Regional Resources TOP
Aligning Forces for Quality – Southcentral PA (www.aligning4healthpa.org)
AF4Q-SCPA is a multi-stakeholder regional coalition in York and Adams counties. By bringing patients, doctors’ offices, hospitals, community organizations, employers, and insurers together they have been able to successfully address health care quality, access and cost challenges in South Central PA.
Health Care Improvement Foundation (www.hcifonline.org)
The Health Care Improvement Foundation (HCIF) is an independent, not-for-profit corporation dedicated to building partnerships for better health care in Southeastern Pennsylvania. With a multi-dimensional focus on health care safety – in patient care, environmental practices, and disaster preparedness – HCIF brings together diverse organizations to achieve regional collaboration and improvement.
Philadelphia Department of Health (www.phila.gov)
Get up–to–date news and information on Philadelphia health topics such as emergency numbers, health center locations, and various programs.
Philly Health Info (www.phillyhealthinfo.org)
A comprehensive directory of health services, events and information for Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.
Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative (www.prhi.org)
PHRI is one of the nation’s first regional collaboratives of medical, business and civic leaders organized to address healthcare safety and quality improvements. An independent catalyst for improving healthcare safety and quality in Southwestern Pennsylvania, it operates on the premise that dramatic quality improvement is the best cost-containment strategy for health care.
PA State Resources TOP
Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (www.phc4.org)
An independent state agency responsible for addressing the problem of escalating health costs, ensuring the quality of health care, and increasing access for all citizens regardless of ability to pay.
Quality Insights of Pennsylvania (www.qipa.org/pa/)
An affiliate of the West Virginia Medical Institute, which is a non-profit, physician-sponsored organization dedicated to the mission of “improving the health of the people we serve.”
Patient Safety Authority (www.psa.state.pa.us)
The Patient Safety Authority is an independent state agency charged with taking steps to reduce and eliminate medical errors by identifying problems and recommending solutions that promote patient safety in hospitals, ambulatory surgical facilities, birthing centers and certain abortion facilities.
Pennsylvania Department of Health (www.health.state.pa.us)
The PA Department of Health offers free resources and information on:
- Health topics from A to Z.
- Family health programs to maintain and improve the health of pregnant women, infants, children and their families through education and health promotion, food benefits and improved access to quality health care to meet the needs of families and provide services and benefits in a timely manner.
- Information and tips on healthy behaviors such as nutrition and activity.
- Healthcare resources concerning managed care, nursing homes, health care facilities and local health centers.
- Emergency preparedness tips and facts.
Resources for Bordering States TOP
My Health Finder (www.myhealthfinder.com)
New York
State of New Jersey Department of Health (nj.gov)
New Jersey
The Maryland Health Care Commission (www.marylandqmdc.org)
Maryland
Quality Insights of Delaware (www.qide.org)
Delaware
Quality Insights of West Virginia (www.qiwv.org)
West Virginia
Employers Health (www.ehpco.com)
Ohio
National/Federal Resources TOP
Health Care Glossary (glossary.justplainclear.com)
Ambulatory Quality Alliance (www.aqaalliance.org)
A voluntary collaboration of physicians, health plans, and consumers in which members strive to improve patient safety and quality health care practices.
Care About Your Care (www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/program-areas/quality-equality/care-about-your-care)
Launched in 2011, Care About Your Care focuses attention on what people can do to provide and receive better health care, and how nurses, care coordinators, doctors, consumers, caregivers, patients, and others can work together to achieve this.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov)
The CDC website contains information on health topics such as obesity, infectious diseases, healthy living, and much more.
Choosing Wisely (www.choosingwisely.org)
A campaign run by the American Board of Internal Medicine that aims to inform patients and physicians about appropriate care delivery.
Commonwealth Fund (www.commonwealthfund.org)
A private foundation that promotes a high performance health care system by supporting independent research studies with grants and other means.
Consumer Health Coalition (consumerhealthcoalition.org)
The Consumer Health Coalition strives to alleviate disparities in health outcomes by using advocacy efforts to increase access to quality, affordable health care.
Federal Government Health Care Website (www.healthcare.gov)
A federal government website managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services providing general information on health care, health insurance and government programs.
Joint Commission (www.jointcommission.org)
An organization that accredits health care facilities that meet specified performance and quality measurements.
Medicare (www.medicare.gov)
The official U.S. government website for Medicare, featuring information and resources on the Affordable Care Act and Medicare costs and coverage.
Medline Plus (www.medlineplus.gov)
A large online database of health care topics, including extensive drug information, medical encyclopedias and much more.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (www.rwjf.org)
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supplies private researchers with grants and other support with the purpose of improving the health, as well as the health care, of everyone in America.
The Simple Dollar (www.thesimpledollar.com)
The Simple Dollar, a personal finance website, has assembled information on health insurance aimed at demystifying how to get the average person covered. The Health Insurance Guide breaks down the difference between group and individual plans and provides practical examples of how you can obtain coverage in various situations, such as before a pregnancy. The resource also delves into the current state of health insurance in the U.S., the changes that will take place after the full rollout of health care reform, and the impact of public health insurance, such as Medicaid and Medicare. Finally, the guide explores the primary health insurance concerns of certain categories of people, including college students, young families, and retirees.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (www.hhs.gov)
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services.
WebMD (www.webmd.com)
A user-friendly website with vast information on medical conditions and their treatments, as well as a comprehensive symptom checker.
Why Not the Best? (www.whynotthebest.org)
Maintained by the Commonwealth Fund, this site contains valuable performance information on nearly all U.S. hospitals, as well as case studies and research into health care improvement methods.
About the Affordable Care Act TOP
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (www.hhs.gov)
Learn about the coverage, cost, and care of the new law and read the full official Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Get Covered America (www.getcoveredamerica.org)
Information about choosing a health insurance plan and knowing what options are available.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Marketplace for Healthcare (www.healthcare.gov)
The nation’s online marketplace for health insurance.
Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Support (www.iqrsupport.org)
Provides Quality Improvement Organizations and hospitals informational resources on the Hospital IQR program.
A Comprehensive Guide to Health Insurance (www.insurancequotes.org)
Find the best and most affordable health plan for you and your family.
*PHCQA does not control third-party web sites and is not responsible for the contents of any linked-to, third-party web sites or any hyperlink in a linked-to website. PHCQA does not endorse, recommend, or approve any third-party website hyperlinked from the website. PHCQA will have no liability to any entity for the content or use of the content available through such hyperlink.