A state commission will assemble in Harrisburg today to begin the challenging task of improving management of diabetes and other chronic diseases throughout Pennsylvania.

In May, Gov. Ed Rendell issued an executive order creating the Governor's Chronic Care Management, Reimbursement and Cost Reduction Commission. Today, the group will hold its first meeting.

"We're excited because our work is beginning in earnest," said Ann Torregrossa, policy director for the Governor's Office of Health Care Reform.

The effort is part of "Prescription for Pennsylvania," the governor's plan to improve access to health insurance, cut health care costs and improve quality.

The commission is expected to focus first on diabetes, then move on to other chronic conditions such as depression, asthma and heart disease.

Many experts have expressed concerns that the current health care system, which focuses on acute care, is not optimally organized to care for people with chronic diseases. Payment systems, for example, generally do not provide incentives for health professionals to spend time with patients to help them manage their chronic conditions.

When he announced the chronic care commission earlier this year, the governor said about 78 percent of health care costs can be traced to about 20 percent of patients with chronic diseases.

"We cannot reduce the occurrence and cost of chronic diseases without aggressively addressing prevention, detection and treatment in a comprehensive, pro-active way," he said. "Setting that up will be the job of this commission."

The commission is expected to deliver a plan by Dec. 31 recommending changes needed to implement a model for improving chronic care statewide. If the governor approves the plan, some changes could begin to be implemented next year.

The 43-member panel includes officials from leading health insurers, hospitals, unions and other groups, as well as six ex officio members who lead state agencies.

Co-chairing the group are Diane Holder, president of UPMC Health Plan; Anne Morrissey, president of Pennsylvania Managed Care, Keystone Mercy and AmeriHealth Mercy health plans; and Rosemarie Greco, director of the Governor's Office of Health Care Reform.

Among the commission members from Western Pennsylvania are Anne Coyne, president of Ligonier Pharmacy; Dr. Michael Dunn, medical director of interoperability for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Dr. Karen Feinstein, president of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation; Dr. Donald Fischer, chief medical officer for Highmark; Dr. Jerome Gloster, medical director for Primary Health Care Services; and Dr. Valerie Powell, professor of computer and information systems at Robert Morris University.

Other members from the area include Mimi Priselac, director of chronic care initiatives, Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative; Dr. S. Ramalingam, medical director, UPMC Health Plan; Dr. Ralph Schmeltz of Endocrine-Metabolic Consultants; Dr. Linda Siminerio, executive director of the University of Pittsburgh Diabetes Institute; and Thomas Tomczyk, principal, Mercer Human Resources Consulting.

More than 125 people expressed interest in serving on the commission, Ms. Torregrossa said. She said they likely will be invited to serve on one of several subcommittees that will probably be formed.

She said six regional learning collaboratives also will likely be established soon to help identify community resources that could help improve chronic care management.