This spring, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt visited Milwaukee to honor the work being done here toward creating a value-driven health care system.

During a Town Hall meeting at Bucyrus International Inc. in South Milwaukee, Secretary Leavitt recognized the Business Health Care Group as a Community Leader of public-private cooperative efforts to implement value-driven health care. The Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality also was recognized as one of only six organizations nationally designated as a Better Quality and Information for Medicare Beneficiaries Pilot. In addition, The Alliance, a business coalition serving the Madison market, was also named a Community Leader.

Secretary Leavitt delivered a speech on an initiative aimed at improving the four "Cornerstones of Value-Driven Health Care":

• Health Information Technology
• Quality Information
• Pricing Information
• Quality and Efficiency of Care

Support for the Cornerstones
In an executive order last summer, President Bush directed federal agencies that administer or sponsor federal health insurance programs to improve in these areas. That call is now being extended to the private business community, and the BHCG has led a local effort to get businesses on board.

During Leavitt's visit, nearly 60 Wisconsin businesses and other organizations (four of which were BHCG provider groups and 19 of which were BHCG members) signed a public statement of support for the four cornerstones—more signatures than any other state to this point in the secretary's Town Hall Tour.

As more businesses stand behind these goals, we can lay the foundations for better patient care, higher quality service and increased value in the health care marketplace—which is of pressing importance in our region, where health care costs run higher than the national average.

"Secretary Leavitt praised the Wisconsin business community for its commitment to lowering health care costs through support of this initiative," said Dianne Kiehl, executive director of the BHCG. "The business community support for changing the health care market for the better is undeniable based on the number of leaders who signed onto the secretary's initiative."

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