News Release

Obama Administration officials, health care leaders join together at Innovation Summit

Summit builds on Affordable Care Act, highlights private, public innovations to improve health care
quality and lower costs

Obama Administration officials and a breadth of representatives from across the health care system will meet in Washington today for a day-long meeting to explore how they can collaborate and improve the quality of health care while at the same time lowering costs.

The Obama Administration also released a new report today highlighting the success of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.  Created by the Affordable Care Act, the Innovation Center has already worked to test and support innovative new health care models that can reduce costs and strengthen the quality of health care.

The Care Innovations Summit, hosted jointly by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the West Wireless Health Institute, and the journal Health Affairs, will bring together over 1,000 medical professionals, health care policymakers, academics and investors to explore innovative ways to make health care both affordable and effective.

“The Affordable Care Act gives us tremendous new tools to innovate and improve our health care system,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.  “We’ll discuss how we can work together to make innovative ideas a reality in communities across the country.”

The summit will showcase nearly half a dozen announcements of major new initiatives by leading health care organizations.  Among these announcements are new “challenges” to reverse the trend of diabetes, advance the field of Alzheimer’s prevention and treatment, and bolster the battle against HIV/AIDS.

“The level of real excitement surrounding this conference shows not only that people who know health care recognize the urgent need for better health and better care at lower cost, they also are ready to move forward with solutions,” said CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner.

“The fact that all of these disparate interests share the aim of better health care and are willing to work for it not only means that we’re going to have the best ideas on the table, but also that we’re going to have the expertise and the resources that will ultimately ensure better health at a lower cost will be within the reach of every American,” said Richard J. Gilfillan, M.D., director of the Innovation Center.

 For more information, visit http://www.innovation.cms.gov/summit/.

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Last revised: January 26, 2012