President Obama Again Spotlights Intermountain

President Barack Obama’s latest praise for Intermountain Healthcare was delivered last week to the broadest audience possible: In a speech to a joint session of Congress that was televised last Wednesday night on all the major television networks, the president again applauded Intermountain for providing high-quality care for low costs.

One section of his speech focused on increasing the efficiency of America’s healthcare system. “Right now, too much of the hard-earned savings and tax dollars we spend on healthcare don't make us any healthier,” he said. “That's not my judgment — it's the judgment of medical professionals across this country.”

The president added: “We have long known that some places — like the Intermountain Healthcare in Utah or the Geisinger Health System in rural Pennsylvania — offer high-quality care at costs below average.” Following the examples of systems like us, he said, would mean the adoption of “common-sense best practices by doctors and medical professionals throughout the system — everything from reducing hospital infection rates to encouraging better coordination between teams of doctors.”

Charles Sorenson, MD, Intermountain’s chief executive officer, says: “It’s very gratifying to be recognized so prominently by the president of the United States. His praise represents a consensus viewpoint that’s heard from policy leaders across the political spectrum, including Newt Gingrich and Mike Leavitt. While it’s easy for all of us, who know Intermountain so well from the inside, to focus mostly on ways we can still improve, it’s important to step back from time to time and appreciate the progress we’ve made. The president’s comments are a tremendous validation of the extraordinary work of our people in every one of Intermountain’s facilities and services. I extend my most sincere thanks to our Intermountain team, as you are being recognized as among the best in the nation at delivering the kind of healthcare people in America need.”

A complete copy of the president's speech is at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-to-a-Joint-Session-of-Congress-on-Health-Care/ ​