For five years, OFMQ has served as the Infectious Diseases QIOSC for the National Pneumonia Project, coordinating the project and acting as a liaison between CMS and state quality improvement organizations.

During this time, work on the pneumonia indicators culminated in a change that aligned the CMS quality indicators with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' (JCAHO) indicators. Research highlights include indications that reducing antibiotic administration from eight to four hours pointed to a decrease in morbidity and mortality.

For more information on this national project, visit www.medqic.org/pneumonia.