Archive for April, 2011

I don’t know about you, but if somebody asked me if I provided quality care, I would say “Absolutely!” I suspect every healthcare provider would say the same thing. If they asked me how I know, I might say, “Well…I don’t see many complaints. I get thank you notes. My patients keep coming back and I am very skilled at what I do.”

But what if they then ask, “Do you have data to support your claim of quality care?”

Now I’m a bit less confident in my response, more like, “Can I get back to you on that?”

Healthcare reform is about us “getting back to them on that.” The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is asking healthcare providers to be accountable for the care we provide. Accountability is the acknowledgment and assumption of responsibility for our actions, products, services, decisions, and policies. That includes administration, governance, and implementation either within the scope of our roles or in our employment positions. It also encompasses the obligation to report, explain and be answerable for any resulting consequences.

While we currently may not have a large panel of Medicare patients, that’s soon to change. As we hear repeatedly, the retirement of the baby boomers affects everything – with a big emphasis on provision of medical care. History also shows us that as Medicare goes, so go the private payers. Now is the time to make quality a habit.

Stay tuned for Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) and quality.

by Loy Maslen, RN, MSN, NNP-BC, CPUM

“Quality is not an act, it is a habit.” — Aristotle

Please join us in welcoming our newest associate, Loy Maslen, NNP-BC, CPUM. She brings over 30 years of diverse healthcare experience to inpatient and outpatient organizations. A TeamSTEPPS™ Master Trainer and VitalSmarts™ Crucial Conversations Master Trainer, Ms. Maslen helps healthcare clients learn effective evidence-based communications with the goal of improving teamwork, and thereby performance outcomes. Her targeted group facilitation assists with development and enhancement of quality programs, quality indicators and data collection that drive improved patient outcomes, as well as satisfy PQRS requirements. Ms. Maslen’s training techniques also show clients how to improve documentation to capture charges that may otherwise face denial in utilization review. 

In addition to significant revenue improvements, her clients gain more efficient workflow systems, greater patient safety and customer service satisfaction. She is able to assess for survey readiness such as NCQA, Joint Commission and AAAHC, identify areas requiring improvement, and work with staff to develop a certification achievement plan.

Ms. Maslen’s past roles range from clinic manager to clinical educator, quality program manager to clinical care management, as well as project management with notable healthcare organizations such as Evergreen Healthcare, Valley Medical Center and Qualis Health. Her highly successful “lean thinking” facilitation for rapid process improvement projects draws on extensive experience with state and national regulatory agencies, as well as the Washington State Medical Home Collaborative.

She holds the firm belief that an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) begins with partnerships between patient, family, providers and staff, applying standard structure and process to drive improved quality outcomes while simultaneously decreasing costs and eliminating waste. Ms. Maslen, a passionate teamwork advocate, sees human creativity, clear communication and effective training to be essential for comprehensive patient-centered care that is accessible and coordinated, while also supportive of physician leadership and staff.

In addition to an MSN, Ms. Maslen is a Board Certified Neonatal Nurse Practitioner and Certified Professional Utilization Manager, as well as holding certifications in Advanced Cardiac Life support, Basic Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Neonatal Resuscitation.