Two filmmakers by the names of Frank Christopher and Matthew Eisen got together with a vision to showcase the “type of health care we can all have.” In researching their vision which culminated in the film Remaking American Medicine, the two came across some pioneering individuals and organizations that they refer to as Champions of Change. Following are biographies of a few of the key contributors. (Please see the PBS overview of Eisen’s and Christopher’s film for complete profiles).

• Dr. David Link (Chief of Pediatrics at Cambridge Health Alliance) is a firm believer that children with asthma should never have to be seen in emergency room settings. Dr. Link believes that “instead of being reactive and treating chronic illness when it becomes acute, providers and patients are encouraged to become proactive by managing symptoms, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and preventing hospitalizations.” Cambridge Health Alliance has made insightful changes on how patients with chronic diseases (such as asthma) are treated, and early results indicate a decrease in the use of emergency facilities and hospitalizations.
• Dr. Tom Landholt (Springfield, MO) is championing technology in his clinic by eliminating paperwork so more quality time can be spent on patient care. To do this, Dr. Landholdt uses electronic medical records (EMR) which affords a computer in every treatment room so patient information can be immediately accessed and updated. This contributes to better time management and opens opportunity for one-on-one patient dialogue. Dr. Landholdt points out that converting an office to EMR can take time, but it affords a quality of care that is measurably increased.
• Rebecca Bryson of Whatcom County, WA has ten different medical concerns that result in her having to see 13 different health care providers on an ongoing basis. And since Whatcom County is similar to just about every county in the country, managing the navigation of healthcare was proving to be challenging. Fortunately, Whatcom County responded to the needs of patients and redesigned health care delivery via the Johnson Foundation initiative “Pursuing Perfection in Health Care” and the Shared Care Plan which provides resource-driven solutions to patients juggling multiple conditions by allowing all providers access to an electronic version of the patient’s records. As these initiatives were being explored Rebecca Bryson was invited to participate which means the initiatives heard real patient voices so real patient solutions could be formulated.