Healthcare Coverage

Former Senator Daschle Headlines McKesson Executive Leadership Summit for Healthcare CEOs

"We have an historic opportunity to enact meaningful healthcare reform. It won't be easy, and tough choices must be made," said Daschle. "But if all the stakeholders are willing to work together, we can finally ensure all Americans have access to high-quality, lower-cost healthcare coverage."

Daschle noted the central role of information technology (IT) in post-reform healthcare. "Healthcare IT can help reduce cost and improve quality," he said. "It will also create greater transparency, enabling people to make better informed choices about their healthcare needs." He added that President Obama's stimulus plan gives providers the opportunity to make greatly needed infrastructure improvements.

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, $19 billion has been set aside to accelerate the adoption and meaningful use of certified electronic health records and other healthcare IT by office-based physicians and hospitals. McKesson immediately responded to the legislation with its Achieve HIT stimulus program. Achieve HIT is designed to help providers optimize and accelerate their efforts to improve care delivery and efficiency as they put plans in place to achieve meaningful use and qualify for government stimulus incentives.

During roundtable discussions at the Summit, CEOs interacted on a range of topics with technology implications, including the financial and infrastructure implications of physician employment and how to leverage funds granted for connectivity. Participants shared their experiences, best practices and questions with one another and with industry experts who moderated the sessions.

"The Summit reinforced the urgency of planning for success, both in terms of health reform and qualifying for the ARRA incentives," said Gary Muller, president and CEO, Marquette General Health System, Marquette, Mich. "Significant change is on the horizon, and this meeting provided the opportunity to get diverse perspectives on what form it will take and how we can best prepare."

In his opening remarks, McKesson Chairman and CEO John Hammergren stressed the importance of collaborating to achieve a common objective – healthcare that is patient-centered, economically sustainable, high-quality, safe, efficient and connected. "Ultimately, we must focus on the human aspect of healthcare," he said. "Our goal should be to harness the collective power of our ideas, influence and resources to ensure that every American receives the right level of care and to ensure that the right technology and processes are in place to support that care."

The 2009 Executive Leadership Summit is the latest in a series of strategic CEO forums that McKesson has held across the country. These forums included a session last spring in Washington, D.C., with thought leaders and federal policymakers that led to one of the first objective white papers on meaningful use. About McKesson McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 15th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes, and improving the quality and safety of patient care. McKesson has been in continuous operation for more than 175 years, making it the longest-operating company in healthcare today. Over the course of its history, McKesson has grown by providing pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit http://www.mckesson.com.

Keywords: McKesson, Technology, Software, Health, Hospitals, Public Policy and Government, Pharmaceutical, Public Policy, Inf, Data Management, Finance, Financial, Information Technologies, Investing, Investment, Technology.

This article was prepared by Pharma Business Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Pharma Business Week via NewsRx.com.