Governor Baldacci Announces Maine Quality Forum and Hospital Commission Appointments
Governor John Baldacci last week announced the appointment of 17 persons to serve on the Advisory Council for the Maine Quality Forum. He also announced the nine appointments to the Commission to Study Maine's Hospitals. Both of the groups were established earlier this year in the legislation that created the Dirigo Health Plan.
Maine Quality Forum
The Maine Quality Forum Advisory Council is a subsidiary of Dirigo Health and has broad responsibilities to establish and advise the Maine Quality Forum. The Forum is intended to be a watchdog for quality of health care in Maine. The Dirigo Health legislation calls upon the Forum to provide easy to understand information for Maine's citizens about health care quality and will establish benchmarks for the quality of care Maine citizens receive and measure the performance of the health care system against them. The Forum also has responsibility to make determinations about what kind of technology Maine needs and what technology works most effectively to improve the quality of care.
In making the appointments Governor Baldacci noted, "It is well known that it takes 10 to 15 years for best practices to become common practices in every health care provider's office and hospital. The Maine Quality Forum will focus its attention on new research and other information to provide consumers the help they need in making health care choices and help providers continue to improve the quality of care Mainers now enjoy."
Physician appointees to the Council include MMA President Maroulla Gleaton, M.D., Clifford Rosen, M.D. of Bangor, Janice Wnek, M.D. of Brunswick, Stephen Shannon,D.O.., Dean and Vice President for Health Services for the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine; Robert McArtor, M.D. of MaineHealth; Karen Bell, M.D., Medical Director of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Maine; and Laureen Biczak, D.O., Medical Director of MaineCare. A complete listing of the 17 appointees follows this article.
Commission to Study Maine's Hospitals
Governor Baldacci announced on Oct. 9th nine appointments to the Commission to Study Maine's Hospitals. The Commission, authorized in the Dirigo Health legislation, will work with the Governor's Office of Health Policy and Finance to report on hospital costs and services and to make recommendations for strengthening and rationalizing the delivery of hospital services statewide. Physicians appointed to the Commission are Joshua Cutler, M.D. of Maine Cardiology Associates and Richard Wexler, M.D., Medical Director of Medical Care Development. Drs. Cutler and Wexler were both nominated by the Maine Medical Association. A full list of the Commission members appears at the end of this article.
The Commission will be chaired by William Haggett of Bath, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Naturally Potatoes and former CEO of Bath Iron Works.
COMMISSION TO STUDY MAINE'S COMMUNITY HOSPITALS
William Haggett, CEO, Naturally Potatoes, Chair
Scott Bullock, CEO, MaineGeneral Hospital
John Welsh, CEO, Rumford Hospital
Richard Wexler, M.D., Medical Director, Medical Care Development
Joshua Cutler, M.D., Maine Cardiology Associates
Joseph Ditre, Executive Director, Consumers for Affordable Health Care Foundation
Robert Downs, Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare
Christopher St. John, Executive Director, Maine Center for Economic Policy
Pat Philbrook, R.N., Executive Director, Maine State Nurses Association
MAINE QUALITY FORUM ADVISORY COUNCIL
Clifford Rosen, M.D.
Janice Wnek, M.D.
Stephen Shannon, D.O., Dean & V.P. for Health Services, UNECOM
Robert McArtor, M.D.
Richard Bruns, D.C.
Nancy Kelleher, Director of Governmental Affairs, Sweetser
Rebecca Colwell, V.P. of Home Care & Hospice, Healthreach Networks
Rebecca Martins
Jonathan Beal, Esq.
Lisa Miller, M.P.H., Senior Program Officer, The Bingham Program
David White, President, MDI Imported Car Service, Inc.
Frank Johnson, Executive Director, Maine State Employees Health Insurance Program
Daniel Roet, Director of Human Resources, BIW
Jim McGregor, E.V.P., Maine Merchants Association
Charles Morrison, President & CEO, Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce
Karen Bell, M.D., Medical Director, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Laureen Biczak, D.O., Medical Director, MaineCare
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