Value of the SNFist: Nothing to Sneeze At
From the ABCS for heart health to challenges of managing a ZBB (Zero Based Budget), acronyms are a staple in the healthcare industry. While many are commonly recognized, a SNFist is fairly new to the list and proving to be a valuable addition. Healthcare professionals...
read more
Joe’s Choice: Manage Diabetes Using Lifestyle Change
Managing diabetes to prevent complications and improve quality of life is a daily reality for 30.3 million Americans. Millions more are unaware they are living with diabetes (7.2 million) or prediabetes (75.6 million). The American Diabetes Association Diabetes Alert...
read more
National Patient Safety Awareness Week: Focusing Beyond the Hospital
While patient safety improvement efforts have historically focused on inpatient settings, less work has been directed toward ambulatory care settings, even though most care is provided in these settings. In the United States, roughly one billion ambulatory visits...
read more
Spreading the Vision of Experience Creation: Upcoming Learning Opportunity
Providing clear vision is both a healthcare service and the intentional focus for leadership at Vance Thompson Vision. With five locations across the Midwest, the practice is designed to maximize the patient experience based on the concept that seeing your best means...
read more
Submit Your Entry: 2019 Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Challenge
2019 Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Challenge Deadline Approaching: Submit your entry today! The Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Challenge is a competition to identify clinicians, practices and health systems that have demonstrated exceptional achievements...
read more
Faulkton Navigates the Fine Line of Antibiotic Stewardship
With each winter storm the desire for sunshine grows, but too much sun can become an equally difficult problem. There’s a fine line between just enough and too much of even the best things. Healthcare professionals in Faulkton are working to close this gap of...
read more
What’s on the GPQIN Calendar?
The Great Plains Quality Innovation Network offers several educational opportunities for healthcare partners. The topics are diverse; there is something for everyone! We hope you are able to join us.
read more
Expose Toes to Save Limbs and Prevent Complications from Diabetes
From smooth and polished to callused and stinky, feet provide valuable insights to the health of every individual diagnosed with diabetes. High blood sugar can damage nerves in the feet and legs causing pain and numbness called neuropathy. This lack of feeling...
read more
Deadly Staph Infections Still Threaten the U.S.
New report shows significant national progress is slowing, causing concern Staph infections are still a threat. Staph is found on the skin of humans and does not always cause infections. If staph gets into the blood stream, serious infections can develop that may...
read more
CMS Improving Nursing Home Compare
Changes offer greater support to consumers looking to compare quality of Nursing Homes The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced updates coming in April to Nursing Home Compare and the Five-Star Quality Rating System; strengthening this...
read more
Kidney Disease: ‘The Silent Killer’
Kidney disease is often referred to as the “silent killer” and often presents no symptoms in its earliest phase. Education, awareness, lifestyle choices, and knowing what can cause kidneys to fail can make a significant difference in preventing kidney...
read more
New Resource: Sepsis and Aging Community Education Presentation
According to the Sepsis Alliance more than 80% of septic patients are older adults (50+).The Sepsis Alliance announces the release of Sepsis and Aging Community Education Presentation, a do-it-yourself (DIY) presentation toolkit to help educate older...
read more
KEPRO’s Patient Navigation Program Ending
KEPRO is the Beneficiary and Family Centered Care QIO (BFCC-QIO) for more than 30 states, including the four states that comprise the Great Plains Quality Innovation Network. KEPRO began a Patient Navigation Program in Fall 2017 as part of its Person and Family...
read more
CMS Expands Opioid Mapping Tool
Escalating use of prescription opioids for pain management has contributed to the opioid epidemic through misuse and overuse. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an expanded version of the Opioid Prescribing Mapping Tool to ensure that...
read more
Enter the Million Hearts™ Hypertension Challenge
Submit your entry for the 2019 Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Challenge The Million Hearts® Hypertension Control Challenge is a competition to identify clinicians, practices and health systems that have demonstrated exceptional achievements in working...
read more
A New Take on the Buddy System for a Heart Healthy Lifestyle
Strong relationships in every aspect of life have a direct impact on health. Family, friends and colleagues immediately come to mind, but many individuals forget to consider healthcare professionals as key members of their support network. These relationships...
read more
Connecting the Dots: Antibiotics, Immunizations and Sepsis
The Great Plains Quality Innovation Network – Nebraska is hosting a series of events on April 8 and 9, 2019 in Norfolk, Nebraska. Experts and champions of healthcare will discuss…. How are immunizations, antibiotic use and sepsis related? How can an increased...
read more
Patient Education and Communication Leads to Better Medication Adherence
On February 5, Patient Engagement HIT reported that strong communication between patients and providers, patient education and reduced costs help patients better manage their medications, according to a survey from DrFirst. More than half of the 200 patients surveyed...
read more
Comparison Shopping in Healthcare and the Value of Hospital Star Ratings
Websites and shopping apps including Amazon, Ebates and ShopSavvy take full advantage of every consumer’s desire to find a good deal. Price comparisons, coupons and reviews provide a sense of confidence for making the best purchase. Similarly, healthcare...
read more
Acute Pain Relief Rx Pad Resource Now Available
Each year in the United States, there are an estimated 141.4 million visits to the Emergency Department (ED), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.¹ Pain is the top reason for these encounters, with one study showing pain as a chief complaint in...
read more
Updated Guidelines for Pharmacy-based Immunization Advocacy and Administration
In line with the increased role of pharmacists in providing immunizations, The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) announced that it has revised its Guidelines for Pharmacy-based Immunization Advocacy and Administration. The new guidelines encompass prevention,...
read more
CDC Releases Evidence-based Strategies for Preventing Opioid Overdose
Learn what’s working in the United States. Every day, more than 130 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids.¹ The misuse of and addiction to opioids—including prescription pain relievers, heroin and synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl—is a serious...
read more
Rural First Responders Alert for Signs of Sepsis
Cars pull to the side and everyone takes note of the flashing lights and blaring siren of the local ambulance. Well before the lights and sirens, community volunteers in rural areas heard the rally call to become first responders for friends and neighbors in...
read more
Getting to the Heart of Diabetes
People living with diabetes are twice as likely to develop and die from cardiovascular disease. In the United States, every 80 seconds an adult with diabetes is hospitalized, and every 2 minutes an adult with diabetes is hospitalized for a stroke. For adults at...
read more![Improving the Management of Respiratory Infections: Online Training [FREE CE]](https://i0.wp.com/greatplainsqin.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/med-meeting1280x300.jpg?resize=1080%2C300&ssl=1)
Improving the Management of Respiratory Infections: Online Training [FREE CE]
Acute respiratory infections, including sinusitis, acute viral respiratory infections and bronchitis are among the most common diagnoses associated with antibiotic prescribing in outpatient settings. According to a 2016 study, only 50 percent of the...
read more
1.4 Million Survive Sepsis Each Year. Let’s Celebrate Them!
It is #SepsisSurvivor Week [February 10 - 16] Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to an infection which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death. In the United States, sepsis takes a life every two minutes. Fortunately, millions...
read more
The Role of Exercise in Heart Health
It is important for your patients to know that being active can improve their heart health in a number of ways. It can help them maintain a healthy weight, improve circulation and lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. For adults, the Surgeon...
read more
Patients, Advocates, Providers, Researchers and Healthcare Champions Come Together for Solutions
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 &...
read more
Moving Quality Concepts Into Patient-Centered Practice – You are Invited
One Event. Two Locations. Nebraska Clinic Conference: Collaborating for Success | Moving Quality Concepts into Patient-Centered Practice Want to see how others have implemented quality concepts into best practices for patient centered care? If so, attend...
read more
Injection Safety: Making Care Safer for Your Staff and Patients
A no-cost course Injection Safety Course (with continuing education credits available) can be found on the new, updated Nebraska One and Only Campaign web page. You and your staff can use this course to become a Safe Injection Champion and make your workplace safer...
read more