ABQAURP News
September/October 2013
Health Care Providers—Are WE a Quality Conundrum?
Although there is an increased focus on health promotion and prevention in many clinical settings, most doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and colleagues in related disciplines engage with patients after something has gone wrong. Should that be what health care providers do?
A recent article by Thomas Frieden, MD, MPH, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine, entitled, “Government’s Role in Protecting Health and Safety” and indirectly asked that question. Dr. Frieden discussed large-scale interventions, some more widely acceptable than others, that included action by politicians, marketing executives, big business, and a variety of other stakeholders not traditionally considered health care providers. These actions aim to improve the health of the U.S. population by driving behavioral changes at the individual level. Some of the more controversial provisions of the ACA, such as the requirement that religious institutions must provide contraceptive coverage as part of insurance plans, are calculated to impact individual health care decisions. The question of whether government should intrude into religious or other freedoms as part of the health care debate is not a new one with regard to public health initiatives, but may be louder now.
I would ask another question. If public health interventions (now largely in the hands of non-clinicians) remain, have health care providers become something else? Or have we just recognized what we always were? Perhaps we have evolved into disease mitigation specialists? And, if we have, how does that new role change who we are and what we do?
Maybe the conundrum is that many “health care providers” never have been, nor perhaps wanted to be, health care providers. Maybe we have always been about disease—and maybe that is what we should be about! It’s OK with me. A little reinvention anyone?
Please send inquiries and comments to rwillog@abqaurp.org, please include
Quality Column in the subject line.
We look forward to your participation in this new column.
Health Care Quality and Management Certification
ABQAURP would like to congratulate all of our new Diplomates that achieved HCQM Certification in 2013! We are honored to welcome you and look forward to your participation with ABQAURP!
Those certified in HCQM set themselves apart from the crowd and are distinguished by superior skills; balancing appropriateness of services with cost and quality. They are not just better care providers, they are quality leaders!
When deciding on a credential, you want the best, most comprehensive certification that covers the entire health care quality continuum. Choose the provider with the experience that has come to define the field of Health Care Quality and Management.
ABQAURP is pleased to announce that we are collaborating with the National Board of Medical Examiners® (NBME®) to administer the 2014 exam. ABQAURP is dedicated to assuring a high quality certification process with definable standards; the NBME involvement reinforces that dedication. Together, we consult on the planning, development, analysis, and scoring of the certification exam, bringing examinees an exam experience based on a vast array of knowledge and expertise. We are now accepting applications for the 2014 Board Certification Exam Window. Updates are coming for the 2014 Exam; watch for details coming soon!
Please call Barbara Chalmers at: (800) 998-6030, extension 116 or visit our website (www.abqaurp.org) for more information.
Did you miss this year’s Annual Conference? Event home study courses are available!
If you missed either “Survive and Thrive in the Changing Health Care Environment” (ABQAURP’s 36th Annual Health Care Quality and Patient Safety Conference) or our Transitions of Care and Reducing Readmissions Boot Camp, keep up with your colleagues and stay ahead of the curve with these relevant and informational continuing education courses. Home study courses are audio CDs you can listen to at your convenience. Hear nationally-renowned, dynamic speakers from the comfort of your home or car.
Learn about: Reducing Rehospitalizations, Post-Hospital Syndrome: The Key to Preventing Readmissions?, The Role of Palliative Care in Reducing Avoidable Readmissions, Credentialing with Medicare and Other Payers, The Hospitalist Role in Reducing Readmissions, Project RED and Reducing Readmissions, Integrating Services Across the Care Continuum, and more!
View these and our other available home study courses:
https://www.abqaurp.org/home-study-courses.asp.
Conference attendees say…
“The ABQAURP conference focused on a timely topic, hospital readmissions, and brought leading speakers who have recently been published and who are shaping this field. I learned a great deal of information that I have already found useful in my work. Kudos to ABQAURP!”
– David G. Schulke, Vice President, Research Programs, Health Research and Educational Trust (HRET) / American Hospital Association
ABQAURP’s 37th Annual Health Care Quality & Patient Safety Conference
Getting Paid for Innovation and
High Value Outcomes: The Path to Cost Effective, Accessible Health Care for All
Friday, May 2, 2014
Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts,
Lake Buena Vista, FL
The Affordable Care Act is a reality. Accountable Care Organizations are up and running. Providers need the tools to succeed and prosper in this new environment. The 2014 Annual Conference will provide attendees information on current strategies being employed; and “tools they can use” to get paid for innovation and high-value care*. At the conclusion of the conference, attendees will be able to:
- Document to be paid for the full scope of care delivered,
- Capture the outcomes required by Pay for Performance,
- Obtain updated information on practice efficiencies, and
- Discover leadership skills to facilitate success.
Learn more:
http://www.abqaurp.org/orlando-2014.asp
Register now for the Best Conference Prices!
*Conference topics are tentative and subject to change.
IS YOUR MEDICAL EDUCATION ACCREDITED?
ABQAURP welcomes applications for joint sponsorship of educational activities for continuing education credit. ABQAURP accredits a variety of activities, including:
Live Activity
Enduring Material
Journal-based CME
Internet Activity Live
Internet Activity Enduring Material
Performance Improvement
ABQAURP is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians and is accredited by the Florida Board of Nursing to sponsor nursing contact hours. As an accredited provider, ABQAURP is here to work with each joint sponsor organization to ensure the accreditation process runs as smoothly as possible. Benefits of working with ABQAURP include: one-on-one assistance, on-site assistance, contact for speakers and commercial supporters, evaluation compilation, one-time mailing list to drive attendance, website placement, and advertising in Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare magazine.
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ABQAURP wants to recognize members for their achievements in advancing the field of health care quality management and patient safety. Please send your news to ABQAURP by email to feature@abqaurp.org for consideration. |
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