Profiles in Innovation
Air Force Surgeon General seeks innovations here
We recently hosted Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Charles Green for a tour of our Capitol Hill Campus and in-depth conversations about how we practice. Trained as a family medicine doctor and flight surgeon, Gen. Green was interested to learn what shared decision making and patient-centered specialty care can mean for his work in the Air Force, and potentially for every branch of the armed services. read more>>
Samuel Bautista, LPN, demonstrates Epic at Capitol Hill Orthopedics to Michael Soman, MD and Lt. Gen. Green
Gen. Green currently leads the entire medical system of the Air Force, overseeing 42,800 people assigned to 75 medical facilities worldwide.
He serves in Washington, D.C., where he sits on a futures group with other top military medical leaders. Together, they are envisioning and designing what the future of the military health care system could look like. Gen. Green says military physicians recommended Group Health to him as a delivery system that is leading the pack in its approach to innovative and patient-centered specialty practices.
The value of innovation—real impacts in tough times
Over many years we’ve built the programs and the data to show that our integrated system and evidence-based practices really can make a difference. read more>>
Governor Gregoire recently challenged the state’s health care organizations to limit cost increases to four percent annually–half the national average. Earlier this year, she invited Group Health Physicians President and Chief Medical Executive Michael Soman to a roundtable with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and other regional health care leaders.
Dr. Soman showed how Group Health innovations in virtual medicine, shared decision-making and high-end imaging decision support help businesses and individuals control their health care costs.
King County Executive Dow Constantine has credited Group Health with contributing to a dramatic drop in the cost of providing employee health care – $61 million below budget over two years, including $38 million in 2012.
By helping employees improve their health through prevention and proactive wellness tools, the County is containing costs beyond expectations. The savings preserved are the equivalent of 12 Sheriff’s deputies, or seven deputy prosecutors, or 20 public health nurses – with comparable services preserved in each and every department.
Photo: From left are GHP President and Chief Medical Executive Michael Soman, King County Executive Dow Constantine, and Group Health CEO Scott Armstrong. Constantine presented on King County’s dramatic health care savings at Group Health’s Solutions For Transforming Care conference.
