The Palo Alto Medical Foundation is a non-profit organization that includes a Health Care Division, Research Institute and an Education Division.
It's 160 physicians and 700-plus support staff provide medical care for more than 110,000 persons who make approximately 500,000 visits a year to the main facility at 300 Homer Ave. in Palo Alto-where it has been since 1930.
The 15 research scientists and 60 support staff conduct basic research in the major areas of human health concerns: immunology and infectious diseases, cholesterol metabolism, heart and cardiovascular dynamics, cancer cell biology and medical economics.
Education instructors and others throughout the Health Care Division provide classes and individual instruction in a wide variety of areas relating to health promotion, follow-up, early diagnosis and prevention.
The Foundation has been a leader nationally in developing the "outpatient medicine" and group practice patterns that are being used as models for U.S. health reform.
Vast changes are occurring in our health care system: quality is challenged, outcomes measured. Rising costs erode corporate profits and provider profitability. Cost controls can diminish access to health care and cause rationing. How can providers absorb added or shifted costs? Will patients be able to supplement basic plans? Who will really drive the system? Other issues to be debated include adequate financing, choice of physician, malpractice reform and physician compensation.
This 1994 symposium is a follow-up to our five successful conferences in 1984, 1985, 1988, 1990 and 1992:
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