Quality Update Newsletter

Stratis Health publishes the Quality Update Newsletter twice a year. The electronic publication is an update on healthcare quality topics and issues for Minnesota's health care leaders. In this publication we aim to provide Minnesota "thought leaders" with news, issues, and perspectives on health care quality and patient safety.

Current issue

Fall 2011 (8-page PDF)

The Effect of Health Reform

Stratis Health answers the question: "How has health reform affected your organization?" From Jennifer P. Lundblad, Stratis Health President and CEO.

Implementing Health Care Reform in Minnesota – the Time is Now

The Affordable Care Act presents Minnesota with a unique opportunity to build upon our own state reforms of 2008, to reward quality over quantity, reduce costs, and improve coverage for everyone. Perspective from Stratis Health Board of Directors member Michele Kimball, state director for AARP in Minnesota.

Stratis Health Leads National Demonstration Project to Improve Care in Nursing Homes

The University of Minnesota and Stratis Health are leading 17 nursing homes in California, Florida, Massachusetts, and Minnesota in a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) demonstration project to develop and test prototypes of a national Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) program for nursing homes.

Opportunities Aimed at Improving Quality and Value Abound

Minnesota health care organizations share how they sort through the numerous quality and value campaigns and initiatives, while state and national organizations try to unify their calls for quality.

PDSA - ASAP

Health reform needs to be a disruptive change, altering how we look at quality.

Hospitals and Providers in Minnesota Starting to Receive HIT Incentive Payments

The hard work of implementing an electronic health record (EHR) system is starting to pay off, literally, for critical access hospitals and providers in Minnesota.

Looking at the numbers: Key Program Components in Palliative Care

Several key processes or systems are needed to support palliative care. Ten communities were in various stages of implementing them at the conclusion of the Minnesota Rural Palliative Care Initiative.

Stratis Health News

Past issues

Spring 2011 (8-page PDF)

• 40 Years of Quality Improvement Stratis Health began a year-long celebration of our 40th anniversary as a leader in health care quality improvement and patient safety. From Jennifer P. Lundblad, Stratis Health President and CEO.
• Fostering Connection— Sustaining Quality in Rural Primary Care Minnesota fosters connection as a means to proactively address future primary care workforce needs. Perspective from Stratis Health Board of Directors member Kathleen Brooks, director of the Rural Physician Associate Program at the Medical School and assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, at the University of Minnesota.
• Rural Palliative Care Evidence is mounting for this community-based approach. Stratis Health is developing models for palliative care in rural communities, leveraging community capacity development.
• Making Significant Improvements through Minnesota's Medicare QIO Projects By participating in Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) projects over the past three years, health care providers and organizations in Minnesota made significant improvements in health care processes and patient care, as assessed by more than 40 measures.
• New Direction for Medicare QIO Work Stratis Health will implement the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) new direction for its national health care quality improvement program. Our work as Minnesota's Medicare QIO will be based on the three broad aims of the National Quality Strategy.
• National Themes, Issues and Aims Understanding national priorities and issues related to quality and safety can help health care organizations when it comes to defining their own strategic goals.
• Stratis Health Helps Minnesota Achieve 100% of Hospitals Reporting By the state's reporting deadline in late 2010, all of Minnesota's 79 CAHs and 53 prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals were submitting data.
• Progress Toward EHR Meaningful Use The Regional Extension Assistance Center for HIT is now serving over 1,000 providers with meaningful use of their electronic health records (EHR) and earning incentive payments.
• Looking at the numbers: Preventive Screenings in Minnesota Clinics Ten Minnesota clinics increased their EHR-reported rates and achieved the two-year target goals set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) within the first year of the project.
• Stratis Health News

Fall 2010 (8-page PDF)

• Quality Remains at the Core of Health Care During Uncertain Times The changes in health care in recent years—including transparency and public reporting, pay for performance and value-based purchasing, health system redesign, and health information technology—can be both exciting and confusing. From Jennifer P. Lundblad, Stratis Health President and CEO.
• The Role of Public Health in Maintaining a Strong Health System Public health is an integral part of the operation of a comprehensive health care system. Perspective from Stratis Health Board of Directors member Huda Farah, a researcher in public health, educator, cultural competence trainer, mentor, coach and a leader in public health and early childhood education.
• Quality Improvement in Public Health Public health agencies in Minnesota are embracing quality improvement to prepare for national accreditaton.
• Balancing Clinical Care, Cost, and Patient Centeredness Hospital outpatient observation reflects the challenges of health reform.
• Building Healthier Communities Stratis Health awarded its Building Healthier Communities award to two new recipients.
• Status of Meaningful Use REACH staff Paul Kleeberg, MD, clinical director, and Sue Severson, program director, discussed the status of meaningful use.
• Looking at the Numbers: Hospitals Work to Improve Patient Safety Stratis Health has been working with nine Minnesota hospitals to improve surgical care by reducing surgical complications. 
• Stratis Health News

Spring 2010 (8-page PDF)

• Quality and Value in Health Reform A few provisions related to quality and value made their way into the final health reform legislation. From Jennifer P. Lundblad, Stratis Health President and CEO.
• Health Care Reform Brings Enhanced Opportunity for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Recently passed legislation has a great deal of language that will enable new forms of service delivery and greater collaboration and integration of services across the entire health care continuum. Perspective from Stratis Health Board of Directors chair Dale Thompson, president and CEO of Benedictine Health System.
• Bringing Health Care Consumers Into Their Own Care Implementing shared decision making in Minnesota.
• Kanabec Hospital Prepares for Meaningful Use Recognized as first critical access hospital in nation to reach HIMSS stage 6 designation.
• Leveraging REACH Services to Achieve Meaningful Use REACH is the latest resource available to providers working to achieve meaningful use of their electronic health records (EHR) and earn incentive payments.
• Rural Palliative Care Emerging as a Health Care Priority Palliative care, named among top six priorities for the American health care system, is taking root in rural Minnesota.
• Looking at the numbers: health care homes readiness in Minnesota This report looks at how ready Minnesota clinics are to become health care homes, assessing if they have the criteria under the five state standards in place.
• Stratis Health News

Fall 2009 (8-page PDF)

• Building a Reformed Health System that Emphasizes Quality, Why Culture Matters for a Healthier Minnesota: Making better connections with multicultural health plan members and patients. Perspective from Stratis Health Board of Directors member Nancy J. Feldman. president and CEO of UCare.
• Advance Care Planning: Getting patients ready to have “The Talk” about end-of-life choices, as advance care planning moves forward in Minnesota.
• Quality Care for Changing Communities: Health care organizations are heading in different directions with cultural competence depending on their strengths and assets. Several health care leaders share their efforts.
• Culture Care Connection: New online learning and resource center to help Minnesota health care providers offer culturally and linguistically appropriate care.
• Expanding Rural Palliative Care Nationally: Stratis Health provided technical assistance to three rural communities, during a six month pilot project funded by the National Rural Health Association.
• HIT regional extension center: Regional centers are being developed through stimulus dollars. Key Health Alliance—a partnership of Stratis Health, the Rural Health Resource Center, and The College of St. Scholastica—has submitted a proposal to serve as the regional center in Minnesota and North Dakota.
• Looking at the numbers: providers assess themselves against CLAS standards: Project results for clinics meeting or exceeding the 14 national Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards.
• Stratis Health News

Contact Stratis Health for assistance with your quality improvement and patient safety needs.

Jennifer P. Lundblad, PhD, MBA, President and CEO

952-853-8523

Debra McKinley, MPH, Editor
Manager, Communications and Outreach

952-853-8576