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CONTACT:
communications@mail.cox.smu.edu
Andrea Hugg
(214)768-4474 |
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Lindsay Hogan
(214)768-1794 |
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt to meet with
Dallas-Fort Worth business leaders regarding value-driven health care
What: Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt will be in Dallas to meet with Dallas-Fort Worth area business and health leaders regarding a national movement toward transparency and value-driven health care purchasing to improve health care quality, information and cost-effectiveness for employees and their families.
Leavitt will discuss the Administration's new Value-Driven Health Care initiative to transform the U.S. Health care system by encouraging quality and price transparency, interoperability of health information technology, and use of incentives to drive health care quality and efficiency.
A Signing Ceremony of the Purchaser Statement of Support for the Secretary’s initiative will take place during this meeting with senior executives from major DFW companies including EDS, Texas Instruments, Sabre Holdings, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Humana, Cigna, United Healthcare and VHA, Inc.
Last August, President Bush signed an Executive Order committing Federal health programs to provide meaningful, consistent information on both the quality and price of healthcare services. Under this initiative, participants in Federal health programs will be able to access quality and price information about the health care they receive. By making this information available, all stakeholders in the health care system will have better tools and incentives to improve care and maximize the value of their health care purchases.
For additional details: www.hhs.gov/transparency
When: Thursday, March 1, 5:00-6:00 p.m. (Secretary Leavitt to address media and take questions directly following)
Where: SMU Collins Executive Education Center, 3150 Binkley Ave.(NE corner of Binkley and Ownby Ave., parking available at Meadows or Moody Garages)
Visuals: Top administration official for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will address business and health leaders; a signing ceremony with business and health leaders including CEOs; availability of Secretary Leavitt and area business and health executives for one-on-one commentary.
DFWBGH: The Dallas-Fort Worth Business Group on Health is a 130-member coalition of Dallas
and Fort Worth area employers committed to market-based health care reform. Members include American Airlines, Bell Helicopter-Textron, EDS, JC Penney, Neiman Marcus, Sabre Holdings, Southwest Airlines, Texas Instruments, TXU, Verizon and others. A member of the National Business Coalition on Health, DFWBGH’s goals are to empower employers to make informed health care purchasing decisions and to encourage health care providers to continuously improve their performance. www.dfwbgh.org.
DFWBGH Media Contact: Cary Conway
Office: 972-731-9242/Cell: 214-793-5705
Email: cary@conwaycommunication.com
CMS Public Affairs Contact: Julia Lothrop
Office: 214-767-6386
Email: Julia.Lothrop@cms.hhs.gov
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