From the President’s Desk
Submitted by Teresa Jeffus

Hello AAHQ members,

Happy Quality Week!
October 15-21 has been designated as HealthCare Quality Week by the National Association for HealthCare Quality (NAHQ). During this week NAHQ celebrates contributions made by HealthCare Quality professionals and encourages all of us to promote awareness of our profession. To assist us in illustrating the importance and benefits of HealthCare Quality, a special page has been created on the NAHQ website that is full of ideas, resources and activities for this week. If you haven’t already seen it I am including the link http://nahq.org/about/healthcare-quality- week

I am excited that the AAHQ Fall Education conference is just around the corner! Preparations began months ago and it is hard to believe that it is finally here. I hope you all plan to join us on October 27 th for a day of networking with other quality professionals. I am looking forward to seeing many familiar faces and meeting newcomers to Quality too.

The Professional Development Team has done an impressive job and the agenda includes a wide variety of topics. These topics include: a story of a patient experience through a cancer diagnosis, information on shared governance; why it’s important and how it can impact quality within an organization, and current medication safety initiatives throughout the state of Arkansas. These are just a few of the themes that will be presented at the conference. Attendance of the whole day along with completion of an evaluation will result in the provision of 5.5 CPHQ Continuing Education Credits.

The conference will include a Silent Auction again this year which is shaping up to be very exciting. We have had some wonderful items donated including a Home Spa Facial basket, several items for Halloween, as well as several perfumes and jewelry pieces that would make perfect Christmas gifts. So between the auction and our jewelry vendor, you can plan to enjoy a little shopping while you are improving your knowledge and broadening your education.

Thank you for all the work you do for the patients in Arkansas and thank you for your membership in AAHQ. The board constantly strives to make AAHQ an organization that listens to and acts on the needs of its members.

Teresa Jeffus, RN, BSN, CPHQ, CPPS.
AAHQ President

Professional Development Roundup
Submitted by Shannon Finley

The AAHQ Professional Development Team wishes each of you a very happy Healthcare Quality Week! During this time we celebrate the work, dedication and unique skills set that healthcare quality professionals provide in support of improving the health of Arkansans. To help keep best practices on the forefront of healthcare quality, a primary goal of the Professional Development Team is to provide access to cutting-edge educational opportunities. We are happy to announce two very exciting events scheduled before the end of the year! Please make the time to join in the fun while networking with other healthcare professional colleagues!

 

QUALITY ACROSS THE HEALTHCARE CONTINUUM: PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER

The 2017 Fall Educational Conference will be held on October 27, 2017 at J.A. Gilbreath Conference Center at Baptist Medical Center, 9601 Baptist Health Drive, Little Rock, AR. There is still time to register for this exciting event! We invite you to visit AAHQ’s website at http://www.arkahq.org/membership/ then click on Quality Across the Healthcare Continuum: Putting the Pieces Together to find the registration form! The presentations described below show that there is something for everyone at this conference:

• Shanon Hull, RN is a Clinical Informaticist at CHRISTUS Health in Texarkana, AR. He will be sharing his patient story and highlighting the importance of including the patient care experiences when considering overall quality outcomes.
• Britni Lee, MPH, CHES is a Trauma Registry Specialist and Jana Jacobs, NREMT-P, MAEd, is a Trauma Registry Section Chief with the Arkansas Department of Health. They will be discussing ways in which the Arkansas Trauma Registry (ATR) uses data to identify and drive process changes needed to try to reduce injury/death rates across Arkansas.
• Niki Carver, PharmD, CPPS is the Pharmacy Director for Arkansas Continued Care Hospital and serves as a Pharmacy Consultant to the Texas Medical Foundation (TMF) Quality Innovation Network. She will explain current initiatives that promote medication safety and improved communication during transitions of care. She will also offer an introduction to the Texas Medical Foundation (TMF) Quality Improvement Network (QIN) and highlight implications for healthcare quality in Arkansas.
• J. Newton, MSN, RN is the Director of Education and is the Magnet Program Director for Conway Regional Health System. She will give an overview of what Shared Governance strategies bring to quality outcomes and healthcare improvements across the care continuum.
• Lynnette Jack, MLIS, CPHQ is a Consultant with MQRS, Inc. and hold the distinction of being the first second generation Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ). She serves on the AAHQ Board, National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) Conference Planning Committee and as a Governor’s Quality Award Examiner. She will speak about the importance of the CPHQ certification and offer resources available for obtaining this professional certification.
• Justin Villines, MBA is a Health Information Technology Policy Integrator for the Arkansas Office of Health Information Technology which operates the State Health Alliance for Records Exchange (SHARE). This program is Arkansas’ statewide Health Information Exchange. He will be describing ways SHARE allows clinics, hospitals and outpatient settings to share information to improve transitions of care.
• Amy Durham, PMP is a Senior Project/Program Director, Sandy Bennett, BSN, RN, CPHQ is the Director of Quality Management and Traci Sheridan, PMP is a Project/Program Director at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). This interprofessional team will be highlighting how “MyChart”, a confidential internet based patient portal service, is used to improve communication and patient satisfaction.
• Melodie Zipfel, MSN, RN works as a Quality Outreach Specialist with AFMC and is active across the state in building groups of healthcare professionals focused on reducing avoidable readmissions. She will give an update about the Arkansas Care Transitions (ACT) Coalition and the impacts of Healthcare Information Technology.

Poster presentations are welcomed! AAHQ encourages attendees to call Shannon Finley at 501-337-6428 for specific information about bringing a poster presentation to the Fall Conference. Awards will be presented for Best Overall and Most Innovative. If there are any registration questions, please contact Cindy Harris at 501-224-7878 or email charris@arkhospitals.org.

            CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN HEALTHCARE QUALITY© (CPHQ) REVIEW COURSE

We are excited to announce that the CPHQ Review Course is scheduled from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on December 7-8, 2017 at the Arkansas Hospital Association Classroom at 419 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, AR. This interactive two-day workshop is designed to support those planning to take the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality © (CPHQ) Certification Examination. Based on the most current exam content outline, this course is designed to engage participants in a review of examination materials and offers valuable tips on how best to prepare for the examination. The workshop fee includes electronic access to handout materials for 1 year. AAHQ will provide continental breakfast, snacks and lunches for both days. Come experience AAHQ’s legendary hospitality while you learn and network with other quality professionals. Space is limited to 60 participants and registration will be offered on a first come, first served basis so register early!

 NAHQ members can register at AAHQ member rates

NAHQ members may email ljack@mqrs.net to request a discount coupon code that will be provided after NAHQ membership is verified. With the code, NAHQ members register as Non-Members and receive a $70.00 discount!

Join AAHQ and Register for extra cost savings

Select Join AAHQ and Register on the registration form to receive extra cost savings! First, you become an AAHQ member and receive the member rate which is $70.00 less than non-member rate. Second, you save $25.00 on your first year’s membership into AAHQ! Take advantage of this wonderful benefit!

Registration

Register by the Early Bird Deadline of November 20, 1017 to receive additional discounts!

Course Fees and Registration:

	Early Bird (On or Before 11-20-17)	Late Registration (After 11-20-17)
AAHQ Member	$329.00	$389.00
Join AAHQ and Register	$379.00	$429.00
Non-Member	$399.00	$459.00

Visit AAHQ’s website at this link CPHQ Review Course for the registration form and to get additional details.

Participants will earn 15 CPHQ Continuing Education (CE) credits upon completion of the two-day session and submission of the evaluation for the course. CPHQ CE is available only to current CPHQ’s.

• Course Materials are licensed from the National Association for Healthcare Quality.
• Course Instructor is Ms. Nancy Claflin who is a nationally known NAHQ Approved CPHQ Review Course Faculty Member.

Refund Policy

Refunds will be issued if requested PRIOR to the course Early Bird Registration deadline but are subject to a $75.00 non-refundable processing fee. There will be no refunds issued after the November 20, 2017 Early Bird Registration deadline. Refund requests should be made to charris@arkhospitals.org .

Registration may be transferred to a substitute. AAHQ appreciates notification prior to the course opening date. Send transferred registration requests to charris@arkhospitals.org . Contact ljack@mqrs.net for questions or additional information.

Membership Services Update
Submitted by Karen Donaldson and Pam Cochran

Member Spotlight on Brian Ramsey, RHIA, CPHQ

Brian is blessed to be married to Amy for 23 years and together they have three wonderful children. He is a graduate of Arkansas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management and a second bachelor degree in Business Administration from Arkansas State University. He is busy with church and with his children’s school activities. Brian enjoys all sort of outdoors activities including camping, hunting, and fishing. Brian is currently restoring his 1950 Chevrolet pickup. His professional life is just as busy and rewarding.

Brian has held various positions in healthcare quality, serving two acute care hospitals. He is currently the Director of Quality at Sparks Regional Medical Center, Fort Smith, Arkansas and serves as their Market Safety Officer. He has worked in several capacities over his 23 years in the health field. In addition to his ‘general’ quality/safety duties and committee responsibilities, he has experience with survey/accreditation management, quality/safety in the clinic setting, infection prevention, RCA/FMEA process improvement, employee health promotion, and the management of healthcare environments. Previously, Brian as served as the Sparks Regional Medical Center Emergency Management Coordinator. In 2014, Brian was presented with the Sparks and Community Health System’s (CHS), Division 2, Non-Clinical Manager of the Year award.

Brian states a great thing about working in the quality department is the interaction with the many hospital departments and enjoys the diverse staff at Sparks Regional Medical Center.  Brian’s values the widely diverse staff and views the diversity as providing wonderful opportunities to learn something new every day.  He stated, “you get to learn what’s working well for them and what their struggles are.”  Brian strives for the quality department to provide meaningful, helpful guidance during the organization’s continued journey toward high reliability.   Brian speaks to looking for “transportability” and works to discover processes that work well in one area and see if the same could be transported into other departments with the same positive outcomes.

Brian praises the awesome group of individuals at Sparks Regional Medical Center, who are each passionate about providing quality and safe patient care. The quality and safety message from the C-Suite to the front-line staff members is supportive and makes coming to work each day a true blessing. Sparks employees starts every day and shift with Safety Huddles and practice by the S.A.F.E. motto.

S: Support the Team

A: Ask Questions

F: Focus on Task

E: Effective Communication Every Time

Lastly, Brian would like to thank all the wonderful mentors he has had along his way and he loves the quote, “Kneeling to pray gives you the strength to stand”.

The Arkansas Association for Healthcare Quality is proud that he is an active member, holds a CPHQ certification, and praises his continued efforts to ensure quality “lives” at Sparks Regional Medical Center and beyond!

Way to go, Brian!

Finance Action Team Update
Submitted by Lynnette Jack

AAHQ is proud that our strong financials have enabled us to offer eight scholarships to our members in 2017!  Four member scholarships were offered to the 2017 Governor’s Quality Award Healthcare Seminar in June at a value of $50 each with 5.5 CPHQ CE hours available for attendees. An additional four member scholarships were offered to the 2017 NAHQ Next Virtual Conference recently held in September at an average value of $324 with 10 CPHQ CE hours available for attendees.  In total, AAHQ has given scholarships totaling $1496.00 so far in 2017 with over 60 CPHQ CE hours earned by our members!  Your membership in AAHQ offers you great education and networking opportunities!  Be on the lookout for future scholarship offers!

Reimbursement for the 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.

The financial standing of the organization remains strong.  Our financial balance as of August 31, 2017 was $30,632.17.  Thank you for all the member support that makes the work of AAHQ possible!

External Relations
Submitted by David Vrudny

Stroke System of Care Starting in Southwest Arkansas

Did you know that Arkansas has the 5th highest stroke death rate in the United States? A few years ago, the state had the highest stroke death rates in the county so we are moving in the right direction. While progress is being made, there is still much work to be done to combat this disease which continues to take a significant toll on the state.

 

 

“Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in Arkansas. If people know the signs and act in time the effects of stroke can be reversed,” said Appathurai Balamurugan, MD, DrPH, State Chronic Disease Director and Medical Director for the ADH Chronic Disease Branch. “Through our work with the hospitals and Emergency Medical Services, we hope to improve quality of stroke care among Arkansans with this devastating condition.”

Action is being taken to help optimize stroke patient care. The Arkansas Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services and hospital teams are working together on a regional approach to the state’s stroke system of care. The goal of the regional approach is to help enhance efforts to improve stroke health and aid in strengthening better stroke care. A regional approach is intended to improve practice coordination, improve patient outcomes, and a systematic domain of stroke care within each region. This will require extensive collaboration between hospitals and EMS services, and leveraging these relationships in order to provide the best possible treatment of stroke patients.

The first region of focus is the Southwest which includes the following counties, Montgomery, Garland, Hot Spring, Dallas, Clark, Pike, Howard, Sevier, Little River, Hempstead, Nevada, Ouachita, Calhoun, Union, Columbia, Lafayette and Miller.

Components of this stroke system of care for the Southwest Region include:

• Stroke Wristbands – It order to help optimize patient care, it is important to tie pre-hospital and hospital data together to track the patient throughout the course of treatment. Applying wristbands to patients has been one of the key cornerstones of the Arkansas Trauma System and it is important to build on that success. While the long term goal is to link the pre-hospital and hospital data together statewide, the short term goal is to link this data beginning with select regions across the state, starting in the Southwest. To make this happen, a “stroke band” system is being implemented, exactly as is done for Arkansas trauma patients. These bands are bright blue color and have a different alpha/numeric sequence than the state trauma bands. The bands numbers will be required on all EMS patient care records for only those patients that test positive on a recognized stroke scale. Hospitals will in turn enter this number into the Arkansas Stroke Registry and also apply these bands to patients that arrive by an means other than EMS exhibiting signs of a stroke.
• Pre-hospital Stroke Scale – It is recommended pre-hospital providers perform the BE FAST stroke scale instead of the FAST scale. BE FAST makes it easier to identify strokes because it looks at two more symptoms than FAST – ‘B’ is to assess balance and ‘E’ is to assess eyes.  

• Pre-notification – Immediate notification to the hospital that a stroke patient is en route has been shown to decrease patient treatment times. With enough notification the patient could go directly to CT to reduce treatment times.
• Arkansas Stroke Ready Hospitals – In 2013, the Brain Attack Coalition released a report discussing the importance of hospital designation as a stroke center by national organizations such as The Joint Commission (i.e. Primary Stroke Centers) or through other organizations such as state departments of health. The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) has developed a new state stroke designation to recognize hospitals that are not Primary Stroke Centers (PSCs) or Comprehensive Stroke Centers (CSCs) but have the ability to provide timely and evidence-based stroke care to patients. This includes diagnostic services, stabilization, emergent care and treatment to patients with acute stroke. Select requirements to become an ADH-designated stroke hospital (known as Arkansas Stroke Ready Hospital or ArSRH) include having 24/7 neurology coverage, use of a standardized stroke protocol, and providing CT with interpretation within 45 minutes of patient arrival. There is no application fee required to become an ArSRH. All hospitals in the southwest region are encouraged to complete the ArSRH application and provide to the Arkansas Department of Health. The goal is for all hospitals in the Southwest region to be stroke designated (either through the ArSRH program or through a national organization like The Joint Commission).
• Destination – EMS are asked to bring the suspected stroke patient to the nearest stroke capable hospital, unless a Primary Stroke Center is within 15-20 minutes away.
• ED-to-ED Transport – EMS are asked to use the AR SAVES transport protocol for “drip and ship” patients receiving alteplase, the drug used to dissolve the clot causing many strokes.
• Continuing Education – Additional Advanced Stroke Life Support (ASLS) classes are being offered to increase application among healthcare providers on the latest evidence-based guidelines on acute stroke patient diagnosis and treatment.

Craig Valentine says, “if you don’t make waves, the tide will never change.” There is a significant tide of stroke in Arkansas and to turn the tide it will be important to make some significant changes. Through this stroke system of care approach, the goal is to make waves and reduce the impact of stroke on Arkansans.

 

Governor Hutchinson Signs Bill to Strengthen Monitoring of Prescription Medications

On April 11, Governor Hutchinson signed legislation to help ensure prescribers are monitoring medications.

“Incredible abundance of opioids like Hydrocodone and Oxycodone in Arkansas paired with the mistaken believe that prescription drugs are safe and are not addictive has created an unfortunate prescription drug abuse epidemic in this state,” said John Kirtley, Executive Director of the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy.

The law, now known as Act 820, states that, “A prescriber shall check the information in the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program when prescribing: an opioid from Schedule II or Schedule III for every time prescribing the medication to a patient; and a benzodiazepine medication for the first time prescribing the medication to a patient.” In addition, Act 820 requires that a licensing board will require practitioners to check the PDMP (Prescription Drug Monitoring Program) prior to prescribing opioids or benzodiazepine to first time patients.

Source: Take Back Arkansas (2017, April 13). ARKANSAS GOVERNOR SIGNS BILL REQUIRING PRESCRIBERS TO MONITOR PRESCRIPTIONS . Retrieved October 10, 2017, from http://www.artakeback.org/takeback-news/arkansas-governor-signs-bill-requiring-prescribers-to-monitor-prescriptions

Protocol Action Team Update
Submitted by Pam Blake

 There were a total of five (5) nominees received for the 2018 President Elect position.  Two of the five were ineligible, two declined and one accepted.  

The 2018 Officer Ballot for President Elect was emailed to all the AAHQ members to vote.  The deadline to fax the ballots back to Cindy Harris was Monday, October 9, 2017.  

 

 

 

Beth Schooley, RN, BBA, CPHQ, CPPS, Director of Performance Improvement, Compliance, and Risk Management for Howard Memorial Hospital in Nashville, AR accepted to run for the position.  Beth graduated from Fairview Deaconess School of Nursing in Minneapolis, MN and also has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Washington State University. Beth has close to 10 years of experience in Quality, Compliance and Risk Management. She is a CPHQ, CPPS, and member of AAHQ and NAHQ. She currently serves on the AAHQ Board of Directors and is also a member of the Rural Quality Advisory Counsel.  She was unopposed and an option to write in candidate was provided on the ballot.  

The new 2018 President-Elect will be announced at the Fall Conference on Friday, October 27, 2017.

AAHQ Members Attend NAHQ Next in Cincinnati and Virtually!

All,

I would like to say THANK YOU for allowing me to patriciate in the NAHQNext virtual conference.

I was able to watch each session over the last three days. The speakers were very knowledgeable and shared ideas I will bring back to our teams.

A theme throughout the conference, seemed to be that of ‘positivity’ and how one individual can impact patient care/satisfaction. Little things can make a big difference.  I really liked the quote from the first speaker who stated “Change you words, change your world”.

I think one of the visuals that stuck in my mind the most was when one of the speakers stated that she’d went to her boss to vent about how many projects she had in the works. She had herself convinced that  if she could explain to her boss how busy she was, he would perhaps allocate some of her projects to someone else. Her boss then asked her to draw out a diagram of a football field with a goal line on one side and the starting point on the other. Then  she was asked to list all her projects out on the diagram based on how far along each of her projects were (i.e. if a project was 50% done, it would be listed on the 50 yard line). When she was done listing all her many projects on all the various yard lines. They looked at the diagram together and her boss pointed out that while there were many, there were none that had cross the goal line and were 100% complete.

I think we can all relate. She went on to emphasize the prioritization of projects and identifying the ones that are going to make the most impact and completing those instead of starting up many others and having them go nowhere or linger along for months.

Again think you for your generosity.

Brian Ramsey

Hello Everyone,

I recently had the opportunity to join NAHQ Next in Cincinnati on behalf of the AAHQ Executive Board. As many of you know, NAHQ members go to NAHQ’s educational conference to learn a fast majority of quality healthcare related topics to take home and disseminate that knowledge throughout their organizations. In addition to this valuable learning experience there is an opportunity to network among the vast expanse of quality personnel from across the entire county, and what an opportunity this year’s conference was!

I attended multiple amazing sessions on data analytics, hospital’s journeys, and the future of healthcare quality; but in addition, I had the amazing experience of speaking with NAHQ members who are members of their state’s organization as well. I found this opportunity one of the most rewarding of the 3 day experience. I found they were quite willing to share their experiences in their state, both good and bad. I know that our organization will use this information going forward to continue to improve our support of healthcare quality staff throughout the state of Arkansas. Thank you to AAHQ for sending me on this most rewarding journey! (P.S. the food and shopping was amazing too!)

Dalana Pittman

I would like to take this opportunity to thank AAHQ for their support to be a virtual attendee of the NAHQ Next Virtual Conference.  I am sincerely honored to have been selected as one of this year’s scholarship recipients, I am so grateful for the opportunity.  Receiving this scholarship reduced my financial burden and allowed me to obtain 10 CEs towards renewing my CPHQ certification.  

Attending a NAHQ Annual Conference, a conference designed exclusively for the profession of healthcare quality, has always been a goal of mine.   The virtual conference provided knowledge and solutions to many challenges we face every day as healthcare quality professionals.  It allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of quality, to stay on top of quality-related topics, and tools to help excel in my profession.  Simon T. Bailey motivates us to want to be the difference that makes the difference in our organizations and in ourselves.  It can be as simple as changing our words.  Lenard L. Parisi teaches best practice is to share data, to communicate across the continuum, to not re-invent the wheel, but to share resources.  Carole Guinane encourages us to find our blocks and to have fun. The panel discussion shares insight into the future of healthcare quality, the critical skill is to be a great communicator and to be comfortable with data.  I am looking forward to reading Liz Jazwiec’s book; Service Excellence is as Easy as Pie:  Perception Is Everything.  I enjoyed her sense of humor as she shared practical and relatable ways to improve customer service.  I felt as if Kim Charland was speaking directly to me.  Her session was right on target with what a quality professional needs to know about revenue cycle, CDI, and documentation.      

I am only one of more than 10,000 healthcare professionals that hold a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality certification.  Earning and retaining the CPHQ shows our commitment, our competency and our qualification in the healthcare quality profession.  Once again, thank you AAHQ for your generous gift.   AAHQ’s generosity and support truly makes a difference in the lives of quality healthcare professionals.  Educational offerings, professional development and leadership are some of the membership benefits. AAHQ is a great way to stay connected with professional peers and remain actively engaged.  

Pam Blake, MHA, BSN, RN, CPHQ
Chairman of the Protocol Team

I would like to thank the Arkansas Association for Healthcare Quality (AAHQ) for allowing me to attend the NAHQ Next Virtual Conference. The NAHQ Next conference provided valuable information for those who work in the field of healthcare quality to implement in their organizations. I was very impressed by the presentation on “Restructuring a Quality Program to Dramatically Improve Clinical Outcomes.” The presentation demonstrated the integration of Lean Six Sigma concepts into clinical quality improvement, and provided steps that DeKalb Regional Health System implemented to change their clinical outcomes. I appreciate the opportunity, and I am looking forward to next year’s conference!

Nancy Cole, MHA, CPHQ

My Thoughts on NAHQ Next Virtual Conference

• Great Look – Excellent format for the conference, I learned a lot due to the practical tips and I would love to attend next year as well!
• Music/Lights – Now this may not be the most important thing…but I must say something about this which I thought was really cool. I really enjoyed the multi-colored lights and selection of upbeat songs right before the conference even started…music from Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and others was really awesome and got me ready to get into the event! Here is a live screen shot right before the event opened about 8:30 AM on opening day:

• Technology Worked – The format allowed you to do a split screen to see the PowerPoint and also to see the speaker at the same time! Everything worked like a dream (except the videos that Simon Bailey played had a lag live but great on the recording). Here is a live screen of how it looked:

Favorite Presenter – Simon T. Bailey

• Simon T. Bailey’s “Shift Your Brilliance” – Wow this guy was awesome! He stressed the importance of sharing with other people. Very few slides but they were powerful. Showed a very powerful video at the end I recommend you watch “Change Your Words, Change Your World” which you can see by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qpcB82aUz4
• Involved the audience – Had us right at the beginning to shout “I am brilliant!!!” Also had us think by asking questions throughout the presentation.

• Mental Post-In Notes

“when I share once I learn it twice”

“change doesn’t happen to you, it moves through you” and “change is our friend not our foe”

“the job of a leader is to invite people on a journey to discover themselves while they are following you”

“we have to become uncomfortable being comfortable” – had us take a wrist-watch and put on the opposite wrist to show that it is something that feels different

“in the midst of change, people want to know: do you care about me? Do I matter? Do I have value?”

“your brilliance is released in an environment in when you are celebrated rather than tolerated”

“This environment invites you to be a vitamin just an aspirin”

“Your work in quality is not just about making an impression, but about leaving an imprint on the head, heart and the hands of everyone on the journey to taking care of the patient.”

“what gets recognized gets repeated.”

“VUCA” environment is where we are which stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity

• TIP –
  • Day One App – download an app called DAY ONE – in this app you can right down “what was right about today? What am I most proud of?” This is important for our self-confidence – “sometimes you just need to remember” we are still brilliant.
  • “Catch people doing something right” – Have a culture that finds what’s working right in the quality journey
  • 15-7-30-90 – get up 15 minutes early, take first 5 minutes just to meditate and get quite, second five minutes read or listen to something that inspires you, the third five minutes stretch and get aligned with the day. Fiften minutes a day creates 7 days a week, 7 days a week creates 30 days and 30 days creates 90 days. So if I want to understand how I’m growing, live your life in quarters. “Every 90 days…how did I get to this point?”
• déjà vu to VuJa De – starts with how do I look for opportunities to innovate? How do I look for chances to push things forward, and not just do things the way they have always been done. It’s important to share stories with what people are doing RIGHT on the quality journey instead of what they are doing wrong.
• 4 Levels of Learning: (1) Why should I be listening to you?; (2) What are the metrics?; (3) What are the 3 things I need to do? and (4) Give me one thing that I can do?
  • The ability to tell a story, make a point, give a how-to in 5 minutes or less is important is this age of YouTube/social media with short attention spans
• 10 Critical Skills Need for 2020:
  • Sense making
  • Social intelligence
  • Novel and adaptive thinking
  • Cross cultural competency
  • Computational thinking
  • New media literacy
  • Trans disciplinary
  • Design mindset
  • Cognitive load management
  • Virtual collaboration
• 7 Traits of Brilliant Leaders
  • Be Present
  • Connect
  • Consistent
  • Relationships
  • Global Thinking
  • Authentic Listening
  • Curious

• Closing Video – “Change Your Words, Change Your World” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qpcB82aUz4

 

 

Article Submissions from Around the State

 

UAMS: Project Search

In 2013 UAMS Project SEARCH® was founded through the collaborative efforts of University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), ACCESS® and Arkansas Rehabilitation Services.

• ACCESS® is a 501c3 nonprofit offering evaluation services, full-time education, therapy, training and activities for individuals (age 6 weeks – 35 years) with language and learning disabilities. In partnership with Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, ACCESS® operates the Project SEARCH® Arkansas program, an on-the-job internship program for young adults with developmental disabilities. www.accessgroupinc.org

• Arkansas Rehabilitation Services: Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS), a division of the Department of Career Education, provides opportunities for Arkansans with disabilities to lead productive and independent lives. ARS is funded through a state and federal partnership with 80 percent of the funding provided through the Rehabilitation Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Education. www.arcareereducation.org

Participants in Project SEARCH® must have qualifying disabilities. They must also qualify for Arkansas Rehabilitation Services and be willing to participate in three 10-week internships. The goal of UAMS Project SEARCH is to help participants build competitive, marketable and transferable skills that enable them to apply for jobs.

The Quality Management Department (QMD) at UAMS has served as a Project SEARCH® internship site since 2014 and fully involve interns into performance improvement activities around the entire UAMS campus. In 2016, William Stevens, a Project SEARCH® intern and Jermaine Moore, a 2015 Project SEARCH® graduate/part-time employee in QMD, wanted to do a project to identify specific accommodations available in public restrooms at UAMS. Since William and Jermaine use motorized wheelchairs for mobility, these two young men thought a resource directory identifying the location of specific restrooms would be helpful to patients and families visiting campus.  

Sandy Bennett, Director of Quality Management, enlisted the assistance of Mickey Thomas, Facilities Space Planner in Campus Operations to help with the performance improvement project. William, Jermaine, Jermaine’s caregiver(s) and staff from the Quality Management Department randomly assessed over 300 restrooms from a total of ten buildings around campus. All UAMS public restrooms evaluated met the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Teams assessed if restrooms were big enough to accommodate a disabled person and their caregiver. Assessments were made to identify those restrooms large enough for the disabled person and their motorized wheelchair or other piece of adaptive equipment. Notes were made about the availability of baby changing stations because those surfaces often serve as a place to securely hold personal care items. Restrooms were also assessed for gender neutrality, which makes it easier when there is a caregivers of the opposite sex assisting the person living with a disability.

The project findings were shared with multiple committees across campus. The Quality Management Department, along with Barbie Brunner, Director of Patient and Family Centered Care, and Kate Franks, Communications and Marketing Manager, worked together to publish a UAMS Hospital Restroom Directory listing restrooms with locations and criteria to meet the needs of every individual.

In July 2017, William Stevens (2017 Project SEARCH® graduate), Jermaine Moore (2015 Project SEARCH® graduate/part-time QMD employee), Sandy Bennett, QMD Director and Shannon Finley, QMD QAPI Manager, were invited to present the details of this performance improvement project at the 2017 National Project SEARCH® Conference in Pocono, Pennsylvania with hopes of replication around the United States. Upon their return, Arkansas Rehabilitation Services invited the team to give the same presentation to other Arkansas Project Search sites and Arkansas leaders.  Clearly, the interdisciplinary team that created this Directory, UAMS administration and employees are eager to meet the individual needs of people with disabilities.

ASTHO Learning Collaborative to Improve Cardiovascular Health Outcomes

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), with the support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Heart Disease and Stroke, is supporting a learning collaborative with Arkansas (one of three states) to work with Humana, the local Jefferson County health unit, and Jefferson Regional Medical Center (JRMC) to improve population-level blood pressure control through innovative, data-driven health care delivery and payment models.  

Arkansas is working with the Greater Delta Alliance for Health (GDAH), Jefferson Regional Medical Center (JRMC), a non-profit hospital in the delta, and Humana, a private commercial payer, to develop and test an integrated model for transition of care for hypertension patients discharged from emergency department (ED) to team-based care by the Jefferson County local health unit staff and primary care providers.  The model builds on Arkansas’ successful community team-based care model which was developed through the ASTHO Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Learning Collaborative, and will target patients with hypertension, who are high utilizers of the ED at a GDAH member hospital, Jefferson Regional Medical Center (JRMC) in the city of Pine Bluff, Jefferson County.  Target patients will receive referral and case management support from the local health unit.  Partners will also test a payment mechanism to reimburse hospitals for ED hypertension referrals into the community team-based care system.  Partners will also calculate cost-savings based on hospital readmissions.   

New Tip Clip Spotlights Huddle System’s Impact as Proven Error-Reduction Tool
By Susan Allen

Research used in developing the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Guide to Patient and Family Engagement in Hospital Quality and Safety suggests that “more than 70 percent of adverse events are caused by breakdowns in communication among caregivers and between caregivers and patients.” As children, we are taught to  “Stop, Look and Listen” before venturing into new or potentially dangerous territory, and for healthcare professionals, such a practice is equally beneficial and can be accomplished through daily safety huddles which aid in setting the course for a safe day.  

A huddle is a team communication event, typically lasting about 15 minutes, conducted to ensure that all team members know what is going on around them. Such situational awareness is needed in order to assess current action plans and identify concerns and potential risks. Huddles offer opportunities to adjust plans as needed and confirm that team members are on the same page moving forward. Just as with the “Stop, Look and Listen” approach, the huddle allows a team pause to come together to identify risk and to decide whether to proceed or redirect actions to mitigate risk and avoid harm.

Studies show that high performing teams, departments and organizations embrace huddles as a key practice yielding valuable exchanges of information and accountability as well as improved safety and productivity. Ultimately, staff is empowered to work more collaboratively within decision-making and problem-solving processes  

To assist quality and safety leaders in developing a successful huddles program, American Data Network PSO has produced a new Healthcare Tip Clip that can be used as a teaching tool to showcase the impact that huddles can have on communication and safety. The six-minute video, Making the Most of Safety Huddles,focuses specifically on the implementation of a three-tiered huddle system. Characterized by daily briefings that happen at the Unit, Department and Leadership levels, a three-tiered system encourages the sort of preoccupation with failure that is the mark of a high performing organization. ADNPSO’s huddles video details the type of information shared at each level and concludes with seven recommendations leaders should consider in building a huddle system with the potential to significantly enhance their organization’s culture of safety.

Watch Making the Most of Safety Huddles below, or click here to access this video and other helpful  Healthcare Tip Clips.

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

President – Elect
Pam Cochran
501-257-3087
501-257-3110 fax
autocontrols@att.net

 

 

 

Secretary
Margaret Corbett
501-513-5735
501-513-5312 fax
mcorbett@conwayregional.org

 

 

 

Action Team Leaders

Protocol
Pam Blake
870-718-1724
blakep@jrmc.org

 

 

 

Professional Dev.
Shannon Finley
501-296-1010
501-686-8175
Sfinley55@gmail.com

 

 

Membership Srv.
Karen Donaldson
870-382-7657
870-382-6555 fax
kdonaldson@deltamem.net

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

External Relations
David Vrudny
501-661-2096
501-280-4207 fax
David.Vrudny@arkansas.gov

 

 

 

Member at Large
Beth Schooley
870-845-8014
870-845-4178  fax
beths@howardmemorial.com

 

 

 

AHA Liaison

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

Editor: Dalana Pittman
American Data Network
Little Rock, AR