About us

This petition drive is being organized and presented by a practicing internist (John Wasson MD)* and a family physician (Gordon Moore)**. We have been working for many years with front-line primary care clinicians to improve the quality and vitality of primary care practice (as part of the oldest primary care practice-based research network - the Dartmouth Northern New England Practice Research Network), the Institute for HealthCare Improvement, and www.IdealMedicalPractices.org. In these capacities we have seen that exemplary primary care can be attained in the current health care environment. However, we have heard again and again from our colleagues from across the country that unless changes are made in the environment these improvements will neither become widespread nor sustainable.

This petition was generated by listening to our colleagues. Since timing is critical and policymakers too often do not obtain timely, coherent and broad input from those at the "front line", we have designated ourselves to use "social networking" on the internet to gauge responses to this feasible approach for vital, sustainable and high quality primary care practices.

We hope that many thousands of primary care physicians will "sign on" during the next few months so that a "front-line" message can be presented to policymakers. We are asking for email addresses to keep signers informed about progress of the petition.

*Professor of Community and Family Medicine and Medicine; Herman O. West Professor of Geriatrics at Dartmouth Medical School; Former Director of the Centers for Aging; Research Director of the oldest Practice-Based Primary Care Research Network: The Dartmouth - Northern New England Primary Care Research Network (COOP); Institute for HealthCare Improvement Co-Director for Idealized Office Practice and IMPACT. (Wasson )

**Associate Professor (clinical) Department of Family Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Co-Director for IdealMedicalPractices.org and faculty member of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement IMPACT.