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Altarum Adds Health Systems Research, Inc. To Organization

Posted on: Monday, 5 June 2006, 12:00 CDT

ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Altarum Institute announced today that, on June 1, 2006, it added Health Systems Research, Inc. (HSR) of Washington, D.C. to its organization. The nonprofit Altarum recently refocused its vision and business strategy on becoming the nation's preeminent provider of objective health systems research.

"Altarum has two major research and business thrusts," said Ken Baker, Altarum President and Chief Executive Officer. "We help customers from the federal government to local communities improve the quality of care they deliver today, while working toward transforming our health care system to one that values health, increases access and quality, and does so at less cost. With the addition of HSR, we take a tremendous step forward in our ability to understand and enable the systemic technology, business process and cultural changes needed to get to new systems that value and deliver health, as well as care, for all Americans."

Altarum provides objective, quantitative analysis, advanced informatics tools and innovative performance measurements to help clients understand and solve such issues as health care accessibility and delivery, quality assurance, patient safety, cost containment and evidence-based planning. The Institute has recently developed the Altarum Health Sector Model (AHSM), a macro model that incorporates population data, access information, rates of health care use and prices to understand health care spending trends and system sustainability. In the future, Altarum intends to expand and customize the model so state governments and other users can better plan health benefit programs to meet their specific needs and circumstances.

Health Systems Research, Inc. is a public policy research and consulting firm that provides programmatic and technical support to many federal, state, and local agencies and foundations on a wide range of issues, including maternal, child and community health; mental health and substance abuse; health care financing; intercultural health and health disparities; food and nutrition support programs; and bioterrorism preparedness.

"For more than 25 years, our researchers, policy analysts, program specialists and trainers have helped our clients develop insightful, pragmatic, and culturally appropriate solutions to important health and human service problems," said Health Systems Research, Inc. founder and president Lawrence Bartlett. "Day in and day out we are focused on our vision of improving people's lives through creative health and human service solutions."

Health Systems Research, Inc. was recently cited by U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona for its "energy and creativity" in helping research and write the Surgeon General's Report on bone health and osteoporosis. "What really motivates us," said Bartlett, "is the opportunity to see our work actually help individuals and families in communities across the country live better, healthier and more productive lives."

As a combined organization, the two leaders see a greater opportunity to spark meaningful and lasting change in the systems that deliver care to all Americans. Their objective systems perspective will serve as a differentiating advantage over industry peers.

"As unbiased systems researchers, we have a unique, 'end-to-end' vantage point on what makes a health system work and what makes it fail," said Baker. "Our tremendous challenge is to use that perspective to truly improve the care that people receive today, while finding the path toward a healthier society with health systems that are effective and sustainable."

Health Systems Research, Inc. will operate as a for-profit subsidiary of Altarum.

Altarum Institute (http://www.altarum.org/) is a nonprofit research institution, headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich. Altarum is working to become the nation's preeminent provider of health systems research, analysis and consulting services.

Altarum Institute

CONTACT: Jeff Moore of Altarum Institute, +1-703-575-1685, orjeff.moore@altarum.org

Web site: http://www.altarum.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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