Clinic Link

Stratis Health publishes the Clinic Link Newsletter quarterly. The electronic publication provides quality improvement news for Minnesota physician practices. In this publication, we provide news and perspectives on quality improvement in relation to electronic health records, health information technology, prevention, and cultural competency.

Current Issue

Clinic Link, July 2010 (7-page PDF)

Final Rule Released for EHR Meaningful Use

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published its final rule July 13, 2010, defining the requirements that providers must meet through their use of certified electronic health record technology in order to qualify for incentive payments.

National Coordinator for HIT Headlines e-Health Summit

Dr. David Blumenthal, President Obama’s leader of the nationwide health information technology effort presented the keynote address at the 2010 Minnesota e-Health Summit.

REACH Participants

Providers from Minnesota and North Dakota clinics, hospitals, and other settings of care are signing up to take advantage of REACH services.

New Option Available in Fight Against Influenza

CMS has confirmed that Fluzone® High-Dose vaccine for patients 65 years and older is a covered benefit under Medicare Part B and will be reimbursed for the upcoming 2010-2011 influenza season.

Stratis Health Receives Mini-Grant for Cancer Screening Webinar

Stratis Health was award a mini-grant from the Minnesota Cancer Alliance to develop, conduct, and record a colorectal cancer screening webinar.

Six Rural Communities Build Palliative Care Programs

Six rural Minnesota communities have been selected to participate in Stratis Health’s Rural Palliative Care Community Development Project, funded by UCare.

What’s in a Name? – Cultural Naming Conventions

When names don’t fit the traditional American naming convention of one first name, middle name, surname/last name, opportunities for error arise.

Past Issues

Clinic Link, April 2010 (5-page PDF)

REACH is New HIT Regional Extension Center for Minnesota and North Dakota: REACH aims to improve care through the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology. Resources for Your Clinic: Read about upcoming events, tools, and links to clinical resources. Providers Can Improve Preventive Care Through Use of Their EHRs: Providers in Minnesota and across the nation are working with Quality Improvement Organizations to leverage the power of electronic health record systems to increase prevention rates. Benefits of Using an EHR: EHRs provide faster access to patient data, faster responses to patient inquiries, accurate and safe documentation, simultaneous messaging, and more. Better Preventive Care Needed: Medicare now pays for more preventive services; however, fewer people are taking full advantage of them. Minnesota Clinics Worked hard to Immunize Patients for H1N1--and it Paid Off: Minnesota ranked eighth in the nation in H1N1 vaccinations. Universal Annual Influenza Vaccination Recommended: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded its recommendation for annual influenza vaccination to include all people aged six months and older. WHO Issues Global Call for Hand Hygiene:. Join the national campaign to improve point-of-care hand hygiene to reduce health care associated infections. Culture Corner: Social Determinants of Health: According to the World Health Organization, social determinants of health are largely responsible for health inequities. Social determinants of health include the social and economic conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age.

Clinic Link, January 2010 (5-page PDF)

Updated Health Information Technology Toolkit for Physician Offices: Stratis Health’s updated HIT Toolkit for Physician Offices will be available online in February 2010. January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month: Our aging population predicts an epidemic of blindness if we don’t take steps now to encourage regular, comprehensive eye exams to preserve vision. Resources for Your Clinic: Read about upcoming events, tools, and links to clinical resources. Colon Cancer Screening, An Emerging Priority: Screening tests offer a powerful opportunity for the prevention, early detection, and successful treatment of this disease. Colon Cancer Materials for Patients and Providers: Providers in the clinic setting play the most important role in getting people screened for colorectal cancer. Culture Corner: Vietnamese Americans in Minnesota: On arrival in the US, many Vietnamese immigrants had severe health problems from poor living conditions, starvation, and abuse they suffered during the Vietnam War and in refugee camps.

Clinic Link, October 2009 (6-page PDF)

HIT Regional Center to Assist Primary Care Clinics: Key Health Alliance, a partnership of Stratis Health, the Rural Health Resource Center, and the College of St. Scholastica applies to become Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center for Minnesota and North Dakota. Resources for Your Clinic: Upcoming events, new online cultural competence learning and resource center, and diabetes patient self-care instruction tool. Tales from the Field: Ridgeview Medical Center continues to add features and functions to fully utilize the capabilities of its electronic health record technology. Health Care and EMS Workers First to Receive H1N1 Vaccine: CDC distributes initial doses for health care workers because of their high risk of being exposed to the virus, their risk of exposing medically vulnerable patients, and the risk of a significant impact on the health care system if they get sick and can’t work. Give Patients a Mammogram Reminder from the American Cancer Society: Women can now sign up to receive an email reminding them to schedule their yearly mammography screening. Culture Care Connection Web site: Stratis Health’s online resource center supports health care providers deliver culturally competent care in Minnesota. www.culturecareconnection.org November is American Diabetes Month: Join the national movement to stop diabetes, a serious disease that leads to life-threatening complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and amputation.

Clinic Link, July 2009 (6-page PDF)

Stratis Health HIT Toolkits: Stratis Health launched its new HIT Toolkit for Home Health Agencies in June. The toolkit helps home health agencies, hospice, and other organizations providing health care services in the home meet Minnesota’s mandate to have an interoperable electronic health record system in place by 2015. The HIT Toolkit  for Nursing Homes was released in February, and HIT toolkits for clinics and critical access and small hospitals will be updated and released in August. Resources for Your Clinic: www.culturecareconnection.org Coming Fall 2009: Stratis Health’s online learning and resource center, funded by UCare, is dedicated to supporting Minnesota health care organizations in their ongoing efforts to provide culturally competent care. Minnesota e-Health Summit Celebrates 5 Years: The 2009 Summit, which focused on health information technology strategies for success in these challenging economic times, was preceded by a pre-Summit workshop that presented methods for achieving effective use of electronic health records and opportunities for grants, loans, and incentives. MN Community Measurement: Intro to Reporting Clinical Data: MNCM will conduct Webinar sessions in July for medical groups interested in collecting and submitting clinical data for quality measures in February 2010. A recorded Webinar will be available online in August. MN Community Measurement: Update on Instructional Guides for Direct Data Submission: MNCM instructional guides for depression, diabetes, and ischemic vascular disease quality measures are key informational tools for any group planning to collect and submit clinical data to MNCM. Culture Corner: Minnesota’s African American Population: In 2000, the US Census recorded approximately 34.7 million African Americans in the nation (12 percent) of the total population). According to the Minnesota State Demographic Center, Minnesota’s African American population was 218,400 as of 2005, and is projected to nearly double by 2035. Two Flu Vaccinations This Year: Seasonal Flu and Novel H1N1 Flu: H1N1 flu, first detected in the US in April 2009, is a new virus, although symptoms are similar to those of seasonal flu. Not enough information is currently available to predict how severe the H1N1 flu outbreak will be. Vaccine manufacturers are in the process of producing a vaccine, but it is not yet available.

Clinic Link, April 2009 (6-page PDF)

Stratis Health Launches HIT Services Center: The center offers a variety of services to assist clinics with preparing for, selecting, and adopting electronic health record systems, with strategies and analytic tools for evaluating an organization's financial readiness, clinical standardization, systems, leadership, and organizational skills and attitudes. Are You Aware of Minnesota's E-Prescribing Mandate? Minnesota requires that all health care providers have an electronic prescription drug program in place by 2011 that complies with HL7 or NCPDP SCRIPT standards. Maintain Up-to-Date Immunization Records in Your EHR: Patient and staff immunization is a patient safety issue. Updating your EHR system is critical for tracking immunizations, generating patient reminders, and providing current information to patients' other health care providers. Free Diabetes Screening for Medicare Patients: Of the 625,000 Minnesotans who are 65 years and older, 380,000 (61 percent) have either diabetes or pre-diabetes. These seniors are eligible for a free annual diabetes screening by Medicare. Minnesota's Latinos Smoking Less than General Population: A recent study revealed that adult Latinos are smoking at a lower rate (13 percent) than the general adult population (17 percent). Nearly 75 percent have tried to quit, 100 percent are aware of the health risks of smoking, and over 90 percent do not allow smoking in their homes. Minority Women Know Less about Heart Disease than the General Population: According to a 2007 American Heart Association survey, minority women know less about heart disease than the general population—even though they're at greater risk for the disease. Also: Resources for Your Clinic; The D5: New tools to promote diabetes awareness; Medicare Coverage for Mammograms.

Clinic Link, January 2009 (6 page PDF)

Stratis Health Launches HIT Services Center: The Center offers a variety of services to assist clinics with preparing for, selecting, and adopting electronic health record systems. The D5: New Tools to Promote Diabetes Awareness: New communication tools help clinicians educate patients about diabetes treatment standards. Are You Aware of Minnesota’s E-Prescribing Mandate? Minnesota requires all health care providers have an electronic prescription drug program in place by 2011 that complies with HL7 or NCPDP SCRIPT standards. Maintain Up-to-Date Immunization Records in Your EHR: Updating your EHR system is critical for tracking immunizations, generating patient reminders, and providing current information to patients’ other health care providers. Free Diabetes Screening for Medicare Patients: No coinsurance, copayment, or Part B deductible is required for screening for Medicare consumers with a family history of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight, or diabetes during pregnancy. Culture Corner: Minnesota’s Latinos are smoking less than the general population. Medicare Coverage for Mammograms: Medicare covers a mammogram screening once every 12 months for women age 40 and older, and covers a one-time baseline mammogram for women between the ages of 35 and 39.

Clinic Link, October 2008 (6-page PDF)

Readiness Assessment Essential for a Successful EHR Conversion: Skipping the assessment step in a strategic plan in favor of a quick decision to select a vendor, purchase an EHR, and get underway may be tempting, but first understanding why you are converting to an EHR (your goals), how it will be financed on an ongoing basis, and whether your staff is ready are all critical factors to success. Medicare QIO Contract, August 2008 through July 2011: As Minnesota’s Medicare Quality Improvement Organization, Stratis Health works with clinics to improve breast and colorectal cancer screening and influenza and pneumococcal screening; with hospitals on MRSA infections and surgical care; with nursing homes on pressure ulcer care and physical restraints; with all providers on prescription drug therapy; and with Medicare beneficiaries on complaints and denials. Lac qui Parle Network: EHR implementation is a three dimensional chess match, requiring coordinating and managing infrastructure and workflow process with new software, end users, payers, and vendors. Prescription Drug Therapy Quality Improvement: Stratis Health offers Medicare providers, Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans, and Prescription Drug Plans quality improvement assistance to decrease drug on drug interactions and potentially inappropriate medications prescribed in the elderly. Pro Bono Colorectal Cancer Screening: Many people in Minnesota who are uninsured or under insured are at risk for colorectal cancer because they cannot afford to be screened for the disease. Because diagnosing colorectal cancers very early while they are still curable is critical, a legislative initiative is underway in Minnesota to fund free colorectal cancer screening programs for this population. Five County Mental Health Center: This eastern Minnesota mental health center has already completed the phases of readiness assessment for EHR implementation, workflow analysis, goal planning, and vendor selection, and expects to be fully implemented by 2010.

Clinic Link, July 2008 (6-page PDF)

The Best Minnesota e-Health Summit Yet! Minnesota e-Health Summit 2008, From Vision to Action: With a state mandate to implement interoperable electronic health records by 2015, there is no reason to put off implementation. The mandate includes hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, home health agencies, and public health agencies. Tales from the Field: Sawtooth Mountain Clinic Goes Live! In April 2008, the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, in Grand Marais, MN, announced its new EHR to the communities it serves in Cook County. A member of the Northern Minnesota Network, SMC was the network’s first partner to go live. Minnesota Ranks First in Nation for Overall Quality of Health Care: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality ranks Minnesota first in the nation for overall quality of health care, based on 15 measures. The state ranks above the national average in 10 out of 12 measures, underscoring the diligent work of health care providers and quality improvement advocates in Minnesota. Minnesota Named Chartered Value Exchange: The Minnesota Healthcare Value Exchange is a joint endeavor co-led by the Buyers Health Care Action Group, the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement, MN Community Measurement, and Stratis Health. Stratis Health Rural Palliative Care Initiative: Stratis Health launches a learning collaborative that brings together as many as 10 rural communities to start or strengthen palliative care programs in their communities. Demystifying the EHR Planning and Selection Process: Goal setting is the difference between success and failure. Living Room Language: Examples of how to improve communication between providers and patients using plain, nonmedical language. Medication Therapy Management, Consumer Education Needed: As part of the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act, each Part D Prescription Drug Plan is required to establish a Medication Therapy Management (MTM) program for eligible Medicare beneficiaries.

Clinic Link, April 2008 (6-page PDF)

Minnesota DOQ-IT Clinics: Each clinic that participated in the DOQ-IT Program completed more than 700 hours of work on readiness assessments, process mapping, and process redesign to prepare for electronic health record adoption and implementation. Find the HIT Acronyms: How familiar are you with the language of health information technology? Allina Receives HIMSS Davies Award for Superior Data Integration: Allina’s implementation included both hospitals and clinics, and went beyond a basic EHR implementation to achieve complex data integration, with eight hospitals and over 70 clinics. Cross-Cultural Communication Tips: Clinicians can convey respect for cultural values through the way they communicate with patients and deliver their health care. Stroke Awareness Signs: Walk, Talk, Reach, See, Feel: The American Heart Association Stroke Awareness campaign, “Give Me 5,” provides a new way for consumers to remember stroke warning signs. Serving Patients from the Eastern European Community: Minnesota has one of the largest Eastern European communities in the Midwest, with religious refugees from the former Soviet Union.