Christiana Care Health System's Value Symposium Attracts Doctors from Across the Nation

Experts discuss improved patient care, increased access and optimizing value

NEWARK, Del., April 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Doctors from among the nation's leading hospitals gathered today at the John H. Ammon Medical Education Center in Newark, Delaware, where Christiana Care Health System held its inaugural symposium entitled "Value: Medicine's New Frontier." The event focused on evolving systems in the health care world and ways health providers can improve patient care, increase access and optimize value.

"Hospitals and doctors from across the country aren't waiting on Washington to make sure American patients have access to the highest quality and most affordable care possible. Every day we're working to find ways patients can achieve the greatest value for their health care dollars," said Dr. Robert J. Laskowski, President and CEO of Christiana Care Health System and Founder of the Christiana Care Value Institute. "Christiana Care's Value Institute has led the way in designing and studying systems of care that offer the most effective, quality care to patients, and today's symposium allowed us a valuable opportunity to communicate with leading professionals in the health care industry about how we can best plan for the future."

Dr. Timothy J. Gardner, medical director of Christiana Care's Center for Heart & Vascular Health, interim director of the Christiana Care Value Institute, and past national president of the American Heart Association, also weighed in on the issue:

"Christiana Care works hard to remain on the cutting edge of health care delivery by creating innovative solutions to ensure patients receive the highest value of health care. We believe it is vital to communicate with other health professionals and, most importantly, with the patients we serve every day – our primary partners in the health care delivery process. Health care providers have a lot to learn and we view this inaugural symposium as a tremendous opportunity to further engage in a provocative dialogue with all our peers in medicine."

In addition to Drs. Laskowski and Gardner, featured speakers at "Value: Medicine's New Frontier" included:

• U.S. Sen. Chris Coons
• Dr. David Nash, Dean of the Jefferson School of Population Health at Thomas Jefferson University
• Dr. Peter J. Slavin, President of Massachusetts General Hospital
• Arkadi Kuhlmann, Founder of ING Direct USA
• Dr.Virginia L. Hood, Immediate Past President of the American College of Physicians
• Dr. Michael Lauer, Director of the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health.

Christiana Care Health System is a not-for-profit, major teaching health system that includes two hospitals with more than 1,100 patient beds, a home health care service, preventive medicine and  rehabilitation services, a network of primary care physicians and an extensive range of outpatient services.

SOURCE Christiana Care Health System