by Keri McDermott | Jun 3, 2022 | Antibiotic Stewardship, Featured, Great Plains QIN, Medication Safety, Nursing Home Quality, Opioids, Patient Safety, Quality Care Coalition
Great Plains Quality Innovation Network recently updated its Antipsychotic Reduction Resident Prioritization Tool. This tool is designed to assist an interdisciplinary team to identify where to begin a gradual dose reduction of antipsychotic medications and which...
by Keri McDermott | Apr 25, 2022 | Featured, Great Plains QIN, Medication Safety, Nursing Home Quality, Opioids, Public Observances, Quality Care Coalition
The Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is April 30, 2022. This event, which happens twice a year, is a safe, convenient, and responsible way to dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs at locations in communities...
by Keri McDermott | Apr 12, 2022 | Antibiotic Stewardship, Covid-19, Featured, Great Plains QIN, Medication Safety, Nursing Home Quality, Opioids, Patient Safety, Quality Care Coalition
During the COVID-19 health crisis, it’s more important than ever to remove the risk and keep your loved ones safe. Unused prescription drugs can be dangerous, especially for children, teens and even pets. Misused medications can lead to accidental overdose or...
by Keri McDermott | Apr 4, 2022 | Antibiotic Stewardship, Featured, Great Plains QIN, Medication Safety, Nursing Home Quality, Patient Safety, Quality Care Coalition
The CDC has recently updated its Antibiotic Resistance Website to better engage and share information on antibiotic resistance (AR) in the United States and around the world. We all have a role to play—from travelers, animal owners, and care givers to patients and...
by Keri McDermott | Mar 15, 2022 | Antibiotic Stewardship, Care Coordination, Chronic Disease Self-Management, Featured, Great Plains QIN, Medication Safety, Nursing Home Quality, Opioids, Quality Care Coalition
Submitted by: Laura Anderson, Assistant Director of the Behavioral Health Division, ND Department of Human Services We have all heard about the opioid crisis and the impact it is having on our family, friends, businesses and communities. Every aspect of the opioid...
by Keri McDermott | Feb 22, 2022 | Care Coordination, Chronic Disease Self-Management, Events, Featured, Great Plains QIN, Health Equity, Medication Safety, Nursing Home Quality, Patient Safety, Quality Care Coalition
What do antibiotics, immunizations and sepsis have in common and why is it important to “Connect the Dots”? March 15, 2022 | 3:00 p.m. CT Register Now. We can PROTECT one’s health, PRESERVE antibiotic effectiveness and PREVENT infections leading to sepsis through...
by Keri McDermott | Dec 28, 2021 | Featured, Great Plains QIN, Medication Safety, Quality Care Coalition
The cost of prescription drugs can be extremely expensive and often times out of reach for individuals in need. Fortunately, there are programs that can help. Mark Hardy, PharmD; North Dakota Board of Pharmacy, recently provided an overview of a program that helps...
by Keri McDermott | Nov 29, 2021 | Featured, Great Plains QIN, Health Equity, Medication Safety, Nursing Home Quality, Opioids, Patient Safety, Quality Care Coalition
Implementing the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aims to save lives and prevent prescription opioid misuse, opioid use disorder and overdose by equipping providers with the knowledge, tools...
by Keri McDermott | Nov 17, 2021 | Antibiotic Stewardship, Care Coordination, Featured, Great Plains QIN, Medication Safety, Nursing Home Quality, Public Observances, Quality Care Coalition
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging healthcare professionals to prescribe antibiotics only when necessary to help fight antibiotic resistance and the spread of superbugs and to protect their patients from antibiotic-related adverse drug...
by Keri McDermott | Nov 10, 2021 | Antibiotic Stewardship, Care Coordination, Covid-19, Featured, Great Plains QIN, Healthcare-Associated Infections, Immunizations, Medication Safety, Nursing Home Quality, Opioids, Patient Safety, Quality Care Coalition
Hats, mittens, cough drops and Kleenex become common shopping list items as the winter season approaches. Protection against the cold and supplies to fight a cold seem to be connected. Infections are a growing health concern and the Great Plains Quality Innovation...
by Keri McDermott | Nov 10, 2021 | Antibiotic Stewardship, Covid-19, Featured, Great Plains QIN, Hospitals, Medication Safety, Nursing Home Quality, Patient Safety, Quality Care Coalition
Thursday, November 18, 2021 | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM CT The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published several studies characterizing antibiotic prescribing during the COVID-19 pandemic in outpatient, nursing home, and hospital settings. Findings from...
by Keri McDermott | Nov 5, 2021 | Antibiotic Stewardship, Featured, Great Plains QIN, Healthcare-Associated Infections, Medication Safety, Nursing Home Quality, Patient Safety, Quality Care Coalition
Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) is a germ that causes diarrhea and inflammation of the colon. The CDC estimates C. diff impacts almost half a million people in the United States each year and an estimated 29,300 deaths. C. diff is a bacteria spread by microscopic...