I'm just back from President's Obama Rose Garden address on health care reform. He discussed a lot of the items in the plan he's proposed, along with the other Democratic plans, including coverage for prevention, malpractice, insurance reforms, etc. He also made reference to the important role that health care practitioners can play in reform (President Obama said: "...these doctors know what needs to be fixed about our health care system.") Here's my media statement response to the event:

“I would like thank President Obama for personally recognizing the work of the ACC to help reform our health care system. I cannot agree more with President Obama’s call for doctors, nurses and other health care professionals to drive the reform effort and the need for those drafting the legislation to listen to the people who best know the health care system.

“To truly change our health care system we must change the focus of our health care system. We must focus on delivering quality health care at great value. By focusing on patients and reforming the physician payment system to reward positive outcomes rather than the number of procedures and tests, we can increase the efficiency of treating patients and cut down on wasteful spending. The College believes President Obama can lead our nation in getting these real reforms.”

Good work, President Obama -- but it's yet to be seen how health care reform will play out.