Happy New Year!

As we begin our sixth year we start by thanking all who have supported our work along the way – individuals, foundations and businesses across Oregon. When we launched in January of 2006 we said that the objective of our health system should be health, and not solely the delivery of health services. And in Oregon, both the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Health Fund Board have endorsed the Triple Aim, with three objectives – improved population health, reduced or contained per capita costs, and improving the experience of care (i.e., quality, reliability, availability).

The level of public engagement around these developments continues to increase. Boards and committees are becoming more diverse, drawing not only on those who are already ‘insiders,’ increasingly including savvy consumers from outside of health care, who can share their individual, professional and community expertise to advise policy development. Yet, we have a lot of work ahead to assure that Oregon reaches out to applicants who represent younger voters, and the emerging communities of color and immigrant populations.

Oregon’s health reform legislation passed in 2009, followed by signing of the federal legislation early in 2010. Neither of these bills satisfied everyone, but they laid the groundwork for moving to insurance coverage for many, changing the delivery system away from its incentive to do more regardless of whether ‘more’ produces better outcomes, and they expanded the common definition of health care beyond solely medical care. This is very significant.

In 2006 we began sharing a pie chart based on an article in Health Affairs describing what factors impact an individual’s overall lifetime health status.

Social determinanats of health

Back then we talked about $2.3 trillion being spent on medical care in the US every year, while we weren’t spending anywhere near that amount on prevention, public health, wellness programs, good transportation, jobs, housing, etc. We still spend a fortune on people after they are sick, and invest little in keeping people well. By showing graphically how little medical care has to do with health, we helped Oregon focus on the greater objective of producing health. But our work is far from done.

It’s A New Year, Isn’t It?

Rumors of repealing the federal health reform bill, articles about death panels and rationing health care … you would think we were rewinding the past two years. We have to keep moving forward. And we need your help.

We believe that only the actions of informed, engaged citizens can move us beyond partisanship and find the way to better health and health care for all. That is our vision.

We believe that positive and lasting change only comes when engaged citizens work together in common cause. We are a nonpartisan space for civic engagement, a place for people to develop strategies and solutions that inform public policy and result in better health and health care for all of us.

All great movements have come up from the people, because our collective wisdom is stronger and smarter than any one individual. And we believe it is time to leave partisan politics behind. We believe we can do better.

Next month we’ll share our legislative focus for 2011, a revamped website informed by your comments and requests, and how we’ll work to grow the number of Oregonians informed about and engaged in creating a healthier Oregon.

We’re excited about the coming year and hope you’ll join us online, on Facebook, at a meeting, by making something happen with people you know. We appreciate your support and hope you’ll start your year with a monthly contribution of just $5. And we hope to see you soon!

Liz Baxter
Executive Director