Administrative Memos

200503

FROM: Theodore O. Will, Chief Executive Officer
DATE: Jul 15, 2005
SUBJECT: Home Health Quality Initiative Needs Assessment /Interest in Collaboration
IPRO CONTACTS:

Sara Butterfield, RN, BSN, CPHQ, CCM, Upstate Director, HCQIP (800) 233-0360 Ext. 104

IPRO, in contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is working to transition the Home Health Quality Initiative to the priority areas identified in the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) 8th Scope of Work (8th SOW), which begins August 1, 2005. In the 8th SOW, CMS has directed QIOs to collaborate with providers to achieve transformational change that enables the delivery of quality health care with the goals of safety, effectiveness, efficiency, timeliness, patient-centeredness and equity. In support of this three-year initiative, IPRO will work to assist providers in:

measuring and reporting quality data,
using electronic clinical information systems,
redesigning clinical care processes, and
transforming organizational culture to accelerate the rate of quality improvement and to broaden its impact.

Key to achieving these goals is your feedback as to how we can best meet your agency's needs to support your quality improvement efforts. To this end, your review and completion of the enclosed Agency Needs Assessment Tool is greatly appreciated. The approximate time required to complete this voluntary survey is 10 to 15 minutes.

A significant change to the Home Health task in the 8th SOW is the addition of "Identified Participant Groups" (IPGs). CMS has asked IPRO to work with two home health agency IPGs. One will focus on clinical performance, including decreasing acute care hospitalizations, and one publicly reported measure selected by each participating agency. The other IPG will concentrate on telehealth and organizational culture change. More specific information about these two select IPGs is outlined on the Identified Participant Interest Notification form attached to this correspondence. If your agency would like to be considered for inclusion in one or both of the Identified Participant Groups, please indicate your interest by checking the appropriate area at the bottom of the Identified Participant Interest Notification form.

Please note that we have provided a hard copy of the Needs Assessment Tool and the Identified Participant Interest Notification with this correspondence that may be faxed to 518-426-3418 upon completion. We are also providing the opportunity to complete these forms online via the Internet at the following URL address: http://ipro.org/survey/hha-index.php. For either format, we ask you to submit your responses no later than 08/15/05.

If you have questions regarding this memorandum or would like additional information, please contact Sara Butterfield at 1-800-233-0360 Ext.104.

We look forward to continued collaboration with you on this valuable initiative!