The Peterson Center on Healthcare has big plans for transforming healthcare in America. It's looking to improve quality while lowering costs by bringing out the best in doctors, health systems, insurers, patients and employers. The center, established in late 2014 with an initial $200 million gift by the foundation of Peter G. Peterson—who made his fortune in private equity—is seeking to do this by finding innovative solutions and "accelerating their adoption on a national scale."

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The Peterson Center is an active grantmaker and works with a range of partners, including universities, healthcare organizations, and other foundations. While healthcare seems like a depressing topic right now— with Washington bitterly divided over the future of the Affordable Care Act—the Peterson Center sees a glass half full.

Led by executive director Jeff Selberg, who has four decades of experience as a healthcare executive, the center works "downstream" from the national and state policy levels—focusing on what it calls "the practice side."

This means working in the weeds of healthcare systems, looking for what works to improve quality and lower cost.

Selberg says, hopefully, "We don't have to invent anything. Our segment is: Let's get into the practice of spreading these great programs."

To date, the center has funded work in seven areas, including primary care, high-need patients, patient engagement, better data use and monitoring healthcare performance through patient outcomes.

One last thing: Grant amounts from the Peterson Center range between a half-million dollars and $1.5 million covering one- to three-year periods. It hasn't any issued RFPs, however, it's approachable with ideas about how to partner on broad-scaled healthcare improvement.

The Peterson Center on Healthcare goes about its work quietly, staying out of the raging ideological battles over policy, which Selberg says he's happy to leave to others. The center places a high premium on pragmatism.

Read the source article at Inside Philanthropy

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