SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 1040

	WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to 
recognize the Texas Institute for Health Policy Research, a 
nonpartisan organization focused on improving the health of 
Texans through health policy education, community-based 
solutions, and information dissemination; and

	WHEREAS, Since 2000, the institute has hosted health 
policy forums for the benefit of legislators and other 
health-care stakeholders on topics such as the uninsured, the 
health-care workforce, mental health, long-term care, emergency 
care, the health safety net, and the state of health care in 
Texas; and

	WHEREAS, Since 1997, the institute has worked with 
communities throughout Texas to facilitate, develop, and sustain 
community-based interventions to solve pertinent health-care 
issues, such as access to care, chronic disease prevention, and 
others; and

	WHEREAS, The institute hosts workshops or forums to bring 
community organizations from throughout the State of Texas 
together to share best practices; and

	WHEREAS, In 2003, the institute began the Shared Vision for 
Health Care in Texas Project (Shared Vision Project) to establish 
a forum for dialogue among policymakers, community leaders, 
health-care providers, payers, and consumers for informed 
decision making among all of the stakeholders; and

	WHEREAS, The governor, the lieutenant governor, and the 
speaker of the house of representatives have each appointed a 
liaison to work with the institute on the Shared Vision Project, 
to which more than 600 volunteers have contributed their time, 
talent, and expertise; and

	WHEREAS, The project is a collaborative, statewide effort 
that brings stakeholders together to provide leadership in 
developing innovative practices and ideas to improve the state's 
health care and health status; and

	WHEREAS, One of the fundamental features of the project is 
that stakeholders from every sector involved in health-care 
issues are included in developing the vision via a diverse, 
bipartisan panel of 29 members; and

	WHEREAS, Another essential feature is the development of 
focused work groups of experts to provide consultation and 
facilitation in key health policy areas to all project 
participants; and

	WHEREAS, The topics addressed by these work groups include 
public health, health-care delivery, workforce, financing of 
health care, information technology, and rural health; and

	WHEREAS, The work groups are collecting white papers on 
best practices and designing, overseeing, and providing guidance 
in developing model demonstration projects to test ideas for 
improving health and health status in Texas; and

	WHEREAS, The outcomes of these projects will be shared with 
health policy decision makers and stakeholders; and

	WHEREAS, The Shared Vision Project is creating an 
opportunity for the strategic transformation of health care in 
Texas, a methodology that makes Texas unique in the United States;
now, therefore, be it

	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
79th Legislature, hereby commend the leadership of the 29-member 
panel, six work groups, and the Texas Institute for Health Policy 
Research and welcome them in their endeavors to provide input, 
recommendations, innovations, ideas, and solutions to 
health-care issues via the Shared Vision Project; and, be it 
further

	RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for 
the Texas Institute for Health Policy Research as an expression 
of esteem from the Texas Senate.
                                                                          Nelson




________________________________ 
    President of the Senate
 
    I hereby certify that the 
above Resolution was adopted by 
the Senate on May 27, 2005.



________________________________ 
    Secretary of the Senate



________________________________ 
     Member, Texas Senate