QIO News Posts

The flu season is in its early phases and the number of individuals seeking health care for symptoms similar to influenza is over twice the national baseline. Widespread flu activity is being reported across the country and the Centers for Disease Control and...

  CMS announces new payment model to improve quality, coordination and cost-effectiveness for both inpatient and outpatient care  Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Innovation Center)...

  CMS updated data on the Hospital Compare website and on data.medicare.gov to provide patients, families and stakeholders with the information they need to compare the performance of hospitals where they seek medical care. Along with data on quality measures, CMS...

  The basic elements of an infection prevention program are designed to prevent the spread of infection in healthcare settings. When these elements are present and practiced consistently, the risk of infection among patients and healthcare personnel is reduced....

While the opioid epidemic has taken its greatest toll on younger people, a study by the U.S. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project shows that the epidemic has increasingly affected the elderly Medicare population as well. This study found that Medicare beneficiaries...

  Based on the December 2017 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Health Alert Network, influenza activity has increased significantly with influenza A(H3N2) viruses predominating so far this season. Now, more than ever, it is very important to...

  Changing reimbursement models are expanding hospital care beyond the treatment and recovery of individuals, to include a focus on overall population health. Hospitals are being incented to keep community members healthy. Read more about Chadron Community Hospital...

Patients, Providers Vary in Defining Value in Patient-Centered Care Patient Engagement HIT recently reported that patients and providers are divided in what they view as “value” in healthcare, according to a recent report from the University of Utah Health. A survey...

  Check out the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's (IHI's) free Quality Improvement (QI) Essentials Toolkit that includes ten tools and templates needed to launch, manage and measure successful QI projects. Each of the tools and templates can be used with the...

  As we head into the holiday season, we’re reminiscing on the exciting events of 2017 and anticipating what’s to come in the new year. Throughout this year, we’ve enjoyed engaging with our valued stakeholders. We continue to be inspired by the great work,...