Over 150 attendees representing hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, home health agencies, hospice organizations, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, public health, community support agencies, state agencies, payers, practice transformation networks, educational institutions, consultants, patients and families came together to discover the power of engagement at the 2017 Quality Health Associates of North Dakota (QHA) Quality Forum in Fargo, ND.
The day’s sessions began placing a focus on patients and families. Carol Buzalsky shared the story of her mother’s 210-day hospital stay prior to her passing in 2014. Carol recounted the struggles of incorrect discharge instructions and medication lists throughout her mother’s multiple transitions of care. She stated, “My goal today is to honor my Mom’s memory and share her story in hopes you will have ideas and thoughts to take back to your work and implement changes that benefit other patients. In the framework of the power of engagement, I hope for my mom’s story to link patients, family members and care providers with compassion and engagement towards quality and patient-centered care.”
Jay Bhatt, DO, MPH, MPA, President of Health Research & Educational Trust of the AHA and Chief Medical Officer, American Hospital Association, focused on “A Framework for Engagement…or Perhaps Inclusion.” Dr. Bhatt shared the pathway from engagement (involving others) to inclusion (valuing others) to collaboration (working with others). He led attendees in a sailboat canvas activity that helped them identify enablers to help reach their goal and blockers that may slow progress.
Breakout sessions included the topics of antibiotic stewardship, advance care planning, teach-back, patient-centered care and the quality payment program, colorectal cancer screening, opioid crisis, patient-centered medical home, and quality assurance/performance improvement.
A stakeholder panel provided a forum for agencies and organizations representing patients, families, communities, payers, physicians, hospital administration, and nursing homes to address several aspects of engagement from their agency or organization’s viewpoint.
“This year’s Quality Forum was designed to help each person attending understand how they can move from commitment to being actively engaged with others to create a healthcare delivery environment in our state that produces better health and clinical outcomes while at the same time reducing costs.” stated Richard Bubach, QHA CEO. “In a rural state like North Dakota, it is imperative that we bring our healthcare systems, communities, partners, payers, patients, and families together to problem solve barriers, create solutions, and integrate successes to achieve this bold goal. As the healthcare landscape evolves, we know that our work will become even more challenging, and we’ll be asked to do more with less. Harnessing the energy of the power of engagement can help us meet those challenges with a united front and a common understanding of what needs to happen to improve health and healthcare for the people of North Dakota.”
Quality Health Associates of North Dakota is a partner in the Great Plains Quality Innovation Network serving the states of Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. Click here to learn more.