Rural Health | Center for Health Transformation

CHT Opens Georgia Rural Health Association 23rd Annual Meeting

The Center for Health Transformation opened the GRHA 23rd Annual Meeting September 20th at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel. Newt joined the group via videotape to welcome the participants. He suggested that when presented with new ideas, one learn to say “yes, if” not “no, because.” This one small change opens people up and leads to brainstorming and thinking of solutions.

Newt presented his vision of rural health in Georgia as one in which rural Georgia “becomes a leader in the world because the information technology age eliminates distance.” This eliminates the problems that make it difficult to get to the right specialist and the right knowledge. Newt’s closing message was one of working together to create a renaissance in health that makes rural Georgia the healthiest part of Georgia. He challenged the group to define how we work together to eliminate any sense of “two Georgias” and beyond that to make rural Georgia the leader in having the healthiest folks, leading the healthiest lives with the highest quality of life.

Keynote “Principles of Transformation”

Laura Linn, Director of the Georgia Project, followed with a keynote address “Principles of Transformation.” Laura opened by asking the group to imagine a Georgia where no one died of cancer and where diabetes was rare. A vision of a transformed, 21st century intelligent health system and the Center strategies for getting to this vision were described. The triangle model of health and healthcare and the planning & leadership model, two models used by the Center in transforming health and healthcare, were discussed. Laura then discussed the following principles of transformation:

Create and communicate a compelling vision
Focus on large changes
Incentives work
Define the deep-mid-near plan
Take context into account
Find transformational solutions outside and apply to your industry
Acquire allies
Plans should reflect future reality
Plan back from victory rather than forward from the present
Measure success

Panel of “Transformational Solutions for Rural Health"

The session ended with a panel presentation “Transforming Solutions for Rural Health.”

Using e-ICU Technology with Critical Care Patients in Rural Communities – Carol Kamercia, VISICU, Inc.
Implementing a Community Disease Management Initiative – Mack Bryson,
Interventions that Make a Difference for People with Diabetes – Introduction: Paula Davis, Novo Nordisk® Pharmaceuticals and Presentation: Jonathan Marquess, PharmD, CDE, CDM, The Institute for Wellness and Education, a Disease Management Company.

Each panel presentation focused on solutions that can transform health and healthcare in rural Georgia. The solutions exemplified the Center for Health Transformation’s model of health and healthcare: individual-centered, knowledge-rich, prevention-focused, based on best practices, technology-rich, and transparent in cost and quality.

Presentations

9/20/04 GRHA:

If you would like to learn more about how to become a member of the Georgia Project, please contact Laura Linn at (202) 375-2001 or info@healthtranformation.net .