Great Health Care is enlightening and entertaining. It’s a must read for physicians, patients, health policymakers and administrators, and the interested public---anyone who wants to understand what great health care is, and how we might build it together. The authors share their stories and motivations and the methods they have used to transform care for their own patients within their own practices and health systems. They thoughtfully explore how we got into this mess, how we can get out of it, and the barriers to making it happen. “It is not only the impact of chronic diseases on our health and economy that draws us to this subject. It is the intriguing and rewarding potential for improving the status quo through redesigning how chronic disease care is provided and paid for.” (Timothy Harrington, MD) "You can't do things differently until you see things differently." (Eric Newman, MD) “We start people on the road to recovery, but the 12 weeks of cardiac rehabilitation is just the warm-up period. The really important part is what happens afterward.” (Richard Lueker, MD, Beth McCormick, MS) “We believe the extra-ordinary efforts of our program coordinators are key to our clients’ wellbeing and our unusually low readmission rate.” (Kathi Farrell, RN, BSN, PHN, Kathleen Sullivan, RN, MSN) “In real life, we are not usually given the chance to have a do-over. But we are given the chance to continuously improve. With the right skill sets, and the right partners, we can transform.” (Eric Newman, MD).

Pt.I. Caring for chronic diseases : how we got into this mess, and why we need to get out of it -- Why chronic diseases? / J. Timothy Harrington -- How has the US health system evolved? / J. Timothy Harrington -- Why has the US health system become what it is? / J. Timothy Harrington -- Making chronic disease care great / J. Timothy Harrington -- Pt. II. How to effect change in health care : if it doesn't fit, use a larger hammer -- Building systems of care / Eric D. Newman -- Problem solving / Eric D. Newman -- Testing and implementing solutions / Eric D. Newman -- Pt. III. Managing chronic disease : you can't do things differently until you see things differently -- Managing complex processes : making order out of chaos / J. Timothy Harrington -- Managing medical information (tools, rules and what's cool) / Eric D. Newman -- Measuring processes and outcomes of care / J. Timothy Harrington -- Teaming : everyone has a role to play / Eric D. Newman -- Hpw providers should be paid / Eric D. Newman -- Pt. IV. Success stories told by champions : boldly going where few have gone before -- Diabetes : everyone's number one priority / Richard S. Beaser, Kenneth Snow, Jo-Anne M Rizzotto, Julie Brown, and Martin J. Abrahamson -- Osteoporosis : breaking bones is not inevitable / Richard M. Dell -- Rheumatoid arthritis : diagnose early and treat to target / John J. Cush -- Heart failure : reducing readmissions / Kathi Farrell and Kathleen Sullivan -- Chronic kidney disease : changing the mean by changing the mien / Jerry Yee, Mark D. Faber, and Sandeep S. Soman -- Asthma : identifying and treating high-risk patients / Michael B. Foggs -- Cardiovascular disease : reducing risk factors / Richard D. Lueker and Beth A. McCormick -- Obesity : the elephant in the room / Karen Cooper, Philip Schauer, Stacy Brethauer, and Sangeeta Kashyap -- Palliative care and hospice : advancing the science of comfort, affirming the art of caring / Martha L. Twaddle -- Part V. Controversies in redesigning chronic disease care -- Myths and miscreants / Eric D. Newman -- Improving care vs. transforming care / Eric D. Newman -- Translational research or industrial process improvement : a false choice / J. Timothy Harrington -- The patient-centered medical home or system-based care : another false choice / J. Timothy Harrington -- Preparing physicians with optimal processes and process improvement skills / J. Timothy Harrington -- Epilogue : join with U[s].