Antibiotic Stewardship Tools Available
The Nebraska Antimicrobial Stewardship Assessment and Promotion Program (ASAP) provides long-term care facilities and acute care hospitals with resources to promote appropriate antibiotic use, improve patient outcomes and prevent antibiotic resistance. The ASAP site...
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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.
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Move Your Way Toolkit Updated
The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has some additions to their Move Your Way Toolkit based on the new Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. We all know regular exercise is good for you and it can help you lose weight. Many Americans do not get...
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Prescribe with Confidence: Implementing the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aims to save lives and prevent prescription opioid misuse, Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and overdose by equipping providers with the knowledge, tools and guidance they need. The CDC's Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids...
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The Flu Does Not Discriminate
An estimated 80,000 Americans died of the flu or flu-related complications last winter, according to estimates from the CDC. The flu does not discriminate, it can be dangerous for anyone. Charlie Hinderliter wasn't opposed to the flu shot. He didn't have a problem...
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New 2019 Quality Payment Program Resources Available
To help you prepare for the 2019 performance year of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), CMS has posted the following new resources to the Quality Payment Program Resource Library. In the past these resources have been provided intermittently, but for...
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The MIPS 2018 Data Submission Period is Now Open
MIPS Eligible Clinicians Can Start Submitting Data for 2018 through April 2 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has officially opened the data submission period for Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligible clinicians who participated in...
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Impacting Patient Experience: Positive Impressions for Positive Outcomes
Healthcare is personal. Any individual in need of healthcare services becomes vulnerable. The level of comfort and confidence relayed by healthcare professionals at every stage of care can impact positive health outcomes. Long waits, big words and confusing bills may...
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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
PneumoRecs VaxAdvisor Mobile App for Vaccine Providers
The PneumoRecs VaxAdvisor mobile app helps vaccination providers quickly and easily determine which pneumococcal vaccines a patient needs and when. The app incorporates recommendations for all ages so physicians, family physicians, pediatricians and pharmacists alike...
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Rethinking End-Of-Life Conversations
Nancy Schoenborn, MD, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, and colleagues asked more than 1000 older adults with chronic illnesses when and how they wanted to talk to physicians about life expectancy. Dr. Schoenborn's findings are...
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Upcoming WebEx: All Cause Harm Prevention in Nursing Homes
Applying Strategies from the New CMS Change Package Join this WebEx to hear successful strategies and specific actions to improve the quality of life and care for those residing in nursing homes. Thursday, January 24, 2019 2:00 - 3:00 p.m CT One-third of SNF residents...
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Spreading the Word for a Healthy Community: Huron’s Team Approach to Antibiotic Stewardship
From allergy season to flu season and beyond, the common symptoms of a stuffy nose, cough and sore throat lead many individuals to their local clinic in search of relief. The presence of a fever increases the possibility of a bacterial infection; but often the culprit...
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Taking Back Control: Diabetes Management Begins at Home
As one of the most common chronic diseases, diabetes is an everyday reality for an estimated 23.1 million people in the United States. While healthcare professionals provide regular monitoring, the majority of care and disease management is a result of...
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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
‘Tis the Season to Focus on Readmissions
Recent readmission penalties have impacted most Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) providers. The first quality measure in SNF Value-Based Purchasing is the SNF Readmission Measure (SNFRM) - which NOW affects quality, compliance and financial outcomes for all providers...
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New Medicare Part D Opioid Policies Effective January 2019
As one of the largest payers of healthcare services, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plays a central role in addressing the opioid epidemic. CMS is focusing on three key areas—prevention, treatment and data. To target these key areas, CMS is...
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Impacts of Living Longer in South Dakota
The South Dakota State University Extension recently released 'A Profile of Older South Dakotans' authored by Gerontology Field Specialist, Leacey Brown. The document is a broad overview of social indicators from marital status to health insurance coverage and...
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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
How to Make Recommendations that Matter to Patients
WebEx Opportunity - #HowIRecommend Flu Vaccine December 12, 2018 - 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. CT Every year, large numbers of Americans get sick and die as a result of seasonal flu. Yet, many patients may underestimate flu's severity or their own susceptibility to catching it...
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Antibiogram Webinar Recording Available
Antibiograms are important tools for healthcare professionals involved in prescribing empiric antibiotics for suspected bacterial infections. They encourage responsible use of antibiotics throughout facilities. Prescribing clinicians—physicians, nurse practitioners...
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North Dakota’s CRC Screening Improvements Featured at National Meeting
Pictured above: Shannon Bacon (American Cancer Society), Jesse Tran and Joyce Sayler (North Dakota Dept. of Health), Judy Beck (Great Plains QIN), and Amanda Houston (lND CRC survivor). Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer...
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CMS Releases New Resource to Prevent All Cause Harm in Nursing Homes
We are excited to let you know that the final Change Package to prevent all cause harm in nursing homes has been released. The Change Package was developed by the Quality Innovation Network - National Coordinating Center. The Office of Inspector General reported...
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Infections Become More Common Outside of Hospitals
Clostridium difficile (klos-TRID-e-um dif-uh-SEEL), often called C. difficile or C. diff, is a bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon. On November 25, NPR reported that C. diff, first seen as a problem...
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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
Nebraska Hospital Association Releases New Opioid Toolkit
According to the CDC, the amount of opioids prescribed and sold since 1999 has nearly quadrupled, yet there has not been an overall change in the amount of pain Americans report. We have a genuine and devastating epidemic of opiate abuse in this country, and it is of...
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Implementing Teach-back in a Critical Access Hospital: Updating the EMR
Great Plains QIN facilitated a WebEx on Teach-Back in late October to demonstrate the use of teach-back to support patients and families throughout the healthcare journey. The teach-back method, also called the "show-me" method, is a communication confirmation method...
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Diabetes Awareness: Decreasing Disparities Among the Native American Population
Within the four-state region served by Great Plains Quality Innovation Network (QIN), South Dakota has the highest percentage of American Indians diagnosed with diabetes. Nationally, the American Diabetes Association reported diagnosis of 15.1 percent compared to 23.4...
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Sepsis Alliance Releases Sepsis Caregiver Guide
When A Loved One Has Sepsis: A Caregiver’s Guide is a newly-released, free, downloadable resource to help friends and family support and care for loved ones with sepsis and sepsis survivors. Sepsis, the body’s life-threatening reaction to an infection, affects 1.7...
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It’s That Time of Year Again
It’s that time of year again — FLU season.As family and friends are gathering for the holidays, flu activity is increasing. Remind your patients to get a flu vaccine now if they have not gotten vaccinated yet this season.Support National Influenza...
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