As the region shapes the future of its health care system and prepares to make significant investment decisions, there is a fundamental need to engage the perspective of the community – as users of the system – in the current health care debate. Indeed, Western New Yorkers want their voices heard, and an increasing number of community groups in the region are committed to making this happen. Reaching for Excellence: Community Vision and Voices for Western New York Health Care emerged in 2007 as the first region-wide forum for engaging and amplifying the consumer perspective to shape a stronger health care future for Western New York.

During 2008, Reaching for Excellence convened more than 1,700 Western New Yorkers in One Friday: Four Futures, a series of community conversations about what we want for the future of health care in the region. Emerging from more than 100 community conversations were five key health care priorities, reflecting the top concerns of the region across race/ethnicity, age, income and geography.

Reaching for Excellence, is also committed to fostering ongoing dialogue on how to build a stronger health care future for Western New York. To help us learn from what others have done, the "Excellence for Tomorrow" Speaker Series showcases best practices and communities of excellence in areas of health care that challenge Western New York. Events feature expert presentations, research publications on the state of Western New York health system, reactions from Western New York leaders and audience discussion.

Reaching for Excellence is an initiative of the Community Health Foundation of Western & Central New York and The John R. Oishei Foundation, developed in partnership with the P² Collaborative of Western New York and the University at Buffalo Regional Institute.

Context for Action: The nation's health care system has reached a crisis point, as Americans engage in perhaps the most radical health care reform debate in decades. Health care spending is among the largest components of the nation's gross domestic product, yet the health of Americans is compromised by costly care and inadequate coverage, with 47 million uninsured. Western New York has not been immune to the tumult of the industry, experiencing particularly significant health system strains from a declining and aging population, outdated health infrastructure, high rates of poverty, porous safety nets, health care workforce shortages and a rising incidence of chronic diseases. Structural change is imminent, as New York State has mandated reconfiguration of Western New York hospitals and nursing homes. Not only does the imperative to improve the system impact the health of our community, but it has the potential to further the region's medical and health science industry as an economic engine.