Improving Health Outcomes: Arkansas Hospitals and The CMS Hospital Quality Improvement Contract
TMF Health Quality Institute Texas Hospital Association Foundation (THAF)
Safe & Reliable Healthcare, LLP
Hospital Partners Arkansas Foundations for Medical Care (AFMC)
Carrot Health
Arkansas Hospital Association (AHA)
By Mandy Palmer Figure 1. TMF HQI Initiative's Technical Expert Panel
I
mproving hospital quality is a multi-organizational effort in the U.S., with new goal-sets and strategies announced every four years. The latest CMS Hospital Quality Improvement (HQI) initiative builds upon lessons learned and achievements made during previous CMS improvement programs. Carried out by Hospital Improvement Innovation Networks and Hospital Engagement Networks over the past decade and more, earlier programs engaged many Arkansas hospitals, and measurable improvement was the result. With a keen focus on improving patient safety, quality, and outcomes in rural, critical access, and vulnerable populations, the new four-year strategy was launched last fall. In September 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services named nine organizations, including TMF Health Quality Institute, as Hospital Quality Improvement Contractors (HQICs). Under the new contract, the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC), a subcontractor with TMF since 2014, will continue its work in Arkansas on the CMS Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization program. TMF and AFMC have long provided quality improvement and technical assistance support to hospitals, nursing homes, physicians, and other health care entities. Hospitals can rely on our combined experience and resources to help solve unique health care challenges.
46 SPRING 2021 | ARKANSAS HOSPITALS
AFMC and the Arkansas Hospital Association (AHA) have supported and partnered on many quality improvement projects and efforts over the years. The two organizations hold a vision to serve and support hospitals to create a “one-stop-shop” and “no wrong door policy” to better align and synergize projects, eliminating extra burden, program duplication, and improving health care in Arkansas. Under the new contract, AFMC, as a subcontractor to TMF, and AHA will continue this partnership and will provide direct support in Arkansas for the new HQIC program. (See Figure 1.)
HOSPITAL PARTICIPATION
In alignment with the CMS Rural Health Strategy, TMF focuses on engaging 60 Arkansas rural hospitals, critical access hospitals, and hospitals that serve vulnerable populations and/or have a star rating of two or below. The three goals of the initiative set by CMS include increasing patient safety and quality of care transitions, as well as improving behavioral health outcomes by decreasing opioid misuse. To meet these goals, each hospital will receive: • Customized technical assistance and actionable data to include social determinants of health data, analytics support, and a deep understanding of rural communities and vulnerable populations.
