CONCORD - Gov. John Lynch today kicked off the first meeting of his Citizens' Health Initiative, an effort aimed at improving access to affordable, quality health care for New Hampshire citizens.

"I strongly believe that every person in New Hampshire deserves access to quality, affordable health care. It is the right thing to do for our citizens. It is also the smart thing to do for our economy. The uninsured receive less preventative care and less cost-effective care than the insured, and those costs are passed on to all of us," Gov. Lynch said.

The Citizens' Health Initiative brings together lawmakers, state government officials, business leaders, health care providers, workers, and insurance experts to address the state's health care challenges. More than 100 participants attended the initial meeting of the Initiative this morning.

"My goal is that 10 years from now New Hampshire will still be the healthiest state in the nation; more of our citizens will have access to quality health care; and the growth in health care costs will be in line with the growth in our state's economy," Gov. Lynch said. "I ask all of you to work together and find the best way to turn that vision, a vision we all share, into reality.

"This is national problem and not one that we can solve alone or overnight. But New Hampshire is an innovative state with a 'can do' attitude. I strongly believe that if we work together we can find solutions that will become national models," Gov. Lynch said.

"By having all the players at the table, including state government, we can move beyond talking about good ideas, and begin implementing them. It is time for us to do that," Gov. Lynch said.

Gov. Lynch asked the members of the Initiative to consider every idea, and then present to him the best ideas, with a plan for implementing them.

"I ask you to focus on real results, and real and regular progress. Our goals are long-term, but to meet those goals we must take action now," Gov. Lynch told the participants at today's meeting.

Dr. James Squires, president of the Endowment for Health, and Dr. Rob Nordgren, executive director of Child Health Services, are serving as the co-chairs of the effort.