2025 Winter Newsletter

From the President’s Desk

Submitted by: Devin Terry, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, CPHQ

As I reflect on 2025, I am proud to say it has been a truly successful year for our association. One highlight was hosting two successful in-person educational conferences! These conferences were well attended, and your comments affirmed this! Your AAHQ Board strives to bring applicable and current topics to you each year.

This success was made possible by the dedication of our Board members. Everyone played an important role, and their collective teamwork was inspiring. I am deeply grateful for their commitment and the countless volunteer hours they contribute—not only through monthly Board meetings, but also through the many additional efforts behind the scenes. If you are interested in assisting with one of these workgroups, please contact a board member or speak with someone at the next AAHQ conference. Please be on the lookout for information about the 2026 Spring conference coming soon.

Thank you to our AAHQ members for the continued trust and privilege of allowing me to serve as President. It is an honor to lead such a committed and engaged association.

Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful and peaceful holiday season, and continued success in the new year.

Devin Terry

AAHQ President

Protocol Update

Submitted by: Erin Bolton, RN, BSN, CPHQ

We need YOU! We have several positions open on the AAHQ Board and we need members to step-up and help us fill these positions. The Board meets monthly except in months when we have a conference. The majority of the meetings are virtual, but we do try to get together a couple of times a year in person. We are looking for individuals to fill the following positions:

Protocol Team Lead
Finance Team Lead
Professional Development/External Relations
Members for the Finance Team
Members for the Communication Team
Members for the Protocol Team
Rural Health liaison
Member at Large

If you are interested, please reach out to me for more details and to get your name submitted to the Board. We would love to have you join us!

Is it time to renew your CPHQ certification? If so, we can help! Scholarships are available to assist you with the cost of this. Reach out to me and I can get you the application. Scholarships are also available if you are interested in obtaining your CPHQ certification. Again, I can get more information and the application to you. Just let me know!

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! We hope to see some new faces joining us in 2026!

Erin Bolton

President-Elect, AAHQ

NAHQ Next Scholarship Article

Submitted by: Pam Blake, MHA, BSN, RN, CPHQ

Hello, my name is Pam Blake, and I am a Director at Jefferson Regional. I have been a member of Arkansas Association of Healthcare Quality (AAHQ) for several years. I have served on the board as well as a past team leader and past President. I earned my CPHQ in 2013. I have received so much more from AAHQ than I can ever give back. I would like to take this opportunity to thank AAHQ for the National Association for Healthcare Quality – NAHQ NEXT 2025 virtual conference scholarship. I was one of the lucky recipients to attend in September. Being a member of AAHQ has many benefits, experiences, fellowships, conferences, and scholarships. The scholarship allowed me to earn the remaining continuing education (CEs) requirement to maintain my Certified Professional HealthCare Quality (CPHQ) in addition to the two conferences held each year by AAHQ. It was both an honor and a privilege to attend the sessions. I received valuable tools and resources to assist in my role. The presenters are industry leaders credentialed in healthcare Quality & Safety. They shared their talent, passion, personal stories, inspiration, perspectives, and expertise in how together we can strive to advance Quality and Safety. The session I want to highlight is Locked In, But Not Locked Out: The Power of Gratitude by Victoria Arlen. She is a motivational speaker, ESPN Host & Reporter, Paralympic Gold Medalist-World Record Holder, Dancing with the Stars Semi-Finalist, and Author. Most importantly she is a triplet, a daughter, and a sister. Victoria told her story of her four (4) year dark period. She was in a vegetative state. When she woke up, she could see and hear, but she could not say anything. She had two (2) exceedingly rare aggressive autoimmune neurological diseases at the age of eleven. A dose of steroids would have prevented it all. What an inspiration! What was impossible, she believed, “I’m possible!” Her mind was working, she had thoughts, she was still here, she was still herself and not dead yet. Victoria faced it, embraced it, defied it, and conquered it! She was amazing and an inspiration. I will never forget her story.

AAHQ holds two (2) educational conferences each year with CEs in nursing and CPHQ. Additional offerings include quarterly newsletters, professional contacts, networking, and a membership roster. I encourage you to get your CPHQ. AAHQ also offers scholarships for obtaining and/or renewing your CPHQ. The guidance and expertise have made a significant impact on my career, and I am so appreciative of their support.

Professional Development/External Relations Update

Submitted by: Justin Villines, MBA, BSM

AAHQ Quality Conference-more details coming soon!

Please mark your calendar for our upcoming Spring Quality Conference. Additional information—including the agenda, speakers, and registration details, will be shared soon. Please keep an eye out for upcoming emails.

Attendees will gain practical insights and best practices across the continuum of care, including:

Healthcare-Associated Conditions (HACs) & Prevention Strategies
New Pharmacy Regulations & Medication Safety Impacts Across Care Settings
Patient Mobility Programs & Reducing Fall Risk Across the Continuum
Warm Hand-offs & Behavioral Health Integration in Medical Environments
Transitions of Care: Communication, Interoperability, & Readmission Reduction

We look forward to bringing together quality, clinical, and operational leaders for a focused discussion on improving outcomes, safety, and care coordination.

Justin Villines

Professional Development/External Relations Team Lead

988 Lifeline: Help is Here!

Mental health support is just three digits away. Originally launched in 2005 as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the service underwent restructuring in 2018 under the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act. In 2022, it transitioned to the easy-to-remember number: 988.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 to anyone experiencing mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use concerns or simply needing someone to talk to during life’s difficult moments. Compassionate crisis counselors are always ready to listen—so you never have to face a crisis alone.

How to connect:

Call or text: 988
Chat online: 988lifeline.org

All services are free and confidential for anyone in the United States.

Arkansas currently has four 988 Lifeline Centers that can answer your calls, texts, and chats.

Arkansas Lifeline Call Center
Arkansas Crisis Center
Western Arkansas Counseling and Guidance Center
AFMC 988 Helpline

When you reach out to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the process is simple and designed to connect you quickly with the help you need:

First, you’ll be notified of a brief menu with options for the 988 Lifeline, Spanish-language assistance, and Veteran services.
Next, a short hold may follow, accompanied by music or helpful messages to guide you.
Last, you’ll be connected with a live, trained crisis counselor who is ready to listen and provide support.

You can reach out for yourself or on behalf of someone else. People contact the Lifeline for many reasons, including:

Thoughts of suicide
Concerns about substance use or alcohol
Feelings of anxiety or depression
Questions or worries about sexual orientation
Mental or physical health challenges
Loneliness or isolation
Current or past trauma
Relationship difficulties
Financial or economic hardships

Medical professionals play a vital role in connecting individuals to crisis support. Providers can utilize the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in the following ways:

Refer patients to 988 for immediate mental health and crisis assistance.
Support patients and caregivers by helping them access community resources and ongoing support.
Coordinate emergency services for mental health crises through established partnerships with Mobile Crisis Response Teams and Public Safety Answering Points.

If someone is experiencing thoughts of suicide or struggling with difficult circumstances, consider these important steps:

Speak openly and directly about suicide to reduce stigma and encourage honest conversation.
Practice active listening to ensure the person feels heard and understood.
Remove access to harmful means whenever possible to reduce immediate risk.
Seek additional help from professionals or organizations specializing in crisis intervention and suicide prevention.
As you offer support to someone in a crisis, be aware of your own emotional well-being, too.

Remember: Help is always available. If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. You are not alone.

Communications Update

Submitted by: Joel Anderson, GC-MGMT, BBA

Happy Holidays from AAHQ Communications! As we reflect on 2025 and make our 2026 New Year resolutions, the Communications Action Team is looking forward to a fantastic 2026. The AAHQ Communications Action Team wants to highlight the quality achievements of our members and organizations across the state. Did your organization receive a quality award in 2025? Did you earn a CPHQ Certification? If so, please reach out by emailing andersonj@jrmc.org. We would love to spotlight these accomplishments in our next quarterly newsletter!

Are you interested in getting more involved with AAHQ? One way to get involved with AAHQ is by becoming a member of one of our action teams. Not only will you be networking with quality leaders from around the state, but also you can learn so many other things that can enhance your skillset, (i.e., website design and maintenance, bylaw creation, organizational finance, conference planning, and membership recruitment activities.) Please reach out to a Board member and join one of our teams in 2026!

Joel Anderson

Communications Team Lead

Improving Quality and Outcomes Across Arkansas Through Interoperability

The State Health Alliance for Records Exchange (SHARE) Health Information Exchange serves as Arkansas’s statewide interoperability infrastructure, connecting hospitals, clinics, emergency medical services (EMS), long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC), behavioral health providers, payers, and public health. By securely exchanging clinical information across electronic health record systems and care settings, SHARE enables care teams to access timely, relevant data that supports better clinical decision-making, streamlined workflows, and improved outcomes for Arkansas patients.

Interoperability That Reduces Fragmentation

Patients often receive care from multiple providers and organizations, which can lead to fragmented information and inefficient workflows. SHARE reduces this fragmentation by enabling standardized, electronic data exchange across the continuum of care. Instead of relying on manual processes such as faxing, phone calls, or delayed record requests, participating organizations receive clinical information in a consistent, reliable manner. This allows clinicians and staff to spend less time locating information and more time focusing on patient care, particularly for individuals with complex or chronic conditions.

Real-Time Notifications That Support Safer Transitions of Care

One of the most impactful capabilities provided by SHARE is real-time event notification. Admission, discharge, and transfer (ADT) notifications alert providers and care teams when their patients present to the emergency department, are admitted to a hospital, or are discharged. These notifications enable timely follow-up, medication reconciliation, and care coordination, key strategies for reducing avoidable readmissions and improving patient safety. Clinics, behavioral health providers, LTPAC facilities, and community partners benefit from this visibility, ensuring transitions of care do not occur in isolation.

Actionable Reporting for Quality Improvement and Value-Based Care

SHARE delivers actionable reports that support quality improvement initiatives and value-based payment models. Hospitalization reports and readmission reports help organizations identify utilization patterns, prioritize high-risk patients, and evaluate outcomes across populations. These reports are widely used by hospitals, primary care practices, accountable care organizations (ACOs), clinically integrated networks (CINs), and care management teams to improve coordination, reduce unnecessary utilization, and support post-discharge care.

Supporting Chronic Disease Management and Preventive Care

In addition to utilization reporting, SHARE supports chronic disease management through targeted reports such as HbA1c reporting for patients with diabetes. These reports help care teams identify patients who are overdue for testing or not meeting clinical targets, enabling proactive outreach and intervention. By making this information available across care settings, SHARE helps close care gaps, improve quality measure performance, and support better long-term outcomes for patients with chronic conditions.

Improving Coordination for Vulnerable and High-Need Populations

SHARE plays a critical role in supporting care coordination for vulnerable populations. Foster care reports provide visibility into healthcare encounters for children in custody, helping stakeholders coordinate services and reduce fragmentation as placements and provider’s change. EMS agencies benefit from improved interoperability that supports more informed handoffs and coordination with emergency departments. Behavioral health and LTPAC providers gain timely awareness of hospital events, supporting warm hand-offs, follow-up care, and whole person approaches to treatment.

Aligning With Federal Quality and Interoperability Programs

SHARE helps participating organizations align with federal quality and interoperability requirements, including MACRA and the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Improved data exchange supports performance across Quality, Promoting Interoperability, and Improvement Activities categories by strengthening transitions of care, enabling receipt and use of external clinical data, and supporting coordinated follow-up. SHARE also supports the intent of the 21st Century Cures Act by reducing barriers to information sharing and enabling appropriate access to electronic health information across the care continuum.

Delivering Measurable Impact for Arkansas Patients

By turning interoperability into actionable insight, SHARE delivers measurable value across Arkansas’s healthcare system. Hospitals experience smoother transitions and reduced readmission risk. Clinics gain visibility into patient activity outside their walls. Behavioral health, EMS, and LTPAC partners are more fully integrated into the care team. Most importantly, Arkansas patients benefit from safer transitions, more coordinated care, and improved outcomes driven by timely, accurate information sharing statewide.

AAHQ Sponsors

Gold Level Sponsors

American Data Network

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. For more information about ADN and its services, please visit www.americandatanetwork.com.

Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care

For more than 35 years, AFMC has helped improve the quality of healthcare in Arkansas. As the federally designated quality improvement organization (QIO), we work with staff in every health care setting and offer free tools and resources. Together, we’re working to make health care safer, more effective and more efficient. For more information about AFMC’s services, please go to www.afmc.org.

Empower Healthcare Solutions

Founded in 2018, Empower is the largest of four Provider-led Arkansas Shared Saving Entities (PASSE) in Arkansas. Empower is committed to helping members live fuller, healthier lives at home and in their communities. For more information about Empower Healthcare Solutions, please visit https://getempowerhealth.com/