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Who We Are
Texas Health Institute (THI) is leading the way in the development
of health policy solutions to shape the Texas healthcare environment.
As a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, THI takes a broad view of
healthcare issues and their impact on Texans and their communities.
From acting as an honest broker and hosting unbiased health policy
forums that facilitate dialogue among policymakers and other healthcare
stakeholders, to creating a vision of an improved future healthcare system,
THI is a think tank - providing evidence-based options and solutions as well
as innovative, "outside the box" collaborative options to improve the health
of Texans and their communities.
Our Focus
THI provides non-partisan, evidence-based heath policy options to make
a difference. We convene diverse stakeholders to provide ongoing dialogue
on how to improve the status of health in Texas. We educate policymakers
at every level on what they can do to improve the health of Texans at a
community, regional, and state level.
Our Projects
Shared Vision Project for Health Care
In 2003, THI launched the Shared Vision for Healthcare in Texas Project
(SVP) - a process to produce consensus-driven solutions to achieve quality,
access and cost-effectiveness for healthcare in Texas. In year one of the
multi-year project, THI developed a process for using a panel of six stakeholder
groups: business, community leaders, consumers, government, insurance, and
providers and six workgroups to address focused healthcare issues. SVP panel
leadership developed a strategic plan for healthcare in Texas to RAISE the level
of health of Texans by implementing projects that address:
Regional solutions for regional differences-but within a statewide strategic plan.
Access for all. A more rational system for access other than the emergency room.
Incentives for personal responsibility. Everyone doing what they can do for wellness
and health.
Sound use of resources.
Education about consequences of actions and/or inactions.
This Project is producing Texas' shared vision for healthcare. The Project is grounded
on three premises. First, there is no model for delivery of healthcare services nor
vision for what a model should be in Texas. Second, all stakeholders are dissatisfied,
to varying degrees, with the current "system" of delivery. Third, the pervasive "sense
of urgency" makes this the right time for significant change. To forge a new and mutual
vision, each stakeholder must be prepared to accommodate changes to achieve a common good.
With vision, there can be leadership to evaluate policymaking proposals and provide
recommendations or alternative solutions for policy changes. THI has recruited a unique
panel of stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to provide leadership in the development
of Texas' shared vision for healthcare.
Today, the implementation of THI's Shared Vision for Healthcare Project focuses on three
major areas: Access/Uninsured, Public Health/Prevention and Long Term Care.
Access/Uninsured - THI is launching A Vision for Change: Policy Solutions for Increasing
Health Coverage in Texas, a major initiative to increase health coverage for the uninsured
in Texas by almost 50 percent and to measure the economic and fiscal impact of increasing
Texans' access to health coverage. The project will offer cost-effective and workable policy
solutions to the uninsured issue that policymakers at state, regional and local levels can deploy.
Public Health/Prevention - THI facilitates the work of the Texas Strategic Health Partnership, a
large scale public health transformation project with activities addressing both health status and
infrastructure improvement. Currently, we are working on obesity issues in the state through the
Partnership for a Healthy Texas: Conquering Obesity. THI also works with the Mental Health Substance
Abuse Workgroup on public health/prevention issues.
Long Term Care - In January 2006, THI launched a first phase, 18-month project to focus on short and
long-range issues and societal changes impacting Long Term Care (LTC). This project engages LTC providers,
experts, payers and other key stakeholders in a dialogue that identifies and prioritizes core LTC issues
and policy options. To help assure the LTC Project results reflect the best available expertise and experience,
THI created a Long Term Care Industry Council made up of leading LTC providers and consumer representatives.
The Shared Vision Project provides a nonpartisan Texas policy development and educational resource for policy
decision-makers. THI maintains an honest broker role in serving as the catalyst for collaboration among the
varied stakeholders. This entrepreneurial process will produce both a reinvention of the policy process that
begins at the community level and a coordinated implementation effort of change producing model demonstration
projects. With this shared vision, Texas can lead the nation in innovation and improved access, effectiveness,
and efficiency.
Health Policy Forums
THI plays a critical role in the dissemination of health and healthcare information to health policy
decision-makers. The goal of the forums is to provide legislators and other healthcare leaders and
stakeholders with balanced, non-partisan information about critical statewide health and medical issues
and a "safe harbor" environment to discuss those issues. Forum attendees represent increasingly varied
and divergent political and health policy viewpoints - a solid indication that the forums are serving their
purpose of bringing together diverse policymakers to explore solutions to complex health policy issues.
Communities Taking Charge
While all levels of government have a role in addressing healthcare issues, THI believes that solutions
for the future of healthcare must be reinvented from the "bottom up," community by community. THI encourages
the development of stakeholder groups to take leadership in their community to pursue a community-health
collaborative process. THI works with a community's unique needs and issues.
Friends of the Institute
THI plays a critical role in improving the health of healthcare through information, education, collaboration
and vision. In 2003, the THI introduced the Friends of the Institute to support our 501(c)(3) entity. Friends
members receive invitations to THI events and mailings of policy briefs and other special publications produced
by THI. If you would like more information on membership opportunities or other ways to participate in the work
of THI, please contact us at (512) 279-3910.
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