News Release

October 25, 2005

Contact: Jane Shaskan, 860-679-4777
e-mail: shaskan@nso.uchc.edu

Defining Quality Care

Different Perspectives with Common Goal, November 15

FARMINGTON, CONN. – Practical strategies to improve the quality of healthcare among different interest groups will be the focus of the 3rd annual Beck Symposium “Quality Care: Different Perspective, Common Goal.” The event will be held Tuesday, November 15, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., in Keller Auditorium at the University of Connecticut Health Center.

Peter J. Deckers, M.D., executive vice president for health affairs, dean of the UConn School of Medicine, and professor and chair in the Department of Surgery will speak and serve as moderator.

Panel members include experts in their related fields.

• John Bigos, M.D., is a pulmonologist with a master’s in public health and strong interest in health policy and management. He has served as the director of legislation for the Connecticut Cancer Society and in a number of roles at the Connecticut State Medical Society, including president.
• Robert S. Galvin, M.D., is the director of Global Health Care at General Electric with special interests in quality health measurement and improvement. He is a founding member of the Leapfrog Group, an advocacy group that represents more than 150 public and private organizations that provide health care benefits. He is on the boards of the National Committee for Quality Assurance and the Washington Business Group on Health.
• Thomas P. Meehan, M.D., chief medical officer at Qualidigm, a Connecticut based healthcare quality improvement organization, has been involved in local and national Medicare quality improvement projects and is interested in the development of effective methods to measure and improve the quality of health care.
• Timothy Norbeck is the executive director of the Connecticut State Medical Society and past- president of the American Association of Medical Society Executives. He serves on a special AMA task force that looks for new ways for organized medicine to work efficiently and effectively.
• John Rowe, M.D., is chairman and chief executive officer of Aetna, Inc., one of the nation’s largest healthcare insurers. Before joining Aetna, he served as president and CEO of Mount Sinai NYU Health. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine and the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, and serves as chairman of the UConn Board of Trustees.

Issues that the panel will address include: How should quality care be defined? How can it be measured? And how can such data be used to drive better care and effective health care policy. There will be a question and answer period and attendees comments will be welcomed.

There will be a 30-minute break during which time attendees may enjoy a light supper and view a poster session in the Keller Lobby. The symposium is free and open to the public. To register, call 1-800-535-6232.

The symposium is sponsored by the Connecticut State Medical Society, Aetna, and the UConn School of Medicine.

The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, John Dempsey Hospital, the UConn Medical Group and University Dentists. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. To learn more about the UConn Health Center, visit our website at www.uchc.edu.

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