In the US health system, care is often poorly coord-inated and highly variable, and access is deteriorating. This results in increased costs for families, businesses, and the public alike, and is putting patients at risk. Improving health care performance is a matter of national urgency. This session examines the work of The Commonwealth Fund’s Commission on a High Performance Health System to promote a high-perform-ing health system that provides all Americans with affordable access to high-quality, safe care while max-imizing efficiency in its delivery and administration.

After this presentation you will be able to:

• Discuss gaps in performance in the American health care system and implications on cost and quality.
• Identify the characteristics of a high performance health system.
• Describe strategies to achieve a high performance health system in the US, including public policy at the state and federal levels, changes in delivery systems, and collaboration between public and private entities.