AAHQ 2023 Quarter 1 Newsletter

By aahqwebmaster • In NewsNo Comments

From the President’s Desk
Submitted by Devin Terry

Hello AAHQ Members!

I am so thankful for the sun we have enjoyed over the past week, and I sincerely hope the longer days and warmer weather have made each of your days brighter after the past several months of challenges we have all faced in healthcare and elsewhere. Spring is a time of new beginnings, and our board membership reflects this with many new faces. Beginning in 2023, we welcomed several new members to our Board, including Teresa Jeffus (UAMS), Tim Copeland (UAMS), and Joel Anderson (Jefferson Regional). I want to take this opportunity to thank Chelsea Davidson, Dalana Pittman, and Pam Blake for their service to the Board. We will be forever grateful for the leadership and guidance provided by these individuals over the years (many years for some). We are diligently working to ensure the benefits offered to our membership align with the ever-changing needs of both healthcare quality professionals and their respective healthcare institutions, which we recognize may look vastly different than they did just a couple of years ago. One way we know how to meet your needs is by the survey sent out several weeks ago. I hope you had the chance to have your voice heard by completing the membership survey. These results will help your Board ensure that we serve you and can meet you where you are. AAHQ would not be what it is today without our Board members – both past and present – and without YOU, our members. If you are looking for ways to get involved, I encourage you to consider volunteering as a team member on one of our action teams. We have action teams focused on Finance, Membership, Professional Development, Protocols, Communication, and External Relations.

Finally, I would like to mention our AAHQ Education Workshop on April 21st. A Save-the-Date email was just sent out. As much as we would like to meet in person, right now, we are planning for this event to be virtual. Nursing Contact Hours and CPHQ credits are provided with registration. We would love you to join in on the fun, so feel free to contact any of us on the Board if you are interested!

Devin Terry, MSN, RN, CNS-BC, CPHQ
2023 AAHQ Board President

Professional Development Update
Submitted by Justin Villines

Virtual AAHQ Conference

April 21, 2023 8:00am-4:30pm!

AAHQ: Strategic Pillars in Quality

 

Elevating Stakeholder Voices Through Active Engagement

This full day virtual event will feature topics on 

  • Data Sharing in Public Health and Medical Care
  • Protecting Programs for Sustainability throughout Arkansas
  • Fostering Excellence in Pediatrics
  • Advancing Equity in Northwest Arkansas by Social Determinants of Health Screening
  • Engaging Partners for Better Access, Better Quality and Better Health Outcomes
  • Driving Innovation in Rural Arkansas
  • Expanding Access throughout Arkansas

Registration fee*
$75 AAHQ Members
$125 Non-Members

APU Statement
Arkansas Hospital Association is approved with distinction as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the Midwest Multistate Division, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Continuing Education
7.0 Nursing Contact Hours will be awarded to all nurses who REGISTER FOR THE EVENT prior to event start, attend the virtual event in its entirety, and complete the follow-up evaluation process attesting to their attendance via Survey Monkey within one week following the event date.

6.0 CPHQ continuing education credits approved by NAHQ®.

To view the full flyer with faculty,
or to print out the registration form and mail/fax back, CLICK HERE.

How to Register-www.arkhospitals.org
>> AHA member hospital employees are now able to register for events online by signing in with their username and password. If you have any questions regarding logging into the AHA website, please contact Cindy Crump via email ccrump@arkhospitals.org 

*If you are logged in and are receiving the non AAHQ member rate, your 2023 AAHQ dues have not been received. You must pay your dues before you register to receive the member registration fee. Refunds will NOT be given after registration transaction has been completed.

>> If you are not an employee of an AHA member hospital and would like to inquire about attendance, please reach out to the event contact below.

If you have any trouble signing in, please view the Online Registration FAQs.

Contact: Cindy Harris

Justin Villines, MBA, BSM
2023 Professional Development Team Lead

Membership Services Update
Submitted by Tim Copeland

The membership survey results are in.  The detailed results will be shared with the Board at our next meeting.  But here is some high level data from the survey.  We had 22 respondents.  Most of the respondents acknowledged that their employer financially supported their membership and participation in association activities.  The survey assessed what members value most in their association experience.  This information will be used by the board to develop activities that will be the needs of the membership.  One question was designed to determine what topics members would get the most value from at our educational meetings.  There were a couple of questions related to mentorship.  This did not seem to be an area where there was a great amount of interest.  But we did have about the same number interested in serving as a mentor as we had people who were interested in mentorship opportunities.  So hopefully we’ll be able to put the right people together to make it work for our members.  I will have more to come on this topic once the Board has had a chance to discuss the specific findings and create an action plan.

Tim Copeland, MHSA, BS(MT)
2023 Membership Services Team Lead

Communications Update
Submitted by Joel Anderson

AAHQ Communications is looking for any members interested in serving on our Communications Action Team. There is so much to learn and there are always great networking opportunities. Are you a self-motivated learner and interested in technology like websites, social media, newsletter development, and so much more? If so, then this is the team for you! Please reach out to me at andersonj@jrmc.org.

In order to participate and interact with AAHQ, please follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn. Our website is a great resource for members and includes information on upcoming educational events.  Please bookmark the website and visit often!

Joel Anderson, BBA
2023 Communications Team Lead

Finance Update

Financial Update reported on 2/24/2023 at the 2022 Membership Meeting:

Balance as of 12/31/2022:  $24,331

Income includes membership dues.  Expenses include items such as conference/meeting costs and member gifts.  The largest 2022 expense was educational scholarships provided to membership for the virtual NAHQ Next Conference, resulting in 10 scholarships.  Members who paid for Fall Conference should have received a refund.

Protocol Update
Submitted by Erin Bolton

Congratulations to Teresa Jeffus of UAMS who will serve as our President-Elect for this year and as our AAHQ President in 2024!

Have you been considering getting your CPHQ but are a little overwhelmed by the cost and maybe your facility does not have the ability to help you? Or is it time to renew your CPHQ and cost could be a factor this year? We would like to help you! The Arkansas AAHQ has scholarship funds available for those who are getting their CPHQ for the first time or who are renewing their CPHQ. All you have to do is complete this form Request for Scholarship-CPHQ Initial Certification or Recertification and submit it to me at the email address below. The board will review all applications and make awards based on available funds. Our goal would be to do an equal number of new and renewing members but this could change based on need.

We are hoping to start a mentorship program if there are enough people interested. We would team you up with an AAHQ member who has experience in a field in which you might want more education or knowledge. It’s great to have someone to talk and bounce around ideas. We also need some of you more experienced members to serve as mentors.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at boltone@jrmc.org and I can get you some additional information.

Erin Bolton, BSN, RN, CPHQ
2023 Protocol Team Lead

HQ Solutions:  Resource for the Healthcare Quality Professional, Fifth Edition

Information obtained from:  www.nahq.org

The new edition of Q Solutions has been updated.  Written by Healthcare Quality experts and applicable to all practice settings across the continuum of care, HQ Solutions: Resource for the Healthcare Quality Professional, Fifth Edition is an essential resource that offers healthcare quality professionals the theoretical and practical foundations for safe, reliable, cost-effective care.  Consistent with current professional knowledge, it includes state-of-the-art tools for improvement and examines the fundamentals for the following seven domains: quality leadership and integration, quality review and accountability, regulatory and accreditation, patient safety, performance and process improvement, health data analytics, and population health and care transitions. 

This official publication of the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) is an invaluable resource in preparing for the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality® (CPHQ) certification exam. The CPHQ certification incorporates the body of knowledge in the healthcare quality profession. Becoming CPHQ certified demonstrates to employers and colleagues that the healthcare professional knows how to manage and advance healthcare quality and safety. 

Features & Benefits: 

  • Comprehensive CPHQ exam prep resource, covering critical topics for healthcare quality, practice, skill development, and knowledge growth.   
  • New sections speak to important and evolving topics in health care quality, including quality review and accountability, regulatory and accreditation, and population health and care transitions. 
  • Key points summarize important content in each section, while suggested readings and online resources point the learner to helpful resources for daily practice. 
  • Numerous tables and figures illustrate and clarify models, frameworks, concepts, and principles. 
  • Extensive glossary and list of acronyms that provide a brief dictionary for important terms. 

Visit www.nahq.org to learn more.

Health Information Exchange Improving Patient Care Submitted by:  Justin Villines

As the status of the global digital healthcare system is improved, technological developments in the healthcare sector continue to provide fresh approaches for raising the standard of patient care. With the rising usage of mobile technologies, electronic medical records, and telehealth services, information technology has greatly impacted the healthcare sector. Also, due to the rising desire for an effective healthcare system, there is a surge in the demand for electronic health information sharing among healthcare practitioners. The patient data communicated through Health Information Exchange (HIE) depends not only on the technological elements but also on the policies allowing data interchange, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. Thus, the majority of nations are concentrating on enacting new laws enabling data sharing via their HIE networks. As technology advances and alternatives for exchanging health information grow, health information exchange plays a significant role in the healthcare system by enhancing interoperability. Health information sharing is becoming more popular internationally as healthcare professionals see its advantages for patient care. These are a few advantages of sharing health information.

Minimizes Errors

HIE can ensure the safety of the patient by reducing medical and medication errors, as the data is safely stored in a database and exchanged through a digital channel.

Provides Efficiency

Health information exchange saves data in digital format which eliminates the need for any paperwork or handling. This also reduces the risk of losing any information as all the data is digitally stored.

Acts as a Support Tool

HIE system acts as a support tool for doctors and healthcare providers offering clinical decision support for better treatment and effective care.

Future potential like as care management platforms, cross-facility utilization, and sophisticated clinical and financial analytics may become available if access to reliable health information exchange is available. By giving timely access to public health data and assisting governments in planning and prioritizing initiatives to enhance people’s health, the HIE system also aids governments worldwide. In a nutshell, information is the driving force behind contemporary healthcare, and data saved in EHR systems and arranged for sharing. More healthcare companies are becoming aware of the many advantages of health information exchange, which is fast becoming the foundation for better clinical workflows and patient outcomes.

https://www.healthit.gov/playbook/health-information-exchange/

Ramkumar Janakiraman, Eunho Park, Emre M. Demirezen, Subodha Kumar (2022) The Effects of Health Information Exchange Access on Healthcare Quality and Efficiency: An Empirical Investigation. Management Science 69(2):791-811.

https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4378

Teresa Zayas-Cabán, Tracy H Okubo, Steven Posnack, Priorities to accelerate workflow automation in health care, Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, Volume 30, Issue 1, January 2023, Pages 195–201, https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocac197

The AAHQ Board would like to extend our thoughts and prayers to those impacted by the recent tornadoes that touched down in Arkansas on Friday, March 31, 2023.

Gold Sponsors

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.

AFMC’s purpose is solid: to help healthcare providers deliver the best quality of care at the lowest cost and to empower patients to take control of their own health and that of their families. AFMC is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Little Rock, Ark., with an additional office in Fort Smith, Ark. We are dedicated to working with beneficiaries and healthcare providers in all settings to improve overall health and consumers’ experience of care while reducing healthcare costs. We accomplish this through education, outreach, data analysis, information technology, medical case utilization and review, and marketing/ communications services provided by a staff of 270 employees. At the forefront of healthcare reform and practice transformation, AFMC is an established, trusted partner in private, state, and federally-led payment innovations by Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial payers.

2023 Board Members

President – Devin Terry

dkterry2@uams.edu

 

 

Past-President – Chelsey Davidson

chelsey.davidson@conwayregeional.org

 

 

President Elect – Teresa Jeffus

jeffusteresam@uams.edu

 

 

Secretary – Kristi Toblesky

ktoblesky@americandatanetwork.com

 

 

Protocol Team Lead – Erin Bolton

boltone@jrmc.org

 

 

Communications Team Lead – Joel Anderson

andersonj@jrmc.org

 

 

Professional Development – Justin Villines

justin.villines@hit.arkansas.gov

 

 

Membership Services – Tim Copeland

thcopeland@uams.edu

 

 

External Relations – Christy Whatley

cwhatley@stvincenthealth.com

 

 

Member at Large – Amanda Wyatt Hutto

amanda.wyatthutto@tmf.org

 

 

Member-at-Large – Shanda Guenther

shandaguenther@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

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