Stop the Number One Killer of Women

Stop the Number One Killer of Women

Heart disease is the number one killer of women, surpassing every form of cancer according to 2010 data from the National Institutes of Health. The Heart Truth® education program was formed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute with the goal to raise...
Your Health with Joan Lunden and CDC

Your Health with Joan Lunden and CDC

If you’re like many Americans, getting healthy is at the top of your list of New Year resolutions. But also like many Americans, you may not know you’re at risk for—or already have—prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. A new broadcast mini-series, “Your Health with Joan...
Million Hearts® 2022 Unveiled

Million Hearts® 2022 Unveiled

The aim of Million Hearts® is to reduce heart attacks and strokes by one million in five years. From 2012-2016, based on preliminary calculations, over 500,000 heart events have been prevented. The metrics used were utilizing the ABCs (aspirin, blood pressure and...
Tools Support Nursing Home Composite Score Advances

Tools Support Nursing Home Composite Score Advances

Nursing homes across the four-state region are advancing quality improvement efforts and achieving quality composite score success!  Great Plains QIN distributes a quarterly composite score report with easy-to-read graphs, trending and comparisons recognized nursing...
QAPI in Action: Consistent Assignment Project Increases Quality

QAPI in Action: Consistent Assignment Project Increases Quality

Weskota Manor Avera in Wessington Springs, SD, chose implementing consistent assignment between the CNA’s and residents for their 2015/2016 QAPI project. The purpose was to confront several issues such as decreasing falls and increasing activities of daily living for...
Important Strategies for Reducing Readmissions

Important Strategies for Reducing Readmissions

On December 9, Health System Management reported that last year, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) withheld $420 million in reimbursements from half of U.S. hospitals because of readmission penalties. Hospitals need to have a solid strategy to not...
8 Steps to be a Better Advocate in Patient Care

8 Steps to be a Better Advocate in Patient Care

Becker’s Hospital Review recently reported there are eight steps patients can take on their own that can lead to better care and outcomes. Becker’s culled the steps from Laura Landro’s “The Informed Patient” column for The Wall Street Journal. Steps include: 1.    Do...
Data Analytics Help Antibiotic Stewardship Reach New Heights

Data Analytics Help Antibiotic Stewardship Reach New Heights

Recently, FierceHealthcare reported real-time data use by healthcare organizations can help take their antimicrobial stewardship programs to the next level. Inappropriate use of antibiotics cost as much as $34 billion each year in the U.S., according to the Centers...
Happy Holidays from Great Plains QIN

Happy Holidays from Great Plains QIN

‘Tis the season for holiday celebrations, food comas, football and, most importantly, special time with family and friends. Due to these festivities, Great Plains QIN offices will be closed the following dates: Kansas: December 26, December 27 and January 2...