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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 9 |
July 2009 |
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| Educational Events |
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NATIONAL PROVIDER CALL:
Thurs., July 16,
2:00 p.m.
All Care Transitions participating providers are invited.
1-800-410-9381;
Passcode: 147005
FREE WEBINAR:
Wed., July 29,
Noon-1:00 p.m.
"End-of-Life Issues: Advances in Hospice"
Ruby Torres, RN, and Kevin Poling
Complete descriptions and registration information for TMF events >> |
| Upcoming Regional Workgroup Meetings |
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WESLACO
Tues., July 21,
1:00-3:00 p.m.
Knapp Medical Center Convention Center
Cindy Bigbee, RN, MSN
HARLINGEN
Wed., July 22,
2:30-4:30 p.m.
Hampton Inn,
1202 Ed Carey Drive
Janice Toreki, RN, BSN
BROWNSVILLE
Thurs., July 23,
2:00-4:00 p.m.
Homewood Suites,
3759 N. Expressway
Vanessa Andow, BHA, and Mary Healy, RN
Complete descriptions and registration information for TMF events >>
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| Newly Posted |
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 Visit the"What's New" section of the Care Transitions Web site to access newly posted resources and tools. |
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Care Transitions News is brought to you by
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In the News
The Medicare Care Transitions Program Act of 2009 amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a Care Transitions Program under which outcomes-based payments are made to community-based transitional care (CTC) suppliers for furnishing care transition services to an individual after discharge from inpatient care; improving quality of care; and reducing rehospitalization rates.
This legislation would create a new benefit under Medicare designed to support and coordinate care for beneficiaries as they move from a hospital setting to their homes, skilled nursing facilities or rehabilitation centers.
The Medicare Transitions Act of 2009 would create a nationwide network of community-based transitional care coaches who would help Medicare patients self-manage their condition and medications over time, provide personal follow-up care and serve as an access point when patients change care setting, according to the release.
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Frequent Fliers' Avoidable Rehospitalizations Add Billions to Health Care Costs The elderly and chronically ill comprise the bulk of avoidable rehospitalizations, a reflection of fragmented and poorly coordinated care that one professional calls "dangerous." Thought leaders in health care reform are considering numerous tactics to address this issue.
Compare Texas Health Care Quality to Other StatesThe State Snapshots provide state-specific health care quality information, including strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement.
$287 Million in Medicare Savings: How the 2010 HHS Budget Will Fund the Health Care Overhaul
President Obama's fiscal 2010 Health and Human Services (HHS) budget seeks changes intended to save Medicare more than $287 billion to help fund a major overhaul of the entire health system. Proposals, with savings in millions, are listed on the linked page.
Houston Included in Expansion of Medicare Fraud "Strike Forces"
Federal officials recently announced a new interagency effort, the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), will combat Medicare fraud and extend operations in Houston and Detroit. Currently in operation in South Florida and Los Angeles, the HEAT effort has a proven success rate of using a "data driven" approach to identify unexplainable billing patterns and investigating these providers for possible fraudulent activity. New Reports Show Weak Progress on Health QualityAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality Director Carolyn Clancy, MD, discusses findings from the 2008 National Healthcare Quality & Disparities Reports, which found that ill Americans have only a 60% chance of receiving the care recommended for their health care issuels. Americans Struggle with Diabetes Control
Only slightly more than half of the 18 million Americans diagnosed with diabetes had their blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure under optimum control in 2006, according to a recent report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The Extremist's Definition of "Patient Centered"
Institute for Healthcare Improvement President and CEO Donald Berwick proposes that fully functioning and effective patient-centered care will shake up "standard procedures" and permit patients to exercise more control in their treatment.
End-of-Life Decisions for Families: Nutrition and Hydration in Long-Term Care Settings (free Medscape registration required)
In long-term care, the issue of a resident's eating and drinking often takes center stage at family conferences. Educating families about the natural process of dying can alleviate the family's anxiety over providing the best care possible to their loved one. |
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First Quarter 2009 HCAHPS Data Due Tomorrow Hospitals participating in the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers Survey (HCAHPS) hospital patient perspectives of care survey should submit data for the first quarter (January through March 2009) no later than July 8, 2009.
AHRQ Answers FAQs About Project RED The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has posted extensive answers to frequently asked questions about the Project Re-Engineering Discharge (RED). IHI Opens Registration for Fall 2009 Transitions Collaborative
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) announced "Reducing Readmissions by Improving Transitions in Care," a 12-month collaborative focusing on curbing 30-day readmission rates through improved communication and patient handoffs. The coursework includes online and face-to-face meetings as well as access to a listserv for sharing documents and lessons learned over the course of the project. |
| NURSING HOMES
New Medicare Nursing Home Guidelines to Include Quality of Life and Environmental Requirements
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new guidelines for nursing home surveyors with a sharpened focus on residents' daily lives and surroundings. The changes support efforts to transform nursing homes from "institutional" settings to patient-centered, residential-like environments.
June Updates on the Five-Star Rating System
Providers can now access preview reports from the Minimum Data Set State Welcome pages available at the state servers. A helpline has opened to answer providers' questions about data and other issues: BetterCare@CMS.hhs.gov. Nursing Home Compare data was updated June 25. | |
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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-09-49
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