Time and again it has now been proven that timely access to care
and even modest changes in diet, exercise and medication can
reduce the risk of getting serious diseases or significantly
slow their progression and impact. Once a chronic condition
develops, it is persistent, rarely curable and requires
management over a long period of time. Treatment continues, and
the course is unpredictable. Given these realities in health
care today, we must pursue prevention, early intervention and
aggressive self-care. Partners in Care's focus on changing the
shape of healthcare concisely reflects our belief: As the
dominant needs of health in America have shifted, we have to
change the way health care is delivered. In the past, as new
health problems emerged, we sought a cure and return to health.
Now, with chronic disease accounting for 78% of health care
expenditures, we seek prevention and self-care to prevent
decline. Today health care in America is in crisis. We spend
vastly more than any other nation on earth, yet