I am in San Antonio this week for the ASTM Meetings. The taxi ride in from the airport was illuminating. The cabby told me all about the economic success they are enjoying in San Antonio. I don't know if her statistics are right, or if she is just a member of the local Chamber of Commerce, but it was nice to learn of at least one place doing well. The River Walk area is large and by my memory getting larger. Restaurant after restaurant lines the river front. Tour boats go by with driver/narrators telling the story of San Antonio. Of course, close by is the Alamo, the historic spot where Texas heroes made their last stand.

The citizens of San Antonio have done a marvelous job of preserving and celebrating their history. In health care, we are responsible for preserving history too, though usually history that is not as romantic as the history of the Alamo. But as San Antonio demonstrates, preserving history can pay economic dividends. For us in health care, the dividends take the form of better patient care, and, yes, the ability to demonstrate proper performance when questioned internally or from external sources.