| President’s Message | Board Member Spotlight - Haley Friedler |
| Redefining Purpose | Join NEAHQ Now! |
| Program Committee | PI Corner – Gemba Walk |
| Treasurer’s Report | News from the Net |
Summer is finally here, and with it brings so much promise. Increasing numbers of administered COVID vaccinations and declining COVID cases and hospitalizations across much of the region have instilled new hope for the year to come. This past year has been difficult in a way many of us could never have imagined, and I want to share my deepest condolences to all who have lost friends, family, patients, and others to the pandemic. Once again, I also want to say thank you. Healthcare Quality professionals have had to adapt, expand their roles and overcome a multitude of challenges, rising to the occasion as always. We would not be where we are today without your hard work and dedication.
This past year has also highlighted the persistent discrimination impacting our country. We must all come together and to fight each and every day to break down the systems that perpetuate racism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of oppression to ensure equitable health for all members of our communities. NEAHQ will continue to work to promote discussion and education on supportive actions around disparities in healthcare. Please reach out to let us know how we can better serve you as we strive to empower healthcare quality professionals across New England to improve health for all.
As the days become longer and the weather warmer, I want to wish you all a happy summer. Thank you for believing in this organization and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Haley Friedler, MPH
The NEAHQ Board of Directors has spent the last several months redefining our purpose, both current and future, to ensure strategic alignment and clarity for all stakeholders. Working together, our refreshed mission, vision and values provide a true north for our organization as we move forward with decision making, programming and membership development. We are excited to announce our new statements as follows:
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Mission Statement: We serve as the resource of choice for healthcare quality professionals across the continuum for networking, education, and information
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Vision Statement: To empower healthcare quality professionals across New England to improve health
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Values: Collaborative, Member-Oriented, Inclusive, Continuously Improving
Thank you to those who contributed to this effort. We welcome your questions and comments on these statements by emailing admin@neahq.org.
Greetings NEAHQ members! We hope you have been enjoying the beautiful beginning of summer in New England and engaging your favorite summer activities. The Program Committee had a busy spring and hosted two webinars between April- June:
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An interactive webinar was led by Antonia Blinn, CPHQ and Sarah Lederberg Stone, MPH, PhD from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) that provided an overview of the ‘Racial Equity Data Road Map’ tool that was developed by the Massachusetts DPH.
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A webinar on “Better Handoff for Safer Care” was led by Dr. Chris Landrigan from Boston Children’s Hospital & Bill Floyd Co-Founder & CEO from the I-PASS Institute. The panelists described the importance and role of communication and handoffs in reducing patient harm & reviewed how safety based behavior like I-PASS drives improvement in patient outcomes.
Thank you to all participants, panelists and speakers for making these webinars a success! We hope you found it to be a value-add.
The Program Committee will now turn our attention to planning Summer & Fall events including an event for Healthcare Quality Week. We are assessing the possibility of hosting hybrid in-person and virtual events focused on QI skill building sessions, in response to feedback on the membership engagement survey. We look forward to announcing these programs soon. Stay tuned!
Best,
Lauren Hartwell & Aliysa Rajwani
NEAHQ Program Committee Co-Chairs
NEAHQ currently has $48,479.71 in total assets. Total revenue generated in Q1 2021 was $3,585.00. Revenue was generated from program fees and membership dues. Total expenditures for Q1 2021 were $4,308.43. Total expenditures were made up of administrative and operating expenses. Annual subscription fees for services are paid in January and we tend to see our operating expenses decrease over the rest of the year. Net revenue for Q1 2021 came out to -$723.43.
For complete details, please reach out to treasurer@neahq.org
Board Member Spotlight - Haley Friedler 
Would you please share a brief overview of your career?
I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Molecular Biology & Biochemistry and in Biology from Wesleyan University and my Master of Public Health (MPH) from the Boston University School of Public Health.
I currently work as an Epidemiologist at OM1 Inc., supporting the design and implementation of health analytics studies. Prior to my Masters I worked at Boston Children’s Hospital as a Program Coordinator for the Department of Medicine (DOM) Quality Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, assisting in the oversight, development, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based quality improvement projects for the 15 subdivisions that comprise the DOM.
Which aspect of your current position is especially rewarding?
In my current position, I have had the opportunity to work on creating resources for other professionals in the field. It is especially rewarding to know that my work has the potential to benefit my peers and, as a result, patient outcomes.
Has any one individual greatly influenced to your career?
While there are many individuals who have influenced my career, one individual is former NEAHQ President and Board Member, Taruna Banerjee, MPH, CPPS, who is currently the Senior Director of Organizational Quality and Patient Safety at Cambridge Health Alliance. In her previous role, Taruna gave me the opportunity to work at Boston Children’s and introduced me to the field of healthcare quality. Taruna also introduced me to NEAHQ and encouraged me to participate on the Board.
What led to your involvement with NEAHQ?
My prior manager shared the great work that NEAHQ was doing and encouraged me to apply to become a member of the Board.
What are your goals as a NEAHQ Board Member?
My main goals as a NEAHQ Board Member and the incoming NEAHQ President are to enable healthcare quality professionals to connect, collaborate, learn, and share best practices and to provide quality programming tailored to the needs of our members and network.
How do you balance your demanding professional life with your personal life?
Especially with the ongoing pandemic, finding balance between professional and personal lives can be a challenge. I do my best to take a break every once in a while, even if I have nowhere to go, to ensure I have time to relax and recharge.
The New England Association of Healthcare Quality (NEAHQ) invites you to become a member of our organization that represents healthcare quality professionals across New England.
NEAHQ membership offers many benefits:
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Educational programs (in-person and virtual) including an Annual Conference and Webinars offering continuing education and CPHQ credits at reduced rates
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Networking Events to meet peers and exchange ideas
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Social Networking through LinkedIn
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Healthcare Quality Job Board
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E-Newsletter covering important trends in healthcare quality and NEAHQ news
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CPHQ Review Course
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Member Forums
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Archived Events
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Opportunities for volunteerism and committee participation
NEAHQ Membership annual dues are $75. To join, go to the NEAHQ website at https://www.neahq.org/join and complete the form online or download it and mail it in with your payment.
Gemba walk denotes the action of going to see the actual process, understand the work, ask questions, and learn. By visiting the place where work is done, one can gain valuable insight into the flow of value through the organization and often uncover opportunities for improvement and learn new ways to support employees. The approach is a collaborative one, with employees providing details about what is done and why.
Great results depend on thoughtful planning, execution, and follow-up. Here are the most important steps you can take to ensure that your next Gemba walk is successful.
11 Steps to an Effective Gemba Walk
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Prepare the Team so they know what to expect
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Have a Plan
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Follow the Value Stream
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Always Focus on Process, Not People
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Document Your Observations
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Ask Questions
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Don't Suggest Changes During the Walk
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Walk in Teams to ask different questions from another point of view
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Mix Up the Schedule to see the process at different times
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Follow-up with Employees to communicate next steps
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Return to the Gemba to observe the impact of any changes made to the process
Download a free eBook about Gemba walks here.
AHRQ Perspective Offers Strategies to Improve Patient Safety through Better Communications
A new Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Patient Safety Network Perspective explores how lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic may improve patient safety through better communication between providers, patients, and families. Read the Perspective