Great Plains Quality Innovation Network
Quality Experts
Our team of subject matter experts offers technical assistance, tailored education, best practices, tools and resources for healthcare organizations and Medicare consumers. We look forward to serving as your quality improvement expert, partner and resource in the journey towards improvement.
Our Commitment
We aim to achieve better health care, improved health, safer care and lower healthcare costs. Our team works in conjunction with state partners, while pooling resources and common elements into an organization that can best serve the needs of healthcare providers and Medicare consumers across the region.
Starting the Conversation About Prescription (Rx) Opioids | CDC Guidelines
In 2018, 9.9 million people reported misuse of prescription pain relievers, such as opioids, during the past year on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Doctors prescribe opioids to treat moderate to severe pain, often following a surgery or injury or for...
Consensus-Based Medication Safety Best Practices for Hospitals
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices has published the 2020-2021 Targeted Medication Safety Best Practices for Hospitals (TMSBP). The updated list includes new best practices on opioid prescribing and on the risks related to the 'override' feature with...
CMS Quality, Safety and Oversight Memos
March 5, 2020 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued three new Quality, Safety and Oversight memos about COVID-19 - two apply to nursing homes and a third to hospitals that are listed below. We strongly encourage you to review. QSO...
CMS Announces Actions to Address Spread of Coronavirus
March 4, 2020 - CMS calls on all healthcare providers to activate infection control practices and issues guidance to inspectors as they inspect facilities affected by Coronavirus Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing several...
New Toolkits Available to Ensure Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released two toolkits to help with safety and quality in nursing homes. Developing a Restful Environment Action Manual (DREAM) Toolkit – Consists of several component, including a nurse handbook, leadership...
Eliminating Medication Overload: Lown Institute Action Plan
Every day, 750 older Americans are hospitalized due to serious side effects from one or more medications. The odds of experiencing a serious adverse reaction to a medication increases 7 to 10 percent with each additional drug—yet today, more than 40 percent of older...
National Drug Control Strategy – Addressing the ‘Treatment Gap’
In 2018, an estimated 21.2 million Americans, aged 12 and older, needed treatment for a Substance Use Disorder (SUD), but only 3.7 million received any kind of treatment and only 2.4 million received treatment at a specialty facility - a disparity known as the...
Acupuncture Covered for Chronic Low Back Pain for Medicare Beneficiaries
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently finalized a decision to cover acupuncture for Medicare patients with chronic low back pain. Before this final National Coverage Determination (NCD) reconsideration, acupuncture was nationally non-covered...
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...
Great Plains Quality Care Coalition
Our Vision: Through collaboration and partnership, we aspire to make healthcare in the Dakotas the best in the nation. We have partnered with committed nursing homes, community leaders and healthcare organizations to improve the care in our communities. Better together.