As we welcome the winter season, I want to take a moment to thank our New England Association of Healthcare Quality (NEAHQ) members for your continued engagement, leadership, and commitment to advancing healthcare quality across our region. Your dedication—whether through innovation, research, education, or frontline improvement work—continues to strengthen our shared mission and the communities we serve.
This winter, NEAHQ remains focused on creating opportunities for connection, learning, and professional growth. One of the ways we do this is through member-led webinars that highlight the incredible work happening across New England. We are currently seeking members who are interested in hosting a webinar to showcase their work, research, or special areas of interest. These sessions are a powerful way to share best practices, spark meaningful dialogue, and learn from one another.
If you are interested in presenting or would like to explore an idea, we would love to hear from you. Please reach out to us at admin@NEAHQ.org for more information. Don't forget to also check out events hosted by our partner quality organizations, as well - you can sign up to attend here: https://www.neahq.org/events
Thank you for being an essential part of NEAHQ. We look forward to a season of continued collaboration and learning, and we are excited for what lies ahead in the new year.
Warm regards,
Sabrina Zerzouri
President, New England Association of Healthcare Quality (NEAHQ)
Interested in becoming a NEAHQ Director?
The NEAHQ nominating team is seeking applications for the 2026 - 2027 Board of Directors ballot that will be presented to the membership for a vote in March 2026.
Becoming a part of the NEAHQ leadership gives you the opportunity to help shape the future of the organization and healthcare quality. Board leaders are responsible for:
- Guiding the association
- Anticipating change in the quality environment
- Addressing the interests and needs of members
The candidate positions available include:
President-elect is a three (3) year commitment, serving a year as President-Elect, a year as President and a year as Past- President.
Directors serve for a one-year term, act as a representative of the healthcare quality professional community, serve as an ambassador for stakeholder and community relations and work with Board to carry out its responsibilities. They actively participate in the work of the organization, such as programs.
Treasurer serves for a two-year term, pays the bills, and maintains the financial records of the association.
Please contact Lynn Myers at 781-308-0501 or myerslynn225@gmail.com to discuss the various positions or complete an application.
NEAHQ and our affiliated partner associations, as part of the multi-state Healthcare Quality Association Collective, have several great programs scheduled this winter. Some programs are free for NEAHQ members, while others are discounted. Visit our Events Calendar to connect to registration information for each of these programs or navigate through the links below. Thank you for your continued support and participation!
- TGAHQ presents Good Catch Analysis: Preventing Harm Through Early Detection Date: 8 Jan 2026 Time: 3:00pm – 4:00pm
- NEAHQ presents Inside the boardroom: How executives lead for Zero Harm Date: 14 Jan 2026 Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm
- OAHQ presents Who You Are Is How You Lead: Leading and Facilitating Change through Self-Awareness and Growth Mindset Date: 14 Jan 2026 Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST
- NEAHQ presents Leveraging the QAPI Requirement for Enhanced Organization-Wide Strategic Alignment Date: 22 Jan 2026 Time: 12:00pm - 1:30pm EST
- FAHQ presents Age Friendly Hospital Measure: A Roadmap for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services New Hospital Quality Reporting Program Date: 11 Feb 2026 Time: 12:00pm-1:00pm
- OrAHQ presents Ethics and Compliance of AI Use in Healthcare Part 2 Date: 18 Feb 2026 Time: 3:00pm - 4:30pm EST
- AzAHQ presents The Structure of Success: Defining Team Roles to Navigate Process Change Date: 23 Feb 2026 Time: 3:00pm-4:00pm
- OAHQ presents Age-Friendly: Equipping Leaders to Ensure a Hospital-Wide Approach Date: 19 Mar 2026 Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
Treasurer’s Report January – November 2025
NEAHQ currently has $41,554.52 in total assets as of the end of November 2025. Total revenue generated in 2025 YTD (Jan-Nov) is $5,991.04. NEAHQ generated $5624.85 in revenue from membership dues while $366.19 came from program. Total expenditures for 2025 YTD (Jan-Nov) were $4,567.81. Total expenditures were made up of administrative, operating, and CEU expenses.
Board Member Spotlight – Allan Tambio
Would you please share a brief overview of your career?
Aloha – my name is Allan Tambio, and I Iook forward to contributing to the great work that NEAHQ is doing. I am originally from Hawai’i, where I got my start in the healthcare field over a decade ago as a nursing assistant and in emergency medical services. After relocating to Boston, I continued in healthcare, with roles in EMS and medical assisting. I also managed the EKG department at Beth Israel Deaconess through the pandemic, which was challenging. I graduated with my MHA from Suffolk University and have been working at the VA for the past two years in healthcare quality.
Which aspect of your current position is especially rewarding?
I enjoy supporting the work the VA is doing to provide high-quality medical care to veterans. My father-in-law and my uncle are Vietnam veterans, so I see my work in the VA as an opportunity to give back to others that have sacrificed a lot for our country. In terms of system redesign, I also find it rewarding to work as a team to analyze a concern, to implement a process improvement, and to later see how that adjustment makes my colleagues’ jobs easier.
Has any one individual greatly influenced to your career?
Daniel Okyere, who I have had the pleasure of working with since I started at the VA, has been instrumental in orienting me to the federal sector and teaching me more about system redesign. From Daniel, I have learned to be holistic in my thinking—it’s not just about improving a process, but also very important to consider the people impacted – involving them in the improvement process and ensuring that the redesign works for them.
What led to your involvement with NEAHQ?
It's truly wonderful when opportunities align with our aspirations. When my colleague Daniel approached me about the possibility of becoming a board member, I was genuinely touched by his thoughtfulness. He knew I had a deep-seated interest in contributing to the healthcare quality sector and that I was actively preparing for the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) exam. His invitation felt like a natural extension of my passion and studies, and I was incredibly grateful for him considering me for such a meaningful role. It's exciting to think about the potential to make a tangible difference in an area I care so much about.
What are your goals as a NEAHQ Board Member?
I'm particularly eager to understand the diverse perspectives and expertise that each board member brings. This collaborative learning environment will be instrumental in identifying new avenues for growth and improvement within NEAHQ. My commitment extends to exploring how technology can be leveraged to streamline operations, enhance member engagement, and expand the reach of the board’s educational initiatives.
How do you balance your demanding professional life with your personal life?
I am grateful for my family – my wife and 2 sons – who all help me to balance my professional and personal responsibilities. I also spend as much time as possible surfing and paddleboarding on the ocean and listening to my record collection.
PI Corner – Heijunka: A Simple Way to Smooth Out the Workload in Healthcare
Heijunka (pronounced hi-JOON-ka) is a Lean tool that means “leveling the workload.” In hospitals, this helps reduce the ups and downs that cause long waits, staff stress, and unpredictable days. By spreading work more evenly, care becomes smoother, safer, and easier for everyone.
How Heijunka Works (Simple 3‑Step Process)
- Look at your workload patterns
Identify when things get too busy or too slow — times of day, days of the week, or types of cases that bunch together.
- Spread the work more evenly
Balance heavy tasks with lighter ones, mix appointment or procedure types, or distribute admissions more consistently across the week.
- Create a simple schedule or visual plan
Use a chart, calendar, or “workload grid” to show how work will be spread out so that staff and patients have a steadier flow.
Example
A hospital OR noticed that many complicated surgeries were booked on Tuesdays, causing late cases and overtime. Using Heijunka, they mixed long and short surgeries across each day instead of stacking them. The result: smoother days, fewer delays, happier staff, and better patient flow.
Simple Heijunka Template (Use for Any Unit)
1. What’s uneven?
(e.g., “Too many high‑complexity visits in the mornings.”)
2. When does the workload spike?
(e.g., “Tuesdays and Thursdays between 8–11 a.m.”)
3. What can we spread out?
(e.g., “Mix long and short appointments; move pre-ops to afternoons.”)
4. New leveled plan:
(e.g., “Each day includes 2 long visits + 6 short visits.”)
5. How we’ll track it:
(e.g., “Weekly review of wait times and schedule balance.”)
References
- Mahmoud, Z., Angelé-Halgand, N., & Smith, T. (2021). The impact of lean management on frontline healthcare professionals: A scoping review. BMC Health Services Research, 21(1), 1234. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06123-7
- Shoemaker, A., Patel, R., & Liu, Y. (2025). Applying value stream mapping to improve the delivery of patient care. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(4), 1736. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22041736
- Tan, J., Tian, Y., & Wong, L. (2023). Lean management of nursing human resources during COVID‑19 pandemic. Nursing Open, 10(2), 1456–1468. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.1456
- Wong, A., Gray, C., & Hung, D. (2021). Use of lean healthcare to improve hospital throughput and reduce length of stay. Pediatric Quality & Safety, 6(5), e433. https://doi.org/10.1097/pq9.0000000000000433
High Reliability Principle: Committment to Resilience
Check out the blog here.
MHA Releases Updated Safety & Violence Prevention Guidelines, MHA Monday Report, Oct 25, 2025
Building on its nationally recognized 2019 violence prevention guidance, MHA last week released an updated version of the document that offers newly revised strategies for a comprehensive approach to healthcare safety and violence prevention across healthcare facilities, including emergency departments, inpatient settings, outpatient clinics, mobile health services, and home healthcare.
The 40-page Guidelines for Healthcare Safety and Violence Prevention provides detailed information to assist facilities to strengthen and sustain safety oversight teams, offer training and education, collect and use data on incidents of violence, review and improve the physical layout of facilities, weave safety and violence prevention throughout clinical practice, and more.
In response to the increased risk of violence in healthcare settings, MHA formed a Healthcare Safety and Violence Prevention Workgroup composed of a diverse group of healthcare professionals. In 2019, the workgroup developed the guidance document to help healthcare facilities use evidence-based practices to create effective healthcare violence prevention programs. The updated version of that document adopts a health equity framework; expands the focus to include additional care settings; updates strategies to address caring for special populations, including patients with dementia, those on the autism spectrum, and those with other developmental disabilities or behavioral health conditions; includes new standards from the Joint Commission; incorporates principles of trauma-informed care; emphasizes support for victims; and includes a new focus on workforce wellbeing.
Every 36 minutes, a worker in a Massachusetts hospital is subject to an act of violence or a threat. This crisis has grown at an alarming rate in recent years, with healthcare workers experiencing a violent incident at least five times more often than the average private sector worker.
MHA, through the guidance of its Healthcare Safety and Violence Prevention Workgroup, and through the input of its membership and Board of Trustees, has responded to this troubling trend in a variety of ways. MHA created a survey to track the frequency, location, and types of violence committed on hospital campuses; issued an MHA Board of Trustees-approved united set of principles for patient-visitor codes of conduct; provides regular education opportunities to disseminate safety and violence prevention strategies from local and national leaders; and has joined with the Massachusetts Nurses Association and 1199SEIU Massachusetts to push for passage of H.2655/S.1718, An Act Requiring Health Care Employers to Develop and Implement Programs to Prevent Workplace Violence, now pending at the State House.
New AHRQ Issue Brief Guides Healthcare Leaders on Safe, Effective AI Use, July 29, 2025
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant prospect—it is transforming healthcare delivery, diagnosis, and clinical decision making. As AI becomes increasingly embedded across the care continuum, uncertainty about how to safely and effectively integrate AI tools is rising quickly.
Understanding the AI Wave: Foundational Knowledge for Improving Diagnosis and Beyond, a new issue brief from AHRQ, demystifies core AI concepts and offers real-world examples to build foundational understanding. Grounded in evidence and informed by lessons from other high-risk industries, this issue brief provides practical, actionable guidance for healthcare leaders, clinicians, and patients.
This resource supports all stakeholders—whether they are making decisions about AI adoption, using AI tools in clinical practice, or seeking to understand AI’s role in care delivery—in navigating AI thoughtfully while safeguarding quality and safety, improving efficiency, and maintaining patient trust.