Header, the Administration of the Honorable Lincoln C. Almond
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Executive Order 97-09
September 8, 1997


ESTABLISHING THE GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL ON HEALTH

WHEREAS, the health care industry in Rhode Island is our largest employer and a leading contributor to the State's quality of life and to its economic well-being; and

WHEREAS, Rhode Island taxpayers spend more than $1 billion annually on health care and related services provided directly by the State; and

WHEREAS, Rhode Island consumers, including employers, spend an additional $3-$4 billion annually in the health care marketplace; and

WHEREAS, the policies and business practices of the State affect whether providers, health plans, employers and consumers are returned optimum value for their health care dollar; and

WHEREAS, recent trends toward integrated systems and managed care may lead to significant changes in the cost, supply and distribution of medical and related social support services in Rhode Island; and

WHEREAS, across the continuum of health care services, best practices in the organization, financing and delivery of care are constantly evolving; and

WHEREAS, a dynamic health care industry requires a regulatory framework that is responsive and encourages creativity in the marketplace, without compromising public safety or accountability; and

WHEREAS, Rhode Island government requires a means to anticipate, monitor/ and evaluate the changes occurring in me health care marketplace as a backdrop to considering new policies.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Lincoln Almond, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, do hereby order as follows:

1. The Governor's Council on Health is established.

2. The Council shall provide the Governor with an expert forum for the consideration and discussion of a wide range of health care issues, including the implications of a changing health care marketplace for the general economic prosperity of the State. The Council shall provide the Governor with information about changes in the organization, financing, and delivery of health care services in Rhode Island and the policy issues these changes raise.

3. The Council shall collect and assess information on state policies and industry practices affecting the organization, financing, and delivery of health and related social services in Rhode Island, giving particular consideration to the impact of these policies and practices on the performance of the health care industry, the health of the people of Rhode Island and the State budget.

4. In collecting and assessing information, the Council shall: 1) use existing information, both published and unpublished; 2}undertake, through appropriate departments or agencies or in collaboration with the provider community, original research and experimentation, where existing research is inadequate to develop useful and valid assessments and/or recommendations; and 3)adopt procedures allowing any interested party to submit information with respect to the issues under consideration by the Council.

5. The Council is empowered to seek and receive input from existing committees, commissions, departments and other expert bodies.

6. The Advisory Council shall be chaired by the Governor. The Director of the Department of Human Services and the Lieutenant Governor shall serve as vice chairs. Council members shall include: the Directors of the Departments of Administration; Health; Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals; Children, Youth and Families; Elderly Affairs; and Business Regulation; and the Executive Director of the Economic Development Corporation. The Council shall also consist of individuals appointed by and at the discretion of the Governor on the basis of their skill in interpreting biomedical, health services, health economic, and regional economic data or on the basis of their role in the health care marketplace.

7. The Council may organize and appoint any subcommittee it deems necessary or appropriate.

8. The Council shall develop and submit an annual report to the Governor in January of each year. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately upon the date hereof.

So Ordered:


Lincoln Almond
Governor