Health-care system “fraught with waste” VM CEO tells Washington Post
Virginia Mason CEO Dr. Gary Kaplan estimates that as much as half of the $2.3 trillion Americans spend on health care does nothing to improve health, according to a Washington Post article on efforts to curtail health-care waste.
In the article Dr. Kaplan describes a program Virginia Mason worked out with Seattle employers such as Starbucks and the health insurer Aetna to deliver better care for low back pain at a lower cost.
Instead of beginning with high-cost imaging studies—a standard approach of dubious value—patients with low back pain get physical therapy first.
Most of the workers get back to work in 48 hours.
To learn more:
- Read the Washington Post article: Experts seek remedy for health-care waste
- Read our piece on the Virginia Mason project from earlier this year.
Category: Health-care Policy, Occupational Health, Rehabilitation, Virginia Mason
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