QIO News Posts
September is National Cholesterol Education Month
National Cholesterol Education Month raises awareness about high blood cholesterol, a serious condition that affects over 71 million Americans and increases the risk of developing heart disease. It is also an opportunity to encourage people to get their blood...
Innovations to Reduce Non-Urgent Use of Emergency Services
For a variety of reasons, ranging from convenience to barriers in accessing primary care and other services, many patients call Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for non-urgent (often chronic) conditions. Yet often these individuals end up being transported by...
Medicare Announces Participants in Effort to Improve Access, Quality of Care in Rural Areas
Recently, CMS announced the participants in the Frontier Community Health Integration Project (FCHIP) Demonstration, an effort to increase access to care for Medicare beneficiaries in areas of the country where access to health services can be limited because of...
Immunizations: Protecting Yourself, Your Patients and Loved Ones
All adults need immunizations to help them prevent getting and spreading serious diseases that could result in poor health, missed work, medical bills and not being able to care for family or loved ones. August is National Immunization Awareness Month. We can all use...
Preventing infections in ASCs: It’s All about Teamwork
Surgical site infections are dangerous, costly and preventable. Everyone in Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASC) has a role in preventing them. The new infographic, “It Takes a Team,” has tips for ASC leaders, caregivers, patients and families on ways they can keep...
CMS Updates Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Ratings
New quality measures are now included in the overall calculation for Nursing Home star ratings Earlier this week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated the Nursing Home Compare Five-Star Quality Ratings to incorporate new measures, giving...
Pharmacies Play a Vital Role in Improving Vaccination Rates among Medicare Consumers
We are preparing for vaccination season! The Great Plains Quality Innovation Network (QIN) is working to improve vaccination rates of Medicare consumers in the region. Pharmacies play a vital role in many of our quality improvement activities, including ensuring...
Have you Heard the Term “FluFIT”? What’s it all About?
Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related death. In the US in 2016, it is estimated that 134,490 people will be diagnosed with colon cancer and 49,190 people will die from the disease (American Cancer Society, 2016). Colon cancer is preventable....
Better Patient Experience Begins With Improving Doctor Communication Skills
On July 21, FierceHealthcare reported the Cleveland Clinic is helping doctors improve the patient experience by teaching communication strategies that create better relationships with patients. One of the biggest challenges in implementing the new program was...
Immunization Toolkit to Reach Underserved Populations
Preparing for the Flu in your Community The CDC has partnered with the National Influenza Vaccination Disparities Partnership (NIVDP) to create a toolkit for community organizations to reach underserved populations. The toolkit is packed with information to become...