Healthcare Coalitions

The Greater Detroit Area Health Council (GDAHC) is a multi-stakeholder regional coalition that addresses issues of health care quality, access, and cost in southeast Michigan.

As the region’s leading health care coalition, GDAHC advocates and leads change and improvement in the way health services are delivered, paid for, and used within the seven counties of southeast Michigan. The coalition comprises business, labor, health care providers and plans, consumers, government, and payors. The Health Council strives for continuous improvement of the region’s health status and of the quality, cost effectiveness, and accessibility of health care for all citizens.

Thomas Group was selected by GDAHC to support its mission of influencing the community health status through partnership and collaboration. Thomas Group is managing the implementation process for the Health Council’s Save Lives, Save Dollars™ regional initiative to improve quality (save lives) and to decrease health care costs (save dollars). In support of this initiative, Thomas Group is developing the program’s infrastructure and implementing a process that will take the initiative from the design phase to full implementation among health systems, physicians, and health plans.

Save Lives, Save Dollars (SLSD) is a multi-year initiative of coordinated, immediate, and long-term actions that will align all stakeholders in southeastern Michigan to drive improvements in quality and derive cost savings through compliance with evidence-based guidelines. More than 80 different interest groups are participating in the initiative. Thomas Group is partnering with southeast Michigan employers, providers, and health plans by aligning people, processes, and technology. Program implementation began in October 2005.

GDAHC accomplishments to date in the Save Lives, Save Dollars program include:

  • Website comparing 41 Southeast Michigan hospitals for consumer review
  • Uniform Pay for Performance plan agreed to by all six local health plans in southeast Michigan
  • Initial set of ambulatory measurements defined and agreed to by majority of physician organizations
  • Collaborative projects in generic drug use, diabetes, and hospital surgical infection prevention becoming operational throughout Southeast Michigan

Guided by the expertise of Thomas Group in process implementation and operational innovation, the Save Lives, Save Dollars initiative will become the leading model for addressing health care quality and cost issues in southeast Michigan and across the nation.

Thomas Group is partnering with employers, providers, and health plans by aligning people, processes, and technology. We empower organizations to quickly reduce costs, increase productivity, and quality, free up cash, and drive to higher profitability.

For more information on the Greater Detroit Area Health Council, visit: http://www.gdahc.org/save.asp.

Save Lives, Save Dollars Sponsoring Organizations

  • AstraZeneca
  • Beaumont Hospitals
  • Blue Care Network of Michigan
  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan
  • Botsford General Hospital
  • Care Choices
  • Comerica, Inc.
  • DaimlerChrysler Corporation
  • Detroit Medical Center
  • Detroit Regional Chamber
  • DTE Energy
  • Ford Motor Company
  • General Motors Corporation
  • Health Alliance Plan
  • Henry Ford Health System
  •  Humana
  • International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 547
  • Masco Corporation
  • M-Care
  • Molina Healthcare of Michigan/Cape Health Plan
  • Mt. Clemens GeneralHospital
  • Oakland Southfield Physicians, PC
  • Oakwood Healthcare System
  • Pfizer
  • PPOM
  • State of Michigan
  • St. John Health
  • Trinity Health
  • United Auto Workers
  • UnitedHealthcare
  • United Oakwood Providers, LLC
  • United Physicians, PC
  • University of Michigan Health System
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