Health Systems and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Enter Joint Venture to Improve Population Health in New Hampshire
Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Elliot Health System, and Frisbie Memorial Hospital are entering into a joint venture with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care to form a new company that will improve the quality of healthcare in New Hampshire and reduce costs. The entity, called Benevera Health, will improve healthcare coordination by bringing together clinical, financial, and operational data from … Continued
CMS Extends Funding for Hospital Engagement Networks
On September 25, 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded $110 million to 17 national, regional, or state hospital associations and health system organizations to fund a second round of Hospital Engagement Networks (HEN), which will extend through September 2016. The contracts are part of the Partnership for Patients, a nationwide public-private … Continued
Quality Improvement
Process Improvements in the ED increase sepsis bundle compliance, reduce mortality Effectively treating any infection requires a certain measure of early identification and rapid response. Infections, by their nature, worsen over time, so hospitals with successful care processes that rapidly identify and treat infections often see the most success. Continue reading this article here. Integrating … Continued
NCQA’s Quality Compass Helps Plans and Consumers Compare Clinical Performance
Database features quality information for approximately 104 million insured lives. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has released its latest version of Quality Compass 2015: Commercial. This comprehensive database of health plan performance compiles data from 400 publicly reporting commercial plan products, offering information on clinical performance and patient experience for approximately 104 million … Continued
Submissions Open for Eisenberg Awards Through October 30
Submissions are open through October 30 for the 2015 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards. These prestigious awards, given annually by NQF and The Joint Commission, recognize major achievements to improve patient safety and healthcare quality by individuals and organizations at the local and national levels in separate awards. Self-nominations are welcome. “Each … Continued
Comment Through Oct 16 on ISMP’s Guidelines for Communication of Medication Information in Electronic Systems
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) invites healthcare practitioners to comment on its Draft Guidelines for the Safe Electronic Communication of Medication Information. To view and comment on the guidelines, visit www.ismp.org/tools/guidelines/SCEMI. Suggestions also can be submitted via email to ismpinfo@ismp.org. ISMP observes, “Health information technology vendors and users currently do not have a … Continued
ANA Sets ‘Zero Tolerance’ Policy for Workplace Violence, Bullying
The nursing profession “will no longer tolerate violence of any kind from any source,” the American Nurses Association (ANA) declared in a new position statement on violence in health care workplaces released in August. “Taking this clear and strong position is critical to ensure the safety of patients, nurses and other healthcare workers,” said ANA … Continued
AHRQ Report Finds Gaps in Evidence for Best Ways to Clean Hospital Rooms
A new report funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reviews clinical studies examining methods for cleaning and disinfecting hospital rooms to prevent healthcare-associated infections. The literature reviewed also covered strategies for monitoring rooms for cleanliness and “contextual” factors, such as organizational culture, that influence implementation and effectiveness of room cleaning. The … Continued
Labor and Management Working Together to Improve Patient Satisfaction
By Preeti Jadhav, MD As I approached the end of my first postgraduate year (PGY1), one of the chief residents asked me to participate on the “LMP PCC project.” He explained that LMP PCC referred to a multidisciplinary labor-management, patient-centered care project where representatives from different disciplines would work together to enhance patient experience. At … Continued
MITSS Hope Award Accepting Nominations
Nominations are now being accepted for the Annual MITSS Hope Award. The award recognizes people and organizations—patients, families, healthcare providers, hospitals (or their teams or departments), academic institutions, community health centers, grass roots organizations, EAP Programs, etc.—who exemplify the mission of MITSS: Supporting Healing and Restoring Hope to patients, families, and clinicians impacted by adverse medical events. … Continued