title: Grand Junction, Colorado: how a community drew on its values to shape a superior health system.
abstract: For the past decade, the high-quality, relatively low-cost health care delivered in Grand Junction, Colorado, has led that community to outperform most others in the United States. Medicare patients in Grand Junction have fewer hospitalizations, shorter hospitalizations, and lower mortality rates after hospitalization than do Medicare patients in comparison hospitals. Effective, efficient care is delivered in Grand Junction through separate, self-governing organizations that perceive health care as a community resource. This article describes how the various stakeholders in Grand Junction have addressed problems and set standards for the system. The lessons could apply to broader health reform efforts in communities around the country.
authors.affiliation: Mesa County Health Department, Grand Junction, CO, USA. marsha_thorson@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Marsha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thorson
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brock
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lynn
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D003120:Colorado; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016519:Hospitals, Religious / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D016344:Medicare Part A; D016345:Medicare Part B; D017146:Models, Organizational; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D012041:Regional Medical Programs / Q000458:organization & administration; D012308:Risk Management; D014481:United States