Tim Gieseke MD, CMD

As chair of the Poster Session for our annual meeting next April 26, 27, 2013, I encourage each of you to consider what you have done or might do to improve the quality of care in your facilities.

With CMS introducing Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) as an expectation for our facilities in 2013, this is a particularly good time to become familiar with the QAPI process and tools. Part of QAPI is the expectation that facilities will develop PIPs (Performance Improvement Projects) as an ongoing part of their self-assessment and quality assurance/improvement program. Here is a helpful brief industry article on QAPI.

 
Our Poster session is designed to support PIPs and provides a way for you to share what you are learning in your facilities. Here are some potential areas to explore for Poster ideas:

1. CMS has incentivized our acute hospitals to reduce avoidable readmissions. At CALTCM, we partnered with INTERACT and sponsored 2 boot camps last summer with ongoing monthly reported facility implementation support. View this work at:http://caltcmbootcamp.wordpress.com/
2. CMS has mandated facilities reduce their use of antipsychotics by 15% by December 31, 2012 and by 30% by June 30, 2013. What is your facility doing to reach these targets? See CMS Partnership for Improving Dementia Care, Advancing Excellence Campaign: https://www.nhqualitycampaign.org/star_index.aspx?controls=dementiaCare
3. CALTCM WAVE has past editions available with multiple PI ideas. (visit the News tab of our website.)
4. The ACP Foundations web site (http://www.acpfoundation.org/materials-and-guides/) has multiple patient education tools (including free videos) for Diabetes, COPD, and Heart disease. Improving patient education for one of these common conditions might become a Poster project.
5. The AGS Health in Aging Foundation web site: http://www.providermagazine.com/archives/archives-2012/Pages/0712/Gettin... ) also has wonderful patient education tools for you to consider such as ones supporting safe medication management.

Please visit our web site for the details on our Poster Program. At CALTCM, we look forward to supporting the good work you are doing.

Remember, knowledge is power. Our patients will benefit when you “Share the Wealth.”