From the President’s Desk

Greetings AAHQ,

You may have noticed I did not address you as AAHQ Members. That is because you ARE AAHQ! Without you all, as individuals and the collective membership, you are the face, voice, backbone and champions of healthcare quality in Arkansas. All of this collectively IS AAHQ. I want to make sure you all know and believe that!

Your AAHQ Board has some new members this year who have joined some from the 2015 Board. Sandy Grinder resigned from the Board after many years of service. Please join me in thanking Sandy for her long tenure. Please look at the bottom of this newsletter for the list of your 2016 Board.

I want you, the member, to feel that the focus is on you. With that in mind, the Board has met to review and revise the long term strategic plan for AAHQ. We have a great year of innovative and robust professional development lined up for 2016, and it is all for you. We will kick this off on Wednesday, May 11 and 12, with the NAHQ Quality Summit Watch Party and continues through the fall with a CPHQ Review Course and the fall conference. I will not steal Lynnette’s thunder with more specific information, but she will give you all the details in the Professional Development report in this newsletter.

In the spirit of focusing on the members, I would like to encourage YOU to get involved in YOUR organization by showing off your talents through becoming a member on one of the action teams, writing an article for the newsletter, accessing the website www.arkahq.org to see what is there for you and provide feedback with ideas for any improvement or how it may be more beneficial to you. Also, please encourage your colleagues who are not members to join our organization. It is a great networking avenue and support for development.

Thank you for all you do for healthcare in Arkansas and for our organization!

Phyllis Dorrough, MA, RNP, CPHQ
President

Meet our 2016 Board!

President – Phyllis has over 40 years of experience in healthcare practicing in medical-surgical nursing, case management, quality and patient safety, clinical development and as a faculty member for a school of nursing. She is currently the Program Manager, Nursing Education System Nursing Development for Baptist Health, Little Rock, Arkansas. An advocate in the healthcare quality and patient safety realms, Dorrough sat on the board of directors for 15 years, and has twice served as President, for the Arkansas Association for Healthcare Quality. She is active in the National Association for Healthcare Quality and holds the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality credential. For fourteen years she has served on the board of examiners, and as a judge, for the Arkansas Governor’s Quality Award program. Dorrough has a Diploma in Nursing from Baptist Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, Memphis, Tennessee, a BNS from University of Arkansas Medical Sciences, and a MA in Human Resource Management from Webster University.

Past President – Connie is currently the Director of Performance Improvement/Case Management at Unity Health: WCMC where she has oversight to Performance Improvement, Case Management, and Documentation Improvement. She has more than 35 years of nursing experience including; inpatient acute care, Federal School Nurse, and statewide quality improvement initiatives with the Arkansas Quality Improvement Organization, AFMC. Connie has been involved in acute care case management for 16 years and 12 years in acute care quality/risk management. During her career she has provided education, oversight or implementation of quality improvement and risk management in the inpatient, outpatient, rehab, home health and clinic settings. She has previously served as President, Secretary, and Communications Team Lead for AAHQ. She is also a member of National Association for Healthcare Quality. Connie received her Associates Degree in Nursing from the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith in 1978 and her Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration in 2004.

President Elect – Teresa began her nursing career in 1980 at Warrington District General Hospital, England. After graduation, she spent a year on an Intensive Care Unit, in Warrington followed by a year at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. During this time, there was a critical nursing shortage in the United States. Teresa was actively recruited by an agency in London to come to the United States to help fill the need. She relocated to Little Rock, AR in January 1983 and has lived in Central Arkansas since that time. While working as a staff nurse, Teresa worked primarily in orthopedics and Utilization Management but transitioned into the Quality Management Department at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in 1993. During her tenure at UAMS, she has performed a variety of duties including: facilitating medical staff peer reviews; credentialing; serving as Joint Commission Chapter Champion for numerous chapters; and serving as staff support for various medical board, hospital level and departmental sub-committees. Currently, Teresa is responsible for regulatory duties associated with core measure abstraction; partnering with other nurses to perform comprehensive mortality reviews; and serves as the Sentinel Event Alert Coordinator. She has been recognized as a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) since 1993 and holds membership in Arkansas Association for Healthcare Quality (AAHQ) and National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ).

Secretary – Margaret serves as the AAHQ Board Secretary and has been a AAHQ member since 2004. She is a CPHQ and has worked in hospital quality for over 20 years.  Margaret is the Corporate Director of Quality Resources for the Conway Regional Health System, which achieved the Governor’s Quality Award designation in 2014.  Originally from New Jersey, Margaret started her healthcare career as an Army  medic, while serving she met her husband who is a native Arkansan.

 

 

 

 

Protocol Team Lead – Pam has practiced in quality management since 2012 and has an extensive background in case management and performance improvement.  She practiced for twenty years at UAMS and joined the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System in 2011.  She is a newer member to the board and enjoys the professional collaboration and dedication to improving healthcare throughout Arkansas.  Pam lives in Benton with Jacky, her husband of 36 years and enjoys planning their forever home on the Little Red River in Heber Springs.

 

 

 

Professional Development Team Lead – Lynnette has worked in quality since 2005 and has been a CPHQ since 2008.  She served on NAHQ’s 2014 Conference Planning Team and is currently serving on NAHQ’s 2017 Conference Planning Team and as an examiner for the Governor’s Quality Award.  She works as a correctional healthcare quality consultant with MQRS, Inc., and lives in Little Rock.  A native Arkansan, Lynnette is proud to be the first second-generation CPHQ and to carry on the family tradition of promoting Quality in Arkansas.

 

 

 

 

Membership Services Team Lead – Karen has worked in Quality since 1990. She has served in various roles on the AAHQ Board, including 2 terms as President, Secretary, Finance team, Education team, Protocol team, and in other valuable capacities. She feels a deep commitment to the organization and to quality improvement of healthcare in Arkansas.  She lives in the piney woods in southeast Arkansas, between Dermott and Monticello, with her husband of 47 years and 10 outside cats.  She is currently the Chief Operating Officer at Delta Memorial Hospital in Dumas, a Master Gardener, and enjoys working with plants, reading, painting, and her 3 grandchildren.

 

 

Finance Team Lead – Louise graduated with her BSN in 1980 and obtained her Masters in Healthcare Administration in 1995. She has also been a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant since 2005. Louise has been the CNO  at Jefferson Regional Medical Center since 2003. She is married and has one son. At 17, he is already a world traveler to destinations like Canada, France, Italy, Greece and Germany.

 

 

 

 

 

Communications Team Lead – Dalana graduated with her BSN from Henderson State University. She has 18 years of ER, trauma and quality experience. Transitioning to quality in 2010, she then joined the team at American Data Network (ADN) in 2012 as Manager of Client Services, where she oversees the Core Measures product and Client Services department. She obtained her CPHQ in 2013, is a member of NAHQ, and has served as an examiner for the Governor’s Quality Award. Dalana has 3 daughter’s and 1 grandson, Matthew. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, computers, gaming, and playing with her beloved Cavalier King Charles, Bentley.

 

 

Member at Large – Pam has worked in Quality/Care Management since 2007 and has been CPHQ since 2012.  She is currently employed by CHI St. Vincent’s as a Market Director for Care Management Little Rock, North Little Rock, Morrilton and Hot Springs.  Pam lives in Pine Bluff.  She enjoys spending time with her family, friends, English Bulldogs – Isabella & Penelope and rescue cat – Batz.

 

 

 

Member at Large – Shannon has taught nursing students since 1999 but her specialty area is Community/Public Health. She transitioned out of the College of Nursing into the Quality Management Department of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 2012. She believes that ensuring quality is the responsibility of every healthcare provider whether delivered in community-based or acute care settings. Since she serves as the State Nurse Liaison to the American Red Cross and frequently deploys to disaster situations all around Arkansas, she gets to use the diverse quality frameworks and skill-set to help gain best outcomes for clients regardless of the clinical setting.

Professional Development Round-up!

 

 

2015 was a great year for AAHQ’s Professional Development and 2016 is poised to be even better!

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAHQ National Quality Summit: Improving Health Outcomes Through Population Health-Virtual Watch Party-May 11-12, 2016

Population Health has been a requested topic from conference attendees and members. NAHQ has put together a fantastic panel of presenters on the Population Health issues facing Quality Professionals. AAHQ is delighted to present a unique virtual watch party experience that combines this great educational opportunity with an unparalleled networking opportunity at an unbelievable discount! AAHQ will be providing the food, drinks, and fun as we join together in attending NAHQ’s Virtual Quality Summit. Come join us in Little Rock for an exceptional networking opportunity and an amazing deal on the virtual conference! Substantial discount available for registering through the AAHQ watch party, just email Lynnette Jack ljack@mqrs.net for discount code. Registered attendees can access all sessions for two weeks after the Quality Summit. 12.25 CPHQ CE hours available.

Location: Baptist Health Barrow Road Center 900 Barrow Road Little Rock, AR 72205  USA

SAVE THE DATE: 2016 CPHQ Review Course-September 15-16, 2016

AAHQ partnered with NAHQ for a CPHQ Review Course in September 2015 that attracted 34 attendees from the state and around the country. The CPHQ Review Course and AAHQ’s hospitality received high praise from the attendees!

“The facility and staff were extremely hospitable and will definitely feed you! Thank you!”

“The facilitators of this course were very accommodating, kind, and personable. I really enjoyed this experience.”

“The meeting environment facilitated my learning.”

AAHQ is pleased to announce the 2016 CPHQ Review Course is set for September 15-16 in Little Rock. To register, please click here

SAVE THE DATE: 2016 AAHQ Education Conference: Quality in Arkansas-November 4, 2016

In 2015, AAHQ was delighted to bring in national speakers who brought a wealth of information to share. In 2016, it is time for Arkansas Quality Professionals to SHINE! Our 2016 Education Conference will focus on the great Quality projects being done in our state. We want to hear about your projects! To that end, AAHQ is inviting all members and other quality professionals to submit presentation proposals.

Topics of Interest

• Quality Review & Accountability
• Performance & Process Improvement
• Population Health & Care Transitions
• Health Data Analytics
• Patient Safety
• Regulatory & Accreditation

Guide for Presenters

• Presentations should be 60-90 minutes in length.
• Audio-visual equipment will be available.
• The deadline to submit a proposal is June 1, 2016
• To submit your proposal, please email Lynnette Jack ljack@mqrs.net

Important Dates

• Deadline for submission: June 1, 2016
• Notification of acceptance: July 1, 2016
• Conference: November 4, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

AAHQ congratulates the following Arkansans who achieved their CPHQ in 2015:

AAHQ is proud to support the efforts of our members in receiving certification and offers two annual exam reimbursement scholarships for members who receive their CPHQ.

Please contact Lynnette Jack ljack@mqrs.net for more information.

Lynette Jack
Professional Development Team Lead

DISTINGUISHED MEMBER SPOTLIGHT FOR 2015

At the 2015 Fall Conference two AAHQ members were recognized at Distinguished Members. This award is based on criteria related to service to the organization and contributions to the quality profession. This includes expanding the body of knowledge of the members, publication activities and leadership in education. The member has to be in good standing a minimum of 5 years and have CPHQ Certification. They may demonstrate involvement in the organization through holding office, serving on the Board, participating on teams, or other volunteer services. Contributions to the profession may be mentoring or subject matter expertise roles, publishing articles in professional journals or newsletters, and presenting educational seminars, posters, or other educational endeavors at the national, local, or state level. Both these award winners fully met these criteria.

TERRY ANDERSON – (now retired), has 2 master’s degrees – one in Nursing; one in Healthcare Administration. He received his CPHQ certification 9 years ago, and is also a Fellow. He also has a certification in Behavioral Health. He worked at the State Hospital before going to the VA, where he was for 14 years, most recently as Patient Safety and Restraints Coordinator. He also chaired the New Product and Equipment Evaluation Committee and served in many special projects. For AAHQ, he was a member of the Board for several years, serving as co-chair for the Education/Professional Development team, where he was successful in securing vendors who helped support our educational conferences. He helped to arrange and coordinate several Spring and Fall conferences and CPHQ refresher courses. He has been married to his high school sweetheart for 45 years, has 2 sons, and 5 grandchildren. He could always be counted on, whatever the need.

SHERRY BIRD – has over 30 years experience in marketing. She has been at American Data Network since 2003. As ADN’s Director of Business Development, she has brought multiple products to market related to quality, physician monitoring, finance, and strategic planning. She has untiringly supported AAHQ, served as an examiner for the Arkansas Governor’s Quality Award, and has represented at national conferences including the National Quality Foundation and NAHQ. In 2007, she completed her Executive Development Certification from Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management and is an alumnus of the Leadership of Greater Little Rock, Class VII. She received her CPHQ certification in 2010. She has contributed to and supported the quality profession and AAHQ over many years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put on your Thinking Cap!!!!

AAHQ usually recognizes a Member of the Year at the Spring Conference. This is for an individual member who has demonstrated leadership in the organization and commitment to quality improvement and patient safety in the state and at the national level. The nominees are scored against criteria listed on the call for nominations form for such things as years of state and national membership, presentations, articles, team participation, and others. However, this year the Member of the Year will be recognized at the Fall Conference, along with the Distinguished Member. Be on the lookout for the Request for Nominations and be thinking of someone you can nominate.

Karen Donaldson
Membership Development Team Lead

Finance Action Team (FAT) Report

The goal of the Finance Team is to manage funds to support the mission, vision, goals and objectives of AAHQ. Some of the objectives include:

• Establish corporate sponsorship to alleviate expenses of each education conference.
• Raise funds to submit a minimum of $500.00 donation to Healthcare Quality Foundation (HQF) annually and sponsor silent auction items at selected conferences each year.
• Provide stipends for delegates/alternates to NAHQ annual meetings or State Leadership Summit, if funds are available.
• Oversee the availability of funds to support day-to-day operations of AAHQ (such as printing, AAHQ pins, postage, etc).
• Secure sponsor for development and maintenance of AAHQ website.

The value of strategic collaborations has truly proven to be an investment in the Arkansas Community. Partnerships have proven to be beneficial to the organization as demonstrated by provision of supplies and AV equipment, donations for door prizes, and representation on AAHQ Board by both American Data Network (ADN) and Arkansas Foundation Medical Care (AFMC).

Reimbursement for CPHQ examination may be considered for members applying for this assistance if funds are available. If you are interested, you may contact any board member who will be able to respond to any questions you may have about this benefit.

Stipends and/or grants may also be provided to a minimum number of members who apply and are approved (pending availability of funds). Virtual conferences are now being considered as a part of this application process. If you are interested, you may contact any board member who will be able to respond to any questions you may have about this benefit.

Our huge profits are generally seen from our educational conferences offered each year. For example, the profits demonstrated form the Spring 2015 conference was $2932.96. These profits are spent for future conferences and for membership recognition and to assist in support of the mission, vision, goals and objectives of AAHQ. Please thank the education /Professional Development Team for their great work in generating profits from these conferences.

The financial viability of the AAHQ is strong as evidenced with January 31, 2016 ending with a balance of $33,721.68. The AAHQ financial year begins in July and ends in June. At our Conferences, we plan to have a silent auction during the break times. If you are interested in donating any items for auction, please contact any member of the AAHQ board.

Again the proceeds raised from the silent auction will be returned to the HQF (Healthcare Quality Foundation) as a donation from AAHQ.

Louise Hickman
Finance Team Lead

Our Sponsors

ARKANSAS FOUNDATION FOR MEDICAL CARE

 

 

 

 

Julie Kettlewell, RNP, AVP of Quality Programs 1020 West 4th 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.

 

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

 

AMERICAN DATA NETWORK
Sherry Bird, Director, Business Development 10809 Executive Center Dr., Searcy Building Suite 300 Little Rock, AR 72211
Phone 501-225-5533
E-mail sbird@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.

2016 Board of Directors

President
Phyllis Dorrough
501-202-1276
501-202-1159 fax
phyllis.dorrough@baptist-health.org

President – Elect
Teresa Jeffus
501-296-1009
501686-8175 fax
JeffusTeresaM@uams.edu

Secretary
Margaret Corbett
501-5135735
501-513-5312 fax
mcorbett@conwayregional.org

Past President
Connie Taylor
501-380-3291
501-380-2342 fax
cstaylor@wcmc.org

Action Team Leaders

Protocol
Pam Cochran
501-257-3087
501-257-3110 fax
autocontrols@att.net

Professional Dev.
Lynette Jack
501-379-8980
501-407-9288 fax
mqrs@comcast.net

Membership Srv.
Karen Donaldson
870-382-7657
870-460-3597 fax
kdonaldson@deltamem.net

Finance
Louise Hickman
870-541-7773
870-541-7204 fax
hickmanl@jrmc.org

Communication
Dalana Pittman
501-537-7944
501-225-5539 fax
dpittman@americandatanetwork.com

AHA Liaison

Cindy Harris
501-224-7878
501-224-0519 fax
charris@arkhospitals.org

Members at Large

Pam Blake
501-552-3844
PABlake@stvincenthealth.com

Shannon Finley
501-296-1010
501-686-8175
SFinley@uams.edu

Editor: Dalana Pittman
American Data Network
Little Rock, AR

 

 

 

 

 

NAHQ Award for Association Excellence

2001 Bronze Level Award Winner

2002 Silver Level Award Winner

2003 Gold Level Award Winner

2007 Gold Level Award Winner

2006 NAHQ Award for Support of CPHQ Certification