October 9, 2008

Contact:
Lisa Huddleston, Manager of Communications
(513) 531-0267

Brammer to Present at National Quality Forum's
2008 Fall Policy Conference

Craig Brammer, director of the Health Improvement Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati's Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) regional initiative to improve quality of health care, will present as part of a panel addressing the topic, "Making Change Happen in Communities" at the National Quality Forum's (NQF) 2008 Fall Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. on October 15-16.

The NQF Conference will address current critical political and policy issues facing health care quality. For his part, Brammer, who is also a senior research associate at the University of Cincinnati's Department of Public Health Sciences, will detail Greater Cincinnati's participation in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's national effort to roll out Aligning Forces for Quality pilot programs throughout the country. Presently, Greater Cincinnati is one of the 14 regional markets throughout the United States chosen to accelerate improvement of health care delivery, particularly as it affects those with chronic conditions. (For instance, the AF4Q effort in Greater Cincinnati is currently addressing treatment processes for diabetes.) AF4Q pulls together consumer groups, health plans, physicians, employers, federally qualified health centers, Greater Cincinnati's regional health information exchange (HealthBridge) and others in a coordinated effort to provide tools, data and infrastructure that can be used by all to improve care.

"Craig will, without a doubt, be a valuable contributor to the conference, given his wealth of knowledge and forward-thinking perspectives about health policy," says Greg Ebel, Collaborative executive director. "His presence at the Conference will be a testament to Greater Cincinnati's commitment to bringing about positive change in the way we deliver health care, as well as our commitment to realizing improved health outcomes for all who live here."