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Care Transitions is a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services quality improvement project for Texas' Lower Rio Grande Valley administered through TMF Health Quality Institute. It is a regional, collaborative effort to reduce avoidable hospitalizations by improving patient care transitions. |
| Volume 1, Issue 8 |
June 2009 |
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In the News |
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What to Do After the Hospital StayNew York Times blogger Maggie Jones describes her family's struggle in placing her father-in-law in a nursing facility and offers tips on how families can aid in successful transitions from the hospital to the next care setting. The posting is open for comments.
Preventable Hospitalizations in 2006: Rates and Costs Study Released (9-page, 132kb PDF)
The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project recently published this statistic brief that tallies rates and costs of potentially avoidable rehospitalizations, including an analysis by patient's ZIP Code and income. The study concluded that 4.4 million admissions in 2006 were avoidable. These admissions totaled $30.8 billion, and Medicare patients accounted for nearly two-thirds of that cost.
AARP Newest "Beyond 50" Focuses on Chronic CareThe ninth volume of the AARP Public Policy Institute's "Beyond 50" series examines chronic illness from the consumer perspective. Focus groups and surveys inform this look at the health care system and the challenges of coordinating care. |
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CMS Proposes Rate Changes for In-Patient StaysThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently proposed the fiscal year 2010 policies and payment rates for inpatient services furnished to people with Medicare by both acute care hospitals and long-term care hospitals. The proposed rule (CMS-1406-P) is on display at the Federal register and can be found under Special Filings.
What Happens If Health Care Quality Cannot Meet Public Expectations?
Health care is seeing unprecedented gains in quality and safety, but the public is losing patience with what it considers the slow pace of improvement, said Joint Commission President Mark Chassin while delivering a keynote address at the Society of Hospital Medicine's annual meeting. |
NURSING HOMES
One-Time Cash Benefit Made Available to Nursing Home ResidentsThe Recovery Act provides for a one-time cash benefit of $250 to certain eligible individuals who receive a Social Security benefit, Railroad Retirement pension, Veterans Administration disability pension, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The payments began in May 2009 and will be distributed by check or electronic transfer to eligible beneficiaries by June 4, 2009. Many residents in nursing homes will be eligible for this cash benefit (although some who receive SSI benefits at a reduced rate may not be eligible). |
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PHYSICIANS and CLINICS
AHRQ Develops ePSS for the iPhone This free app from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) helps primary care physicians identify screening, counseling and preventive medication services that are appropriate for their patients. The interface was designed specifically for the iPhone and iTouch, and allows searches by patient characteristics, such as age, sex and risk factors. | |
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This material was prepared by TMF Health Quality Institute, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Texas, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. 9SOW-TX-CT-09-45
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