Great Plains Quality Innovation Network
Four States
The Great Plains QIN was established to carry out the work of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) program within Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. We offer technical assistance, tailored education, best practices, tools and resources for healthcare organizations and Medicare consumers.
One Commitment
Great Plains QIN aims to achieve better health care, improved health, safer care and lower healthcare costs. Each organization will continue their focus on improving care in conjunction with state partners, while pooling resources and common elements into an organization that can best serve the needs of healthcare providers and Medicare consumers across the region.
Updates to the Nursing Home Compare Website and the Five Star Quality Rating System
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced changes to the Nursing Home Compare website and the Five Star Quality Rating System [October 23, 2019 website update]. CMS Memo QSO-20-02-NH discusses changes to the quality measures and the...
Time To Update Your Address Book: Our Emails Are Changing
Please update your address book. Our emails are changing. All members of the Great Plains QIN team will have an updated email address using the following format: firstname.lastname@greatplainsqin.org* We will continue to remind you of this change in the coming weeks....
Reminder: October 26: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
it is time to start preparing for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day! The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.9 million Americans...
Tobacco Use: VA Policies, QUIT Assistance and Vaping Related Illness
Veterans Affairs (VA) is implementing two new policies eliminating smoking on the grounds of healthcare facilities by patients, visitors, volunteers, contractors, vendors and employees. The policy applies to cigarettes, cigars, pipes (including electronic and...
CDC WebEx Opportunity: Enhanced Barrier Precautions
Preventing the Spread of Novel or Targeted Multidrug-resistant Organisms (MDROs) in Nursing Homes through Enhanced Barrier Precautions Thursday, October 24, 2019 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. CT The CDC has announced a webinar on Enhanced Barrier Precautions. This program provides...
HHS Releases Guide for Appropriate Tapering or Discontinuation of Long-Term Opioid Use
Prescription opioid use continues to contribute to significant morbidity and mortality in the United States. Benefits can outweigh the risks when limiting opioid prescribing in some situations, however, rapidly decreasing or abruptly discontinuing long-term...
Vaccines are Everybody’s Business
International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) International Infection Prevention Week is October 13 - 19, 2019 With measles cases now numbering more than 1,200 and spreading nationwide, protecting our “herd” through vaccination is more important than ever before. In...
October 26: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
it is time to start preparing for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day! The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.9 million Americans...
AHRQ Recruiting Ambulatory Clinics for Antibiotic Stewardship Program
Improving antibiotic prescribing and use is critical to effectively treat infections, protect patients from harms caused by unnecessary antibiotic use and combat antibiotic resistance.The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Safety Program for Improving...
Learning and Action Network
We invite you to join the Great Plains Learning and Action Network (LAN). All LAN partners will be invited to attend educational sessions on a variety of topics, have opportunities to learn from peers throughout the state and region and have access to an abundance of resources and tools. The LAN is a great opportunity to get connected and demonstrate your commitment to quality improvement.