Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D., director of HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, will report on the state of the health care quality in America in the keynote address of the AHRQ Annual Conference at 10:00 a.m., on Monday, September 8.

The September 8 - 10 conference will be held at the Bethesda North Marriott Center (5701 Marinelli Road, Bethesda, MD 20852). Reporters are welcome and may register on site.

During her address, Dr. Clancy will provide an overview of gaps in health care quality, where the nation is doing well, and what steps need to be taken to ensure that all Americans get the best care possible.

The conference is expected to draw more than 1,500 attendees, including many leading health care researchers and public- and private-sector health care leaders. It features panel discussions on numerous topics including health information technology, treatment comparisons for prevalent and costly medical conditions; preventive health and management of chronic medical conditions; patient safety and quality improvement; value-driven health care; and health care innovation. To view the conference agenda, go here.

AHRQ, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, works to improve the safety, quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of health care for all Americans. AHRQ's customers include clinicians and other health care providers, such as hospitals; consumers and patients; health care policymakers at the Federal, State, and local levels; purchasers and payers, such as employers and public and private insurers; and other health officials, such as hospital systems and medical school faculty.

ahrq