The United States is entering a new era in health care in which the healthcare system will be different. Providers will see roles altered and patients will expect and perceive changes. The research continuum will become more personalized and population-based, and information technology systems will be critical. Through all of this, Health Sciences South Carolina (HSSC) must position itself as a leader in this transition by looking for new roles in delivery systems, education/training paradigms and research models.
The first step is to establish partnerships with potential collaborators for healthcare reform research and demonstrate initiatives. One such collaboration is the Task Force for Health Care Transformation through Innovation (HCTI), which will leverage the best of HSSC to conceptualize and create an efficient high-performance South Carolina health system, including health care and health research. HCTI will do this through the generation, testing and evaluation of innovative ideas.
The task force includes members of the HSSC Policy Steering Committee, primary care providers from HSSC member organizations and affiliates, members of HSSC partner organizations, South Carolina government leaders, HSSC-supported SmartState Endowed Chairs, and others that the Policy Steering Committee recommends. In addition, HSSC is collaborating with the three organizations in South Carolina that have major healthcare reform-related initiatives underway: the South Carolina Hospital Association, the South Carolina Public Health Institute, and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.
HCTI will support collaboration by helping groups clarify the goals and objectives of each initiative, minimize redundancy in resource utilization of team members, build a network of information sharing in-state and out-of-state, maintain separation of efforts, and leverage combined efforts to successfully implement health care improvements for all South Carolina.
