Detroit, February 11, 2011—Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Blue Care Network, and 22 trauma centers throughout the state, in partnership with the American College of Surgeons, are launching an initiative aimed at improving quality and safety of care provided in Michigan’s trauma centers.

By John Nelson

When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) launched its Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) in 2007, the Heart Center of North Texas explored, but decided against, participating in the program. The effort of collecting and reporting quality measures was so complex and onerous that it was not worth the time or effort involved.

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 3, 2011—Taking on areas of healthcare that together account for billions of dollars in wasteful spending, the National Priorities Partnership (NPP) released sets of specific actions to reduce healthcare costs by addressing preventable hospital readmissions, reducing emergency department overuse, and preventing medication errors.

Fairfax, Virginia, January 26, 2011—The American Society for Radiation Oncology is continuing its commitment to Target Safely, a six-point patient protection plan developed in January 2010, to improve the safety and quality of radiation therapy treatments and reduce the chances of medical errors.

Notes on IHI’s 22nd National Forum

By Susan Carr

In recent years, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) National Forum—held in Orlando in early December — has become for me as much a harbinger of the holiday season as leftover Thanksgiving turkey, the media’s obsession with Black Friday, and the dark, cold afternoons of early winter in New England. My trip to Orlando this year offered both new and familiar experiences.

Six of the nation’s leading health care systems today announced a first-of-its-kind collaboration to improve health care quality while reducing costs.

Physician practices are leaving money on the table because they don’t realize how easy it is to qualify for PQRI financial incentives, which are at their highest level.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Inc. (https://www.bluecrossma.com/) (BCBSMA), a locally-based, community-focused health plan, and Beth Israel Deaconess Physician Organization (BIDPO), an independent physician network affiliated with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, today announced they have signed a multi-year Alternative Quality Contract (AQC).