Executive Order Number 43 promotes the continued shift toward electronic health records, and encourages greater transparency in the quality and quantity of information available to consumers and others on health-care quality and pricing issues. Quality measurements will be developed in collaboration with similar initiatives in the private and public sectors.
"Health care transparency provides consumers with information and creates an incentive to choose health-care providers based on value," Kaine said. "It will help Virginians spend their health-care dollars wisely when they know their options in advance, know the quality of hospitals in their area, and know what procedures will cost. This transparency also will further motivate our health-care providers to provide quality care at competitive prices."
"As one of the largest purchasers of health care in Virginia, the commonwealth is in a strong position to improve the transparency and accountability of health care, and I appreciate Governor Kaine's leadership on this issue," said Secretary Leavitt. "Employers such as the commonwealth can help their employees identify and select high-quality health care at competitive prices. When a substantial number of employers commit to these improvements, our health-care system as a whole will improve for all Americans."
The commonwealth's goal is to help consumers and other stakeholders make value-driven health care choices by improving the availability of sound and useful information, and partnering with ongoing government and private sector efforts in this area.
The initiative will be coordinated by the Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources, supported by the Virginia Secretaries of Administration and Technology. It builds upon two other Executive Orders issued by Governor Kaine designed to improve health care in the Commonwealth. The Governor previously created a Health Information Technology Council to expand the use of health IT to increase efficiency, reduce medical errors, and improve quality of care while protecting patients' privacy and personal information. In addition, a Health Reform Commission was created to address a wide range of health care issues and make recommendations to the governor.
