HANYS to lead multi-state effort as a CMS Hospital Quality Improvement Contractor; partners include Connecticut Hospital Association, Foundation for Healthy Communities/New Hampshire Hospital Association, North Carolina Healthcare Foundation, Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, Vermont Program for Quality in Health Care, Inc., and West Virginia Hospital Association.  

Rensselaer, NY, Dec. 1, 2020 ­– The Healthcare Association of New York State is pleased to announce the launch of the new Eastern US Quality Improvement Collaborative. Through EQIC, HANYS and partners in multiple states will provide targeted quality improvement assistance to more than 200 small, rural and critical access hospitals and those hospitals that have been identified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as requiring technical assistance.

CMS recently awarded HANYS a four-year contract to serve as a Hospital Quality Improvement Contractor within its Network of Quality Improvement and Innovation Contractors. The HANYS-led EQIC will encompass this CMS contract-related work, engaging eligible hospitals and broader provider and caregiver communities with tailored education and support. The collaborative will help address challenging areas such as:

• medication management, particularly around opioids and other high-risk drugs;
• reducing hospital-acquired conditions;
• reducing readmission by optimizing transition of care best practices; and
• pandemic recovery and ongoing preparedness.

As directed by CMS, EQIC will implement data-driven quality improvement interventions, use innovation to drive results further and assist hospitals in ensuring the safety and quality of care delivered to all Medicare beneficiaries.

“HANYS was thrilled to receive CMS’ hospital quality improvement contract and we look forward to beginning this important work,” said HANYS President Bea Grause, RN, JD. “HANYS has an extensive track record of helping hospitals and health systems achieve measurable3. quality improvement in multiple areas targeted by CMS. EQIC will allow us to build upon this important work, now with hospitals and partners in multiple states.”

HANYS is partnering on EQIC with organizations including the Connecticut Hospital Association, Foundation for Healthy Communities/New Hampshire Hospital Association, North Carolina Healthcare Foundation, Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, Vermont Program for Quality in Health Care, Inc., and West Virginia Hospital Association. EQIC will serve hospitals in each respective state.

“We are extremely excited to continue supporting the ongoing efforts of our member hospitals to increase patient safety and improve the quality of care they deliver through this new collaborative effort,” stated Anne Diefendorf, Associate Executive Director & Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety at the Foundation for Healthy Communities.  “New Hampshire has achieved significant results in improving patient safety and quality of care through the Partnership for Patients initiative, and the EQIC will only strengthen these efforts for patients statewide.”

Recruitment is currently underway for EQIC; onboarding will continue through the fall with quality improvement work expected to begin in late 2020.

About HANYS

The Healthcare Association of New York State is the only statewide hospital and continuing care association in New York, representing nonprofit and public hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies and other healthcare organizations. HANYS is a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to advance the health of individuals and communities by providing leadership, representation and service to healthcare providers and systems across the entire continuum of care.

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