Sepsis Champions: Making All the Difference
September is Sepsis Awareness Month. Nikki Medalen, MS, BSN, APHN-BC; Quality Improvement Specialist in North Dakota, has been instrumental in increasing awareness of sepsis and the symptoms for early recognition. As an EMT who volunteers in her own rural community,...
Team Member Reflections: Joy and Satisfaction
As you may know, the Great Plains Quality Innovation Network is part of the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) program, funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). At this time, CMS is working to identify priority areas for the QIO program...
Team Member Reflections: Successful Initiatives
As you may have heard, the Great Plains Quality Innovation Network is part of the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) program, funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). At this time, CMS is working to identify priority areas for the QIO...
Opioid Guardianship: A Blueprint for Change
Data-Driven Opioid Guardianship: A Health Care System’s Blueprint for Change Drug overdose is the leading cause of death in the United States and opioid addiction is driving this epidemic. In 2016, over 214 million prescriptions were written for opioids. On...
Team Member Reflections: Contributors to Success
As you may have heard, the Great Plains Quality Innovation Network is part of the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) program, funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). At this time, CMS is working to identify priority areas for the QIO...
Team Member Reflections: The Impact
As you may know, the Great Plains Quality Innovation Network is part of the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) program, funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). At this time, CMS is working to identify priority areas for the QIO program...
The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program: Improving Patient Outcomes
Karsen Duncan, PharmD, is a clinical pharmacist with Bryan Health. Duncan recently shared her perspective on the benefits of the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). Dr. Duncan indicated she has personally seen an impact in patient outcomes as well as a...
Relieving Stress on the Body’s Waste Management System
Forgetting to take out the trash and dealing with the odor for an extra week, especially during the hot summer months, is never pleasant. Still, it is temporary, and the minor oversight increases our appreciation for waste management. In the body, the waste...
The Power of Connections: 2019 Nebraska Healthcare Quality Forum
Great Plains Quality Innovation Network – Nebraska hosted the 16th Annual Nebraska Healthcare Quality Forum on June 6, 2019 in La Vista. While the majority of the attendees were from Nebraska, healthcare professionals from neighboring states, including Iowa, Kansas,...
Ripple Effect of Dementia Training Started in Highmore, SD
The passion of one person can truly have an impact. A director of nursing in a small town in South Dakota saw a need to improve dementia care and her efforts led to a statewide training spanning three communities and reaching almost 300 healthcare professionals....