This guest post comes to us from William R. Lewis, M.D, F.A.C.C., chair of the 2010 ACC MDI and chief of clinical cardiology at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

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As Congress and other policymakers seek to lower costs, improve access and ensure quality in the U.S. health care system, there are increasing opportunities for collaboration between health care providers and payers.

Identifying these opportunities is the goal of the 2010 Medical Directors' Institute (MDI) taking place this week in Washington, D.C. Payment reform, care coordination and the role of payers and providers in quality improvement and cost containment are on the agenda. Conference participants will discuss how various payment models can establish care management processes, improve quality and fairly distribute cost savings and decision making.

MDI participants will also hear from health plans like Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield on ways they are working to coordinate care, share patient data and assign performance metrics across sites of service. There will be opportunities to discuss the role of specialists in achieving targets and outcomes, and the ways cost savings can be distributed to participants. In addition, patient centric models such as shared decision making and care management will be explored.

Over the years, the MDI has become a place where cutting edge, evolving issues, such as performance assessment, registry participation and efficiency, are explored and seeds of collaboration are planted. As the U.S. moves forward with implementing health care reform, collaboration between health professionals and health plans is key to ensuring the most effective implementation and the greatest value and support for cardiovascular professionals and their patients. The ACC's MDI is proof positive that such collaboration is not only possible, but key to shaping the future of health care.

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 Please note that statements or opinions expressed herein reflect the views of the contributor, and do not reflect the official views of the ACCF, unless otherwise noted.