National Healthcare Quality Week

The Great Plains QIN team proudly supports the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) and those around the world in celebrating Healthcare Quality Week. This week is dedicated to the healthcare quality professionals who are committed to improving healthcare quality and patient safety and to the profession. NAHQ is the professional home for healthcare quality professionals at every level and career stage as we continue to raise awareness of the positive impacts that skilled healthcare quality professionals are making.

This year’s celebration takes place October 17- 23. Throughout the week, let’s bring greater awareness to the profession of Healthcare Quality and celebrate and acknowledge the work of healthcare quality professionals in our organizations and communities.

We asked our Great Plains QIN team members to reflect on their healthcare quality journey and profession. A few highlights below.

Lisa Thorp Updated II“I like having the opportunity to take a look at the big picture of a facility and see where efforts can be focused to improve care. As a former frontline worker, I didn’t always have the opportunity to really evaluate certain processes to try to improve care. On the frontline, it is often so busy just keeping up with day to day needs, there isn’t a chance to consider this. Working in the quality improvement area gives a person a chance to look at the data to see what is being done, and identifying areas that need improvement. Data also identifies areas of excellence – it is easy to focus on areas of need. We need to identify all of the “good stuff” too!”– Lisa Thorp, BSN, CDCES; Great Plains QIN Quality Improvement Advisor.

“Quality is never an accident. it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.” – William A. Foster

Stacie Fredenburg“Being a healthcare quality improvement professional is like putting together a puzzle. Starting with the edge pieces allows you to frame it up and provides some structure. Finding pieces that fit together is sometimes frustrating, but it’s exciting to see the picture start to take shape. Even better, others can join at any point to help match pieces and make the process enjoyable. When the whole picture is finally revealed, you can stand back and admire the view of happier, healthy people.” – Stacie Fredenburg; Great Plain QIN Quality Improvement Advisor.

Visit NAHQ’s website for more details and to download free resources.

Thanks to all the quality professionals at the Great Plains Quality Innovation Network and all of our partners for your efforts to continually make care better for our communities and loved ones. We celebrate you!!!