Automotive and Medical Industries to Collaborate on Michigan's Health Care Delivery
DETROIT, Oct. 31, 2006 -- The Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) and the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) are working together, along with businesses, health plans, state government representatives, hospital leaders, physicians and other health care professionals, to help transform the delivery of health care in Michigan.
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MSMS released a detailed plan in March 2006 titled "The Future of Medicine: Leading the Way to a Better Health Care System," calling for unprecedented collaboration among various stakeholders to address underlying problems that currently plague medicine and health care in Michigan. In addition to direct participation, AIAG has agreed to lend its experience and expertise to facilitate the activities of MSMS's Administrative Simplification Work Group.
The Administrative Simplification Work Group has begun to explore ways to streamline the business processes of health care. Any efficiency made in these areas would free up resources for all parties around the table and would leave more money in the system for actual patient care.
"It is imperative that we realize significant near-term cost reductions by eliminating waste and errors in health care," said J. Scot Sharland, AIAG executive director. "We believe we can do so by working with MSMS and the health care industry in Michigan to implement and leverage the same quality management systems and tools that the auto industry has successfully deployed."
"We are very pleased to be working with AIAG because even Michigan's largest manufacturing base, the auto industry, cannot change health care on its own," said MSMS President Paul O. Farr, MD, a Grand Rapids gastroenterologist. "The Future of Medicine, our blueprint for transforming health care in Michigan, calls for unprecedented collaboration among the stakeholders in health care. We are pleased that AIAG is participating in the Future of Medicine work groups and lending expertise to help eliminate administrative waste in health care."
AIAG and MSMS are exploring other areas of collaboration including information technology, such as electronic medical records, and quality management system training.
About AIAG
Founded in 1982, AIAG is a globally recognized organization where OEMs and suppliers unite to address and resolve issues affecting the worldwide automotive supply chain. AIAG's goals are to reduce cost and complexity through collaboration; improve product quality, health, safety and the environment; and optimize speed to market throughout the supply chain. Headquartered in the metro Detroit area, its more than 1,500 member companies include North American, European and Asia-Pacific OEMs and suppliers to the automotive industry. Additional information is available on the Internet at http://www.aiag.org/ .
About MSMS
The Michigan State Medical Society is the professional association of 15,000 medical doctors in Michigan. The mission of MSMS is to promote a health care environment that supports physicians in caring for and enhancing the health of Michigan citizens through science, quality, and ethics in the practice of medicine. Visit the MSMS homepage at http://www.msms.org/ for other health-related information.
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