Peer learning is an important aspect of NQC's approach-from our collaboratives, to our interactive trainings, to the sharing of resources. We ask Ryan White grantees to "share senselessly" which actually makes a lot of sense. Sharing resources allows others to benefit from your hard works and saves time and resources-they do not have to re-invent the wheel. Please visit the NQC site and upload your written quality management plan so that we can share it with your Ryan White peers.  We are looking for quality management plans from all the Ryan White Parts.
 
Share your plan today! | click here

The in+care Campaign topic for the month for June is Latinos and Retention. We are looking at Latino who are American citizens for generations to those who have immigrated legally, to those who have immigrated illegally, to those who migrate in and out of the U.S. seasonally. The Partners in+care webinar for the month of June will be conducted in Spanish.

Monday June 24 at 2pm ET | in+care Campaign | Latinos and Retention
Tuesday June 25 at 1pm ET | Partners in+care | Spanish Language Webinar

With nearly 200 entities submitting data on up to 100,000 people with HIV into the in+care Campaign database, the Campaign is beginning to show longitudinal improvement in both retention and viral suppression. Currently, gaps in care are down to 14 percent from 16 percent at baseline, medical visit frequency (persistence in care) is up to 68 percent from 63 percent at baseline, and viral suppression has eked up to 71 percent from 70 percent at baseline. The only Campaign measure that has lagged is the new patient measure (linkage in care), which has a smaller sample size and less stable performance measurement over time. New editions of the enhanced reports will be posted to the Campaign website soon. These reports will include analyses by facility case load, Ryan White Part funding, and facility type.  You can find these reports at the Campaign website within the Resources tab and in the Enhanced Campaign Reports folder.

Meetings are a fact of life for Carlisle Harvey, Sr. He is a member of the Greater Baltimore HIV Health Service Planning Council, which sets priorities for the allocation of Part A funds, and is Chair of the Council's Nominating Committee. He is also the Chair of the Evelyn Jordan Center's (EJC) Consumer Advisory Board (CAB) and participates on EJC's quality management team. Participation in NQC's Training of Consumers on Quality (TCQ) Program, which was held in 2012, helped Carlisle to take his involvement to a new level.

"At the workshop I learned that consumers could be more active in our health care. I knew we had a voice but I did not realize how strong it could be and the impact we can have," says Carlisle. "We can really play a role in shaping the care we receive."

Carlisle has shared NQC resources with EJC staff and also used information from NQC to write a proposal urging more consumer involvement in the organization. In his role as Chair of the CAB he hears directly from consumers about their concerns. Then, as a member of the quality management team, he can explore strategies for addressing the concerns.

"I can tell them directly where the gaps are and what is lacking," says Carlisle.  But his feedback is not all negative. "I also tell them what they are doing well."

It was following the NQC workshop that Carlisle increased his involvement on the Planning Council-he was elected as Chair of the Nominating Committee.

"I saw an opportunity and knew that I should bring my voice to the process," says Carlisle.

To learn more about the TCQ Program  l  click here

A health care executive and quality improvement expert, Sharon K. Martin, M.Ed, MT (ASCP) SC  was most recently Vice President, Performance Improvement, at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for ten years. An expert in patient safety, Sherry developed a quality improvement education program for clinicians at M.D. Anderson and was subsequently appointed as a University of Texas Vice Chancellor's Health Fellow to expand this program to all health care components in the UT System. While at M.D. Anderson, she chaired the Texas Hospital Quality and Safety Committee, the Texas Forum for Patient Safety, the Texas Patient Safety Alliance Board, and the Nevada Cancer Institute Board Quality and Patient Safety Committee.

She lectures nationally and internationally on tools and methods for health care education, quality improvement, organizational assessment, and team performance. She served on the Board of Examiners, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, as a Senior and Alumni Examiner for seven years. A certified Birkman Method consultant, Sherry uses this methodology to optimize personal, team, and organizational performance. She has conducted team development and coaching programs with numerous executive leadership teams, including senior leaders at City of Hope, Biosense Webster, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and Winship Cancer Center at Emory University.

Sherry received a Master's Degree in Educational Design from the University of Houston and a certificate in health care administration from Baylor College of Medicine. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Medical Technology from the University of Utah.