On April 10, 2008 PricewaterhouseCoopers hosted the 180° Health Forum which brought together 200 of the nation's most influential leaders from across the health industries for the first step in generating an about-face — a 180-degree turn — in how the health system looks.
The attendees at the gathering in Washington, D.C. included CEOs and other top officials from across the health continuum, including the nation's largest hospitals and health systems; health plans and insurers; pharmaceutical and life sciences companies; government and stakeholders including major employers and state and federal regulators.
In addition to hearing addresses from such prominent national leaders as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt and former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan, the attendees heard candid assessments for the prognosis of the health system under the next president from three longtime observers of the political scene. Sharing their views were CBS analyst Jeff Greenfield; Dan Bartlett, Senior Strategist for Public Strategies, Inc. and former Counselor to President George W. Bush; and Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the Hillary Clinton for President Committee and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
The participants brought their diverse perspectives to bear in working groups that examined three important issues:
By working together to address such complex challenges, decision-makers who might not ordinarily interact looked at these issues in new ways, breaking down conventional professional boundaries, divisions between industries and barriers between the public and private sectors to identify innovative solutions.
While the nation's health challenges are far too big and complex to be solved in a day, the 180° Health Forum was a promising first step towards the collaboration and consensus needed to build a truly sustainable health system.
To learn more about the 180° Health Forum please contact
Todd Hall at 617-530-4185, or
Matt Liberty at 703-918-1095.
