The Billings Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Provide Models Of High Quality, Low-Cost Care
The News Hour With Jim Lehrer profiled two clinics that are seen to provide excellent health care services at low cost. The stories look at examples that refer to President Barack Obama's statement: "There are examples of how we can make the entire health care system more efficient."In the first piece, Team Health Care, Betty Ann Bowser reports on how a health care model that puts doctors, lab workers and others under one roof is finding success in Billings, Mont. Bowser mentions Obama's reference to models such as the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic and Kaiser Permanente, which have health care costs that are 20 to 30 percent lower as well as better quality indicators. The Billings facility follows a similar model of quality, low-cost care at "a place you might least expect to find it" (8/12).
In the second piece, Health Reform Push, Judy Woodruff talks to Toby Cosgrove, the head of the Cleveland Clinic, about health care reform from a provider's point of view. Cosgrove emphasizes the need for greater collaboration between doctors and more integration of the health care system to improve quality and decrease costs. Talking about whether models such as the Cleveland Clinic might be expanded across the country, Cosgrove said, "It's perfectly possible to expand it, it's not going to happen instantly" (8/12). This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.