Latest News
Preventable Transfer to the Hospital: A Case Study
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Patient Safety Network, shares a web case study to emphasize that the period following discharge from the hospital is an especially vulnerable time for patients. Hospitalizations have become progressively shorter despite...
Sepsis Awareness Month Toolkit I Say Sepsis. Save Lives
One of the most important actions we can do in honor of Sepsis Awareness Month is to educate yourself and others about the different sepsis symptoms so that you know what to look out for. You could potentially save a life! Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming and toxic...
Advocacy and Awareness: The Importance of Vaccinations
Although significant vaccine-related advancements have been made in the United States, adult vaccination rates still remain low overall, especially among racial and ethnic minority populations, who have been shown to be less likely to be vaccinated against certain...
Great Plains QIN Roundtable: Immunizations in the Dakotas | August 16, 2022
Attend this Immunizations Roundtable to learn about immunization efforts and activity in the Dakotas. Our panel of experts will discuss vaccination rates, vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, social media and how to have constructive conversations. The panel will also...
Do You Have Hitchhikers in your Building? Infection Control & Prevention I September 7, 2022
Bacteria hitchhike and latch on to surfaces and hands, so reducing this risk, must be part of an organization's Infection Prevention Control program. Infections in our older adult population have high mortality rates and contaminated environmental surfaces is often a...
Your Quality Improvement Partner: Making an Impact
We are proud of our work, thankful for our partnerships and will continue to strive to make healthcare in our region the best in the nation. At Great Plains QIN, we are fortunate to have a solid team of qualified and committed individuals. We work to improve health...
Getting Back on Track with Vaccinations
August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). This annual observance highlights the efforts of healthcare professionals to protect patients of all ages against vaccine-preventable diseases through on-time vaccination. This observance serves as an important...
Join Our Quality Improvement Team
As a Medicare Quality Innovation Network – Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO), we provide technical assistance to healthcare providers across all settings to achieve the aims of better health care, improved health, safer care and lower healthcare costs....
FirstLink I An Inside Look
FirstLink in Fargo, North Dakota is fortunate to have a leader who is compassionate, dedicated and committed to serving those in need. We are fortunate to meet with FirstLink’s Executive Director, Jennifer Illich to learn more about the organization and those that...
CDC Recommends Novavax’s COVID-19 Vaccine for Adults: Upcoming Webinar | July 28, 2022
The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine is to be used as another primary series option for adults ages 18 years and older. Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine, which will be available in the coming weeks, is an...
July 25 Behavioral Health Panel Recording Available
Access to mental health services is a real problem and there is a definite need to come together to address the complex issues surrounding awareness, education and access. We had the privilege to hear from a panel of local experts on this very important topic during...
Immunize South Dakota Conference: Bridging the Gap I August 2, 2022
A few days left to register for the 6th annual Immunize SD Conference: Bridging the Gap on August 2. This conference is perfectly timed to Bridge the Gap between knowledge and action, between action and access and between access and trust. Intended to promote access...
We LOVE Our Community Health Centers
August 7-13 is National Health Center Week and health centers in North Dakota and South Dakota have many exciting activities and promotions planned to showcase their centers, recognize their staff and engage their communities. This year, the Community Health...
Overdose Deaths Show Historic Increase: CDC Vital Signs Media Briefing
Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a historic 30% increase in overdose deaths throughout the United States from 2019 to 2020. In one year, overdose death rates increased 44% for Black people and 39% for American Indian and Alaska Native people,...
Funding Available in North Dakota for Vaccine Storage and Handling Equipment
The North Dakota Department of Health recently announced the availability of funding for vaccine storage and handling equipment. This one-time funding is available to healthcare providers that are unable to purchase vaccine storage and handling equipment using their...
Bringing Awareness to the Unique Struggles Minority Communities Face Regarding Mental Illness
National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is observed each July to bring awareness to the unique struggles that racial and ethnic minority communities face regarding mental illness in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it harder for racial and...
Mini Virtual Conference: Navigating Late Stages of Dementia for Caregivers I August 4, 2022
FREE learning opportunity for providers, healthcare professionals and caregivers. A 4-hour mini-conference that will involve presentations on late stages of dementia, hospice vs. palliative care and managing end-of-life care for people living with dementia followed by...
AHRQ Patient Safety Culture Nursing Home Surveys
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) sponsored the development of the Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture; designed specifically for nursing home providers seeking opinions about the culture of patient safety and healthcare quality in their...
Great Plains QIN Webinar: Behavioral Health in the Dakotas – Panel Discussion I July 25, 2022
July 25, 2022 | 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. CT The United States is...
2022 Pink Book Web-on-Demand Series: Principles of Vaccination Now Live
The Pink Book Web-on-Demand Series Update on Principles of Vaccination is now live. Sarah Schillie, MD, MPH, MBA, Communication and Education Branch (CEB), Immunization Services Division (ISD), National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) will...
What is 988?
A new national suicide prevention hotline, 988, will go live all over the country, including North and South Dakota. There will a Webinar that you can join to gain more information about this new lifeline for people suffering from a mental health crisis. This event...
NEW Project Firstline Resources: Where Germs Live
Project Firstline offers trainings on infectious disease prevention and is designed to give frontline healthcare workers the knowledge to perform daily duties with confidence. The goal is to make sure as many healthcare workers as possible have access and complete...
Kepro Informational Webinar & Healthy Aging Matters Podcast I July 27th
Kepro offers information and assistance to providers, Medicare beneficiaries and families regarding Medicare quality of care complaints, hospital discharge and skilled service termination appeals and Immediate Advocacy services. This webinar will provide a basic...
In Case You Missed It: Infection Control in Respiratory Therapy Practices
Jessica Danko shared her knowledge and expertise on the topic of infection control in respiratory therapy practices on June 21, via a Webinar hosted by Great Plains QIN. Danko has a wealth of knowledge in respiratory care and healthcare management. Her systemic...
Long-Term COVID Symptoms and What We Need to Know
Some patients who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, have new, recurring, or ongoing symptoms and clinical findings four or more weeks after infection, sometimes after initial symptom recovery. Post-COVID conditions can occur in...
The Fight to #StopSuicide
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, with 45,979 deaths in 2020. This is about one death every 11 minutes. The number of people who think about or attempt suicide is even higher. In 2020, an estimated 12.2 million American adults seriously thought...
Become A COVID-19 Vaccination Booster Champion
We are looking to celebrate and recognize organizations with high staff COVID-19 booster vaccination rates throughout North Dakota and South Dakota. Organizations that meet this milestone will be provided a Staff COVID-19 Vaccination Booster Champion Certificate as...
CDC Guidance: To Mask or Not To Mask?
We are hoping to clarify the masking requirements for healthcare providers in various healthcare settings. According to CDC Guidance (February 2, 2022) the following applies. Health Care Providers (HCPs) who are up to date with all recommended COVID-19 vaccine and...
Building a Team of Patient Advocates at the Center for Family Medicine
Trying to understand an acute or chronic health concern can be confusing. Lacking transportation or money for prescription medication adds to the frustration. Melissa Nielsen is building a team of patient advocates by integrating community health workers (CHWs) at...
Training Opportunities | NDSU Center for Immunization Research and Education
The North Dakota State University Center for Immunization Research and Education (CIRE, pronounced seer-ee) addresses trends in vaccine coverage through research and education and find ways to improve vaccine acceptance and immunization rates in children and adults....