2026 Summer Newsletter

From the President’s Desk

Submitted by: Erin Bolton, RN, BSN, CPHQ

Summertime in Arkansas…you have to love it. And if you don’t, give it a few days, it will change!

I hope you were able to attend our Spring Conference on May 14. It was a wonderful day with great speakers and great networking! Plans are already underway for our 2027 Spring Conference. We will be taking your suggestions and comments from the Spring 2026 Conference and will use them to guide us as we plan for next year.

Please don’t forget to make plans to attend our Fall 2026 Conference on Friday, September 25. It will be held at CHI St. Vincent in Little Rock. We are excited to partner with ArONL to bring you RaDonda Vaught, the Vanderbilt nurse who faced criminal charges for a medication error that she made, and Kim Werkmeister, a national quality expert. Be on the lookout for registration and more event details coming soon! We will also have our yearly AAHQ business meeting as part of this conference.

Please consider if you would like to serve on the AAHQ Board. Our Secretary position and our President Elect position will be up for election this fall. This would be great time for you to join the team. The Board meets once a month, usually virtually, and we have a lot of fun planning conferences and other events to help advance healthcare quality across the state.

I would like to welcome Dana Scott as our new Protocol Team lead. Dana has been serving as a member at large and recently decided to help us out and serve as our Protocol Team lead. We will be transitioning her to this position over the next few months.

We are working on a Patient/Family Experience event for late summer or early fall and a Quality Lunch and Learn during Quality Week in October. Stay tuned for more details!

I would love to hear from you! My goal is to keep you updated about what the board is working on and what direction we are moving. I value your input. Please let me know if we are on the right track or if there are other things that we could offer that would benefit you more. I have the pleasure of serving with some of the greatest quality folks in the state, and we would all love to be of assistance to you. If you are new to quality or just need some fresh input as we navigate this ever-changing regulatory world, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Erin Bolton

AAHQ Board President

boltone@jrmc.org

Protocol Update

Submitted by: Erin Bolton, RN, BSN, CPHQ

We are excited that Dana will be leading our Protocol Team. As she is transitioning to her new role, I wanted to take a few minutes to remind you that AAHQ offers scholarships for members who are looking to get their CPHQ and also for members who need to renew their CPHQ. You must pass your CPHQ exam and then we will reimburse you for at least part of the cost of the exam. All you need to do is reach out to Dana or I for an application. Then you submit your application back to us and we bring it to the Board for review. These scholarships are in limited supply, so if you think we are going to need the assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact Dana or I for an application! We have had several AAHQ members take advantage of these scholarships. We are excited that we are able to offer this assistance to our hard-working AAHQ members. Let us hear from you! Good luck to the candidates who are going to take the CPHQ prep course on June 26. Let us know when you pass and we’ll feature you in the newsletter!

Erin Bolton

President, AAHQ

boltone@jrmc.org

Hello, I’m Dana Scott, Your Protocol Team Lead

I am excited to introduce myself as your new Protocol Team Lead! I have spent 24 rewarding years in healthcare, with 23 of those years dedicated to Washington Regional Medical Center. Over more than two decades, I have had the privilege of exploring healthcare from many different angles.

My journey includes clinical roots in bedside nursing in Med/Surg and in Wound Care and OB/GYN clinics, alongside a pivot into tech as an Information Systems (IS) Applications Specialist. This unique combination of frontline nursing and system analytics naturally guided me toward healthcare quality.

Before taking on my current role, I spent three years driving ambulatory quality initiatives. I then transitioned into quality in the Hospital setting, where I currently serve as a Quality Data Analyst. In this capacity, I focus on the complex, ever-changing landscape of CMS Inpatient Quality and Incentive Programs.

When I am not data-diving, I try to keep up with my busy household! My husband and I have three wonderful kids who keep us constantly on the move. Our weekends and evenings are packed with basketball, baseball, and gymnastics. When we do catch a breather, we love resetting in nature, spending quality time with extended family, and enjoying relaxing days out on the lake.

I look forward to collaborating with all of you. Don’t hesitate to send an email if I can help in any way (dscott@wregional.com)!

Strengthening Care Through Connection: Why Mental Health First Aid Matters for Quality Professionals

By Christine Spearn, Trauma Resiliency Coordinator & Mental health First Aid Instructor

In today’s health care environment, quality is no longer defined solely by clinical outcomes. It is deeply connected to how well we recognize, understand, and respond to the whole person. Mental health plays a critical role in patient safety, staff well-being, and overall care outcomes. That’s why the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care continues to expand access to evidence-based mental health training opportunities, including Mental Health First Aid (MHFA).

MHFA is a skills-based training that equips participants to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges. Much like traditional first aid, it empowers individuals to provide initial support until appropriate professional help can be accessed. For health care quality professionals working in hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes, this training fills a critical gap, bridging clinical care with a compassionate, informed human response.

Why mental health first aid matters in health care settings

Health care professionals are often the first point of contact for individuals experiencing mental health concerns, whether recognized or not. Patients may present with chronic conditions complicated by depression, anxiety, trauma histories, or substance use. Without the tools to recognize these underlying factors, opportunities for early intervention and improved outcomes can be missed.

MHFA Trainings help staff:

Recognize early warning signs of mental health challenges
Respond confidently and appropriately in crisis and non-crisis situations
Reduce stigma within care teams and patient interactions
Improve communication and trust with patients and families

For quality professionals, these skills directly support key priorities such as patient experience, safety, re-admission reduction, and workforce resilience. When staff feel confident addressing mental health needs, organizations are better positioned to deliver whole-person care.

Supporting staff well-being and reducing burnout

The importance of MHFA extends beyond patient care. Healthcare teams themselves are navigating high levels of stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout. Training creates a shared language and culture of awareness, allowing colleagues to better support one another.

By investing in mental health literacy, organizations signal that staff well-being is a priority, not an afterthought. This can lead to improved morale, stronger teams, and higher-quality care.

AFMC Training Opportunities

AFMC offers a variety of Mental Health First Aid training formats designed to meet the needs of busy healthcare settings, including:

Adult Mental Health First Aid
Youth Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid for Older Adults
Mental Health First Aid for Rural Communities
Mental Health First Aid for Higher Education
Teen Mental Health First Aid

These trainings are practical, engaging, and tailored to real-world scenarios that healthcare professionals face daily. Customized sessions for healthcare organizations and teams are available.

Looking Ahead: The 10th Annual ACEs and Resilience Summit

As part of a broader commitment to advancing trauma-informed care, AFMC is hosting the upcoming ACEs and Resilience Summit on September 17 at the North Little Rock Event Center. This milestone event will bring together professionals from across sectors to explore the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs), and resilience on shaping health outcomes.

For quality professionals, the summit offers an opportunity to:

Deepen understanding of trauma-informed approaches
Learn innovative strategies to improve patient and community outcomes
Connect with leaders and peers working to transform systems of care

Moving from Awareness to Action

Mental health is not separate from quality; it is central to it. By equipping healthcare teams with Mental Health First Aid skills and engaging in ongoing learning opportunities, such as the ACEs Summit, organizations can move from awareness to action.

The result is a stronger, more responsive healthcare system, one that recognizes the full complexity of the individuals it serves and supports those delivering care every day.

To learn more about upcoming training opportunities or to schedule a session for your organization, connect with AFMC and take the next step toward building a more resilient, stigma-free healthcare environment.

Email: aces@afmc.org

AFMC TIPP Training

NAHQ Next Virtual Conference will be held Sept. 14—16, 2026. The AAHQ board is offering 7 scholarships for members who might like to attend this conference. It’s a great way to get CPHQ hours and usually has some great presentations and speakers. Most of the sessions have recordings that are available for several months after the conference if you have to miss some of them. Please let Erin Bolton know if you are interested in the scholarship and she will get the application to you. Her email address is boltone@jrmc.org. Applications must be returned by Thursday, July 16. The board meets again on July 17, and we will be awarding the scholarships at that time in order to get the early bird pricing.

Communications Update

Submitted by: Joel Anderson, GC-MGMT, BBA

Happy Summer,

Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather and the many outdoor amenities that Arkansas has to offer. The AAHQ Communications Action Team promotes recognition and visibility of the AAHQ organization through our website, newsletter publications, and social media platforms. One way to achieve this goal is by increasing our followers on social media. If you’re not following us on Facebook and LinkedIn , I would highly encourage you to do so. Our website is also a great resource for members and includes information on upcoming educational events. Please bookmark the website and visit often!

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.

Joel Anderson

Communications Team Lead

Lowering Hospital Readmissions Through Health Information Exchange

Submitted by: Justin Villines, MBA, BSM

Hospital readmissions continue to be one of the most significant challenges facing healthcare organizations today. Beyond the impact on healthcare costs, readmissions often indicate gaps in care coordination, communication, patient engagement, or access to timely follow-up services. As healthcare continues its shift toward value-based care, reducing avoidable readmissions has become a critical priority for hospitals, providers, payers, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), and Clinically Integrated Networks (CINs).

One of the most effective tools available to support these efforts is a Health Information Exchange (HIE). The Arkansas State Health Alliance for Records Exchange (SHARE) helps healthcare organizations identify and respond to patient readmissions through its 90-Day Hospital Readmission Notification service. The program provides participating hospitals with secure notifications when a patient discharged from their facility is admitted to another participating hospital within 90 days of discharge. These notifications are powered by real-time Admit, Discharge, and Transfer (ADT) messages submitted to SHARE by participating hospitals across the state.

Why Readmissions Matter

Hospital readmissions create significant financial and operational challenges. Under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP), hospitals may face payment reductions for excessive readmissions related to conditions such as heart failure, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute myocardial infarction, and certain surgical procedures. However, the impact extends beyond reimbursement. Readmissions often signal opportunities to improve care transitions, medication management, patient education, chronic disease management, and community-based follow-up services.

How SHARE Supports Readmission Reduction

SHARE’s statewide HIE infrastructure enables healthcare organizations to receive timely information when their patients experience a hospitalization event outside their own health system. Through ADT notifications and readmission alerts, providers gain visibility into patient activity that would otherwise be difficult to track.

When a patient is readmitted, care teams can:

Identify high-risk patients requiring intervention
Coordinate post-discharge follow-up more effectively
Review discharge instructions and medication adherence
Address barriers to care before another hospitalization occurs
Strengthening communication between primary care providers, specialists, hospitals, and care managers
Support Transitional Care Management (TCM) workflows and value-based care initiatives

This timely access to information helps close gaps in care and ensures that providers can proactively engage patients during critical periods following discharge.

Real-Time Data Creates Better Outcomes

Healthcare organizations have long struggled with fragmented information. Patients often receive care from multiple hospitals, specialists, urgent care centers, and community providers. Without a connected exchange of information, providers may be unaware that a patient has been hospitalized until weeks after the event. SHARE bridges this gap by securely exchanging clinical information across participating healthcare organizations. In addition to readmission notifications, SHARE facilitates access to clinical documents, laboratory results, discharge summaries, hospitalization reports, and other critical health information that supports informed clinical decision-making.

The result is a more complete view of the patient and improved coordination across the continuum of care.

Supporting Value-Based Care

For ACOs, CINs, health plans, and provider organizations participating in value-based contracts, timely awareness of hospital utilization is essential. Readmission notifications enable care management responsibility, prioritize outreach efforts, focus resources on high-risk populations, and measure the effectiveness of interventions designed to keep patients healthy at home. By identifying patients who may be at increased risk for repeat hospitalizations, organizations can implement targeted strategies that improve outcomes while reducing unnecessary healthcare spending.

The Future of Connected Care

Reducing readmissions is not solely a hospital responsibility, it requires collaboration across the entire healthcare ecosystem. Health Information Exchanges such as SHARE provide the foundation for that collaboration by delivering the right information to the right provider at the right time. As healthcare organizations continue to focus on quality, interoperability, and value-based care, HIE-powered services like SHARE’s 90-Day Hospital Readmission Notifications will remain essential tools for improving patient outcomes, enhancing care coordination, and lowering the overall cost of care.

When providers are connected, patients benefit.

Thanks to everyone that attended our Spring 2026 Conference. We had a packed agenda with fantastic presenters that provided valuable information and meaningful resources to all attendees!!

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 healthcare setting and offer free tools and resources. Together, we’re working to make healthcare 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/