Every health care economy in the world is resource constrained - whether in the context of a lower income country marshalling whatever resources are available, an emerging economy struggling to keep up with economic transformation and popular expectations, or a country such as the United States with health care costs now at about 18% of GDP and likely to continue rising at 1.5% the rate of GDP growth. As was remarked in The Economist, 'The US does not have a debt problem … it has a health care cost problem.' The search is on everywhere to sustain and improve quality of health care within existing parameters, to ensure that capacity is tied to what patients need and want rather than being supply driven, to reduce unwarranted practice variation, and to innovate to achieve greater value. Cross-border learning in how best to pursue these goals can achieve more than is possible in one country alone. Where might the most fruitful exchanges lie in this regard between the United States and other parts of the world?

Specific questions we will discuss include:

• How do we maintain momentum when we hit the 'flat of the curve' when extra resources apparently yield little improvement?
• How do we get to the next level of quality improvement in low and middle income countries?
• How can cross-border learning maximize real value and innovation in health care delivery?
• How can we engage vulnerable communities?
• What is the significance of the global 'right to health' discussion for the USA?
• How can we be innovative in resource constrained contexts?
• What is the role of quality improvement in strengthening health systems? Can we collectively improve the science?

This Fellowship session is being organized in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, who are also kindly hosting the event on October 30, 2013.

<font size="2"><strong>Wednesday, October 30, 2013</strong><br></font>

<font size="2"><strong>09:00&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Welcome and Introduction<br></strong></font>

Herbert P. Gleason, formerly Chairman of the Board of Health and Hospitals of the City of Boston, and member of the Salzburg Global Seminar Board of Directors 1950 - 2010

<font size="2"><strong>09:10&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong><strong>Improving the Health of the Communities we serve: Massachusetts General Hospital’s Approach to Delivering High Quality Care to All</strong><br></font>

Dr. Peter Slavin, Massachusetts General Hospital

09:30    Plenary discussion

10:00    Break

<font size="2"><strong>10:20&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; How Do We Get To The Next Level of Quality Improvement in Low and Middle Income Countries?<br></strong></font>

Dr. M. Rashad Massoud, Director of the USAID Health Care Improvement Project (HCI), URC-CHS

10:40    Plenary discussion

<font size="2"><strong>11:10&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; How Can Cross-Border Learning Maximize Real Value and Innovation in Health Care Delivery?<br></strong></font>

Dr. Albert G. Mulley Jr., Director, Dartmouth Center for Health Care Delivery Science

11:30    Plenary discussion

12:00    Lunch

<font size="2"><strong>13:00&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;'Reverse Innovation': learning from innovation in resource constrained contexts</strong></font>

Working Groups

led by Dr. Kristian Olson, Clinician Educator, Massachusetts General Hospital; and Medical Director of the Consortium for Affordable Medical Technology (CAMTech)

With Kevin Cedrone, Plasma Science and Fusion Center, MIT, and

Craig Mielcarz, Principal at Mielcarz Consulting, Inc.

14:15    Break

<font size="2"><strong>14:30&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Engaging Vulnerable Communities: Peru and The United States<br></strong></font>

Dr. Jaime Bayona, Director of Global Health Programs and Practice, Dartmouth Center for Health Care Delivery Science

William Walczak, Founder, Codman Square Health Center<br/>

Dr. Clemens Hong, Massachusetts General Hospital<br/>

15:00    Plenary discussion

<font size="2"><strong>15:30&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; How to Realize the right to Health: Engagement of the People in the Design and Implementation of Health Systems<br></strong></font>

Dr. Maria-Luisa Escobar, Manager, Health Practice, The World Bank Institute

Dr. Roberto Iunes, Senior Health Economist, The World Bank Institute

Dr. Michael Barry, President, the Informed Medical Decisions Foundation

16:00    Plenary discussion

16:30    Adjourn

<font size="2"><strong>17:00&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Public Lecture: The Role of Quality Improvement in Strengthening Health Systems: Can we Collectively Improve the Science?<br></strong></font>

Dr. Tim Ferris, Massachusetts General Hospital

Dr. Gregg Meyer, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Respondent: Dr. Katrina Armstrong, Chair of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital

18:30    Reception MGH Russell Museum

Please click here to download the Program as a pdf-file

This Fellowship program is open to Salzburg Global Seminar Fellows and, as numbers allow, other applicants interested in the program topic.

Session Schedule
Click here to download the session schedule

Session Document
Map - Massachusetts General Hospital