Showcase for Patient-Powered Innovation

Group Health Cooperative's 64th annual membership meeting showcased the role of innovation in making Group Health a national model for health care.

Karen Davis, president of The Commonwealth Fund, said she has been "a great admirer of Group Health," not just for its commitment to consumer engagement, "but also for its commitment to patient-centered health care." Davis presented what she called a "Roadmap for a High Performance Health Care System: Driving Innovation and Improvement" (PDF).

Davis pointed to innovations and patient-centered care, and challenged Group Health to find strategies to extend its reach. "If this is so good, why doesn't it spread?"

Marc West, executive vice president of Group Health Physicians, pointed out that Group Health is really involved in the "what" of health care reform, but "the question that we're really going to have to answer is the 'how.' In almost every market where we deliver care, we deliver care with partners in the community."

Group Health's success with shared decision making, where the doctor and patient work together to determine a course of action, is the result of innovation from the front lines, said Matt Handley, medical director of Quality and Informatics. "It started with the notion that patients should have the best possible information to make a decision about their health care." He credited Group Health's public policy staff for getting involved and creating a statewide collaborative to promote the idea.

Karen Merrikin, Group Health policy advisor, said "our greatest influence in changing public policy is who we are and what we do." Policy makers can trust us because "what we do is what we prove through our affiliation with the Group Health Research Institute."

More than 400 people attended this year's annual meeting. Group Health provided a full breakfast, health fair, and free flu vaccinations before the session, which was streamed live online. The webcast is available from this page through October.

Election of Board Members and Standing Nominating Committee Chair

Voting members of Group Health Cooperative elected two new members to the Board of Trustees, and re-elected two others. The new trustees are Ruta Fanning, who recently retired after 28 years in leadership positions with the State of Washington, and Leo Greenawalt, who retired after 30 years as president and CEO of the Washington State Hospital Association.

Trustees Bob Margulis and Bob Watt were elected to new three-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2012. Each of the trustee candidates was nominated by the Standing Nominating Committee (SNC) after careful review of their qualifications to lead a $3 billion enterprise. Trustees must also receive their care through Group Health.

Because of its important role in recruiting and nominating candidates, the SNC chair is also elected by voting members of the Cooperative. Evelyn Lemoine, vice president of people programs for the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, was elected to a three-year term.

• 2011 Election Results

The State of the Cooperative

Group Health President and CEO Scott Armstrong shared some thoughts about the Cooperative as it approaches 65. "If Group Health was a person, we might be thinking about slowing down a bit and wondering if we could afford to retire. We'd be worried about Medicare and concerned about the price of a visit to the doctor. And while we are concerned about Medicare and how much it costs to see a doctor, I can assure you that we have no intention of slowing down, much less retiring."

Armstrong reported that Group Health is "stronger than ever," growing enrollment to nearly 700,000, and maintaining a strong financial position.

Governance Recognition Awards Winners

Two member volunteers, Stuart Grover and Georgie Brewer, received the Cooperative Achievement Award for their outstanding contributions to Group Health. Grover is outgoing chair of the Standing Nominating Committee and has also served on the Group Health Foundation Board. His leadership to improve recruiting and screening of trustee candidates was noted in the presentation. Brewer is a long-time volunteer who currently chairs the Medical Center Advisory Council (MCAC) at the Port Orchard Medical Center. She is also secretary of the Senior Caucus Executive Committee, chair of the Advisory Group Assembly, and a member of the Cooperative Development Committee.

The Cooperative Spirit Award, for a staff member who demonstrates Cooperative principles by creating or facilitating meaningful and respectful partnerships with members, went to Director of Clinical Operations Janice Wharton. She was singled out for her support of the medical center advisory councils. Wharton often attends the meetings to discuss clinic activities and invite member input and feedback.