Ohio Health Quality Improvement Summit organizers issue report, survey

The organizers of last month’s Ohio Health Quality Improvement Summit have created a report outlining the Summit’s recommendations, Achieving a High-Performing Health System in Ohio, and are now asking for those interested in improving health quality in Ohio to answer a corresponding survey.

More than 180 health care leaders from various organizations and agencies throughout the state attended the Ohio Health Quality Improvement Summit, November 17-19, 2008. Those individuals developed twelve strategies, each with multiple tactics, to transform Ohio’s health care system into a high quality, cost-effective, high performing system that will optimize the health of Ohioans across the continuum of care from prevention through end of life.

As the Summit reached its conclusion, participants expressed a strong commitment to reform and asked that the resulting recommendations be carefully considered and acted upon. Immediately after adjournment, conference organizers convened an Implementation Team from various statewide organizations and agencies to determine next steps and compile information from the summit.

The survey contains two sections: the first to obtain thoughts on the strategies and sample tactics that were developed at the Summit; and second, to obtain information on existing projects that align with those strategies and tactics. The deadline for responding to the survey is Jan. 9, 2009.

The Implementation Team will utilize the feedback provided to create a draft action plan. This draft plan will be reviewed at a follow-up meeting that will be held in April 2009.