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Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes
Project Overview
As America's population ages and the first of the "baby boomers" turn 60 years old, a new coalition concerned about how we care for elderly and disabled citizens is reinvigorating efforts to improve the quality of care and quality of life for those living or recuperating in America's nursing homes.
Health care providers, caregivers, medical and quality improvement experts, government agencies, consumers and others are joining the two-year Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes campaign that will build on the success of other quality initiatives like Quality First, the Nursing Home Quality Initiative (NHQI) and the culture change movement.
The Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign website includes a wealth of information for nursing homes, including detailed instructions for signing on to the campaign at www.nhqualitycampaign.org.
Project Goals:
The voluntary campaign, which will monitor key indicators of nursing home care quality, promotes excellence in caregiving for nursing home residents and acknowledges the critical role of nursing home staff in providing that care. Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes will assess progress toward achieving the following measurable goals:
- Reducing high risk pressure ulcers;
- Reducing the use of daily physical restraints;
- Improving pain management for longer term nursing home residents;
- Improving pain management for short stay, post-acute nursing home residents;
- Establishing individual targets for improving quality;
- Assessing resident and family satisfaction with the quality of care;
- Increasing staff retention; and
- Improving consistent assignment of nursing home staff, so that residents regularly receive care from the same caregivers. Nursing homes participating in the campaign will work on at least three of the eight goals mentioned above and can access technical assistance and guidance from quality experts in reaching their targeted goals.
Statewide Goals Include:
Connecticut's LANE will focus efforts on the following goals with Connecticut nursing homes:
- Reducing high risk pressure ulcers.
- Reducing the use of daily physical restraints.
- Setting quality improvement targets via the STAR website www.nhqi-star.org.
- Implementing/encouraging consistent staffing in the nursing home.
Consumers participating in the campaign will help to create greater awareness of quality care and the resources available now, and encourage providers to improve the care they deliver. The campaign will report on providers' continuing quality improvement progress overall, and those reports will inform consumer choices for future long term care needs.
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What's New
The Connecticut Culture Change Coalition (CTCCC) and Qualidigm Encourage Connecticut Nursing Homes to Join National Quality Campaign
Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes Campaign Aims at Accelerated Quality Improvement, Resident and Staff Satisfaction
The Connecticut Culture Change Coalition (CTCCC) and Qualidigm are encouraging Connecticut nursing homes to register for a new, unprecedented, two-year national campaign aimed at accelerating quality improvement in nursing homes across the country.
The Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign kicked off in the fall of 2006 at a national Nursing Home Quality Summit in Washington, DC. Already, over 3,300 facilities nationwide have committed to work on at least three of the campaign’s goals.
The voluntary campaign targets eight measurable clinical quality and organizational improvement goals on which nursing homes can work to improve their quality of care. Consumers are also joining the campaign. Registration and information are available at the campaign’s official Web site, www.nhqualitycampaign.org.
“Nursing homes that register for the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign prior to May 14, 2007 will receive the ‘Advancing Excellence Trailblazers’ special recognition and publicity as early registrants in our state,” said Marcia Petrillo, Chief Executive Officer of Qualidigm. “Signing on early to work on at least three of the eight campaign goals is an important way for nursing homes to demonstrate that quality of life for nursing home residents and staff is a top priority. The added significance is that May 13 to 19 is National Nursing Home Week and the month of May is Older Americans Month,” she said.
The Advancing Excellence campaign’s Local Area Network for Excellence (LANE), led by CTCCC and Qualidigm is working to disseminate information and improve nursing home care in our state. If you are interested in getting involved in the CTCCC, please send your contact information to culturechange@qualidigm.org. You must have a valid email address to receive meeting notifications and information.
For more information about the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign, visit www.nhqualitycampaign.org.
There are three steps to becoming an Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes participating provider.
- Commit to working on three or more of the eight campaign goals, including at least one clinical quality goal (pressure ulcers, restraints, long-stay or short-stay pain) and one organizational improvement goal (target setting, staff retention, measuring resident satisfaction or consistent assignment). Detailed explanations of each goal and how it is measured are available.
- Join the campaign by filling out the provider registration form. Please have your six digit Medicare / Medicaid provider number available, and remember to select three or more goals to qualify as a Participating Provider. Important note: data collection and reporting for the clinical quality goals (goals 1-4) is automatic; however, additional steps are required to collect data on the organizational improvement goals (goals 5-8).
- Begin work on your selected campaign goals by using campaign tools and resources. Also, connect with your Local Area Network for Excellence (LANE) to find other local and regional community members committed to improving the quality of care and quality of life for residents and staff in America’s nursing homes.
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Tools and Resources
Local Area Networks for Excellence (LANEs) – A Resource for Nursing Homes
The Local Area Network for Excellence (LANE) is a coalition of stakeholders at the state level that comes together for the purpose of supporting providers and consumers in achieving the campaign goals. The LANE serves as the central organization to ensure the success of the campaign for each state. Its purpose is to recruit participating providers and consumers, to promote the campaign, to provide access to local education, to foster constructive relationships among stakeholders, and to identify evidence-based protocols.
MedQIC is a website where health care professionals can find and share quality improvement resources and browse through recommended interventions developed by colleagues and experts in their field. MedQIC offers tools, articles and links to resources about how to transform organizational culture, adopt health information technology, redesign care processes, and measure and report performance.
Steps to Quality Improvement Worksheets - This is a series of quality improvement worksheets for nursing home staff to use when undergoing a quality improvement project. The worksheets cover every aspect of a complete quality improvement process. You may find them most useful if you need to look at your current practice more critically.
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FAQs
What is the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign?
The Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign represents an unprecedented combined effort of multiple organizations, both public and private, as well as individuals who are committed to continuous quality improvement in caring for frail, elderly, and disabled Americans in nursing homes nationwide.
How did the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign get started?
Leaders from long-term care provider organizations and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began discussing the idea of a campaign with measurable goals, and proposed it to the Administrator of CMS, Dr. Mark McClellan, in December of 2005. Dr. McClellan encouraged the group to further develop its proposal. With this support, a coalition of providers, caregivers, advocates, and government experts worked together to develop the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign based on key quality improvement goals.
What is different about this campaign?
This campaign was created by an unprecedented, broad-based coalition of organizations representing long-term care providers, caregivers, medical and quality improvement experts, government agencies, and consumers. This is the first time all of these groups with a stake in improving nursing home quality have come together in a national effort to coordinate combined resources with nationwide support, assistance, and commitment from national and local organizations. The coalition members are committed to providing Americans with an expectation of high quality care in nursing homes, nothing less.
How can organizations get involved in this campaign?
Organizations may participate in the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign in several ways. Many organizations are lending resources to launch this initiative. As the campaign gets underway, other organizations and businesses may contribute resources, however, the true "core" of this campaign will be action at the local level. Therefore, both nursing homes and consumers will be encouraged to join the campaign, and their commitment will be vital to its success.
What is the aim of the campaign?
Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes seeks excellence in the quality of life and quality of care for the more than 1.5 million American nursing home residents by enhancing choice, strengthening the workforce, and improving clinical outcomes.
Why is this campaign necessary?
Many nursing homes are already committed to providing quality care and many already do so. Some may not know how to focus their attention on quality improvement around specific care or quality of life concerns. This is an opportunity to help those homes that want to improve to do so and highlight the nursing home community’s commitment to quality of care and quality of life. The campaign will also raise the visibility of quality in nursing home care to increase public confidence.
Will tools and technical assistance be available to help providers improve their performance and meet their targets? If so, where will providers get those tools?
Yes. Several tools already have been developed to assist providers’ ongoing quality improvement efforts, and the campaign Web site will provide access to these tools and more.
- Materials from the Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) may be accessed at www.medqic.org; moreover, the QIOs offer their expertise to providers primarily through phone calls and group meetings, and formal collaborative improvement projects.
- Providers’ groups such as the American Health Care Association (AHCA), the American Association for Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA), and the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care have designed various tools to complement their Quality First initiative, which seeks to improve quality.
- The American Medical Directors Association (AMDA) has produced Clinical Practice Guidelines designed to assist providers to establish "Best Practices" in their nursing homes.
- Consumer groups such as the National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR) offer tools through their Campaign for Quality Care.
- The Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign’s Technical Assistance Workgroup will continue to work to identify and develop additional tools and resources to help providers reach continuous quality improvement goals.
What are the goals of the campaign, and how will the campaign track nursing homes’ progress in achieving the goals?
In the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign, providers will voluntarily commit to track their progress on at least three of eight measurable quality goals. Four of the goals focus on clinical outcomes for those receiving care in nursing homes, and the other four goals address process-related organizational culture objectives. A provider must select at least three goals with at least one goal that is a clinical outcome measure and at least one goal that is process-related.
The clinical goals include reducing the use of physical restraints; reducing pressure ulcers among high risk residents; and reducing pain for both short stay and longer-term residents. Data for these important clinical measures are collected via the Minimum Data Set (MDS), which is a tool used by nursing homes to assess residents’ health upon admission to and throughout their stay at a facility. Providers submit MDS data quarterly to CMS. CMS then publicly reports on these quality measures on the Nursing Home Compare tool on www.medicare.gov/nhcompare/home.asp.
The process-oriented goals encourage providers to set individual targets for continuously improving care quality in nursing homes and assessing resident and family satisfaction as well as staff retention and consistent assignment of staff. While the campaign will track these goals, too, the data for these four goals remain confidential and will not be publicly reported unless the provider elects to publish these process objectives. Those nursing homes that voluntarily elect to share their results for the process-related goals with the public will have this data listed on the Web site and can seek QIO assistance in developing trending reports. Providers not wishing to make their results public can monitor overall progress of the campaign, which will track the data in aggregate.
Regular campaign updates showing progress in the aggregate will be posted on the campaign Web site at www.nhqualitycampaign.org. In addition, the campaign will provide a listing of the homes participating in the campaign to allow consumers, providers and organizations (such as state and national associations) to track which homes have enrolled.
How can a nursing home join the campaign?
Homes can visit the campaign Web site at www.nhqualitycampaign.org to sign up for the campaign. Nursing homes can also get information on the campaign by contacting their Local Area Network for Excellence (LANE). A listing of the LANEs is published on www.nhqualitycampaign.org.
What types of quality issues should residents and their families care about?
There should be a public expectation of quality in nursing homes. Older adults should seek aging services organizations that will provide quality of care and quality of life to meet their particular needs. Older adults and their loved ones should review information about nursing homes, talk with health care and long-term care professionals, ask others who have experience with nursing homes, etc. Consumers should also ask providers about their quality improvement initiatives, including this nursing home quality campaign, Quality First, accreditation, etc. After selecting a nursing home, family and friends should stay involved in the care of their loved one.
If I am already working with the QIO or have signed onto Quality First, why should I join this campaign? Isn’t this just another quality initiative that I have to work on?
The goals of the campaign are closely aligned with the work that the QIOs are doing with nursing homes. Nursing Homes that are working with QIOs are already working on at least five of the campaign goals. However, these nursing homes are not currently acknowledged for their commitment to quality improvement and hard work. Nursing homes who are signed onto QualityFirst have already committed to the principles measured by the campaign. By signing onto the campaign, nursing homes are acknowledging their commitment to these goals and principles and getting public recognition for their dedication. Enrollment in the campaign only takes 1-2 minutes and will not involve any new work or change in current focus for those already committed to Quality First or to working with the QIOs, however, enrollment is not automatic. So please sign up at www.nhqualitycampaign.org
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Our Partners
The organizations that founded the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign include:
- Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care
- American Association for Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA)
- American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators (AANAC)
- American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA)
- American Health Care Association (AHCA)
- American Medical Directors Association (AMDA)
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
- The Commonwealth Fund
- The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society
- National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA)
- National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR)
- National Commission for Quality Long Term Care
- Other organizations are invited to join the campaign at varying levels of intensity.
Connecticut LANE Members include:
- Bishop Wicke Health Center
- Connecticut Alliance for Long Term Care (CALTC)
- Connecticut Department of Public Health
- Connecticut Assocation of Not-for-profit Providers for the Aging
- Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities
- Connecticut Culture Change Coalition
- Connecticut Geriatrics Society
- Jefferson House
- Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, Connecticut Department of Social Services
- Lord Chamberlain
- Meriden Center
- McLean
- Miller Memorial Community, Ins.
- Riverside Health & Rehabilitation Center
- Qualidigm (LANE Convener)
Connecticut's Advancing Excellence Trailblazer Nursing Homes
- Riverside Health & Rehabilitation Center
- St. Joseph Living Center
- McLean
- Meriden Center
- Bishop Wicke Health Center
- Miller Memorial Community, Inc.
- Manchester Manor
- Bidwell Care Center
- Farmington Care Center
- Jefferson House
- Ingraham Manor
- Pierce Memorial Baptist Home
- The Summit At Plantsville
- Countryside Manor Of Bristol
- Mystic Health Care And Rehabilitation Center, Llc
- Nutmeg Pavilion Healthcare
- Courtland Gardens Health Center
- Beechwood Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
- Camelot Nursing And Rehabilitation Center
- Parkway Pavilion
- Andrew House Healthcare
- Marathon Healthcare Center Of Waterbury
- Marathon Healthcare Center Of West Haven
- Marathon Healthcare Center Of Prospect
- Marathon Of Norwalk
- Salmon Brook Center Genesis Healthcare
- Windsor Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center
- Chestnut Point Care Center
- Trinity Hill Care Center, Llc
- Westside Care Center
- Chelsea Place Care Center
- Kettle Brook Care Center
- Marathon Healthcare Center Of New Haven
- Silver Springs Care Center
- Wintonbury Care Center
- Kimberly Hall South
- Groton Regency Center
- Glendale Center
- Harrington Court
- Fox Hill Center
- Kimberly Hall North -Genesis Health Care
- Skyview Center
- Saint Mary Home
- Harborside Healthcare-Arden House
- Harborside Healthcare-Glen Hill
- Harborside Healthcare-Governor's House
- Harborside Healthcare-Madison House
- Harborside Healthcare-Pope John Paul Ii
- Harborside Healthcare-St Camillus
- Harborside Healthcare-St Joseph's Manor
- Harborside Healthcare-Willows
- Bridebrook Health & Rehabilitation
- Pendleton Health And Rehabilitation Center
- West Hartford Health & Rehabilitation Center
- The Curtis Home St Elizabeth Center
- Sterling Manor
- Abbott Terrace Health Center
- The New Coleman Park Health & Rehabilitation Center
As a collaborative effort, no single organization has complete ownership of the campaign. CMS is very involved, working collaboratively, in this effort—providing technical expertise, staff, and other resources that will help launch and sustain the campaign through 2008.
Achieving high quality care has been a priority for the nursing home community for many years, and many of the campaign’s founding organizations have existing quality initiatives. Advancing Excellence in America ’s Nursing Homes builds on the work and goals of existing efforts such as the Nursing Home Quality Initiative, Quality First, the Campaign for Quality Care, and other important initiatives.
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Project Team
Quality Improvement Consultant
Michelle Pandolfi, MSW
860.632.3735
mpandolfi@ctqio.sdps.org
Administrative Assistant
Doreen Ostapchuk
860.613.3699
dostapchuk@ctqio.sdps.org
Clinical Advisor
Ann Spenard, MSN, RN
Management
Anne Elwell, RN, BS, MPH, CPHQ
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Events
- No events currently posted. Please check back soon.
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