title: Staying alive: strategies for accountable health care.
abstract: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law in March 2010, has led to sweeping changes to the US health care system. The ensuing pace of change in health care regulation is unparalleled and difficult for physicians to keep up with. Because of the extraordinary challenges that have arisen, the public policy committee of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary tract conducted a symposium at their 52nd Annual Meeting in May 2011 to educate participants on the myriad of public policy changes occurring in order to best prepare them for their future. Expert speakers presented their views on policy changes affecting diverse areas including patient safety, patient experience, hospital and provider fiscal challenges, and the life of the practicing surgeon. In all areas, surgical leadership was felt to be critical to successfully navigate the new health care landscape as surgeons have a long history of providing safe, high quality, low cost care. The recognition of shared values among the diverse constituents affected by health care policy changes will best prepare surgeons to control their own destiny and successfully manage new challenges as they emerge.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Frank H. Netter, M.D., School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, St. Vincent's Medical Center, Bridgeport, CT 06606, USA. smarcus@stvincents.org
authors.forename: Stuart G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: Kaye M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Reid-Lombardo
authors.forename: Amy L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Halverson
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Maker
authors.forename: Achilles
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demetriou
authors.forename: Josef E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bentrem
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rudnicki
authors.forename: Jonathan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hiatt
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D061214:Patient Safety; D010819:Physician's Role; D011050:Policy Making; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000639:trends; D017751:Safety Management; D012941:Social Responsibility; D014481:United States