At the same time frame, the scorecard highlights some bright spots for that U.S., with notable gains in quality of care in areas that have been the focus of public reporting or collaborative improvement initiatives. For instance, Fifty percent of adults with high blood pressure levels been with them in order in 2007-2008, in contrast to only 31 percent in 1999-2000. Additionally, hospital quality indicators to treat cardiac event, heart failure, and pneumonia, and prevention of surgical complications, have improved substantially across the nation since hospitals began publicly reporting their quality data by way of a federal website.
Host Rachel Martin talks with NPR’s national political correspondent Mara Liasson about Mitt Romney’s commencement address and the dominant political story of the past week: President Obama’s public endorsement of same-sex marriage.