Our Commitment to Quality

Patient care is the heart of Group Health. We are committed to providing our members with high quality, safe care that is easy to access and affordable.

We are proud of our national reputation as a pioneer in evidence-based medicine, using information technology to improve care, applying research to clinical practice, and defining the ideal model for delivering care for patients with chronic diseases.

Also see: Quality and Patient Safety

Our focus on quality has paid off with national and state recognition of our expertise and our quality of care and service. To learn more, see Awards and Recognition.

Our Vision for Quality

Our vision for quality is to continuously work toward a future where our members consistently say that Group Health provides:

• The best care, information, expert advice, and support
• Outstanding service every time
• Value that exceeds needs and expectations

We believe that we are uniquely positioned to achieve this vision thanks to the excellence of our providers, our focus on the individual patient's needs, our ability to efficiently and effectively organize care around patient populations, and our use of technology to support personalized care.

Transforming Health Care for the Future

Group Health's purpose is to transform health care, working everyday to improve the care and well-being of our consumers and communities.

We have come a long way in the 65-plus years since Group Health was founded as one of the first and most enduring consumer-governed nonprofit health care organizations in the country, with a vision and mission "to serve the greatest number" and "transform health care." More than ever since our beginnings in 1947, we are positioned to make a difference, not just to our members and patients, but also to our communities and as a health care model for the nation.

In our nationally acclaimed model, care and coverage work together as a cohesive force and form a foundation focused on serving the interests of our members, who also govern our non-profit organization. We believe that our approach leads to better health and more personalized care.

Our doctors, who form one of the state's largest medical groups, spend less time with paperwork and more time with patients. They also have more time to consult in teams, which produces a collaborative environment that attracts some of the most talented and dedicated doctors in the nation.

The Group Health Research Institute continues to conduct groundbreaking research within the patient population at our clinical facilities yielding valuable findings that further improve care practices for our members and patients. And these findings are shared widely in the health care field so that all patients can benefit from improved care.

Our Group Health Foundation continues to support and fund health care programs and initiatives in the community such as School-Based Health Centers, the Children's Access to Care Initiative, and abused women and children programs, to name a few.

Yes, we have come a long way in 65 years and we will continue our "journey to excellence" by continuing to strive for ever better excellence in clinical care, prevention, customer service, and affordability.

Incentives for Group Health Physicians

Group Health is committed to providing appropriate, comprehensive, coordinated care to members. Our goal is to deliver high quality care in an appropriate setting, at the right time, by the most appropriate clinician. While we don’t cover every kind of treatment or procedure (no health plan does), we never use "gag rules" to prohibit doctors from discussing recognized medical alternatives with their patients. Decisions for applying members' benefit coverage are based only on the appropriateness of care and service. Group Health does not have any financial incentives or penalties that encourage doctors or other clinicians to withhold medically necessary services or issue coverage denials.

Group Health does not specifically reward, hire, promote, or terminate doctors or any other individuals for issuing coverage denials for needed care or service. If you have any questions, contact Terry Aoki, manager, Quality Performance Review, at 206-448-6455, or aoki.t@ghc.org.