Northwest Health | WINTER 2007

MESSAGE FROM CEO SCOTT ARMSTRONG

A Broader View of Health Care Reform
As this election year gets under way, we'll be hearing a lot more about the presidential candidates' plans for health care reform — most of it focused on ways to cut health care costs. Cutting costs is important, but at Group Health we know that effective reform doesn't stop there. The following are some changes that need to happen to successfully reform health care.

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Shift the focus of health care from disease treatment to disease prevention. The current health care system treats its customers as victims of illness, rather than as powerful agents for health — an approach we think is backwards. In our opinion, we all need to be empowered to live healthy, active lives so we can reduce the risk of getting sick in the first place. We need to be active managers of our own health, practice healthy habits, and become positive role models for our families, friends, and co-workers. Group Health's Health Profile, secure e-mail with your physician, and online health records are just a few ways we're encouraging and supporting you to participate in your own health and health care.

Facilitate coordination and collaboration between providers. A patient's personal physician, specialists, and other providers need to be able to exchange patient information so they can make well-informed decisions and not duplicate efforts. Electronic medical records at Group Health medical centers allow the clinicians caring for you to immediately access your relevant medical records.

Make it easy for clinicians to base medical decisions on scientific evidence. The majority of physicians in the United States work independently, without quick access to information about the best, proven treatment options. As Shannon Brownlee, author of the new book "Overtreated" points out, it's much easier to share the latest research when large groups of clinicians work together — as they do in integrated health care systems such as Group Health, Kaiser Permanente, and the Veterans Health Administration.

As you listen to the health care debate in the coming months, I encourage you to think about these things. Do the candidates' plans encourage prevention, collaboration, and treatment based on proven science — as well as improvements in access, choice, and cost? At Group Health, we believe that a combination of all these things is needed to make health care reform a success.

Make Your Voice Heard
Group Health Cooperative is a consumer-governed health care organization — which means members not only receive their care here, but also help guide the organization through various volunteer opportunities.

"When consumers play an active role in how health care is delivered, the system changes for the better," says one active consumer. Another member says, "Quality health care is important to my future, and I want my voice heard when it comes to health care issues."

You might choose to join the medical center council at the Group Health facility where you receive care, or participate in the Senior Caucus. Or, if you receive care outside the Puget Sound area, you can join a district advisory group.

If you're interested in a shorter commitment, serving as a consumer consultant is a good way to get involved. Consumer consultants provide input on ways to improve care, service, and member communications through focus groups, short-term projects, and ad hoc groups. Or register to become a voting member of the Cooperative.

For more information about ways to participate, e-mail governance@ghc.org.