Benchmarking cardiac surgery: a regional initiative to improve outcomes. Interview by Reggi Veatch

Many of the clinical benchmarking projects featured in the Lead Story are designed to produce quick results. The Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group (NNE), by contrast, is a long-term effort to improve patients' functional health status. Formed in 1987, NNE is a voluntary consortium comprising all providers of open heart surgery in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont--five facilities and 28 surgeons. Although NNE is just beginning to focus on best practices within the region, its early benchmarking efforts have produced a collaborative environment in which clinical information is now readily shared. Because of this, its accomplishments have been striking: the creation of a database that includes information on more than 18,000 patients; the development of a highly accurate mortality prediction tool for patients facing coronary bypass surgery; and a 24 percent decrease in regional operative mortality following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.     

HCMR interviews physician administrator leaders. Interview by Michael J. Enright

This interview departs from HCMR's usual format, interviewing several leaders in health care administration for their ideas on current economic pressures, the impact of competition and joint ventures, attitudes toward equity and capital formation, and competition between the interest of clinical medicine and the cost of care. The physician administrators interviewed hold senior administrative positions: Charles Edwards, President and Chief Executive Officer of Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation; Robert A. Henry, President and Chief Executive Officer of Swedish-American Corporation; William S. Kiser, Chairman of the Board of Governors at Cleveland Clinic Foundation; W. Eugene Mayberry, Chairman of the Board of Governors at Mayo Clinic; and Ronald P. Kaufman, Vice-President for Medical Affairs of George Washington University Hospital. All are members of the Board of Regents or Fellows of the American College of Physician Executives.     

An interview with Leon Davis. Interview by Al Nash

Leon Davis, founder of District 1199, represents the origin of hospital unionization. Known for his devotion to District 1199, Davis was imprisoned several times as a result of his activities as union president. The following interview with the now retired union activist, traces his impact on the union, discusses conflicts between union and management, changes in today's union, plus other first hand insights regarding this issue.     

An interview with James L. Reinertsen. Interview by Penny Carver

Dr. Reinertsen reflects on improvements in the past decade in the quality and safety of health care and identifies the greatest challenges now facing health care leaders.     

An interview with John H. Eichhorn. Interview by Joseph Conigliaro

Anesthesiology, with its development of practice standards, helped create the patient safety movement, states Dr. Eichhorn, and "can continue to be the role model and to lead the way in patient safety for all of health care.