The AHA and five other national organizations last week responded to President Obama with substantial initiatives on bending the health care cost curve – the annual rate of growth in health expenditures. The groups will implement selected initiatives individually and collaboratively.

As part of our effort, we are bringing the field together around our “Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence” initiative to eliminate healthcare-associated complications in clinical care. It will build upon quality improvement efforts already underway across the field. We consulted broadly on this commitment across the membership and allied associations, basing our confidence on the fine work already done by members, the momentum for improvement that keeps building and the existence of proven techniques ready for broad-scale adoption. The most important objective is to accelerate the pace of improvement while broadening and deepening the success across the field. Our national, regional, state and metropolitan associations will continue to support these efforts. Thank you for the improvements you are making...  and for the commitment to providing better care at lower cost.