The ideal health system in Maryland will ensure Marylanders have access to cost- effective, high quality services that have demonstrated high value and contribute to improving overall health status. These key themes provide a framework for hospital administrators, trustees, physicians, other care providers, and public officials as they focus on how to work together effectively to meet the needs of patients and people in communities throughout Maryland. It is time to refocus attention on patients, their families, and the people in the communities we serve. This means physicians, health care organizations and public agencies should individually and together simplify and coordinate the services they provide to meet the needs of patients and their families. Quality of Care Over the past decade, public debate has focused on the cost and financing of health care.
Equal attention needs to be given to the quality and effectiveness of care delivered in Maryland.
High quality care has three dimensions. The first centers on the clinical importance of providing the appropriate care, in an appropriate setting, at an appropriate time, by the appropriate professionals. The second centers on how we treat each other and our ability to create the administrative and organizational arrangements that enable physicians and other health care professionals to provide high quality clinical care. The third is the ability to use clinical, administrative, and financial information systems to measure and communicate the effectiveness of the care we provide. Every Marylander should have insurance coverage or the equivalent for needed health care services.