> NQC News | 2015 Quality Award Winners

NQC is pleased to announce this year's Quality Awards winners. Congratulations! Each year, NQC and the HIV/AIDS Bureau recognize Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grantees and individuals living with HIV who have shown either exemplary performance or leadership in key quality management aspects. Many thanks to everyone who submitted nominations.

Award for Consumer Involvement: New Horizon Family Health Services

NQC changed the parameters for Consumer Involvement Award this year to reflect how an organization and a consumer were working together to improve services. One very strong application was received and NQC is pleased to present them this Award. 

New Horizon Family Health Services, located in Greenville, South Carolina, established its Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Consumer Advocacy Board (CAB) in January 2014. From the very start of the process, Inez Morris expressed her interest and joined the team. She researched information on CABs and built her knowledge about quality management by attending quarterly consumer quality improvement meetings, training sessions, and webinars. At the same time she recruited other consumers to join the CAB. In addition to her leadership on the CAB, Ms. Morris serves on the planning committee for the annual state STD/HIV conference, is a peer support facilitator for the Women Involved in Life Learning from Other Women (WILLOW), facilitates a women's HIV support group, and does numerous presentations for churches and neighborhood groups each year.

In recognition of how consumer voices at New Horizon Family Health Services resulted in a meaningful engagement of people living with HIV and how Ms. Morris became an active partner and advocate for improving HIV services, we are pleased to present them with the 2015 NQC Quality of Care Award for Consumer Involvement.

To learn more about their efforts, visit our NQC website and read their profile | www.NationalQualityCenter.org/Awards

Award for Cross-Part Improvement Efforts: Arizona Regional Group

The Arizona Regional Quality Group (ARQG) formed in 2008 with technical assistance from the NQC. Initially, in 2008, the group consisted of the Part C and D grantees in Maricopa and Pima Counties. In 2009, the Part A and B programs formed a similar group. Both groups soon recognized the value of working together and further expanded to include HIV Surveillance and HIV Prevention programs. By 2010, all Arizona Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grantees were participating in the ARQG.

Early on, the ARQG focused on identifying and developing statewide quality indicators. To effectively benchmark results with other agencies, both locally and nationally, most ARQG members enrolled in the in+care Campaign. The group integrated information from the updated National HIV/AIDS Strategy, HRSA/HAB Revised Performance Measure Portfolio, and various models of the HIV Care Continuum. After much discussion, standardized Care Continuum definitions and calculations were recently created so that its members can use to benchmark their outcomes, compare data, and consistently measure health disparities.

For their dedication to quality and their exceptional teamwork, we are pleased to award the 2015 NQC Quality Management Award to the Arizona Regional Quality Group.

To learn more about their efforts, visit our NQC website and read their profile | www.NationalQualityCenter.org/Awards  

> NQC ShareLab - Sharing Improvement Interventions   

Ever thought to yourself - I wish I could quickly and easily figure out what quality interventions people have tried to solve my clinic's problem? NQC ShareLab is here to help!

After our planning, programming, and field testing with Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grantees, NQC is pleased to announce that ShareLab, our newest quality improvement resource for you. ShareLab allows you to access improvement strategies of others and share your own interventions to foster a community of learners. This simple to use online application allows visitors to explore improvement interventions related to retaining HIV infected individuals in ongoing HIV care. Currently, ShareLab include retention interventions by in+care Campaign participants. In addition, registered users can enter additional retention interventions of their own, rate posted strategies, and reply to entries made by others. A range of search and navigation features allows great flexibility and access to information. Currently, NQC ShareLab has already more than 75 registered users and over 800 individual interventions.

Looking to figure out what other HIV programs are working on? Check out our newest online resource.

Also, share your successful improvement strategies and interact with your colleagues across the country.

Access ShareLab | http://www.nqcsharelab.org/ 

Sharelab Instruction Manual | Click Here 

If you have any questions, contact us Michael Hager, MPH @ michael.hager@health.ny.gov 

> Provider Corner | Opportunities for Optimizing Consumer Input: Positive Champions, Ormond Beach, FL

After years of being an important voice in raising awareness around HIV and addressing HIV-related stigma in Northeast Florida, Positive Champions has been expanding their focus. This is a natural outgrowth of their past work and their close involvement with the National Quality Center. Now, Positive Champions is becoming more involved in enhancing the quality of HIV care provided in the region in collaboration with the local planning consortium and AIDS service organizations.

"We are moving into an advisory role, working with case managers to identify areas where care needs to be improved," says Jeff Allen, Positive Champions' founder. "We are a part of the system and we are working within that system."

In conjunction with the consortium, Positive Champions is organizing quarterly focus groups of consumers. Data collected from the groups are used to inform the consortium's decisions. The first focus group took place in July and focused on the upcoming re-competition of the region's case management contract.

The focus groups are promoted at all of the clinics, hospitals, and Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program-funded providers as well as local libraries. Jeff has met with case managers to enlist their help with enrollment.

"We emphasize that participation is easy, people should not be intimidated in any way," says Jeff. "We even have translators available if people do not speak English."

In addition to the focus groups, a new consumer advisory group (CAB), coordinated by Positive Champions, has been incorporated into the consortium. The CAB has developed a process for soliciting input from other consumers and resolving care-related issues.

"If a client has a concern, rather than going directly to the provider they can use the CAB to help them navigate the process," says Jeff. "Some consumers are afraid to raise their concerns. They feel like they don't have a voice."

Consumers can now approach a member of the CAB with an issue. The CAB will record and document it, report it to the lead agency, take the issue to the service provider, and work to mitigate it until it is resolved.

To ensure the success of these new activities, Positive Champions has increased training opportunities for members. In recent months, members have received training related to health literacy, cultural competence, effective engagement in HIV care, and how to engage men who have sex with men.

"As we look to increase our role in quality-related efforts, we recognize the needs to build our skills," says Jeff. "I use the information I have gained from the NQC as a basis for this work."