Health Care Improvements to be Subject of National Symposium

Event previews PBS series

WHAT: Health reporters are invited to attend or to view via live Webcast

Champions of Change: A National Symposium on Improving Health Care. The Symposium will feature national leaders in the quality movement and salute the outstanding work of individuals and institutions (Champions of Change) that are transforming American health care in communities across the country. Symposium speakers and panelists will be available for interviews via telephone or in-person for reporters attending the event. Presented by the Amgen Foundation, the Symposium is the culmination of a national awareness campaign for the PBS series, Remaking American Medicine™ …Health Care for the 21st Century, premiering October 5, 2006.

Symposium themes include:

Patient empowerment
Patient- and family-centered care
Collaboration
Transparency

WHO:

Dr. Mark McClellan, administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Dr. Donald Berwick, president and CEO, Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

Other featured speakers, many of whom appear in the television series, are listed on the attached agenda. To arrange a telephone interview with the speakers, contact Gail Rubin or Barbara Lohman.

WHEN: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT

WHERE: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Barbara Jordan Conference Center, 1330 G St., N.W., Washington, D.C.

To view the Symposium Webcast, go to The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Web site, www.kaisernetwork.org/ram2006.

CONTACTS:

Gail Rubin, Devillier Communications, Inc.

(Office) 202-885-5544 (Cell) 505-363-7514 (E-mail) grpr@flash.net

Symposium Agenda – September 27, 2006

10:00 a.m. Welcome: Series host John Hockenberry

10:20 a.m. Opening Presentation: Dr. Mark McClellan, administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

10:40 a.m. Series Overview: Frank Christopher, executive producer of Remaking American Medicine (RAM). Marc Shaffer, series producer, presents clips from Programs One and Two.

11:00 a.m. Panel Discussion: Moderator – Susan Dentzer, health correspondent, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer

Panelists: Sorrel King; patient safety advocate; Dr. Peter Pronovost, medical director, Center for Innovation in Quality Patient Care, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions; Dr. Marlene Miller, director, Quality and Safety Initiatives, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center; and Dr. Richard Shannon, professor of medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Noon: Dr. Donald Berwick, president and CEO, Institute for Healthcare Improvement

12:25 p.m. Buffet Luncheon

12:45 p.m. Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

1:10 p.m. Matthew Eisen, RAM co-executive producer, presents a clip from Program Three.

1:20 p.m. Panel Discussion: Moderator – John Hockenberry

Panelists: Dr. Anne Peters, professor of medicine and director, University of Southern California Diabetes Programs; Dr. Jeffrey Guterman, medical director, Clinical Resource Management, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services; and Carolyn Pare, CEO, Buyers Health Care Action Group

2:05 p.m. Frank Christopher presents a clip from Program Four.

2:15 p.m. Panel Discussion: Moderator – Avery Comarow, senior health writer, U.S. News & World Report

Panelists: Gerald L. McClinton, patient safety advocate; Pat Sodomka, senior vice president, Patient- and Family-Centered Care, Medical College of Georgia Health System; and Julie Moretz, director, Family Services Development, MCG, Children’s Medical Center

3:00 p.m. Summary/Recommended Action Items: John Hockenberry

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