Two New Initiatives Aim to Strengthen U.S. Health Care

The Commonwealth Fund is pleased to announce the launch of a major new initiative: State Health Innovation for Transformation Initiative — SHIFT. Centered on listening, engagement, and health care innovation, this multistate initiative aims to build a roadmap for stronger health care systems.

SHIFT kicks off with a grant to United States of Care to engage with community members, health care leaders, policymakers, and others to understand the pain points and opportunities for state-level innovation and transformation in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

SHIFT is one of two new Commonwealth Fund initiatives to build a health care system in which everyone — no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they make — can get and afford good health care.

The second initiative, New Vision for the U.S. Health Care Systemwill engage people and health care leaders across the country to answer one big question: What do we want our health care future to look like? By listening to patients, learning from their lived experiences, and engaging in forward-looking thinking, we will define what an ideal health system could and should be — and then chart a practical path to get there.

In his video message, President Joseph Betancourt, M.D., walks us through these initiatives, highlights their connection to the Commonwealth Fund’s history, and shows us how they can help us move toward a better health care future for all of us.