This new slide presentation presents a timeline of the major events and acts that have shaped America’s health reform legacy to date. With a greater understanding about the past reform struggles witnessed by this country, we can perhaps gain some important perspective on the current discussions and debates.

The presentation was given at a recent event held for Aligning Forces for Quality, spotlighting the efforts of the western New York region. All of the Aligning Forces communities were asked by RWJF to sponsor these local convening events over the summer and fall of 2009—one of the core principles of Aligning Forces is to work with those who give care, get care, and pay for care on shared goals of improving health care and creating models for national health reform.

At the Western New York event, 250 people showed up to discuss the quality of health care in the surrounding region and also talk about what they hope to see from national health reform activities going on in Washington, D.C. To kick-start the latter part of the discussion, Sheila Kee, associate commissioner of the New York State Department of Health for the western region, provided a comprehensive overview of the history of health reform in America.