Contact:
Melissa Hill
Marketing/Communications Director
(405) 840-2891 x 211
mhill@ofmq.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality Supports Health Care Reform Recommendations to Obama Administration
Oklahoma City, OK (March 30, 2009) – Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality announces its support for Stand for Quality, a national coalition of more than 165 health care organizations recommending quality measurement and improvement become key components of health reform. The coalition recently released its recommendations to the Obama administration and Congress that call for standardized performance measures, public reporting of quality data and public and private sector accountability for quality improvement in health care.
“OFMQ has long supported and been directly involved in efforts to measure the safety, effectiveness and quality of care delivered by health providers,” said Dale Bratzler, D.O., M.P.H., chief executive officer of OFMQ. “The recommendations of the Stand for Quality coalition are bringing to the forefront a needed emphasis on accountability for quality health care services for Americans by both the public and private sectors.”
OFMQ, the state-based Quality Improvement Organization (QIO), funded through Medicare, consults with hundreds of the state’s hospitals, nursing homes and physicians on quality performance measurement, data collection and public reporting initiatives. OFMQ also develops performance measures that are used by Medicare and health consumers to evaluate quality of care and that are helping to inform healthcare reimbursement strategies.
Find more information on Stand for Quality, including the full report, Building a Foundation for High Quality, Affordable Health Care: Linking Performance Measurement to Health Reform at www.standforquality.org.
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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. 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. Working in partnership with physicians, hospitals, nursing homes and other health organizations, we provide expert consulting for clinical and organizational quality improvement. Based in Oklahoma City, we serve providers and consumers throughout the state, and we contribute expertise and resources to advance health care quality improvement through national-level initiatives. 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 created by Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for the state of Oklahoma, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health of Health and Human Services. Contents do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. OFMQ-850-OK-0309