The New England Association for Healthcare Quality, Inc – NEAHQ – empowers healthcare quality professionals from every specialty throughout New England by providing education, networking, certification preparation and professional practice resources.
NEAHQ provides a strong voice for healthcare quality by active involvement in appropriate healthcare quality initiatives.
NEAHQ Position Statement on Racism and Equity
The New England Association for Healthcare Quality (NEAHQ) is united against racism and injustice. Issues of race and inequity are tightly intertwined and regularly manifest in individual and community health, access to healthcare, delivery of healthcare, social determinants of health, and in employment in the healthcare sector. As we confront the COVID-19 pandemic, disparities in these areas have become even more apparent and pronounced.
NEAHQ has an important role to play in improving equity and confronting racism in healthcare. NEAHQ is New England's organization for healthcare quality professionals. Our purpose is to promote the delivery of quality healthcare; provide leadership and expertise in the delivery of quality care; promote professional ethics; facilitate communication, cooperation and education among and for healthcare quality professionals; and support and actively advocate for patients to receive quality healthcare.
Consistent with our purpose and rising to the needs of this time, NEAHQ is committed to creating programming that will educate and address issues to make sure care is equitable and accessible, to educating about social determinants of health and reducing negative impacts, to ensuring our membership is diverse and inclusive, and that opportunities for development and advancement are available to members, inclusive of those of marginalized communities and communities of color.
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NEAHQ Winter Newsletter 2021
President’s Message Board Member Spotlight – Aly Mitchell Professional Enhancement Grant Awarded! Join NEAHQ Now! Managing Conflicts and Maximizing Transparency in Industry Funded Research PI Corner – Prioritization Matrix Interested in becoming a MAHQ Director? News from the Net Program Committee Update President’s Message Alyson Mitchell Happy New Year! I can hardly believe that we are welcoming 2021 already – it seems as though we just rang in 2020 with the typical hopeful cheer and resolve only to be swept into a cyclone of unimaginable magnitude making it difficult to discern what was accomplished. What is certainly clear is that healthcare professionals and medical scientists are incredibly resilient in leading through chaos and achieving the unthinkable. As we begin this new year, I am wishing for global health & well-being, transformation, collaboration, and compassion as we continue to face challenges and find solutions. On that note, I’m excited to preface NEAHQ’s 2021 webinar programs that were thoughtfully planned to ensure that our members and program participants benefit from self-care activities to prevent burnout, expertise related to regulatory accreditation surveys, and skill-building in healthcare informatics. Find more details in this newsletter’s program update! Additionally, our membership committee has planned a true networking event later this month to give us all a chance to learn more about each other and build relationships without an educational component – since we are aware that many of us have spent almost a full year remote learning and/or helping our children succeed with virtual education. So, it’s time to have fun and make valuable connections. Lastly, we are still working to ensure that our spring annual meeting & educational conference is robust and aligns with the current needs of our membership. If you have any ideas about topics, or are interested in presenting, please let us know by emailing admin@neahq.org. On behalf of the entire NEAHQ Board of Directors, we thank you for participating in whatever way you have with our organization and look forward to a better year ahead. Professional Enhancement Grant Awarded! The NEAHQ Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Manvir Nijjar was awarded the 2020 NEAHQ Professional Development Grant. Manvir is the Senior Transplant Quality Manager at Tufts Medical Center. Manvir will use the $1200 grant to pursue Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) certification. We received several excellent applications and had to make difficult choices between high-caliber candidates. The applicants all spoke eloquently about their desire to improve their knowledge and skills and to be advocates for patients and their families by improving the systems of care delivery. Congratulations to all the applicants. Managing Conflicts and Maximizing Transparency in Industry Funded Research NEAHQ Board Member Gloria Stone Plottel recently published an article in the journal AJOB Empirical Bioethics. Below is the abstract with link to full article. Abstract Background: Industry funding of research comes with important conflicts of interest, especially when research findings have financial implications for funders. When considering industry funding, academic investigators seek ways to mitigate and manage conflict to ensure integrity of research design, analysis, interpretation, and to protect researchers’ and their institutions’ credibility. This qualitative study’s purpose was to conduct semi-structured interviews with expert stakeholders to gain insight into industry funding of research focused on nutrition and obesity, and determine the feasibility of developing a transparent process using an advisory board to help govern industry funding and manage conflict. Methods: We conducted seven semi-structured interviews with a purposive group of expert stakeholders representing varied perspectives. We distributed a summary of the advisory board concept to interviewees; developed and used a 16-question interview guide; and analyzed the interviews using open coding, manifest content analysis, axial coding, and code list reviews to identify and refine themes. Results: Most interviewees agreed that managing conflicts between industry funders and researchers was possible but difficult. They believed a carefully constructed advisory board empowered with specific responsibilities could help facilitate this process. They posited that strict guidelines are required to protect research quality and reporting, researcher(s)’ and research institution(s)’ reputations, and subsequent policy influenced by the research findings. They recommended specific guidelines and a framework for developing and administering the advisory board. Conclusions: A carefully constructed advisory board empowered with specific responsibilities could be useful to manage actual and perceived conflicts of interest, and increase transparency of research processes, funding, and results for industry-funded research. Stricter guidelines than those previously proposed in existing frameworks are needed to instill confidence in industry-funded nutrition and obesity research. A possible next step could include a pilot study of the advisory board concept to determine specific requirements for execution and to develop rigorous guidelines. Citation: Gloria Stone Plottel, Rachel Adler, Chelsea Jenter & Jason P. Block (2020) Managing Conflicts and Maximizing Transparency in Industry-Funded Research, AJOB Empirical Bioethics, 11:4, 223-232, DOI: 10.1080/23294515.2020.1798562 To link to the article: click here Interested in becoming a NEAHQ Director? The NEAHQ nominating team is seeking applications for the 2021-2022 Board of Directors ballot that will be presented to the membership for a vote in March 2021. 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: The President-elect position is a three (3) year commitment, serving a year as President-Elect, a year as President and a year as Past- President. Director: 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 also participate in supporting the work of the various committees. Please contact Lynn Myers at 617-636-4826 or lmyers@tuftsmedicalcenter.org to discuss the various positions or complete an application. Program Committee Update Greetings NEAHQ members, and Happy Holidays to you and yours! It’s the most wonderful time of the year and one of the busiest times for the Program Committee. In October, we celebrated Healthcare Quality Week with the webinar “Effective Communication is Essential to Healthcare Quality and Safety,” featuring Gloria Stone Plottel, Founder and CEO of GSPsquared LLC, a consultancy focused on helping healthcare organizations improve care delivery and manage change. In November, we hosted two networking events to introduce public health students to careers in healthcare quality at the Boston University and Brown University Schools of Public Health. We are also finalizing the Winter Webinar Series, which consists of three virtual programs offered between January and March. Topics will include Mindfulness for Burnout/Stress, Regulatory Readiness, and Healthcare Informatics. Registration will be available soon at www.neahq.org. Keep an eye out for marketing emails with more details! Finally, NEAHQ is excited to announce a virtual New Year’s Party! Members requested more networking events when surveyed earlier this year, so we are going to deliver! Plus, 2020 was a doozy and we could all use some fun in 2021. Please join us for an evening of virtual networking on January 14th from 5-6:30 PM. Get to know the NEAHQ Board and other members from the comfort of your own home in a small group speed networking format. We hope to see you there! Click HERE to register today. Lauren Hartwell & Aliysa Rajwani NEAHQ Program Committee Co-Chairs Board Member Spotlight – Aly Mitchell Would you please share a brief overview of your career? My clinical background is in Occupational Therapy; however, I’ve spent most of my career in healthcare operations, most recently in ambulatory performance & quality improvement. Which aspect of your current position is especially rewarding? I really enjoy helping provider groups improve their preventive care screening goals for cancer and diabetes because I know from personal experience with my own family members how important it is to prevent the complications that come along with these diseases. Has any one individual greatly influenced to your career? Initially, my mother influenced me to pursue my education in Occupational Therapy as she worked for most of her career as a teacher and personal care attendant for disabled adults. She was always such a great advocate for inclusion and essential services needed to promote independence and wellbeing for individuals with disabilities. Once I went into healthcare operations, I was influenced by many – most notably by my former leader and mentor Craig Williams. He believed in my strengths and provided me with opportunity to grow, challenge boundaries, and work to my greatest capacity. He is also the epitome of resilience, which I truly admire. What led to your involvement with NEAHQ? My former colleague and friend Rita Morin introduced me to NEAHQ several years ago. She was impressed by my knowledge of ambulatory quality programs and thought there was a real need to diversify the backgrounds of the organizations members. What are your goals as a NEAHQ Board Member? My main goal is to ensure that members are getting the most out of their membership through networking, programming, and leadership. How do you balance your demanding professional life with your personal life? Some days I am not so good at juggling, but ultimately, I know that if I feel fulfilled in my personal life it will only help me to be a better professional. Join NEAHQ Now! 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: Educational programs (in-person and virtual) including an Annual Conference and Webinars offering continuing education and CPHQ credits at reduced rates Networking Events to meet peers and exchange ideas Social Networking through LinkedIn Healthcare Quality Job Board E-Newsletter covering important trends in healthcare quality and NEAHQ news CPHQ Review Course Member Forums Archived Events 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. PI Corner – Prioritization Matrix A Prioritization Matrix is a useful technique to identify which problems are the most important to work on solving first. The Matrix helps you rank problems or issues using weighted criteria that are important to your project and/or organization. Useful when you need to prioritize problems, or to achieve consensus about an issue or proposed solution. News from the Net A 27-member group representing federal agencies, health care organizations, patient and family advocates, and respected industry experts has released Safer Together: A National Action Plan to Advance Patient Safety. The National Steering Committee, convened by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in May 2018, harnessed their collective knowledge to develop actionable and effective recommendations put forward in the new plan, which includes a self-assessment tool and an implementation guide. -
NEAHQ Position Statement on Racism and Equity
The New England Association for Healthcare Quality (NEAHQ) is united against racism and injustice. Issues of race and inequity are tightly intertwined and regularly manifest in individual and community health, access to healthcare, delivery of healthcare, social determinants of health, and in employment in the healthcare sector. As we confront the COVID-19 pandemic, disparities in these areas have become even more apparent and pronounced. NEAHQ has an important role to play in improving equity and confronting racism in healthcare. NEAHQ is New England's organization for healthcare quality professionals. Our purpose is to promote the delivery of quality healthcare; provide leadership and expertise in the delivery of quality care; promote professional ethics; facilitate communication, cooperation and education among and for healthcare quality professionals; and support and actively advocate for patients to receive quality healthcare. Consistent with our purpose and rising to the needs of this time, NEAHQ is committed to creating programming that will educate and address issues to make sure care is equitable and accessible, to educating about social determinants of health and reducing negative impacts, to ensuring our membership is diverse and inclusive, and that opportunities for development and advancement are available to members, inclusive of those of marginalized communities and communities of color. -
NEAHQ Newsletter - Winter 2020
President's Message Join NEAHQ Now! Program Committee Update PI Corner Committee Member Spotlight Call for NEAHQ Director Nominations News from the Net Get in touch President's Message Hello and Happy New Year! I hope you have all had a chance to relax and spend some quality time with your families during the holiday season. Our program committee has been busy planning many exciting events for our members. We recently had a networking event at BU School of Public Health aimed at recent graduates and current Public Health students. The quality presentation and panel discussion were well attended and generated a lot of interesting discussion. Looking for CPHQ credits? If so, please sign up for one or all of our webinars scheduled for January and February. Registration and sign-up can be completed on our website at https://www.neahq.org/cpages/home Lastly, please save the date for our annual meeting on Friday, April 3, 2020. Please look out for details on how to sign up for the annual meeting and renewing your membership. This is an exciting time to be part of NEAHQ and I encourage you all to invite your colleagues to join us regardless of where they live or work. With the New Year, we are beginning the process of selecting the board slate for 2020-2021. If you are interested in volunteering or being part of the board, please fill out the application you will be receiving in your inbox. As we explore ways to expand and grow our organization, we want to hear from you! If you have any suggestions for us, please send a quick email at admin@neahq.org Best Wishes, Taruna Banerjee President, NEAHQ Join NEAHQ Now! 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: Educational programs (in-person and virtual) including an Annual Conference and Webinars offering continuing education and CPHQ credits at reduced rates Networking Events to meet peers and exchange ideas Social Networking through LinkedIn Healthcare Quality Job Board E-Newsletter covering important trends in healthcare quality and NEAHQ news CPHQ Review Course Member Forums Archived Events 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. Program Committee Update It has been a busy couple of months for the NEAHQ Program Committee! On October 24th, NEAHQ celebrated Healthcare Quality Week with our annual night of networking. This year’s event was held at the Public Health Museum in Tewksbury, MA. In addition to networking and refreshments, participants enjoyed a panel discussion about social determinants of health and healthcare quality, followed by a personalized, interactive museum tour. Panelists included Diana Erani, Vice President of Health Informatics at the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, Kristin Mikolowsky, Associate Director of Research and Evaluation at Health Resources in Action, and Ben Wood, Director of the Division of Community Health Planning and Engagement at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. It was a fun and informative evening, and the unique venue was appreciated by all. In December, the NEAHQ Program Committee hosted a ‘Careers in Healthcare Quality’ event at the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH). NEAHQ Board member, Haley Friedler, worked with Career Services and the Students for Quality Health Care at BUSPH to plan an evening of networking with current healthcare quality professionals and graduate students interested in entering the field! The event included a brief introduction to QI by Program Committee co-chair, Lauren Hartwell, and a panel of NEAHQ members discussing their careers in healthcare quality. Panelists included Alyson Mitchell, Quality Transformation Consultant at UnitedHealth Group, Lynn Myers, Quality Project Leader at Tufts Medical Center, Gloria Stone Plottel, Founder and CEO of GSPsquared LLC, and Lauren Hartwell, Project Manager in Population Health at Tufts Health Plan. Many students took the opportunity to network with NEAHQ members during the event and we look forward to continuing our budding collaboration with the Students for Quality Health Care at BUSPH. The Program Committee is now advertising for the annual NEAHQ Winter Webinar series! NEAHQ will host a series of four professional development webinars between January and March 2020. Please see a list of webinar topics and dates below. All webinars are hosted virtually between the hours of 12-1 PM EST. Register to participate in the Winter Webinar series at https://www.neahq.org/events. Tuesday, January 21, 2020 – Listening Isn’t Easy Wednesday, February 5, 2020 – Influencing Without Authority Thursday, February 20, 2020 – A Patient’s Perspective on Quality Customer Care Friday, March 20, 2020 – QI Tools: Run Charts and Control Charts Finally, save the date for the NEAHQ Annual Meeting on Friday, April 3, 2020. This all-day event will be held at the new Massachusetts Department of Public Health office space and conference venue in Marlborough, MA. The NEAHQ Board has agreed on the theme of Population Health Management, with a focus on data analytics and clinical integration. The Program Committee is actively recruiting speakers for the event, and we look forward to putting together a thoughtful and engaging program! RSVP for the event at this link: https://www.neahq.org/events/neahq-annual-meeting-save-the-date. Back to Top of Newsletter PI Corner A flowchart is a type of diagram that represents a workflow or process. A flowchart can also be defined as a diagrammatic representation of an algorithm, a step-by-step approach to solving a task. The flowchart shows the steps as boxes of various kinds, and their order by connecting the boxes with arrows. Using a flowchart has a variety of benefits: It helps to clarify complex processes. It identifies steps that do not add value to the internal or external customer, including: delays; needless storage and transportation; unnecessary work, duplication, and added expense; breakdowns in communication. It helps team members gain a shared understanding of the process and use this knowledge to collect data, identify problems, focus discussions, and identify resources. It serves as a basis for designing new processes Back to Top of Newsletter Committee Member Spotlight Absa Fall, QI & Outcomes Manager, St. Anne's Hospital Would you please share a brief overview of your career? I was very fortunate to enter the healthcare industry. As a Business Management graduate, Healthcare was not on my radar. After completing grad school, I accepted a position as a Management Analyst at the Department of Public Health. In this role I supported different areas under Quality Management including Risk Management, Infection Control, Case Management, and Performance Improvement. From there, I grew to become a Transformation Initiatives Project Manager overseeing a variety of PI projects under a state- and CMS-funded performance-based incentive payment program that advances the triple aim. I am currently a Quality Improvement & Outcomes Manager overseeing improvement projects and also coordinating regulatory activities for a community hospital on the South Shore. This experience and involvement in healthcare motivated me to become CPHQ certified recently. Which aspect of your current position is especially rewarding? The most rewarding part of my work is seeing the effect that process changes can have in the performance of staff which in turn translates to better care for patients. Sometimes, these changes may seem bothersome to staff at first, however, once things start running smoothly and the benefits become apparent, you can see staff start to appreciate the change and the work. Has any one individual greatly influenced to your career? My husband has been the biggest influence in my career. A healthcare professional himself, he was the one who introduced me to the field, supported and pushed me to strive. What led to your involvement with NEAHQ? While I had been looking to join a professional association, I didn’t necessarily know which one was going to the best fit in terms of what I can contribute and what I can gain from it. Around that time, I received communication from the former MAHQ seeking applications for their Board of Directors. I was not only already a member, but this association was exactly what I was looking for. There couldn’t have been better timing. I then decided to send my application in and was approved as board member. What are your goals as a NEAHQ Board Member? My goal as an NEAHQ member is to expand our activities and programs to the South Shore area. I understand that the majority of healthcare entities are located in the northern part of the state, however, I do believe that extending to the southern area will attract and impact many quality professionals including those in Rhode Island and Connecticut. How do you balance your demanding professional life with your personal life? Having small kids can particularly make it challenging to balance professional and personal life. I am grateful to have a great support system around me. I make sure while at home, to give my family the time and attention they deserve, and give my job the same while at work. The most important thing is to keep things balanced. Interested in becoming a NEAHQ Director? The NEAHQ nominating team is seeking applications for the 2020-2021 Board of Directors ballot that will be presented to the membership for a vote in March 2020. 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: The President-elect position is a three (3) year commitment, serving a year as President-Elect, a year as President and a year as Past- President. Treasurer: The Treasurer position is a two (2) years commitment. Director: Directors serve for a one-year term, meet in person several times a year, and take part in monthly conference calls. They also participate in supporting the work of the various committees. Please contact Lynn Myers at 617-636-4826 or lmyers@tuftsmedicalcenter.org to discuss the various positions or complete an application. Back to Top of Newsletter News from the Net 2018 National Healthcare Quality And Disparities Report., AHRQ., September 2019. For the 16th year in a row, AHRQ is reporting on healthcare quality and disparities. The annual National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report is mandated by Congress to provide a comprehensive overview of the quality of healthcare received by the general U.S. population and disparities in care experienced by different racial and socioeconomic groups. The National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report assesses the performance of our healthcare system and identifies areas of strengths and weaknesses, as well as disparities, for access to healthcare and quality of healthcare. Quality is described in terms of six priorities: patient safety, person-centered care, care coordination, effective treatment, healthy living, and care affordability. The report tracks more than 260 healthcare process, outcome, and access measures, covering a wide variety of conditions and settings. For more information, visit https://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/nhqdr18/index.html Lab Tests Online Website. Lab Tests Online is an award-winning health information web resource designed to help patients and caregivers understand the many lab tests that are a vital part of medical care. Laboratory and medical professionals, who are experts in the field, develop and review all content, including articles on lab tests, conditions/diseases, screening, patient resources, and lab test news. The site is produced by The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), a global scientific and medical professional organization dedicated to clinical laboratory science and its application to healthcare. Back to Top of Newsletter Get in Touch - We Want to Hear from You! Do you have a quality event happening that you would like your fellow NEAHQ members to know about? We are interested in original content about a successful project, recent promotion and any other quality news you would like to share. Please submit articles for approval and posting to admin@neahq.org. Back to Top of Newsletter -
NEAHQ Newsletter - Summer 2019
NEAHQ: New Name, New Website! President's Message Program Committee Treasurer's Report PI Corner Committee Member Spotlight Book Report We Want To Hear From You! NEAHQ: New Name, New Website! This past year, our organization has made a couple of big changes; we have officially expanded from Massachusetts to the New England Association for Healthcare Quality (NEAHQ), and to accompany our name change, we have developed and launched a brand new, member-focused website! While our prior website provided some important information, we felt it was too clunky and disorganized to truly benefit you - our members. Over the past year, we have been hard at work creating a website that we hope will be easier to navigate and will provide a central point of contact for our healthcare quality community. Some key features include an interactive events calendar, NEAHQ committee member profiles, and a members-only section, complete with access to a job board, past events, member forums to discuss key quality topics, and most exciting of all, a membership directory. Once you create your NEAHQ account on the website*, you can develop your own profile, similar to something you would find on LinkedIn. The profile you create will appear under the member directory, where other members can view your profile and send messages to you and others. We hope that this feature will allow us to better collaborate as a quality community and further our mission to move healthcare forward through personal and professional growth and shared learning. Check out the new website at www.NEAHQ.org! Questions about the new website? Take a look at our website videos guides here: , or contact Haley Friedler at haleyfriedler@gmail.com. *For existing members, click on “LOGIN” in the top right-hand corner of the site and simply type in the email you used to register under and click on “Forgot Password” to reset your password and create your web account. For those who wish to become members, click on “JOIN NOW” in the top right-hand corner and follow the registration prompts to join and create your online account. Back to Top President's Message Hello and Happy Summer! I am excited to be the new President of the New England Association for Healthcare Quality (NEAHQ). Thank you to all who were able to attend our Annual Meeting back in April. It was an action-packed day filled with informative presentations on care coordination. We hope you had plenty of time to network with Quality Improvement colleagues! This is an exciting time for our members. First, we have changed our name to I am excited to be the new President of the New England Association for Healthcare Quality (NEAHQ)New England Association for Healthcare Quality. This is both to reflect our current membership and to expand our reach. We are actively working with the boards of other neighboring organizations to join us, which will broaden our scope and provide additional opportunities for networking and education for our members. Also, check out our new website, NEAHQ.org, which has a user-friendly interface and a members-only section, providing additional value to our membership through increased networking opportunities and access to additional resources. The program committee has begun planning the themes and topics of our webinars and networking events. Based on your feedback, we will continue to offer our webinar series throughout the year. You will be hearing details about this and other offerings very soon. Finally, I leave you with our 2019-2020 Goals: Organizational Growth - Enhance fiscal growth and viability to support the advancement of mission-related activities Professional Development - Expand curriculum content that attracts healthcare quality professionals practicing across various settings/disciplines Membership - Increase membership and include healthcare quality professionals from healthcare organizations that extend beyond managed care and acute care organizations Strategic Alliances - Enhance partnerships with state/regional organizations that have similar goals and interests As we explore ways to expand and grow our organization, we want to hear from you! If you have any suggestions for us, please send a quick email to our membership co-chair, Haley Friedler, at haleyfriedler@gmail.com. Best Wishes, Taruna Banerjee President, NEAHQ Back to Top Program Committee NEAHQ (formerly MAHQ) has held several programs per year for the last several years. The intent is to provide our members and other interested healthcare quality professionals with “hot topic” learning opportunities through various methods. This past year there were a number of exciting, well-received events: Healthcare Quality Week Networking Event with Boston Children’s Hospitals’ PRADA group in October CPHQ Review Course in November Winter Webinar Series 2019: "Approaching Risk Preemptively to Manage the Rapidly Increasing Complexity in Cancer Care" "Lean Principles and Application in Healthcare" "Dealing with Difficult Situations" The theme of the Annual Meeting in April 2019 was Transitions in Care. Presentations included: Who’s On First? Improving Care Transitions With Technology Understanding the Department of Public Health’s Mobile Integrated Health Care and Community EMS Programs Care Across the Continuum for Substance Abuse Weathering the Storm: Leading Complex Change and Improvement in an Integrated Safety Net Delivery System As we begin our 2019 program year, we would appreciate suggestions for topics. Also, if you or one of your colleagues is a subject matter expert on a topic that is relevant for NEAHQ members and would be interested in presenting it, please reach out to Alyson Mitchell (alyland@gmail.com or 781-856-6345). Back to Top Treasurer’s Report The current assets of NEAHQ are $51,150.41. Total income for the first six months of 2019 was $12,331.28. This income was generated by program fees, membership dues, job advertising, and bank account interest. Total expenses for this same time period were $10,952.56. Expenses were related to administrative, program, operational, website and marketing expenditures. Net income for 2019 YTD is $1,378.72. The winter webinar series and the Annual Meeting in April generated a small profit. Profit from programs is used to fund the CPHQ grant and the professional development grant. Respectfully, Clara Rivera, MPH Treasurer Back to Top PI Corner The Driver Diagram A driver diagram shows the relationship between the overall aim of the project, the primary drivers that contribute directly to achieving the aim, the secondary drivers that are components of the primary drivers, and specific change ideas to test for each secondary driver. Back to Top Committee Member Spotlight Deborah Darveau, RN, BSN Quality & Safety RN Specialist Newton Wellesley Hospital Would you please share a brief overview of your career? Deborah: At the age of 14, I became a candy striper in a small local hospital working in Labor/Delivery and the newborn nursery. I experienced a great deal and realized OB was my calling. I’ve always felt compelled to help people and quickly learned the need to advocate for my patients. My career path brought me into challenging critical care where I began to observe multiple systems issues. I participated in Shared Governance, working on solving some of the systems problems that were identified and working to update policies and procedures. That experience led me to become the Practice Manager at a busy OB/GYN office where I managed and coordinated projects for quality, safety, and compliance, beginning with staff education related to quality improvement. During an insurance-based chart review, I began to realize how much I enjoy organizing and presenting education related quality improvements, patient safety, and risk management projects. That realization brought me to a well-known insurance company educating physicians and healthcare practices on quality metrics and pay-for-performance data requirements. Ultimately this led me to my current position at Newton Wellesley Hospital where I help educate people on the ongoing need for continuous quality and patient safety improvements thus maintaining a hospital that strives for the best patient experience. Which aspect of your current position is especially rewarding? Deborah: My role is rewarding when meeting with the entire medical staff to review patient cases and realizing how many people dedicate their time in quality to help make improvements in their patients’ lives. It is also rewarding to be working with a group of forward-thinking professionals regarding quality initiatives and creating a more streamlined approach to maintain the quality of care for our patients. Has any one individual greatly influenced your career? Deborah: Throughout my career, there have been a number of nursing professionals the have influenced my nursing practice. I have gained a great deal of quality-based knowledge during my past two positions. I would have to say that two RNs, Martha and Sheila helped mentor me and it’s from these two that I developed my love for quality and analytics. Sheila was extremely patient and encouraged me to pursue my career in healthcare quality. I can’t thank them enough for encouraging me to move forward in healthcare quality. Cheryl is the person who introduced me to NEAHQ. She has influenced my thought processes, encouraging further learning and being open a broader healthcare vision. What had led to your involvement with NEAHQ? Deborah: I was first introduced to NEAHQ in my current role. I signed up for a webinar and thought the speaker was wonderful. I then spoke with Lynn Myers and I began to ask more questions about how to join. Lynn was so informative and spoke with me as if I had known her all my life, solidifying my decision to become part of this organization. What are your goals as a NEAHQ Board Member? Deborah: As a board member, my goal is to assist in providing current educational topics to help members become involved in healthcare quality. How do you balance your demanding professional life with your personal life? Deborah: This is always a difficult question. I have learned over the years that prioritizing helps. I now manage my time much better. For me, my personal time is very precious and when I am with family and friends, I try to focus my energy solely on them. This has helped me become more productive in both aspects of my life. We all need to “unplug” from time to time, which in turn creates a happier and less stressful lifestyle. Back to Top Book Report Meltdown: Why Our Systems Fail And What We Can Do About It., Penguin Press., 2018. Complex systems are prone to failure. This book provides a multi-industry discussion of factors that contribute to failure. The authors highlight how complexity can exacerbate problems, small glitches can manifest themselves in large-scale failure, and poorly designed safety strategies can unintentionally contribute to harm. Recommended strategies to manage risks include those utilized in patient safety work, such as multidisciplinary teamwork, process design, and systems thinking. (Clearfield C, Tilcsik A.) https://psnet.ahrq.gov/resources/resource/32815/Meltdown-Why-Our-Systems-Fail-and-What-We-Can-Do-About-It Back to Top We Want To Hear From You! Do you have a quality event happening that you would like your fellow NEAHQ members to know about? We are interested in original content about a successful project, recent promotion and any other quality news you would like to share. Please submit articles for approval and posting to admin@neahq.org. Back to Top