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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OKLAHOMA FOUNDATION FOR MEDICAL QUALITY LAUNCHES NEW MEDICARE PROGRAM TO IMPROVE HEALTH CARE QUALITY
Federal Government Commits $10.7 million to Oklahoma
(August 1, 2008, Oklahoma City, Ok) – Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality announces a new, three-year, $10.7 million commitment with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that runs Medicare, to improve the quality of health care services provided to Oklahomans.
OFMQ, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) in Oklahoma provides free expert resources to healthcare providers to help improve the way health care is delivered so that patients have better health outcomes. OFMQ will invite a select group of Oklahoma physicians, hospitals and nursing homes to partner in the program, which aims to improve patient safety, increase preventive care and protect patients from substandard care. The program supports the federal initiatives to increase providers’ accountability through public reporting of quality information.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with CMS and Oklahoma providers in our mission to improve health care quality for all Oklahomans,” said Dale Bratzler, DO, MPH, president and chief executive officer for OFMQ. “We have made progress in many areas, such as heart and pneumonia care, as well as reducing bed sores and physical restraints in nursing homes. But, we still have work to do. The QIO program provides valuable state-based expertise and technical assistance to help providers who need it most,” he said.
Over the next three years, OFMQ will work collaboratively with providers in these key areas:
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Hospital patients will be safer. OFMQ will provide assistance to eligible Oklahoma hospitals to improve care for heart failure and reduce surgical complications. Hospitals will also work to prevent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections and prevent and treat bed sores.
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Nursing home residents will live better, more comfortable lives. Up to 178 Oklahoma nursing homes will have the opportunity to work with OFMQ to reduce bed sores and the use of physical restraints.
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Doctors will use technology to improve preventive care. OFMQ will assist up to 40 primary care practices in using electronic medical records systems (EMR) to improve preventive care for breast and colorectal cancer, pneumonia and influenza.
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Patients will receive safer prescription drugs. OFMQ will work with physicians, pharmacists and prescription drug plans to reduce the use of drugs that are potentially harmful for seniors.
Additionally, OFMQ assists hospitals with public reporting of quality data, which is tied to payment from Medicare. CMS makes quality of care information available on its hospital compare and nursing home compare websites, which can be accessed from www.medicare.gov.
“The government and other payers as well as consumers will continue to demand better quality from the health care system,” Bratzler said. “Collecting data to measure performance and using it to identify opportunities and strategies for improvement is a very important component of improving health care. In addition to teaching providers best-practices, the data analysis support OFMQ provides is critical,” he added.
Also as part of the QIO program, OFMQ provides services for Medicare beneficiaries who receive clinical care that does not meet professionally-recognized standards. Beneficiaries and their loved ones with a concern about quality of care may call 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227).
About Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality
Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality (OFMQ) is a not-for-profit health care quality improvement organization (QIO) dedicated to improving health care and improving lives in Oklahoma. For over 35 years, OFMQ has played an integral role in ensuring quality medical services through health care review, quality improvement projects and public education. Based in Oklahoma City, we serve providers and consumers throughout the entire state. Working in partnership with physicians, hospitals, home health agencies, nursing homes and other health care stakeholders, we provide expert consulting resources for clinical and organizational quality improvement. OFMQ holds contracts with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. www.ofmq.com
This material was prepared by Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Oklahoma, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. QIO-713-OK-0808