URACís 7th Annual Quality Summit and Exhibit

Health care experts and thought leaders will train a steady eye on quality as they address issues at the forefront of health care Oct. 11-13 at URACís 7th Annual Quality Summit and Exhibit, held at the La Costa Resort and Spa in San Diego.

The theme of the national Summit for health care organizations and professionals is ìDiscover New Ways to Focus on Quality.î Through keynote speakers, expert panel discussions and breakout sessions, the Summit will focus attention on three critical topics in health care: consumer empowerment and protection; leadership in care coordination; and best practices in quality and accreditation initiatives.

ìThe Annual Quality Summit showcases the pioneer thought leaders in health care, and provides a forum to explore advances in quality,î said Alan Spielman, URACís president and chief executive officer. ìThe Summit attracts professionals from URAC-accredited companies nationwide seeking the opportunity to interact with colleagues and to address key industry issues.î

A general session panel presentation, ìThe Role of Consumerism in Redesigning Health Care Delivery, will offer high-powered insight from the perspectives of health plans, purchasers, and consumers. Panel speakers are Vicky Gregg, CEO, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee; Arnold Milstein, MD, U.S. thought leader, Mercer Health and Benefits; and Grace-Marie Turner, president, Galen Institute.

ìThe importance of the consumer has been overforecast in the near term and underforecast in the intermediate term,î Milstein said. ìThe consumer role has enjoyed a modest initial start; it can be part of the foundation on which Americans depend to achieve more affordable and quality-reliable care. To realize this vision, three ingredients must be added: trustworthy quality and total cost comparisons of individual physicians and treatment options; decision support aids to make it easy to discern the best performing options; and incentives to select cost-effective options at all levels of health care spending.

The conference will include content-rich breakout sessions with substantive takeaways for participants. A sample of sessions include:

ï ìImproving Medication Compliance in Patients Through Education, Motivation and Coaching,î presented by James Bonk, PhD and Krissy Cusimano, RN, both of NurseWise and Neil Krohn, PhD, senior health information Consultant for WellPoint Behavioral Health;

ï ìInformed Decision Making with Outcomes Measuresî presented by Tracey Moorhead, executive director, Disease Management Association of America; and

ï ìRaising the Bar on Quality Improvement Projects: Ensuring They Meet Accreditation Standards and Add Value to Your Organizationî presented by Anne Llewellyn, RN.C, BHSA, CCM, CRRN, and Valerie Nosek, RN, BSN, CPHQ, both URAC accreditation reviewers.

ìThis is the only conference of its kind which brings together all aspects of the medical management system, together with experts in information technology, care coordination and quality best practice,î Spielman said. ìThose attending will benefit from focused training sessions on URAC Accreditation Standards, carefully selected exhibitors, and valuable networking opportunities with URAC Board and committee members, staff and speakers. The Summit provides a unique opportunity for health professionals to better understand the dynamic health care environment.î

For a complete agenda, registration, hotel, and travel information visit the URAC Web site at www.urac.org or call (202) 216-9010.