Leadership Message
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Ten years ago, when NQF was born, groundbreaking research had called into question clichés about American healthcare being the finest in the world. The Institute of Medicine’s reports, To Err Is Human and Crossing the Quality Chasm, revealed gaping holes in hospital safety and variability in the quality of care. For consumers, healthcare was a gamble, and quality was a nice word without definition. The architects of NQF proposed the radical notion that disparate players could reach consensus on performance standards that would represent their common expectations for safe, high-quality care. The process would engage patients and clinicians, purchasers and providers, communities and industry, health plans and those who are involved in quality measurement and improvement. Performance measures, backed by broad consensus among public and private stakeholders, would galvanize the system to deliver this care more consistently in a way no unilateral action could achieve. In a totally fragmented system, with billions of dollars at stake, NQF’s founding members showed leadership that is now astounding to contemplate. They provided a seat at the table for all stakeholders with particular care to ensure a powerful consumer voice in every decision NQF would make. |
Our membership is now more than 400 strong. Members have shaped a portfolio of endorsed measures that providers are using to support safer, high-quality care for their patients. NQF has also grown in its role as a neutral convener, bringing together 32 organizations to establish National Priorities and Goals. The collective commitment of the National Priorities Partnership will align resources and focus efforts to speed quality’s progress in the decade ahead. We are grateful for the thousands of individuals who have contributed untold hours to NQF’s innovative work. Dozens of organizational leaders have shaped the often difficult processes that have allowed us to join hands. Hundreds of experts brought scientific rigor to the review process leading to endorsement. To all of them, we extend our congratulations and appreciation for an extraordinary body of work. 
William L. Roper, MD, MPH
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