Innovating for Value and Results
Several members of the Great Plains Quality Innovation Network quality improvement team were among 3,000 leaders across the country who attended the 2019 CMS National Quality Conference, hosted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The CMS Quality Conference was an opportunity to explore how patients, advocates, providers, researchers, and champions in healthcare quality improvement can develop and spread solutions to address America’s most pervasive health system challenges.
“The four words that have the power to change healthcare. ‘LISTEN. TO. THE. PATIENT’.” – Dr. Paul Rosen, CMS.
Brenda Munson and Kathy Ward are Patient and Family Advisory Council members in North Dakota and Nebraska, respectively. Both Brenda and Kathy were able to attend the Quality Conference.
“Attending the CMS Quality Conference made me aware of the depth and scope of the work of many organizations that are striving to improve healthcare for patients. It was a privilege to attend as a member of North Dakota’s patient advisory council to participate in discussions relating to patient and family advocacy at a national level. A statement I found impactful was from Michael Leavitt who said, ‘Be leaders for healthcare. Leaders, like buttons, hold things together. Buttons are universal across cultures, all over the world, and buttons date back to the beginning of civilization.”
– Brenda Munson, Voices of Healthcare, North Dakota
“It was my privilege to attend the 2019 CMS Quality Conference and it gave me a new sense of optimism about healthcare in the United States. With thousands of professionals sharing their experiences and learning new ways to create lasting change, there is little doubt that the future will bring important improvements in health quality. The enhanced emphasis on incorporating patient voices was particularly encouraging.
CMS Administrator, Seema Verma, gave an inspiring talk on empowering patients, focusing on results and releasing innovation. One useful patient empowerment tool that she announced was the What’s Covered App that allows Medicare recipients to search specific items or services to determine if they are covered.
The conference was an opportunity to celebrate significant wins in improving the health status of communities, promoting care that is person- and family-centered, and providing better care at lower cost. The Great Plains Quality Innovation Network can be proud of its many contributions to these wins.”
– Kathy Ward, Healthcare Advisory Council Member, Nebraska
The collaborative format of the conference and strong focus on putting patients first, promoting health care choice and driving value based care was underscored by the 2019 conference theme, “Innovating for Value and Results”. The conference highlighted new strategic directions and priorities among all stakeholders and expanded collaborations for high-quality, affordable, patient-centered care.
Participants experienced interactive learning sessions, master classes for continuing education credit, and engaging seminars and keynote addresses spanning vast areas of interest, including, but not limited to:
- Value based care
- Managing complex chronic conditions
- Leadership
- Care coordination
- Patient and family engagement
- Opioid reduction and patient safety
Did you miss Quality Conference or just want to relive it? Check out the links below for highlights from the conference.
Recordings of the grand plenary sessions are now available on the Quality Conference website, here.
Photos from the conference can be viewed here.