CMS head Berwick praises new center for Medicare and Medicaid innovation

McKnight's: The planned Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation "has the potential to be the 'jewel in the crown' of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Donald M. Berwick, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), said this week." The center, expected to be in place by January 2011,  "will be dedicated to testing innovative approaches to improving healthcare delivery, payment and quality. … It's goal is lowering healthcare costs while increasing quality, the Bureau of National Affairs reported. The reform law offers $5 billion in start-up funds for the CMI, and $10 billion over 10 years for new demonstration projects and pilot programs" (10/20).

CQ HealthBeat: Meanwhile, if Berwick is feeling the effects of "Capitol Hill's chilly reception to his appointment..., you couldn't tell from his remarks Tuesday to medical device industry executives." Berwick is demonstrating "the same passion for setting goals and building strong alliances with industry groups that were a hallmark of his much-noted campaigns to reduce medical errors and streamline medical practice" that he led during his tenure with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Boston" (Reichard, 10/20).