Providing long-term care that fulfills the needs and preferences of the elderly and disabled should be one of the targets for the U.S. health care system. Efforts to transform the institutional culture of nursing homes into one focused on providing "resident-centered care" have attracted wide attention. At the Kansas-based Meadowlark Hills long-term care facility, CEO Steve Shields, a leading proponent of resident-centered care, is working with the Fund to develop a set of tools for other nursing home operators that will enable them to embark on the transformative journey. Photo: Eli Reichman/Redux Plus

orking toward the goal of a high performance health care system for all Americans, the Fund builds on its long tradition of scientific inquiry, a commitment to social progress, partnership with others who share common concerns, and the innovative use of communications to disseminate its work. The 2005 Annual Report offers highlights of the Fund's activities in the past year. Aiming High: Targets for the U.S. Health System. Commonwealth Fund president Karen Davis discusses the 10 priorities of the Fund's recently launched Commission on a High Performance Health System. The Fund's Mission, Goals, and Strategy Commission on a High Performance Health System Program Highlights, 2005     The Future of Health Insurance     State Innovations     Medicare's Future     Health Care Quality Improvement and Efficiency     Patient-Centered Primary Care Initiative     Special Populations     Quality of Care for Underserved Populations   Child Development and Preventive Care   Quality of Care for Frail Elders     International Program in Health Policy and Practice Foundation Performance Measurement: A Tool for Institutional Learning and Improvement. Fund executive vice president and chief operating officer John E. Craig, Jr., outlines the foundation's performance assessment system and a compendium of lessons about how it carries out its work. Treasurer’s Report and Financial Statements The Fund's Founders and Benefactors Directors and Staff Grants Approved, 2004— 2005     Printable version of entire report (192 pages)