Member Newsletter

June 2009

May was a busy month for the The Center for Health Transformation (CHT). Between various speaking engagements, testimonies on the Hill, a healthcare workshop with Governor Sanford in South Carolina and the launch of a new CHT pharmacy project, this summer continues to be an exciting one for both CHT and health reform.

CHT Hosts Healthcare Workshop in South Carolina

From left:  Gov. Mark Sanford, South Carolina; CHT Founder Newt Gingrich, The Center for Health Transformation.

On May 21, CHT hosted a special workshop in Columbia focusing on “Creating a 21st Century Intelligent Health System in South Carolina”. The event included moderated panels of key healthcare stakeholders from across the state; a presentation from Lieutenant Governor André; Bauer; and a discussion between Governor Mark Sanford and Founder Newt Gingrich focusing on current healthcare opportunities and strategies within the state of South Carolina. To see pictures, watch videos and read a full meeting summary, click here.

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 Jim Frogue Testifies to Senate Special Committee on Aging

From left:  R. Alexander Acosta, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, U.S. Department of Justice; Jim Frogue, Project Director, The Center for Health Transformation; Robert A. Hussar, First Deputy Inspector General, Office of the Medicaid Inspector General, State of New York; Stephen C. Horne, Vice President, Master Data Management and Integration Services, Dow Jones Business and Relationship Intelligence.

On May 6, CHT Project Director Jim Forgue testified before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging to discuss fraud prevention in our Medicare and Medicaid systems. According to some estimates, fraud accounts for $60 billion of healthcare spending each year.

Frogue elaborated on this point during his testimony, revealing astonishing stories of healthcare fraud. In one of many examples, the state of New York paid 55 men maternity benefits over a two-year period. In summation, he made policy recommendations for reducing fraudulent spending and overall costs to the Medicare and Medicaid systems. To read more about his testimony and this event, please click here.

CHT Launches 21st Century Intelligent Pharmacy Project

CHT is proud to announce the launch of its 21st Century Intelligent Pharmacy Project. Under the leadership of Wayne Oliver, the goal of the project is to accelerate the widespread adoption of best practices and innovative solutions in the field of pharmacy.

Over the next year, we will rely significantly on active and engaged CHT members and other nationally recognized leaders to help define those issues, concepts and principles which encompass an individual-centered pharmacy model that saves lives; improves care; creates value; empowers individuals to make intelligent, informed decisions; enhances plan benefit design; and, saves money.

In March 2009, CHT brought together a diverse group of pharmacy leaders to serve as the planning committee for the project and to identify specific areas for additional investigation. Broadly, the project will be comprehensive in scope and will cover such issues as:

• Advancing patient safety;
• Increasing patient adherence with prescription drug therapy;
• Implementing innovative disease management programs;
• Encouraging innovation through research;
• Accelerating new, emerging technology;
• Developing individual responsibility and patient engagement;
• Emphasizing wellness and prevention;
• Developing of continuity of care;
• Examining payment reform;
• Improving communications among healthcare professionals.

The final goal of the project is to compile a book which highlights those best practices and provides valuable insight for the pharmacy profession, policymakers on the state and federal level, pharmacy educators, health insurers, PBMs and other stakeholders in the healthcare system.

CHT Hosts Series of Policy Calls 

As health reform debates and discussions heat up this summer, CHT will continue to be a resource to our members by providing the latest policy developments from Capitol Hill. Hosted by Vice President and National Policy Director David Merritt, the calls will continue to feature key healthcare leaders, policymakers and industry experts.

CHT hosted its first call on May 18 with Founder Newt Gingrich, David Merritt and Liz Fowler--top staffer to Senator Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Our second call on May 26 focused on The Patients’ Choice Act of 2009 Patients, the first major republican proposal to reform healthcare. Staff members from the offices of Sen. Tom Coburn, Sen. Richard Burr and Rep. Paul Ryan were in attendance.

Upcoming Call Schedule:

Georgia Schools Celebrate Success

On Monday May 18, The Columbus Research Foundation, the Muscogee County School District (MCSD) and the council of PTAs held an awards ceremony to honor Arnold Magnet Academy in Columbus, GA—winners of the Be Well Columbus Project. Project Director Laura Linn gave opening remarks congratulating the classes as awards and monetary prizes were given to the winning homerooms.

The Be Well Columbus Project is a pilot project that was instituted through MCSD 7th graders and was made possible by a grant the Columbus Research Foundation received from the Microsoft HealthVault Be Well Fund. During the three-month period from January 17 until April 24, 2009, participating students were encouraged to increase their physical activity as they took a virtual walk across the United States and to check their daily meal, snack and drink intake. This data was logged on the Be Well Columbus, Georgia/Walk to Microsoft website. The virtual walk ended at Bellevue, Washington, home of Microsoft HealthVault, and each participant of the first homeroom to “arrive” has received a Wii, Wii Fit and a game of their choice.

The overall goal of the project was to teach and instill healthy lifestyle choices in the area’s adolescents, thereby preventing diabetes and other metabolic disorders associated with being overweight.