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brought to you by the Home Health Quality Improvement (HHQI) National Campaign
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September 2016 Agency of the Month
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This month, HHQI recognizes Team Select Home Care in Arizona, Colorado, and Oklahoma for their dedication to improving home health care quality. |
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Home health agencies that are active in the HHQI National Campaign and closest to the national, risk-adjusted ACH 20th percentile and/or the national, risk-adjusted Oral  Medication Improvement 80th percentile (or higher) are eligible for random selection as HHQI Agency of the Month.
Be in the spotlight. Nominate your agency today, and if you are selected, your organization will be prominently featured here in HHQI Inside Edition - which reaches more than 16,000 subscribers - and on the HHQI website. Your achievement will also be shared via HHQI's social media channels.
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In Observance of National Cholesterol Education Month
Free Resources for Cholesterol Improvement
HOME HEALTH CARDIOVASCULAR DATA REGISTRY (HHCDR): The HHCDR is a powerful and convenient quality improvement tool available at no cost to all CMS-certified home health agencies. You can choose to focus on any or all of the ABCS measures: Aspirin as Appropriate, Blood Pressure Control, Cholesterol Management, and/or Smoking Cessation. The HHCDR fuels new monthly custom data reports that will help you identify specific opportunities for improving the cardiovascular health of your patient population and will provide evidence of the impact made by your quality improvement efforts. Watch the HHCDR Overview webinar.
In 2014, HHQI also welcomed guest speaker Patrice Desvigne-Nickens, MD, Meidcal Officer of the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) for its Mitigating Cardiovascular Healthcare Disparities webinar. During this free, 1-hour event, attendees will learn to:
- Identify and overcome obstacles to effective, equal treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk and disease.
- Understand and apply new 2013 ACC/AHA Cholesterol treatment guidelines.
- Enable patients and providers to discuss treatment goals.
- Improve provider adherence to treatment guidelines and improve patient adherence to medical regimen and thus reduce/eliminate cardiovascular healthcare disparities.
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In Observance of Hispanic Heritage Month
Chronic Issues Affecting Hispanic Patients
In this free, 60-minute webinar, guest speaker Viviana Lozano, BSN, RN, Hospice Case Manager at VNA Health Group and Chairperson of Marketing & Public Relations at the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (Garden State Chapter), discusses chronic disease issues that affect elderly people in Hispanic communities (e.g., diabetes, hypertension) and shares ideas to overcome barriers and improve patient care and outcomes. Visit the HHQI website to download the presentation slides and/or watch the recording (click on the webinar title).
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In Observance of Falls Prevention Awareness Day (September 22)
Free Resources for Falls Prevention
BEST PRACTICE INTERVENTION PACKAGES (BPIPs): Falling is a potentially avoidable event which can change a person's life. In HHQI's Fall Prevention BPIP, you'll find evidence-based tips for both patients and staff education to assist in reducing your patients' risk for falling.
WEBINAR: During The Gravity of Falls: Evidence-Based Preventative Strategies webinar, guest experts discuss validated multifactorial fall risk assessments, how to examine data findings, and adjust your internal thresholds to identify high risk patients. You'll also learn to identify appropriate in-home fall prevention interventions. We'll also discuss major classes of medications that either increase risk for falls or increase risk of injury from a fall, and review changes in metabolism of medications commensurate with aging.
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Quarterly CardioLAN Webinar | September 15 | 2-4pm ET
 Maintenance Therapy for Home Health Patients with Heart Failure
Concerns and questions regarding maintenance therapy in the home health setting frequently focus on proper beneficiary identification, supportive documentation, and appropriate therapy utilization. Getting this information right is critical for any organization to ensure that the revenue generated by this arm of the home health benefit is soundly protected in the audit-intensive environment that the industry is currently experiencing.
During this free webinar, guest experts Dee Kornetti & Cindy Krafft of Kornetti & Krafft Health Care Solutions will share clear and concise information about the do's & don'ts of the home health maintenance therapy provision specifically regarding the heart failure population. Presentation and discussion will include guidelines for therapy documentation, utilization, and patient scenarios.
FREE CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR NURSES & PHYSICAL THERAPISTS
This activity has been approved for 2.25 hours of nursing continuing education (CE) by the Alabama State Nurses Association, an accredited approver of the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation (ANCC). This activity has also been approved for 1.0 physical therapy continuing competence units (CCUs) by the Federation of State Board of Physical Therapy through ProCert. (View a list of accepting states.)
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Save the Dates
 "Third Thursdays" Event Schedule
Home health professionals are busy. Now, there's an understatement. In order to make the most of your limited time, HHQI's three primary online Networking events -- LiveChat, Cardiovascular Learning & Action Network (CardioLAN) webinars, and Underserved Populations (UP) webinars -- will each be held quarterly.
Events will rotate to always occur from 2-3pm (ET) on the third Thursday of the month.
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Five Technology Trends Helping Advance Senior Care
 Technology is helping shape the future of health care. In recognition of National Health IT Week, September 26-30, the QIN News has shared five top technology trends in improving the quality of health for older adults.
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Current & Upcoming Health-Related Observances
Each month, the healthcare industry puts the spotlight on a variety of health & wellness issues that impact home health patients and professionals. Follow the links below for more information and resources to get involved and help spread awareness. You can also follow HHQI on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for ongoing related content. Share your favorite photos and free resources & events with our followers too!
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(begins Sept 15)
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September 22 #FPAD2016
September 26-30
September 28
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Upcoming Webinars & Other Events
*Continuing education credit is included or available.
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2016 Falls Prevention Awareness Day (FPAD) Webinar
 Falls Prevention Awareness Day is on September 22 this year and provides a great opportunity to spread this message to older adults, health care providers, community-based service providers, and others on ways to prevent those slips, falls and spills that are the leading cause of injury among older Americans.
On August 10, the National Falls Prevention Resource Center shared new resources and tools to use in your falls prevention efforts and Falls Prevention Awareness Day promotions and activities.
The focus of this online presentation is on creating innovative partnerships among community-based organizations and healthcare entities - such as emergency medical services, hospitals, managed care organizations and others - to plan events and activities for Falls Prevention Awareness Day as well as sustaining a year-round fall prevention program. |
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Key Dates: Home Health Compare & Star Ratings Reports
The Quality of Patient Care Star Ratings Preview Reports are now available in the CASPER folders. These reports contain data that will be publicly reported on the Home Health Compare website in October 2016.
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OCT 2016
| | Preview reports available in CASPER | 6/30/16
(or before) | | Quality of Patient Care Star Rating suppression request deadline | 7/18/16 | | Deadline for submitting missing or corrected data | 8/19/16 | |
Home Health Compare updated
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October 2016
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Geriatric Home Health Resources from CHAMP
The Collaboration for Homecare Advances in Management and Practice (CHAMP) Program was the first national initiative to advance geriatric home care excellence. CHAMP's valuable resources and e-presentations are still available online.
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This material was prepared by Quality Insights, the Medicare Quality Innovation Network-Quality
Improvement Organization supporting the Home Health Quality Improvement National Campaign,
under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. The views presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy.
Publication number 11SOW-WV-HH-MMD-090816
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