Health Reform Policy to Practice: Oregon's Path to a Sustainable Health System: A Study in Innovation

Health Reform Policy to Practice: Oregon as a Case Study for a Path to a Comprehensive and Sustainable Health Delivery Model offers a real world example of an innovative, successful and comprehensive program conducted by the U.S. State of Oregon. In 1991, Oregon embarked on a journey to improve health for all its citizens by radically re-thinking how to approach health care for long-term benefits. Over more than two decades, Oregonians have participated in a dialogue to create a new approach to solve the dilemma of providing high quality health care that is affordable and effective. Traditionally, health care reform looked at cutting people from care, cutting provider rates or cutting services. Oregon's approach is unique in that it built a new system of delivery from the ground (community) up. The Oregon model took a "Fourth Path" to health care by redesigning the clinical delivery system through reducing waste, improving individual health and prevention, and therefore reducing utilization of services, creating local accountability, aligning financial incentives and creating fiscal accountability. This is not only an Oregon story, but a national one as other states, payers and purchasers implement health care reform.