CMS Releases New Resource to Prevent All Cause Harm in Nursing Homes
We are excited to let you know that the final Change Package to prevent all cause harm in nursing homes has been released. The Change Package was developed by the Quality Innovation Network – National Coordinating Center. The Office of Inspector General reported...
Infections Become More Common Outside of Hospitals
Clostridium difficile (klos-TRID-e-um dif-uh-SEEL), often called C. difficile or C. diff, is a bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon. On November 25, NPR reported that C. diff, first seen as a problem...
Nebraska Hospital Association Releases New Opioid Toolkit
According to the CDC, the amount of opioids prescribed and sold since 1999 has nearly quadrupled, yet there has not been an overall change in the amount of pain Americans report. We have a genuine and devastating epidemic of opiate abuse in this country, and it is of...
Implementing Teach-back in a Critical Access Hospital: Updating the EMR
Great Plains QIN facilitated a WebEx on Teach-Back in late October to demonstrate the use of teach-back to support patients and families throughout the healthcare journey. The teach-back method, also called the “show-me” method, is a communication...
Sepsis Alliance Releases Sepsis Caregiver Guide
When A Loved One Has Sepsis: A Caregiver’s Guide is a newly-released, free, downloadable resource to help friends and family support and care for loved ones with sepsis and sepsis survivors. Sepsis, the body’s life-threatening reaction to an infection, affects 1.7...
It’s That Time of Year Again
It’s that time of year again — FLU season. As family and friends are gathering for the holidays, flu activity is increasing. Remind your patients to get a flu vaccine now if they have not gotten vaccinated yet this season. Support National Influenza Vaccination...
Celebrating Thanksgiving – Important Conversations with Loved Ones
We gather on this day to be thankful for what we have, for the families we love, the friends we cherish and for the blessings that will come The ham, turkey and pecan pie may be the same as always, but growing numbers of families plan to add a tradition to their...
Nebraska Quality Payment Program Coalition: Part of the Solution
The Quality Payment Program (QPP) began in January 2017 under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015. The QPP aims to improve health outcomes, promote smarter spending, minimize burden of participation and provide fairness and transparency in...![Connecting the Dots: Immunizations, Antibiotic Use and Sepsis [Resources You Can Use]](https://i2.wp.com/greatplainsqin.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Chalkboard-teamwork-gears1280x300.jpg?resize=1080%2C300&ssl=1)
Connecting the Dots: Immunizations, Antibiotic Use and Sepsis [Resources You Can Use]
Sepsis is the number one cause for hospital admissions and readmissions in the Great Plains QIN region. However, a knowledge gap exists in understanding how immunizations and proper antibiotic use can impact sepsis. To help bridge that gap, Great Plains QIN created...
CMS Quality Payment Program Updates [Looking Back and Ahead]
CMS Released the Year 1 (2017) Quality Payment Program Performance Data infographic which gives breakdowns on who participated, payment adjustments, as well as mean/median scores. The 2017 performance year for the Quality Payment Program was: The first year of the...