January 22, 2010
News Summaries
This issue of Your NMMRA E-update includes the latest information about the New Mexico Medical Review Association (NMMRA), your state Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) and External Quality Review Organization (EQRO).In this issue:
CMS Issues Updated Materials Describing QIO Work
NMMRA Is Accredited to Review CME Program Applications
First Prevention Data Reports Provided to NMMRA Participating Practices
NMMRA Assists with Influenza Immunization Information Sharing
New Mexico Hospitals Recognized for Achieving 100 Percent on Quality Measures
Pressure Ulcer Prevention CATs to Meet for Second Round of Training
NMMRA Helps Lead Phase 2 of the New Mexico Advancing Excellence Campaign
One Nursing Home’s Journey to Eliminate Restraints
New Mexico Nursing Home Featured on National Conference Call
New Mexico HAI Surveillance Conference Planned
NMPIC Distributes Statewide Recommendation on Potentially Inappropriate Medications
Patient Recruitment Continues for New Mexico MTM Collaborative
E-Prescribing Project Evaluation Performed; New Participants Added
NMMRA CEO Dan Jaco Appointed to the Board of Directors of LCF Research
NMMRA Maintains Roundhouse Presence
CMS Issues Updated Materials Describing QIO Work
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently posted revised Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) overview and fact sheets to the Medicare Quality Improvement Community Web site MedQIC. Materials provide a summary of the QIO role in the health care community. Fact sheets include the focus of various themes, the impact of work and how results are measured. They also offer additional references to explore online. The New Mexico Medical Review Association (NMMRA) is currently in its second year of the current QIO scope of work. See www.qualitynet.org/dcs/ContentServer?c=OtherResource&pagename=Medqic%2FOtherResource%2FOtherResourcesTemplate&cid=1214232452108. CMS also produces an electronic newsletter about QIO work called QIO News. Sign up for QIO News online. For past issues, visit the QIO News section of MedQIC.
NMMRA Is Accredited to Review CME Program Applications
NMMRA is a statewide accredited provider of Continuing Medical Education (CME) by the New Mexico Medical Society, which is recognized by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). NMMRA offers its customers an easy CME application process, efficiency and affordable services to assist in fulfilling the educational needs of physicians and allied health care professionals in New Mexico through such activities as lectures, workshops, seminars and interactive sessions. In 2009, CME credits approved by NMMRA included online enduring materials, tumor boards, regularly scheduled educational series and one-time courses. For more information, contact Courtney Overton, NMMRA CME coordinator, at coverton@nmmra.org or (505) 314-9013 or go to www.nmmra.org/cme/index.php.
First Prevention Data Reports Provided to NMMRA Participating Practices
NMMRA’s Prevention Team recently provided its first set of aggregated data reports to the group of physician practices voluntarily working with NMMRA. NMMRA is assisting these participating practices to implement care management processes by using their electronic health record (EHR) systems to focus on breast and colorectal cancer screening and influenza and pneumococcal immunization rates. Data on the four clinical measures of focus are being tracked and submitted to NMMRA by the practices; these data are analyzed and published in reports so that practices can review and compare their rates with aggregated rates of all participants in the state. For more information on NMMRA’s prevention efforts, visit www.nmmra.org/providers/physician.php.
NMMRA Assists with Influenza Immunization Information Sharing
Through its facilitation of the New Mexico Influenza Vaccine Consortium (NMIVC), NMMRA continues to cooperate with the state’s Clinical Prevention Initiative (CPI) for immunizations. CPI is a collaboration of the New Mexico Medical Society and the New Mexico Department of Health and participants include representatives of major health care providers, vendors and payors in New Mexico. NMMRA serves as a conduit of information to the CPI from NMIVC; this sharing has been especially critical during this influenza season with both the H1N1 and seasonal strains circulating. For more information on NMIVC, visit www.nmivc.org.
New Mexico Hospitals Recognized for Achieving 100 Percent on Quality Measures
Hospitals across the nation and in New Mexico have begun to make significant improvements in the evidence-based practices that support good patient care, as reflected in the inpatient core measures data submitted quarterly to the Hospital Compare Web site. To recognize New Mexico hospitals achieving perfect rates for one or more of these core measures each quarter, NMMRA established the 100% Core Measure Club. At NMMRA’s December Focus on Quality meeting, 12 New Mexico hospitals were awarded Candleglow recognition, having achieved 100 percent on one to five of the core measures, and 26 hospitals were awarded Points of Light recognition, having achieved 100 percent on between six and 19 of the core measures. The second quarter of 2009 was the measurement period used for these awards. For more information, see NMMRA’s January 14 patient safety newsletter at www.nmmra.org/resources/download.php?id=1952.
Pressure Ulcer Prevention CATs to Meet for Second Round of Training
NMMRA is preparing for a second round of regional meetings of its Community Action Teams (CATs) formed in Alamogordo, Albuquerque, Artesia, Carlsbad, Farmington, Hobbs and Las Cruces to reduce and help prevent pressure ulcers in nursing homes and hospitals. Teams involved in caring for residents/patients who are at risk of developing pressure ulcers attended trainings last year and a second round of events, beginning with the Albuquerque CAT, is planned in February to address improving the quality of care and how to conduct a skin care fair. For more on NMMRA efforts related to pressure ulcers, go to www.nmmra.org/providers/nursinghomes_ulcers.php and www.nmmra.org/providers/hospitals_ulcers.php.
NMMRA Helps Lead Phase 2 of the New Mexico Advancing Excellence Campaign
The Advancing Excellence Campaign is a national effort to encourage, assist and empower nursing homes to improve the quality of care and life for residents. Comprised of long-term care providers, medical professionals, consumers, employees, and state and federal agencies, it is the largest and first coalition of its kind to measure quality by setting clinical and organizational goals for nursing homes. Phase 2 of the campaign, which began in October, promotes new goals, including decreasing staff turnover, using consistent assignment, decreasing pressure ulcers and the use of restraints, increasing advance care planning, and measuring resident and staff satisfaction. In November, NMMRA – serving as convener for the Local Area Network for Excellence (LANE) – gave a presentation about Phase 2 of the campaign at the New Mexico Health Care Association Fall Conference and is currently helping nursing homes register and set goals for Phase 2. For more information about the campaign and to access a list of participating New Mexico nursing homes, go to www.nhqualitycampaign.org.
One Nursing Home’s Journey to Eliminate Restraints
After attending the first session of NMMRA’s statewide restraint collaborative in May 2009, Skies Healthcare and Rehabilitation, LLC, a long-term care facility located in Albuquerque, decided to begin its journey to remove all restraints from its residents and explore new processes aimed at reducing falls. Restraints have been identified as a potential hazard for residents that can lead to loss of mobility, depression, isolation and even death from strangulation. Skies Healthcare is one of 23 facilities in New Mexico working with NMMRA to improve the quality of care provided to residents by reducing the use of restraints, one of the quality indicators publicly reported on the Medicare Web site Nursing Home Compare. The facility had been using alarms to help reduce fall risk, but decided that this method was not effective because help arrived too late and falls were still occurring. To learn more about how this nursing home reduced its restraint rate to zero, go to www.nmmra.org/news.php?id=256.
New Mexico Nursing Home Featured on National Conference Call
A presentation by the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute (NMBHI) of Las Vegas, New Mexico, was featured on a national teleconference along with another nursing home that has successfully reduced and eliminated restraints. They shared how movement and restorative care has sustained low restraint rates, reduced falls, improved activities of daily living, and improved overall care for residents. They also shared approaches to keeping residents with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and mental health issues restraint free. See www.nmmra.org/providers/nursinghomes_restraints.php to learn about NMMRA’s efforts to assist nursing homes in eliminating physical restraint use.
New Mexico HAI Surveillance Conference Planned
NMMRA, as a member of the state Healthcare-acquired Infection (HAI) Advisory Committee, is assisting in planning a statewide HAI surveillance conference to be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center in Albuquerque on February 11, the day before the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) New Mexico annual conference. Find out more and register for the conference at www.nmmra.org/events/details/?id=20.
NMPIC Distributes Statewide Recommendation on Potentially Inappropriate Medications
Since it was issued in August 2009, the New Mexico Prescription Improvement Coalition’s (NMPIC’s) clinical recommendation for potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) has been distributed to 5,000 physicians, 3,400 pharmacists, 70 nursing homes and 150 home health agency contacts statewide as well as all involved managed care organizations and prescription drug plans. NMMRA also made a poster presentation on the recommendation at the national QualityNet Conference in December, sponsored by CMS and held in Baltimore, Md. It is expected that these guidelines will help decrease the use of the listed drugs to be avoided in the elderly and medications inappropriately used for the elderly population. Reducing PIMs is also part of the CMS National Patient Safety Initiative. To view the recommendation and related tools, visit www.nmmra.org/providers/drug_safety_pims_guideline.php.
Patient Recruitment Continues for New Mexico MTM Collaborative
The New Mexico Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Collaborative, a cooperative effort of NMMRA and the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, has successfully recruited 308 of the 400 Medicare Part D beneficiaries needed to participate. This project is studying the efficacy of MTM and is working to improve outcomes for people with diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and congestive heart failure. Members of either Lovelace or Presbyterian Health Plan and Prescription Drug Plan that have at least two of the conditions of focus may join the study by calling 1-866-279-5250, Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information on the NM MTM Collaborative, visit www.nmmra.org/providers/physician_medicare_mtm.php.
E-Prescribing Project Evaluation Performed; New Participants Added
NMMRA recently conducted an evaluation of its e-prescribing project, which included physician-level performance management reports, comparing participants’ performance and providing recommendations for improvement. Administration of a technical assessment survey as part of this evaluation generated a new list of physicians interested in adopting e-prescribing, adding 25 practice sites to the over 100 practices involved in the project. In addition, utilization data has been requested from participating health plans and project sponsors to evaluate return on investment of e-prescribing for project participants. For more information, visit www.nmmra.org/providers/physician_medicare_erxpilot.php.
NMMRA CEO Dan Jaco Appointed to the Board of Directors of LCF Research
Dan Jaco, NMMRA chief executive officer (CEO), was recently appointed to the LCF Research board of directors. Formerly known as the Lovelace Clinic Foundation, LCF Research has broadened its focus to support community-based improvements in health and health care. The LCF Research data center was recently expanded by developing the infrastructure for a statewide electronic health information exchange. It is governed by a broad-based board comprised of health care providers and leaders, as well as community members. Jaco’s appointment is for three years beginning in January 2010. For more, see www.nmmra.org/news.php?id=257.
NMMRA Maintains Roundhouse Presence
As in previous years, NMMRA staff will have a presence at the upcoming New Mexico Legislature’s 30-day session, which began January 19. While NMMRA endeavors to monitor legislative activity relevant to its work and constituents, the organization strives to maintain neutrality on specific legislation. For more information, visit the New Mexico Legislature’s Web site at: http://legis.state.nm.us/lcs/default.aspx.
Feel free to contact me with any questions or if you would like to be added to the distribution list for this update (if it was forwarded to you) or if you no longer wish to receive this update in the future,
Jennifer Trotter
Communications Manager
New Mexico Medical Review Association (NMMRA)
5801 Osuna NE, Suite 200
Albuquerque, NM 87109
505-998-9744
jtrotter@nmmra.org
NMMRA-CORP-10-01