by Keri McDermott | Apr 13, 2021 | Featured, Nursing Home Quality, Quality Care Coalition
Fall risk increases with the number of drugs used per day and polypharmacy (the use of at least three drugs) is regarded as an important risk factor for falls in older people. Some physicians are reluctant to initiate potentially contentious conversations with...
by Keri McDermott | Apr 13, 2021 | Behavioral Health Outcomes, Chronic Disease Self-Management, Diabetes Care, Featured, Great Plains QIN, Medication Safety, Patient Safety, Quality of Care Transitions, Uncategorized
Confidante. Helper. Friend. Trusted Resource. These are all descriptors for Jordan Bergmann, a community health worker (CHW) who helps bridge the gap for individuals in need of community services or health care programs in Bismarck, North Dakota. “In order to connect...
by Keri McDermott | Apr 12, 2021 | Covid-19, Featured
There are currently three Covid-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use by the US Food and Drug Administration, manufactured by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. All three are currently being distributed across the United States. Many are wondering...
by Keri McDermott | Apr 9, 2021 | Featured, Patient Safety, Quality Care Coalition, Quality of Care Transitions
Public health practitioners, professionals in the aging network, mental health providers, healthcare professionals and anyone interested in ensuring the mental health of older adults should attend this free, virtual event on May 6, 2021. Learn more by accessing the...
by Keri McDermott | Apr 8, 2021 | CMS News, Featured, Quality Care Coalition
The National Quality Forum’s (NQF) Measure Applications Partnership (MAP) Call for Nominations for organizations and individual subject matter experts is open. The MAP is a public-private partnership convened by NQF, funded by a contract with the Centers for Medicare...
by Keri McDermott | Apr 6, 2021 | Covid-19, Featured, Great Plains QIN, Quality Care Coalition
April is National Minority Health Month, and this year, the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) is focusing on the impacts COVID-19 is having on racial and ethnic minority and American Indian and Alaska Native communities and underscoring the need for these vulnerable...
by Keri McDermott | Apr 6, 2021 | Covid-19, Featured, Great Plains QIN
There is a new national campaign to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence. This campaign will rely on messengers from community-based organizations to press the importance of the vaccine, especially in underserved populations, including rural ones. The WE CAN DO THIS...
by Keri McDermott | Apr 6, 2021 | Featured, Great Plains QIN, Public Observances, Quality Care Coalition
While 92% of Americans say it’s important to discuss their wishes for end-of-life care, only 32% have had such a conversation. 95% of Americans say they would be willing to talk about their wishes and 53% even say they’d be relieved to discuss it. (The Conversation...
by Keri McDermott | Apr 5, 2021 | Featured, Great Plains QIN, Health Equity, Patient Safety, Quality Care Coalition
HEALTH EQUITY MEANS THAT EVERY PERSON HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACHIEVE OPTIMAL HEALTH REGARDLESS OF: • THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN • LEVEL OF EDUCATION • GENDER IDENTITY •SEXUAL ORIENTATION • THE JOB THEY HAVE • THE NEIGHBORHOOD THEY LIVE IN • WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE A...
by Keri McDermott | Apr 5, 2021 | Featured, Medication Safety, Opioids, Patient Safety, Quality Care Coalition
Over 81,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States in the 12 months ending in May 2020, the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a 12-month period, according to recent provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...