The Iowa Healthcare Collaborative (IHC) is a provider-led and patient-focused nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting a culture of continuous improvement in healthcare. IHC's mission is exceptional healthcare in Iowa. IHC plays a unique role in putting healthcare providers (doctors, nurses and hospital executives) in a leadership position to drive clinical improvements and accelerate change.
Proactively created in 2004 through a partnership between the Iowa Hospital Association (IHA) and the Iowa Medical Society (IMS), IHC uses a "multi-stakeholder" approach to bring together and engage physicians, hospitals, insurers, employers, consumers and other community partners to share data and rapidly deploy best practices. Through IHC's efforts, healthcare providers gain access to nationally agreed upon, evidence-based measures that improve the delivery of care. Insurers get information to facilitate performance improvements and employers are better equipped to educate employees about wellness and prevention resulting in healthier communities.
By encouraging communication, collaboration and transparency, IHC ultimately raises the quality, patient safety and value of healthcare in Iowa.
IHC Mission: The Iowa Healthcare Collaborative works toward the goal of exceptional healthcare in Iowa.
IHC Vision: An Iowa healthcare culture of continuous improvement in quality, safety, and value that eliminates avoidable suffering, injury, illness and death.
IHC's efforts focus on four cornerstones of activity:
- To align and equip physician and hospital communities with sound approaches for improving quality and value by encouraging best practices.
- To promote responsible public reporting of comparative healthcare performance information.
- To engage the entire community in dialogue, initiatives and activities for clinical improvement.
- To raise the standard of care in Iowa.