Tuesday, March 21, 2017
In Practice 
Tips, Tools & Education for Improving Outpatient Care
Provider Resources
Mid-Atlantic Heart & Stroke Quality Summit
The American Heart Association (AHA) is hosting the Mid-Atlantic Heart & Stroke Quality Summit, April 24 - 28, 2017. Conferences offered during the summit are:
  • Heart Failure Conference
  • Cardiology Conference & EMS Recognition Luncheon
  • Stroke Conference
Pre and Post-Conference Workshops will also be offered.  All events will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn Crabtree Valley in Raleigh, NC.

Infographic: How Sex and Gender Influence Health and Disease
Did you know that women metabolize nicotine faster than men? Differences in metabolism may help explain why nicotine replacement therapies, like patches and gum, work better in men than in women.

Learn more by viewing the National Institutes of Health's infographic.
Challenges of EHRs and Diabetes Electronic Prescribing
According to the Journal of Diabetes Research, the implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) has created issues with the care of diabetic patients in vulnerable populations. Some of the challenges occur when clinicians prescribe medications for patients with limited health literacy and limited proficiency in the English language.

To read the full article and recommendations for EHR design and policy from the Journal of Diabetes Research, click here.
Patient Resources
Resource Guide to Help Americans Cut-Down on Sodium
The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) has created a new resource based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans that show ways to limit sodium in the diet. The resource includes information about the relationships between sodium, blood pressure, and heart disease, recommendations for limiting sodium intake, what foods are high in sodium, and how to find choices lower in sodium.

The article also includes five specific strategies and tools people can use to reduce sodium intake with small changes. It is available in English and Spanish.

For more information, click here.
Live HQI Webinars
Achieving Health Equity: Its Root Cause and Strategies to Promote it in Maryland and Virginia

Friday, March 31, 2017 1 pm - 2 pm

Achieving health equity requires an understanding of social determinants of health and of the root causes of inequity, as well as community engagement and collaboration among a variety of stakeholders and sectors.

Join us at 1 pm on March 31, as guest speaker, Sonya Kibler, MS, MPH, describes health inequities in Maryland and Virginia, and discusses strategies you can take to have healthier and more equitable communities.

Target: BP- Improving Blood Pressure Control Through Actionable Data, Evidence-based Tools, Team-based Care and Patient Engagement

Thursday, April 27 2017 noon - 1 pm

Target: BP™ is a national collaboration between the American Heart Association and the American Medical Association (AMA) to help health care providers and patients achieve better blood pressure control. Target: BP aims to increase awareness, engagement and action of health care providers and patients by educating them on steps they can take to improve blood pressure control and, in turn, prevent the progression to serious or sometimes deadly, co-morbid conditions. 

Join us as Laken Barkowski, RN, BSN, and Vikas Bhala, MPH, MBA, from the AMA, describe Target:BP and the tools and resources available to your practice.

Using Your QRUR to Improve Cardiac Health

Wednesday, April 19, 2017 noon - 1 pm

Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) Feedback reports and Quality and Resource Use Reports (QRUR) provide valuable improvement information that you can use to improve the quality of patient care. During this session, HQI will provide an overview of the QRUR feedback reports from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and review how the quality measures submitted under PQRS and the Quality Payment Program are analyzed to determine your quality score.

Care Management in a Value Based World

Wednesday, March 22, 2017 noon - 1 pm

Join us at noon on March 22, to listen to guest speaker, Charisse Hunter of Aledade, Inc.

Hunter will describe how care management and care coordination can complement primary care physicians' work in value-based care as they strive to meet the goals of value-based contracts.

Non-HQI Events
Effective Design and Use of Patient Portals and Their Impact on Patient-Centered Care

Thursday, March 23, 2017 2:30 pm - 4 pm

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) will discuss effective design and use of patient portals for improving patient-centered care delivery. Presenters will present findings from evaluations on design and use of patient portals among varied populations and settings, and their impact on patient engagement, diabetes self-management, and health care quality.

Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Expanded Model

Wednesday, March 22, 2017 1 pm - 2 pm

This webinar will provide an overview of the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) expansion; an overview of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Diabetes Prevention Recognition Program (DPRP) and the requirements for CDC recognition; and a review of the 2017 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and next steps for organizations thinking of offering the MDPP. 

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