WASHINGTON, May 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) Board of Governors met April 29-30, 2004, in Dallas, Texas to elect new officers for a one-year term beginning June 1, 2004. Officers are elected by their board peers based on proven leadership and commitment to NBCH, as well as their efforts to advance and strengthen value-based purchasing.
Dr. Marianne Fazen, executive director of the Dallas-Fort Worth Business Group on Health (DFWBGH), was named Chair of the Board of Governors. "NBCH plays a critical role in organizing local business coalitions to improve the value of health care," said Dr. Fazen. "I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Board and with NBCH members to continue the grassroots efforts to move our agenda of affordable quality health care forward."
"We are extremely pleased that Marianne Fazen was recognized by her NBCH peers for this prominent position on the organization's governing body. This truly is a testament to the respect and influence Marianne has earned within the national coalition movement. Her knowledge, experience and boundless energy, especially with health care quality initiatives and collaborative partnerships with employers and providers, has been and continues to be a tremendous asset to the Dallas-Fort Worth Business Group on Health and to NBCH," said Andrew Webber, President and CEO of the National Business Coalition on Health, in Washington, D.C.
Two other officer positions were filled during this meeting, Vice-Chair and Secretary-Treasurer. Jerry Custer, executive director of the Heartland Healthcare Coalition in Morton, Illinois, was elected Vice Chair, and Cristie Upshaw Travis, CEO of the Memphis Business Group on Health, was elected Secretary-Treasurer. "We are pleased that NBCH will continue to have strong leadership guiding the Board during the coming year," said Mr. Webber. "Both Jerry and Cristie have been pivotal leaders in NBCH and will be instrumental in helping the organization meet the challenges and objectives in the coming year."
According to Mr. Webber, a key focus for NBCH is finding innovative ways to enhance and strengthen the capacity of our members. NBCH also is developing a coalition-based provider "pay for performance" platform. Another key focus for the organization is intensifying the impact of the vast quality and patient safety information from NBCH's eValue8 (TM) health plan data warehouse through more deliberate application, dissemination and partnership collaboration.
The Board also approved membership for the Mid-America Coalition on Health Care in Kansas City, Missouri, led by president and CEO William Bruning. The Mid-America coalition plays a leadership role within the coalition movement in creating true public-private partnerships to address community-wide health issues while developing strategies for containing business health care costs.
NBCH is a national, non-profit, membership organization of nearly 80 employer-based health care coalitions, representing over 10,000 employers across the United States. NBCH and its members are dedicated to value-based purchasing of health care services through the collective action of public and private purchasers. In developing, identifying and disseminating best practices in value-based purchasing strategies, NBCH seeks to accelerate the nation's progress towards safe, efficient, high quality health care. For more information, call 202-775-9300 or visit - http://www.nbch.org/.
National Business Coalition on HealthCONTACT: Kelli Moler of the National Business Coalition on Health,+1-202-775-9300
Web site: http://www.nbch.org/
