July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to highlight the unique strengths and challenges faced by Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in relation to mental health. Named in honor of Bebe Moore Campbell, a journalist, teacher, author...
Roadmap to Better Care: Tribal Version Updated

Roadmap to Better Care: Tribal Version Updated

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) and Division of Tribal Affairs (DTA) recently shared the newly updated Coverage to Care (C2C) Roadmap to Better Care: Tribal Version, to better address the specific health needs of...
The Direct Benefits of Quitting Vaping & Nicotine

The Direct Benefits of Quitting Vaping & Nicotine

As healthcare providers, when counseling patients about smoking or vaping cessation, we need to emphasize the immediate health benefits an individual can experience with quitting. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), after more than 20...
Great Plains QIN LAN Event: Use of Pharmacogenomics as a Medication Optimization Strategy | June 18, 2024

Great Plains QIN LAN Event: Use of Pharmacogenomics as a Medication Optimization Strategy | June 18, 2024

Pharmacogenomic testing is a form of genetic testing that helps predict how an individual will respond to certain medications based on their genetic makeup. It involves analyzing variations in genes that affect drug metabolism, efficacy, and potential adverse...
The Confusion with Billing Medicare for Respiratory Vaccines is Real

The Confusion with Billing Medicare for Respiratory Vaccines is Real

Billing issues related to COVID-19 vaccines can arise due to various factors, such as insurance coverage, government reimbursement policies, and administrative errors. The second round of 23-24 updated COVID-19 vaccines are upon us. To try to alleviate issues with...
Updated Community Data Reports [Q4 2023]: Addressing Gaps, Achieving Growth and Quality Improvement

Updated Community Data Reports [Q4 2023]: Addressing Gaps, Achieving Growth and Quality Improvement

The Great Plains QIN team strives to improve healthcare quality and patient outcomes. We work with partners and community coalitions to identify areas for improvement, which include reducing avoidable hospital admissions and readmissions, including those caused by...
Sepsis: STOP And TELL Tool | Knowing the Signs of Sepsis Could Save a Life

Sepsis: STOP And TELL Tool | Knowing the Signs of Sepsis Could Save a Life

In North Dakota and South Dakota, sepsis is the #1 admission and readmission diagnosis. With sepsis, time is of the essence. For every hour of delayed treatment, the risk of death increases by between 4 and 9 percent.¹ Experts say that 80 percent of sepsis deaths...
Partnerships are Key to Reducing Readmissions with Hospital and Nursing Home Collaboration

Partnerships are Key to Reducing Readmissions with Hospital and Nursing Home Collaboration

Reducing readmissions matters to both hospitals and nursing homes. With readmission measures that can impact the bottom line for both, strategic partnerships are paramount. For the FY 2025 Program year, the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Value Based Payment Program...