I was in Washington, DC, this week, and was able to meet with several senior leaders on the national health policy scene. I talked, separately, with Glenn Hackbarth, chairman of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, with Mark McClellan, MD, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and with Alex Azar, the deputy [...]

As we watch some of our fellow citizens begin to recover from Katrina, and watch others get ready for or get out of the way of Rita, our national news seems to be all hurricanes, all the time. Surely there are health aspects of these stories ? the public health implications of polluted water, the [...]

Here's the link to Chip Rich's weblog http://www.unchospitals.blogspot.com/

The attention of our Nation has been rivetted on the Gulf Coast over the past week and a half. This hurricane and its aftermath has already had more impact on American than anything since 9-11, and that will surely grow.

Earlier this week, UNC Health Care held a ceremony recognizing the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. The event was in the lobby of NC Memorial Hospital, which opened in 1952, and was named in honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in that war.

Recently, the UNC Heath Care Board of Directors approved new policies that will guide our provision of care to uninsured and indigent patients. Serving those who have no other place to go has been key to the mission of this institution for more than half a century, but these new policies are intended to enhance [...]

The press coverage we received in The New York Times made me wonder if patients have been treated with a little more dignity this week in hospitals across the nation? I know we dedicate great resources to systematic quality improvements that are designed to reduce medical errors and complications, and increase our standard of care. [...]