Before he became head of CMS, Donald Berwick was already a star in the healthcare business. His crusade to save patients from medical errors and improve care quality has led to many tangible results in the industry. He’s taken on some of the most intractable issues, such as avoiding needless emergency department visits, reducing unnecessary specialist use and even “Pursuing Perfection,” an effort in which 13 health institutions worked to do just that.
What was he thinking about before he was swept up into the federal bureaucracy? Here’s a keynote speech by Dr. Berwick. Much food for thought.
Anne Zieger is veteran healthcare consultant and analyst with 20 years of industry experience. Zieger formerly served as editor-in-chief of FierceHealthcare.com, the leading healthcare business daily, and her commentaries have appeared dozens of international business publications, including Forbes, Business Week and Information Week. She has also contributed content to hundreds of healthcare and health IT organizations, including several Fortune 500 organizations.
