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May Health Observances
National High Blood Pressure Education Month
Take control of hypertension.
National Stroke Awareness Month
Promote preventive care.
National Nursing Home Week (May 12-18) Share your thoughts and get a sneak peek on the NNHW Facebook page |
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Patient Voices
Pamela and Diana want African-Americans to know the risks of stroke.
Watch their Story |
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A national initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes, the Million Hearts™ campaign has taken off in Oklahoma. With efforts from OFMQ and others, Oklahoma has jumped from 47th to 2nd place in pledges of support.
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Living Longer, Living Stronger
Evidence-based Chronic Disease Self-Management Program now in Oklahoma communities helps people with chronic conditions find support and practical ways to deal with pain and fatigue, discover nutrition, exercise and treatment choices, and learn better ways to talk with health care providers and family about health.
Download a brochure (.pdf)
See a list of workshops (link to OSDH website). |
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QIO News is a free, bimonthly e-newsletter featuring best practices from health quality innovators across the continuum of care.
Click to read the special issue on heart health. |
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In Memory of Dr. John Voorhees
Dr. John Voorhees, a friend of OFMQ and crusader for medical quality, passed away on April 12, 2013.  Dr. Voorhees blessed all those who he came in contact with by sharing his knowledge, wisdom, compassion, and friendship. OFMQ enjoyed his valuable contributions as a consultant and advisor for nearly 30 years. We have lost a friend and champion to healthcare quality. Dr. Voorhees will be deeply missed. |
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New Billing Codes Reimburse Community Physicians for Transitional Care Management
Medicare now pays for two new CPT codes allowing community primary care physicians to be reimbursed for helping patients transition into the community during the 30 days after a facility discharge. The codes cover various components of patient communication and post-discharge care planning, including Moderately Complex Decision Making (99495) and Highly Complex Decision Making (99496) Read Medicare's FAQ here.
Physicians are invited to learn more about the new CPT codes on June 12 at OFMQ's Pathways and Partnerships event designed to help communities reduce avoidable hospitalizations. Read more and register here. |
OFMQ's Journey to Quality Offers Free Quality Improvement Assistance
OFMQ is kicking off its Journey to Quality program in May with a series of learning opportunities designed to help nursing homes use quality improvement processes to address clinical and organizational needs. The program is open to all Oklahoma nursing homes. Read more here.
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OFMQ Health Information Technology - FREE Webinars
OFMQ-HIT has helped 950 providers successfully implement a certified EHR for Meaningful Use. The Office of the National Coordinator ranks Oklahoma's Regional Extension Center (REC) as one of the top 10 performing RECs in the U.S.
Please join us for FREE upcoming WebEx seminars on these hot topics:
- HIPAA 101 - Wednesday, May 22, 12:15-1:15pm (CST)
- HIPAA Audits - Wednesday, June 12, 12:15-1:15pm (CST)
- Medicaid Audits - Wednesday, July 17, 12:15-1:15pm (CST)
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Important Hospital Quality Reporting Updates
FY 2014 IPPS Proposed Rule Posted for Public Comment through June 25. Hospitals should review and comment on proposed changes to IQR and other reporting changes.
Read more here.
Reporting Healthcare Personnel (HCP) Influenza Vaccination - Data submitted to NHSN by May 15, 2013 will be reported by the CDC to CMS for each hospital. Read CDC guidance for activating HCP module here.
Download .PDF
Hospital Compare Refresh - As of April 18, 2013, CMS' Hospital Compare website is now reporting Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (HVBP) results for hospitals participating in IQR and OQR programs.
Read more here. |
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Improving Care Transitions is Possible
OFMQ invites you to join health care providers and communities across the state to consider the possibilities for improving care as patients transition between healthcare settings and post-hospital discharge.
Free event
Moore-Norman Technology Center
June 12, 2013
Click here to register
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Caregiver Resources
If you are one of the 66 million Americans caring for an aging, seriously ill, or disabled family member or friend, Medicare offers resources to make your life a little easier.
Health providers, share this information with your patients and their families.
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WE WANT TO CONNECT WITH YOU
Yes to Success! Do you have a quality improvement success story? Tell us about it! We may feature your facility in a future issue of Quality Connection. Click here to contact us.
Your Opinion Matters! Tell us how we can make Quality Connection most useful to you. Click here.
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Quality Connection is sent quarterly to health care professionals and others interested in health care quality improvement. If you would like additional information or to comment, visit ofmq.com or e-mail qconnect@ofmq.com.
To access previous issues of Quality Connection, click here.
**E-mail communications sent via Constant Contact are not guaranteed to be accessible to readers who are using assistive technology. If you are experiencing difficulty, please contact OFMQ at qconnect@ofmq.com and we will respond to you promptly.**
**OFMQ does not endorse or guarantee accuracy of content on external websites that may be linked from this newsletter.**
This material was prepared by Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Oklahoma, 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. OFMQ-1664-OK-0413 |
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