Indiana Association for Healthcare Quality

 
 

Quality and Advocacy

    • Leapfrog
      • The Fall 2022 Reports were released on November 16, 2022, assigning a Hospital Safety Grade “A” through “F” to nearly 3,000 general acute care hospitals in the U.S. for patient safety performance. There were 75 Indiana hospitals that received a score and the state currently ranks 27th in the nation for hospital safety, up from the previous spring 2022 ranking of 29th. Of the hospitals receiving a grade in Indiana; 20 received an “A” rating, 21 received a “B”, 30 received a “C”, 4 received a “D.”
        Source: https://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org
    • Hospital Care Compare Preview Reports for January 2023 were provided to hospitals and CMS Star Ratings are pending official release in 2023.

Source: https://qualitynet.cms.gov/files/603966dda413b400224ddf50?filename=Star_Rtngs_CompMthdlgy_v4.1.pdf

  • Indiana Hospital Association Awards for 2022 (Source: https://www.ihaconnect.org/about/awards/Pages/default.aspx)
    • Distinguished Service Award: Brian Shockney, HFA, FACHE – IU Health South Central Region
    • Award of Merit: Kristina Box, M.D., FACOG – State Health Commissioner
    • Caregiver of the Year Award: Matthew Tucker, DO – Deaconess Health System
    • Administrative Professional Excellence Award: Debra Swain – Good Samaritan Hospital
    • Stella Scholarship: Elizabeth Quinn – IUPUI Fairbanks School of Public Health
    • PAC Awards
      • Most Improved Effort: Greene County General Hospital
      • Highest Percentage of Goal: Schneck Medical Center
      • Highest Donor: Ascension St. Vincent
    • ACHE Winners
      • Early Careerist Award: George Zhang, Administrator, Ascension St Vincent Dunn and Clay
      • Senior Executive Award: Stephanie J. Long, FACHE, CEO, North Central Health Services
    • 100-Year American Hospital Association Membership Milestone Award
    • Ascension St. Vincent Anderson – Anderson, IN
    • Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital – Muncie, IN
    • Terre Haute Regional Hospital – Terre Haute, IN
    • Union Hospital – Terre Haute, IN
    • IU Health Morgan – Martinsville, IN
  • Indiana CAH Awards
    • Award videos
    • CAH Hero – Jared Sterrett, Franciscan Health Rensselaer
    • Patient and Family Experience – Zach Beiswanger, Cameron Memorial Hospital
    • Outstanding Rural Health Provider – Dr. Lisa Clunie, Harrison County Hospital
    • Community Impact – Indiana University Health Bedford Hospital
    • Community Impact – Union Hospital Clinton Outstanding
    • CAH Leadership – Chris Butler, Adams Memorial Hospital
    • CAH Community Partner – Dukes Memorial Hospital & United Way
    • Innovation in Quality Improvement – Indiana University Health Paoli Hospital
  • National Organization of State Office of Rural Health – 2022 Award Winners!
    • Spirit of Rural Award – Robert Duehmig
    • SORH Innovation Award – Shannon Chambers
    • Collaboration Award – National Association of Rural Health Clinics
    • NOSORH Advocate Award – Joyce Fillenwarth

  • Health Grades Patient Safety Excellence Award – Indiana Hospitals 2022
    • IU Health West Hospital
    • IU Health Bloomington Hospital
    • Monroe Hospital
    • Indiana University Health North Hospital
    • Ascension St. Vincent Evansville
    • Lutheran Health Network – The Orthopedic Hospital
    • Parkview Ortho Hospital
    • Community Hospital South
    • Franciscan Health Indianapolis > Franciscan Health Caramel
    • IU Health Methodist Hospital > IU Health University Hospital, IU Health Saxony Hospital
    • Orthoindy Hospital
    • Indiana University Health Arnett Hospital
    • Franciscan Health Mooresville
    • Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital

(Source – https://www.healthgrades.com/quality/patient-safety-excellence-award/indiana)

  • Advocacy & Legislative Updates
    • Governor Holcomb announced his 2023 Next Level Agenda
      • Increase the annual appropriations to state public health in the state budget.
      • Improve access to mental health services.
      • Provide resources to combat the drug epidemic.
      • Proposed budget – https://www.in.gov/sba/files/AS_2023_Governor-Holcombs-Recommended-Budget.pdf

(Source: https://www.ihaconnect.org/iha-advocacy/legislative-agenda/Pages/Legislative-Updates.aspx, https://events.in.gov/event/gov_holcomb_unveils_2023_next_level_agenda)

**Hot Topic** The Indiana Patient Preferences Coalition – Advance Directives, Advanced Care Planning, Indiana POST (Source: https://www.indianapost.org/patients/)

Updated Quality Measures Table Reflects Final Outpatient, ASC and ESRD Rules​

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued their final rules their Prospective Payment Systems that affect the quality measure reporting requirements for hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgery centers for calendar year 2023, and for End-Stage Renal Disease facilities for payment year 2023. IHA has updated the quality meas​ur​es table​ to reflect these changes. For questions regarding the quality measures table, please contact Elaine Pittman at 317-423-7735 or epittman@IHAconnect.org.​

 Web Tracking Technologies

The discussion of web tracking technologies first came to light in June of 2022, through an investigative report published by The Markup, which reported that health care organizations across the country may have installed the Meta Pixel on their patient portal and other patient-facing websites and that the Pixel appeared to be transmitting PHI to Meta.

Several entities have reported HIPAA breaches relating to their use of web tracking technologies, and there are numerous pending investigations by the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR), State Attorneys General, and Congress. Class action lawsuits are also regularly being filed against health care organizations that utilize web tracking technologies.

On Dec. 1, 2022, OCR released a bulletin on the use of web tracking technologies by covered entities and business associates, which outlined concerns and provided guidance for ensuring HIPAA compliance when utilizing web tracking technologies.

Hospitals utilizing web tracking technologies on any web pages should work with legal counsel to undertake a detailed forensic investigation to understand what those technologies are collecting and transmitting and to determine whether or not a HIPAA violation may have occurred.

INspire Recognition Held During Labor of Love

The Indiana Hospital Association, in partnership with Governor Eric Holcomb and State Health Commissioner Kris Box, recently held the third annual INspire Hospital of Distinction recognition program during the Labor of Love Summit.

INspire, funded by the Indiana Department of Health’s Safety PIN grant, was developed to encourage the implementation of best practice care for Hoosier moms and babies and recognize hospitals for excellence in addressing key drivers of maternal and infant health.

Recognition is based on six key areas, including infant safe sleep, breastfeeding, tobacco prevention and cessation, perinatal substance use, obstetric hemorrhage, and maternal hypertension. 

In 2018, the state of Indiana received a challenge from Governor Eric Holcomb to reduce Indiana’s infant mortality rate and become the best in the Midwest by 2024.

Also during Labor of Love, in partnership with the Indiana Department of Health, IHA distributed nearly 1,500 blood pressure cuff kits from the Preeclampsia Foundation to Indiana’s delivering facilities. Hospitals were allocated kits based on their size and admission rates for severe preeclampsia & eclampsia. These kits provide women with the tools and support to monitor their blood pressure at home. It includes a quality blood pressure monitor, education on the importance and proper way to check their blood pressure, and warning signs on when to call their provider.

2022 INspire Recognized Hospitals​

The 2023 INspire program will launch later this month.

Are you current on Quality Measure reporting expectations?

  • The Mission of the Indiana Hospital Association (IHA) is to provide leadership, representation, and services in the common best interests of its members as they promote the improvement of community health status.
  • Whether State or federal, legislative or regulatory, advocacy is at the heart of every service IHA provides for its members.
  • Click on this link to see the Quality Measures Reporting Table IHA has provided to assist the quality professional in keeping up with the latest quality measures.