March 30, 2004
Leslie Rose
415 332-0362
leslierose@sbcglobal.net
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Will Lead Implementation of Pay for Performance
WALNUT CREEK, CA – March
30, 2004 The Integrated Healthcare Association (IHA), a statewide health
care leadership group, today announced the appointment of Tom R. Williams as the
organization’s Executive Director. Williams is a senior health care executive
with extensive management experience at the national level and in the unique
California market. He was head of Aetna’s west region and board President of
Aetna California, Inc. during his 14 years with Aetna (1989-2002). Williams has
also served in senior strategic positions in health plan, medical group,
behavioral health and pharmacy management. Most recently, he has consulted in
healthcare management, information management and business
development while
pursuing a doctorate in public health at UCLA.
“We’re very excited to bring
Tom Williams on board to lead IHA. He combines business and care delivery
experience with knowledge of health policy that will serve the IHA mission
well,” according to Tom Davies of Verizon and the chair-elect of IHA. “He is
very well-known and a highly respected executive who will advance IHA’s
constructive partnerships.”
“I’m interested in
collaborative efforts that impact care delivery and create better products for
consumers. IHA has a diverse and influential membership that works to achieve
this goal. Pay for Performance (P4P) is a great example,” says Williams.
IHA’s P4P statewide initiative
is the country’s largest physician incentive program. Participants include
50,000 doctors, 220 medical groups and 6 health plans providing care to 8
million people. Those 6 plans - Aetna, Blue Shield of California, Blue Cross of
California, Cigna, Health Net and PacifiCare - will each use the common P4P
metrics but will determine their own bonus payments to medical groups. In 2004,
the incentive program is expected to result in $100 million in additional
payment to medical groups. The program metrics measure clinical quality, patient
experience and investment in information technology systems that support patient
care. Results will also be publicly reported.
“This work has moved the
national agenda forward” according to Ron Bangasser, MD, immediate past
president of the California Medical Association. “Paying more to change
behavior works. We look forward to expanding the program to more patients and to
keep raising the bar on quality indicators.”
Steve McDermott, CEO of Hill
Physicians, the state’s largest physician group suggests that “part of the
challenge of this position and P4P in particular, involves understanding the
viewpoints of all the different stakeholders – health plans, physician groups,
purchasers and consumers - and what motivates them. Tom Williams does and he
knows making a successful business case for quality impacts everyone.”
“Ultimately, it’s the
consumer who benefits from IHA work. P4P provides an opportunity for
stakeholders to work together to improve health care quality and address public
health issues in California in an organized way” according to Lance Lang, MD
of Health Net.
# # # #
IHA
(www.iha.org) is a
statewide leadership group of California health plans, physician groups, and
health care systems, plus academic, consumer, purchaser, pharmaceutical and new
technology representatives, committed to policy development, special projects
and public dialogue on health policy and the evolution of managed care.
Pay for Performance (P4P) is a statewide collaborative, managed by IHA, designed to create a business case for quality of care by rewarding physician groups. Health plans will use common metrics on performance in quality of care, patient experience and investment in information technology systems that support patient care. Each health plan will determine their own individual bonus payments to contracted physician groups. IHA P4P management costs are supported in part by the California Healthcare Foundation as part of the national Rewarding Results program.
For More Information:
E-mail: bcarter@iha.org
Phone: (925)746-5100 Fax: (925)746-5103
Mail: 49 Quail Court, Suite 205, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Copyright © 1997 Integrated Healthcare Association (IHA) All Rights Reserved.