Washington, D.C., July 10, 2009—The AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) applauds Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) for introducing legislation (H.R. 3134) to establish pilot "health care innovation zones" (HIZs) building on the strengths of academic medical centers (AMCs). The legislation creates and tests these zones around the country with the goal of improving patient outcomes, while slowing the growth of health care costs.

"Our nation faces a complex health care crisis of access, quality and cost, and there is an urgent need to design and test large scale, innovative models to transform the way we deliver and pay for care," said AAMC President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, M.D. "The AAMC wants to thank Rep. Schwartz for introducing this legislation, which will enable providers to truly reform delivery systems and improve the health of communities."

The HIZs would include an academic medical center—a medical school, faculty physicians, and teaching hospitals—and community partners that provide the full spectrum of health care, such as inpatient, outpatient, post-acute, and preventive services to patients, as well as Medicare beneficiaries. Within the zones, alternative payment structures that reward quality and outcomes, rather than units of service, would be promoted.

Planning grants would first be awarded to design innovation zones that improve quality, decrease costs, and train the next generation of physicians, nurses, and other health professionals in new models of cost-effective, quality health care.

The HHS secretary would then establish innovation zones in communities across the country to test the ability of HIZs to increase provider integration, improve health care services, and reduce costs. The demonstration projects would operate for a period of at least three years, subject to renewal.

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The Association of American Medical Colleges is a not-for-profit association representing all 131 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 68 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and nearly 90 academic and scientific societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC represents 128,000 faculty members, 75,000 medical students, and 110,000 resident physicians. Additional information about the AAMC and U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org/newsroom.

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