Administrative Memos

200507

FROM: Theodore O. Will, Chief Executive Officer
DATE: Nov 22, 2005
SUBJECT: National Home Care & Hospice Month Recognition
IPRO CONTACTS:

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

IPRO, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for New York State, joins you in celebrating National Home Care & Hospice Month, in which over one million caregivers who provide physical and emotional support to over 7.5 million Americans are honored.

We recognize your commitment and dedication to the provision of home health care and supportive services that enable elderly, chronically ill and disabled individuals to live with dignity and independence within the comfort of home with the support of their family and friends.

In honor of this celebration, IPRO is pleased to present your agency with the enclosed poster depicting the relationships within the quality improvement framework of the home health community of practice. The graphic demonstrates how the traditional quality assessment components of structure, process, and outcome relate to the home health Outcome-Based Quality Improvement (OBQI) process, and that the organizational structure supports home health practitioners in providing the right care to patients that results in improved care management and outcomes.

We appreciate your ongoing collaboration with IPRO in working towards the common goal of improving the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries. Your agency's focus on the OBQI process to investigate and strengthen patient care delivery speaks to your commitment to continuously improve the quality of care you provide.

Take time this month to celebrate who you are, what you offer to your community and the achievements you have made over the past year. We congratulate you and your staff on this special recognition and your willingness & success in implementing quality improvement methodology. We believe that you will continue to be successful in your efforts and we look forward to our continued collaboration with your agency!