Geisinger Health System is getting some presidential attention. In the past week, President Obama has been pushing Washington to focus on health care reform and in two key speeches he used Geisinger as an example.
In both speeches, Obama said Geisinger Health System here in Pennsylvania is a model for high quality care at lower than average costs.
He said health care providers nationwide have to look at places like Geisinger and learn from that success.
"We need to build on the examples of outstanding medicine at places... like Geisinger Health System in rural Pennsylvania and Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City, where high quality care is being provided at costs well below the national average," said Obama.
In what was billed as a key policy speech before the American Medical Association in Chicago, the president told thousands in the medical field that Geisinger Health System is a model for how to improve health care nationwide. That is bringing a lot of pride to those who work for Geisinger based just outside of Danville.
"It's been very gratifying to the whole community," said Geisinger Vice President of Innovations Seth Frazier. "People have been working so hard to improve care here and to have that kind of national recognition really speaks volumes to the work that they've done. "
For several years Geisinger officials said they've worked to overhaul patient care systemwide, making it a team approach, making sure everyone involved in that care is on the same page, that medical records are done electronically and that the patient gets more involved too.
Geisinger executives show numbers that say costs have gone down and health care quality has gone up.
"We've found you can simplify the care, create a better patient experience, lower costs and get better outcomes," added Frazier.
Those at Geisinger said the model they follow isn't something that will only work there. They said other hospitals have come to Danville to learn and take the idea back home.
"It's terrific recognition but we also feel the pressure because I think we really want to improve and this sets another standard for our own improvement," said Frazier.
"These are all islands of excellence and we need to make them the standard in our health care system," said President Obama.
Of course, the president's plan for health care includes a lot more overhaul -and a lot more money- than just following the example of health systems like Geisinger, but he said it is a key part of fixing the system.
In both speeches, Obama said Geisinger Health System here in Pennsylvania is a model for high quality care at lower than average costs.
He said health care providers nationwide have to look at places like Geisinger and learn from that success.
"We need to build on the examples of outstanding medicine at places... like Geisinger Health System in rural Pennsylvania and Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City, where high quality care is being provided at costs well below the national average," said Obama.
In what was billed as a key policy speech before the American Medical Association in Chicago, the president told thousands in the medical field that Geisinger Health System is a model for how to improve health care nationwide. That is bringing a lot of pride to those who work for Geisinger based just outside of Danville.
"It's been very gratifying to the whole community," said Geisinger Vice President of Innovations Seth Frazier. "People have been working so hard to improve care here and to have that kind of national recognition really speaks volumes to the work that they've done. "
For several years Geisinger officials said they've worked to overhaul patient care systemwide, making it a team approach, making sure everyone involved in that care is on the same page, that medical records are done electronically and that the patient gets more involved too.
Geisinger executives show numbers that say costs have gone down and health care quality has gone up.
"We've found you can simplify the care, create a better patient experience, lower costs and get better outcomes," added Frazier.
Those at Geisinger said the model they follow isn't something that will only work there. They said other hospitals have come to Danville to learn and take the idea back home.
"It's terrific recognition but we also feel the pressure because I think we really want to improve and this sets another standard for our own improvement," said Frazier.
"These are all islands of excellence and we need to make them the standard in our health care system," said President Obama.
Of course, the president's plan for health care includes a lot more overhaul -and a lot more money- than just following the example of health systems like Geisinger, but he said it is a key part of fixing the system.
