Dear Colleague:

I think you would agree that challenges and uncertainties are the norm in today's complex healthcare environment.

However, that's exactly why this is an exciting time for the field of health services research and an exciting time for us at AHRQ!

AHRQ initiatives are at the leading edge of efforts to improve the nation's health care. We support research on what's most effective in health care delivery; we partner with public and private sector organizations to ensure AHRQ's research is translated into changes in practice; and we're helping patients play a more active role in the decisions made about their care.

That's why I'm excited to invite you to attend AHRQ's second annual conference, "Promoting Quality...Partnering for Change," September 7–10, 2008, at the Bethesda North Marriott Convention Center, in Bethesda, MD. The conference will again bring together the best of the Agency's research and provide examples of how that research is being implemented at all levels in health care delivery.

In particular, the conference will be organized along the Agency's major bodies or portfolios of work:

• Health Information Technology
• Effective Health Care
• Prevention and Care Management
• Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
• Value-Driven Care
• Health Care Innovation and Emerging Issues

I would also like to highlight that we will again this year feature interactive displays of AHRQ products and tools, along with extramural and intramural research posters in what we are calling the mAHRQet Place Café. The Café will feature nearly two dozen displays of new quality improvement tools and applications that attendees can try out themselves.

If you are interested in learning more about ways that we can improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of our nation's health care, I hope you'll agree that attending AHRQ's annual conference is a must!

I look forward to seeing you there!

Carolyn M. Clancy, MD
Director, AHRQ