans and save funds by preventing complications, avoiding unnecessary services and improving processes and efficiency, an opportunity open to all U.S. hospitals.
To learn more about the conference, visit: http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=2174
