Virginia Health Reform Initiative
Every Virginian needs access to appropriate and affordable health care. The challenge the Commonwealth faces is how to provide that access in an economically responsible manner. The purpose of the Virginia Health Reform Initiative is to go beyond federal health reform and recommend other innovative healthcare solutions that meet the needs of Virginia’s citizens and government.
The Virginia Health Reform Initiative will ensure that meaningful reform is achieved throughout the Commonwealth. There is a desire to see that the health care delivery system as a whole is positively impacted as a result of the work accomplished through the initiative. From insurance and payment reforms to how care is delivered, the initiative will work with stakeholders to reduce costs and improve quality.
The initiative will seek to build off of what is already successful in Virginia and will remodel or reorganize practices that do not achieve optimal results. It is recognized that this effort must leverage the strengths of competent, effective government with the experience and knowledge of the private sector. Together, great things will be achieved throughout Virginia. We will implement reform in a way that is unique enough to meet Virginia's specific needs, cost effective, and beneficial to all involved.
The Virginia Health Reform Initiative would like to acknowledge the Virginia Health Care Foundation for providing start up support towards the work of the Initiative. The continued work has been sustained through the generous funding of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This support has made it possible to engage a team from George Mason University, led by Len M. Nichols, Ph.D., Professor of Health Policy and Director of the Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics. The GMU team includes Dr. P. J. Maddox, chair of the Department of Health Administration and Policy, Elizabeth Isaacs Flashner, Health Policy Fellow, Suchita Madan and Ekom Etuk, Graduate Research Assistants, and Sandie MacGowan, Office Manager. VHRI is also indebted to Marcia Bearor, Public Relations Specialist at the College of Health and Human Services, GMU, for invaluable logistical advice and support.
