News

From the President’s Desk

It is with sadness that I report that Janet Brown, RN, CPHQ passed away on May 20. She was truly a visionary and a leader in healthcare quality. Janet is well-known for her NAHQ leadership and as the author of the Healthcare Quality Handbook, the guide for all who have sought CPHQ certification. She worked tirelessly and with great commitment, overcoming many personal challenges, to improve the quality of healthcare in the United States. A donation to the Healthcare Quality Foundation has been made in her memory by AAHQ. It was always an honor and inspiration to spend “quality time” with her.

In May, AAHQ had a great spring conference. Our wonderful speakers covered topics that were both timely and interesting. As always, our loyal sponsors provided lots of networking opportunities. I thank the members who have offered their time and help with the business of our teams. I was inspired to see the members who when asked what they were interested in participating, replied, “anything”. Be assured that we will be contacting you.

The board is continuing to work on our strategic plan and we are hoping to be ready to apply for the NAHQ Association Excellence award next year. With the sponsorship of American Data Network, AAHQ will be presenting our annual CPHQ review course. Our fall/winter conference is scheduled for December 7. I appreciate all of the efforts that go into our excellent educational programs and the devotion of the board members to making AAHQ the wonderful professional organization that it continues to be.

As summer comes, we all start to plan for NAHQ national education conference. This year the conference is in Tampa, Florida, September 20-23. As always, AAHQ should have a nice complement of attendees. I look forward to spending time with our state members and our NAHQ friends. It is always a great opportunity for networking and learning what is happening around our nation in healthcare quality.

Best regards,

Martha Clardy Chamness
MNSc., RN, CPHQ
President, AAHQ
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Want to Attend NAHQ Conference
but Finding Lack of Financial Support
Due to the Economy?
AAHQ can help!

AAHQ is offering two grants to members in good standing!

The grants cover the early bird registration for the conference.
If interested register quickly!
Early bird registration ends August 8, 2012.
Grant applications are available on the AAHQ website, www.arkahq.org.

Good luck!

BANCORPSOUTH INSURANCE SERVICES, INC.
Tom Hesselbein, CPCU, Executive VP, Healthcare
(Ramsey, Krug, Farrell & Lensing)
8315 Cantrell Road, Suite 300
Little Rock, AR 72227
Phone 501-614-1134
Email Tom_Hesselbein@rkfl.com
Website www.rkfl.com

Got CPHQ?

The Arkansas Association of Healthcare Quality (AAHQ), in partnership with American Data Network (ADN), is pleased to offer its 8th Annual Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) Review Course. We are encouraging all AAHQ members to take advantage of this educational event, as the cost is nominal and the benefits are phenomenal.

Susan Mellott, PhD, RN is returning as our course instructor. She has over 30 years of experience in healthcare quality and contracts as clinical faculty for National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ). She has held the CPHQ certification since 1991 and been a Fellow of NAHQ since 1999. Her teaching style and expertise was greatly complimented by past attendees and is sure to impress again in 2012.

This year we are hosting a two-day event, to be held Monday, August 27 & 28 in Little Rock. This course is offering 13 Nursing and CPHQ continuing education hours and is offered at a fraction of the cost as other national workshops utilizing the same instructor and course content. AAHQ members pay just $75, representing a HUGE savings when compared to fees of up to $300. Download the brochure and return registration forms by August 20th to reserve your seat.

Those planning to sit for the certification should visit www.goamp.com to view the Candidate Handbook, order practice tests, and register for the exam. It is administered in two Arkansas locations, Little Rock and Fayetteville. On the Go AMP website, candidates will find the exam under “Healthcare Quality Certification Commission”, the NAHQ team that oversees CPHQ.

AAHQ offers reimbursement of the testing fee for applicants who successfully complete the CPHQ exam, a value of $370. Eligibility requirements for the scholarship include an employer who does not provide reimbursement, documentation of AAHQ and NAHQ memberships, and verification of passing the certification exam. The number of individuals awarded reimbursement is based on available funds and is subject to annual review by the AAHQ Board. Download reimbursement application for more details.

AAHQ would like to extend its gratitude to American Data Network for their continued support of our organization’s education efforts. Their sponsorship has allowed us to offer a formal CPHQ Review Course for the past 8 years, at a significantly lower price than other comparable courses.

About Certification
Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) is a well-respected program and credential, as it recognizes individuals with understanding and competency within a robust set of quality and safety management concepts. It has also become highly desired by some employers when hiring and promoting. Many candidates pursue the CPHQ designation to gain advantage in the job market. Furthermore, the exam is currently being retooled to include content in areas such as accreditation, regulatory requirements, healthcare reform, and other U.S. specific competencies. These essential areas will only add value. Visit NAHQ to learn more about the CPHQ certification exam.

Stephanie Iorio-Minnis, BSN, RN, CPHQ, CPC
AAHQ EAT Leader
NAHQ Healthcare Quality Foundation Team Leader

Terry L. Anderson MSN/HCA, RN, PMHN-BC, CPHQ
AAHQ EAT Co-Leader
Patient Safety Clinician/Nursing
Central AR Veterans Healthcare System

ARKANSAS FOUNDATION FOR MEDICAL CARE
Julie Kettlewell, RNP, AVP of Quality Programs
1020 West 4^th Street, Suite 300
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone 501-212-8740
E-Mail  jkettlewell@afmc.org
Website  www.afmc.org

The Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC) was incorporated in 1972 as a private, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to the evaluation and improvement of health care.  We are the federally designated quality improvement organization (QIO) for Arkansas.  Our staff includes physicians, nurses, statisticians, educators, communicators – professionals with widely varied expertise, at various stages of life and career, who have been on both sides of the health care system.  We work with staff in every health care setting and offer free tools and resources, such as educational materials for patients and providers and help with Medicare and Medicaid issues.  We review certain types of health care paid for by Medicare and Medicaid to ensure high-quality, cost-effective care and to resolve beneficiary concerns.  We help find evidence-based ways to improve preventive care as well as treatment and management of specific illnesses and conditions.  We are also a health information technology regional extension center (HITREC), federally funded to provide technical assistance to health care providers as they make the transition to electronic health records.  Our roles and responsibilities are constantly evolving, but they all serve the purpose of building support systems and partnerships, and helping focus the efforts of the health care community, agencies and organizations toward common goals.  Together, we’re working to make health care safer, more effective and more efficient.

Our CPHQ Garden for Arkansas Has Grown

Welcome Pam Cochran and Dottie Gann

Member Spotlight..

Pam Cochran,
RN-BC, ACM, CPHQ

Pam went to work right out of high school. Her desire was to continue her education and go to nursing school. As sometimes happens, life challenges postponed her efforts but not her dream. After a period of time she realized it would not happen unless she made it happen. She took steps to get into a nursing program.

Returning to university life as a non-traditional student in 1988 was a challenge. It was a struggle to attend school, clean houses for grocery money, care for our children and keep our home. Even though it was a struggle that Pam loved every minute. After one year working to learn to study again and focus, she started the Associate Degree of Nursing program at UALR. Missing a class was not an option; in fact, she taped each lecture and replayed over and over again. It was so important to her to do well and set an example for her children. In May 1991 she graduated and was as proud of my degree as if it were a doctorate.

For twenty years she worked at UAMS enjoying every aspect of hospital nursing. Pam worked on a busy medical floor, enjoyed twelve hectic years on a newly opened observation unit and finally moved to a job in case management. When Pam accepted the last job she states, ”I really couldn’t define what case management or managed care was. But using the thought that I could learn and make a difference I took the challenge. I completed my last five years at UAMS in case management work that I found so interesting and satisfying”. With a yearning to see and do more in the last ten or so years of nursing, Pam applied for and accepted a job as the transfer coordinator at the VA hospital in Little Rock. Pam soon realized this was the hospital she wanted to serve out her career. Pam soon began to realize that the jobs she wanted sought Masters prepared nurses with BSN prepared nurses at the minimum. She realized that finishing her education was essential. Pam became a patient advocate focused on quality when 7 years ago I was asked to apply for a job in the Case Management. She has always believed that a good setup, good planned way of doing things brought good outcomes for patients. Her beliefs and goals aligned when she started seeking information about healthcare quality. Pam strongly believes Structure leads to Process and Process leads to Outcome. If in each step Quality is the main focus, and leadership is supportive, better patient outcomes and satisfaction are the result. Pam states, “One of my most recent and happiest accomplishments was the May of 2012 the CPHQ credential was added signifying professionalism in the field of healthcare quality. Quality, safe, cost effective care leads to best practice which leads to safer environments for patients to get what they need to maximize quality of life”. Pam states her goal is to serve Veterans using her skills as a C.P.H.Q She believes this is vital and important work. Please join me in congratulating Pam as she begins her next adventure as a C.P.H.Q.

Sandra J. Grinder, MSN, RN, CPHQ, NE-BC
Membership Team Leader
Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System

AMERICAN DATA NETWORK
Jamie Walden, Public Relations Manager
10809 Executive Center Dr., Searcy Building Suite 300
Little Rock, AR 72211
Phone 501-225-5533
Email jwalden@americandatanetwork.com
Website www.americandatanetwork.com

Founded in 1994, American Data Network provides clinical, quality, safety and financial data applications and services to healthcare executives, allowing them to better manage costs and care quality, influence physician practice patterns and meet demands for public accountability and disclosure.

“Smart” Communication: Empowering Patients with Tools and Techniques

By Susan Allen, American Data Network Patient Safety Organization

More so than ever, healthcare providers want their patients to recognize quality care as a team effort.  Hospitals throughout the country actively looking for new ways to effectively empower patients and help them break away from the submissive “silent partner” role they have traditionally accepted.

Angela Coulter, PhD, with the University of Oxford’s (UK) Department of Public Health, discusses several proven strategies for empowering patients in her article, “Patient Engagement – What Works?”, published in the April/June issue of The Journal of Ambulatory Care Management.  Coulter explains that patients want to work with clinicians who listen to them as well as educate and advise. But in order for patients to become active players in the endeavor to generate better outcomes, they are going to have “to be better supported, be better informed, be more discriminating about the effects of medical treatment, and have more opportunities for participation.”

According to Coulter, health literacy is the single most important component of any strategy designed to engage patients.  Before patients can make sound decisions, they have to be able to read, understand and be prepared to act upon information presented to them.  Well-communicated information can yield higher levels of confidence, a heightened ability to cope and less anxiety for patients.  Coulter suggests that equipping patients with the right information will translate into fewer ED visits and hospitalizations, adherence to screening and vaccination schedules as well as lower mortality rates.

Kaiser Permanente will soon begin distributing its new “About Your Health” brochure developed to encourage patients to spend more time preparing for medical appointments, to speak up during doctor’s visits and to follow through in a manner that will yield the positive results they want to achieve.  In addition to offering tips like bringing a family member or friend along for appointments, the piece introduces a “SMART Checklist” that patients can use to keep themselves focused on key takeaways from health consultations:

SMART Checklist

• Symptoms: Tell your doctor exactly why you are there to see him or her. Talk about why you are concerned, how long you’ve been experiencing your symptoms and how you’ve been dealing with these symptoms up to this point.

• Medical/Medication History: Just as most stories begin with a little bit of background, so should nearly all conversations with your doctor.  He or she needs to know about any prescribed or over-the-counter medications you have been taking as well as any vitamin supplements or home remedies.

• Assessment: Do not hesitate to let your doctor know what is concerning you the most about your condition as well as what you think may be going on.

• Review: Once your doctor diagnoses your condition, use your own words to relay your understanding of that diagnosis back to him or her.  Make sure you understand what the doctor is telling you, and if you still have questions, ask.

• To Do: Make sure you understand your “to do” list.  Repeat treatment instructions back to your doctor, and again, if you have any questions, ask.

Kaiser even goes as far as providing scripted conversation openers and respectfully posed questions that patients can utilize if they are uncomfortable initiating dialogue with their physicians. To obtain a draft copy of the Kaiser brochure, visit www.adnpso.com and complete the “Contact Us” form.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s multimedia campaign, Questions Are the Answer, is another one of the many tools and programs emerging to assist providers in empowering patients. This campaign is designed to promote the team aspect of healthcare, and it focuses on the development of fluid communication between doctors and patients. To start with, the program presents 10 simple questions that every patient should be prepared to ask when visiting the doctor:

1. What is the test for?
2. How many times have you done this procedure?
3. When will I get the results?
4. Why do I need this treatment?
5. Are there any alternatives?
6. What are the possible complications?
7. Which hospital is best for my needs?
8. How do you spell the name of that drug?
9. Are there any side effects?
10. Will this medicine interact with medicines that I’m already taking?

AHRQ’s campaign also offers an easy-to-use online “Question Builder” tool (www.ahrq.gov/questions/qb) that patients can click through to develop and print a more specified list of inquiries to take with them to the doctor’s office. In addition, a series of videos features patient and clinician stories that illustrate the significant impact that asking the right questions can have on outcomes.

Compelling evidence supports the overall effectiveness of patient engagement strategies. Research has shown that, when delivered in a timely manner and used to reinforce a clinician’s verbal explanation, well-targeted and personalized printed and electronic materials can definitely impact a patient’s ability to comprehend the scope of a medical condition. As new engagement methods continue to emerge, from e-learning and virtual support to motivational interviews and self-management courses, healthcare providers are going to be challenged with the task of adapting care delivery practices in a way that pairs patients with the communication tools that will prove most beneficial given their specific needs.

About American Data Network Patient Safety Organization
American Data Network established Arkansas’ only federally designated patient safety organization in 2009. Joining a PSO affords hospitals legal privilege and confidentiality protections to information that is assembled and reported for the conduct of patient safety activities. ADNPSO offers a web-based event reporting tool to improve patient safety and identify key trends and patterns that allow hospitals to make expedient improvements to processes to reduce costs and liabilities. For more information about the ADN PSO, visit www.adnpso.com.

Sponsors

GULDMANN, INC.
Marilyn Olson, Regional Director
5505 Johns Road, Suite 905 Tampa, FL 33634 (Primary)
8301 NW 79th Oklahoma City, OK, 73132
Phone 405-808-9211
Email mo@guldmann.net
Website www.guldmann.com
HILL-ROM
William Dunlap, General Manager
2905 N. Grant Street
Little Rock, AR 72207-2806
Phone 501-920-8820
Email william.dunlap@hill-rom.com
Website www.hill-rom.com

Hill-Rom has set the standard for high performing, intelligent bed systems and has more than a million hospital beds of all types in use around the world. But did you know that Hill-Rom is also a major innovator in the medical technology field, providing medical equipment and medical devices to enhance outcomes for caregivers and their patients?

We’re more than a hospital bed company: We are the partner that helps deliver results in health care settings across the continuum from critical medical care through recovery and on to home care. We enable our customers to meet their health care goals and we touch lives to improve outcomes with our leading edge medical equipment and medical technology.

Celebrate Healthcare Quality Week

Celebrate the dedication of healthcare quality and patient safety professionals during National Healthcare Quality Week (HQW), October 14-20, 2012. HQW highlights the work of healthcare quality and patient safety professionals and their influence on improved patient care outcomes and healthcare delivery systems.

NAHQ members are encouraged to alert administrators, allied health professionals and the
public about the impact of healthcare quality through special events during the week of October 14-20, 2012.

Celebrate quality with activities, education, and planning tips from NAHQ!

HQW Planning Materials
HQW Promotional Products – coming soon!
HQW Logo & Poster

HORCHER LIFTING SYSTEMS, INC.
Tom Fitzgerald, Director of Sales
1620 S.W. 17th Street
Ocala, FL 34471
Phone 918-629-2043
Email: tom.fitzgerald@horcher.com
Website: www.horcher.com

Since 1986 Horcher has been designing, manufacturing and distributing aids such as patient lifts, lifting slings, bathing systems and bedpan cleaning systems for the elderly and disabled. Thank you for letting us serve you for more than 25 years!