October 27, 2005
For more information contact:
Tom Williams 510-208-1740
For immediate release
Integrated Healthcare Association
Receives Picker Institute
Award for Excellence in Patient Centered Care
OAKLAND, Calif. –
Oct. 27, 2005 - The Integrated Healthcare Association (IHA) received The
Picker Institute, Inc. Annual Award for Advancement of Patient Centered Care
during a ceremony
on Oct. 26. The Institute is a world leader in scientific measurement,
improvement and the promotion of patient-centered care.
Awards are made annually to recognize outstanding
contributions to improving the lives of patients by making interaction with the
healthcare system more comfortable. Each winner receives $10,000.
The other winners were Albert G. Mulley Jr., M.D. and John E. Wennberg,
M.D., M.P.H, and Initiativkreis Ruhrgebeit (Ruhr Region Initiative) and Boston
Consulting Group
IHA won the award for its innovative pay-for-performance
(P4P) program, which measures and rewards quality of care (including patient
experience) at 225 physician organizations, representing 35,000 physicians and
6.2 million patients in California.
“We’re honored
to receive this prestigious award,” said Tom Williams, executive director of
IHA. “It’s an affirmation of the hard work and commitment by the California
health plans that participate in P4P, and the dedication of physician
organizations to continually improve care and patient satisfaction.”
“The
Picker Institute’s mission is to improve the healthcare provider’s
understanding of each patient’s values, preferences, and expressed needs,”
said Harvey Picker, founder of the Picker Institute.
IHA's P4P program launched in 2002 at a time when health
plans had varied approaches to performance measurement, and only a few provided
financial rewards for performance. IHA convened competing health plans which
then agreed to a common set of measures on which to base the program. In 2004, quality-related performance payouts (based
on IHA measures) by health plans to physician organizations totaled over $37
million. IHA’s P4P program is the largest such
program in the country.
The Picker Institute (www.pickerinstitute.org) , based in Boston, is an independent nonprofit organization that promotes the advancement of patient-centered care, and the improvement of patients' experiences and interactions with their healthcare providers.
IHA (www.iha.org) is a collaboration of California health care leaders committed to quality improvement, accountability, and affordability for the benefit of all California consumers through special projects, policy innovation and education.