BOSTON – The 2010 National Governors Association Annual Meeting, held July 9-11 in Boston, focused on implementing healthcare reform laws and achieving a sustainable healthcare system.
"With the enactment of federal health reform, governors and states are in the process of restructuring and putting necessary components in place to move forward with implementation," said the NGA's chairman, Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, at Friday's opening plenary session.
"To succeed with the transition to a reformed system – especially under current fiscal constraints – states must work to implement national reforms while simultaneously improving the delivery of care and making their systems more efficient and cost-effective," he said.
The NGA's vice chairman, West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III, said, "Governors realize a high-quality, efficient healthcare system is essential to the well-being of the citizens in our states. With the current economic situation, we must work within our means to implement common sense reforms that improve the quality of care while controlling costs."
Other speakers included Samuel J. Palmisano, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of IBM, who emphasized the need for a smarter, more efficient and innovative healthcare system. David Cutler, the Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics in the Department of Economics and Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, addressed efforts to constrain unnecessary costs and methods for achieving a higher performing system.
The plenary session closed with the presentation of the NGA Distinguished Service Awards, presented to individuals for exemplary service to state government, and the Corporate Fellows Tenure Awards, presented to companies that have worked in public-private partnerships with states for a number of years.
