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State of the nation's health care -- briefing

Primary care: The best medicine for better health care & lower costs

Reform of the U.S. health care system is a major issue in 2009 and beyond. It is a priority for President-elect Barack Obama and Congress. While much of the discussion about reform has focused on expanding access to everyone -- an essential goal -- giving all Americans an insurance card will not guarantee that everyone will have access to care if there are not enough primary care physicians to care for them.

That's just one topic to be explored at the annual State of the Nation's Health Care briefing by the American College of Physicians (ACP)

When: February 2, 1:00 p.m.

Where: Murrow Room of the National Press Club

Who: Jeffrey Harris, MD, FACP, ACP president, and

Bob Doherty, ACP senior vice president of government affairs and public policy, will speak about why strong primary care medicine is essential to a well-functioning, high-performance health.

Remarks will cover:

• Why primary care is the best medicine for better health & lower costs
• The primary care workforce crisis
• Where general Internal Medicine fits into all of this
• The patient-centered medical home (PCMH)
• Payment options
• ACP recommendations for quality, costs and access
• Suggestions for an Executive Order

Availability: While there will be extensive Q&A time following the formal remarks, the speakers also are available on Feb. 2 (after 3:15) and throughout the day on Feb. 3 for interviews or editorial board meetings.

Additional Contact:
Jackie Blaser
jblaser@acponline.org
202-261-4572

The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States. ACP members include 126,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internists specialize in the prevention, detection, and treatment of illness in adults.

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