New Partnership Aims to Improve Use of Evidence in Health Care Policy and Practice in States and Local Communities

WASHINGTON, DC -- AcademyHealth and the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI) today announced a strategic partnership to improve health and access to high quality, efficient and effective health care at the local, regional and national levels. As partners, the organizations will work collaboratively to develop new programs and initiatives to address the nation’s most persistent health care challenges – from increasing quality and value to reducing disparities and improving patient outcomes.

AcademyHealth, the leading professional association for health services and policy researchers, and NRHI, a national membership organization of regional health improvement collaboratives, have aligned missions with complementary positions – AcademyHealth as evidence producers and NRHI as evidence implementers. In working together, the organizations will offer a comprehensive approach to address health and healthcare delivery challenges – taking evidence and knowledge and moving it into improved policy and practice.

“AcademyHealth and its members generate the data, evidence and tested interventions necessary to transform the health care system,” said Craig Brammer, CEO of NRHI. “At NRHI, we use and share those tools through our member organizations to drive change on the ground. We see real promise in bringing our complementary assets together.”

Dr. Lisa Simpson, AcademyHealth President and CEO, agreed, saying, “With their more than 30 regional health improvement collaboratives and state-affiliated partners, NRHI offers real world context to help inform AcademyHealth’s research and policy priorities. This partnership provides a perfect opportunity to work with users in a practical way to generate new evidence that meets real world needs on how to deliver the best care at lower costs.”

The strategic partnership is designed to facilitate joint efforts, but the organizations will remain operationally independent, with separate governance, staff and finances. The new agreement covers a term of two years and is non-exclusive.

“We see this partnership as an embodiment of our commitment to working directly with and for the field to improve the translation of evidence into policy and practice,” says Simpson. “It’s a natural fit.”

About AcademyHealth

AcademyHealth is a leading national organization serving the fields of health services and policy research and the professionals who produce and use this important work. Together with our members, we offer programs and services that support the development and use of rigorous, relevant and timely evidence to increase the quality, accessibility, and value of health care, to reduce disparities, and to improve health. A trusted broker of information, AcademyHealth brings stakeholders together to address the current and future needs of an evolving health system, inform health policy, and translate evidence into action. Learn more at www.academyhealth.org and follow us on Twitter @AcademyHealth.

About The Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement:

The Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI) is a national organization representing more than 30 regional health improvement collaboratives (RHICs) and state-affiliated partners working to achieve better health, better care, and reduced costs through continuous improvement. NRHI and its member RHICs are non-profit organizations working directly with physicians, hospitals, employers, health plans, and patients. For more information, visit us on the web at www.nrhi.org and follow us on Twitter @RegHealthImp.