The Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Lectures 2005: Next Steps Toward Higher Quality Health Care (2006)
Chapter: Front Matter
THE RICHARD AND HINDA ROSENTHAL LECTURES 2005
Next Steps Toward Higher Quality Health Care
INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.
Support for this project was provided by the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Wm. A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Wm. A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.
Foreword
In 1988, an exciting and important new program was launched at the Institute of Medicine. Through the generosity of the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation, a lecture series was established to bring to greater attention some of the critical health policy issues facing our nation today. Each year a subject of particular relevance is addressed through a lecture presented by experts in the field. The lecture is published at a later date for national dissemination.
The Rosenthal lectures have attracted an enthusiastic following among health policy researchers and decision makers, both in Washington, D.C., and across the country. Our speakers are the leading experts on the subjects under discussion, and our audience includes many of the major policy makers charged with making the U.S. health care system more effective and humane. The lectures and associated remarks have engendered lively and productive dialogue. The Rosenthal lecture included in this volume captures three exciting presentations and the ensuing discussion on “Next Steps Toward Higher Quality Health Care.”
I would like to give special thanks to Drs. Elliott S. Fisher, George Isham, and Lucian L. Leape for their exciting and informative presentations at the 2005 lecture.
In addition, I would like to express my appreciation to Tyjen Tsai, Bronwyn Schrecker Jamrok, Ricky Washington, Hallie Wilfert, Christie Bell, Tony Burton, Jennifer Bitticks, and Jennifer Otten for ably handling the many details associated with the lecture program and the publication. No introduction to this volume would be complete, however, without a
special expression of gratitude to the late Richard Rosenthal and to Hinda Rosenthal for making this valuable and important education effort possible and whose keen interest in the themes under discussion further enriches this valuable IOM activity.
Harvey V. Fineberg, M.D., Ph.D.
President
Institute of Medicine
