Announcement: CMS Quality Award
Great Plains Quality Innovation Network Selected as a Recipient of QIN-QIO Task Order I Award under the 12th Statement of Work On November, 8, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded a five-year contract to Great Plains Quality Innovation...
Updates to the Nursing Home Compare Website and the Five Star Quality Rating System
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced changes to the Nursing Home Compare website and the Five Star Quality Rating System [October 23, 2019 website update]. CMS Memo QSO-20-02-NH discusses changes to the quality measures and the...
What’s Next: National AIMS and Community Coalitions
Our team is eagerly waiting to get started facilitating change and improvement across our region. The Great Plains Quality Care Coalition will be the platform. Individuals receiving care, community leaders and healthcare professionals will be at the table; working...
Diabetes Self-Management Journey to Health
Chronic health conditions are the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. They are also the leading drivers of the nation’s $3.3 trillion in annual healthcare costs. In the United States, one in two adults has a chronic condition and one in...
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Reminder: Update Your Address Book [Our Emails are Changing]
All members of the Great Plains QIN team will have an updated email address using the following format: firstname.lastname@greatplainsqin.org* We will continue to remind you of this change in the coming weeks. Thank you for your assistance! *Our e-mail addresses are...
Columbus Community Hospital’s Interdisciplinary Teams Reduce Readmissions
Columbus Community Hospital (CCH) in Columbus, Nebraska was recently featured during a national training hosted by the American Hospital Association. The training, Making the Case – How Team-Based Approaches Improve Value (improving outcomes, enhancing patient...
Healthcare Quality Week 2019 – We Celebrate You!
Healthcare Quality Week (HQW), brought to you by National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ), is the week dedicated to celebrating the contributions professionals have made to improve healthcare quality. It also gives us an opportunity to bring greater...
Time To Update Your Address Book: Our Emails Are Changing
Please update your address book. Our emails are changing. All members of the Great Plains QIN team will have an updated email address using the following format: firstname.lastname@greatplainsqin.org* We will continue to remind you of this change in the coming weeks....
Reminder: October 26: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
it is time to start preparing for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day! The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.9 million Americans...
Tobacco Use: VA Policies, QUIT Assistance and Vaping Related Illness
Veterans Affairs (VA) is implementing two new policies eliminating smoking on the grounds of healthcare facilities by patients, visitors, volunteers, contractors, vendors and employees. The policy applies to cigarettes, cigars, pipes (including electronic and...
CDC WebEx Opportunity: Enhanced Barrier Precautions
Preventing the Spread of Novel or Targeted Multidrug-resistant Organisms (MDROs) in Nursing Homes through Enhanced Barrier Precautions Thursday, October 24, 2019 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. CT The CDC has announced a webinar on Enhanced Barrier Precautions. This program provides...
HHS Releases Guide for Appropriate Tapering or Discontinuation of Long-Term Opioid Use
Prescription opioid use continues to contribute to significant morbidity and mortality in the United States. Benefits can outweigh the risks when limiting opioid prescribing in some situations, however, rapidly decreasing or abruptly discontinuing long-term...
Vaccines are Everybody’s Business
International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) International Infection Prevention Week is October 13 - 19, 2019 With measles cases now numbering more than 1,200 and spreading nationwide, protecting our “herd” through vaccination is more important than ever before. In...
October 26: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
it is time to start preparing for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day! The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.9 million Americans...
AHRQ Recruiting Ambulatory Clinics for Antibiotic Stewardship Program
Improving antibiotic prescribing and use is critical to effectively treat infections, protect patients from harms caused by unnecessary antibiotic use and combat antibiotic resistance.The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Safety Program for Improving...
New Resources for Providing Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
AHRQ’s Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Playbook serves as a comprehensive guide for implementing Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in primary care and other ambulatory care settings. Medication-Assisted Treatment is, by definition, a...
Tasha Peltier Selected for Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Leadership Program
Tasha Peltier, MPH, CPH, Quality Improvement Specialist/Community Engagement Advocate, Great Plains QIN, has been selected to participate in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health Leaders program. Designed for people from all fields—from technology and...
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
About 1 in 8 women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point. National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a chance to raise awareness about the importance of finding breast cancer early. Make a difference! Spread the word about mammograms, and...
Six Building Blocks: A Team-Based Approach to Improving Opioid Management
Most patients taking opioids for chronic pain are managed by primary care providers and their staff. Many practices are looking for help in managing their patients using chronic opioid therapy. To meet this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)...
Vaccines are Everybody’s Business
With the measles spreading in 30+ U.S. states, International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) 2019 will focus on vaccine-preventable diseases. APIC has developed new infographics around this year’s theme, Vaccines are Everybody’s Business. These two-sided fact sheets...
Cough Drops and Flu Shots Signal New Season
The swimming pool has been traded for the football field and the cooler temperatures signal the start of the next season: cold and flu season. When stocking up on cough drops and decongestant at the local food or drug store, individuals also have the opportunity to...
The Role of Health IT to Improve Care Transitions: Free AHRQ Webinar
Registration is open for a webinar, hosted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), to discuss how health Information Technology (IT) can improve care transitions for patients with complex conditions. Thursday, September 26, 2019 1:00 - 2:30 pm CT...
Prepare Your Practices for Flu Season!
As a healthcare professional, your strong recommendation is a critical factor that affects whether your patients get an influenza vaccine. Most adults believe vaccines are important, but they need a reminder from you to get vaccinated. It is necessary for some...
September is Pain Awareness Month
Prescription opioids can be an effective form of pain management, but they are not always the only option. It is important to understand the potential benefits and risks before you begin taking medications. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is...
Speak Up for Patient Safety
How can you enhance patient safety? Recognizing patient safety as a global health priority, 194 countries came together to establish September 17, 2019 as World Patient Safety Day at the 72nd World Health Assembly. Learn more and access materials to support patient...
Immunization Registry Helps Providers Call the Shots
Convenience and incentives from pharmacy locations in drug and grocery store chains have been helping increase immunization rates. The state immunization registry is a valuable tool for ensuring medical health records are properly updated for primary care providers...
Patient Reminder: Continue to Guard Your Card!
As Medicare Open Enrollment approaches, people with Medicare can help protect themselves and the Medicare program from healthcare fraud As Medicare Open Enrollment approaches, the Trump Administration through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is...
Great Plains QIN Prepares During Transition
The Great Plains Quality Innovation Network (QIN) remains in a transition phase as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) prepares to roll out a new set of priority healthcare aims for the Quality Improvement Organization program. As a recipient of the...
Unintended Harm from Exposure to Common Viruses
A simple touch or a laugh can be enough to spread an infectious disease and trigger a major health crisis. Exposure to common viruses is unavoidable and vaccination is the strongest form of protection for every age. While previously common childhood diseases have...
My Advice: Seek Help Immediately if You Suspect Sepsis
Connie Semler lives in Willow City, North Dakota and is a talented artist. [An example of her artwork pictured to the right]. Connie crafts images out of metal that she hand cuts with a plasma cutter. As a former art teacher, she spends her free time working in her...