While New Jersey has made great strides in reducing pressure ulcers and reducing surgical complications, there are still opportunities for improvement. As the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for New Jersey, Healthcare Quality Strategies, Inc., (HQSI) is partnering with select hospitals that meet CMS eligibility criteria to work in the following areas to improve patient safety:

Pressure Ulcers

Pressure ulcer prevention and treatment is a shared responsibility across healthcare settings. This project is designed to bring together hospitals and nursing homes in the same communities to reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers. HQSI is promoting collaboration and facilitating knowledge transfer and sharing of best practices among the participating hospitals and nursing homes. HQSI also assists in assessing current processes, identifying opportunities for improvement, and implementing and evaluating interventions. HQSI will continue to provide technical and educational assistance to the participating hospitals and nursing homes throughout the duration of the project.

Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP)

This project is designed to improve surgical care through increasing adherence to evidence-based best practices and designing systems that include an overlap in healthcare safeguards. HQSI is conducting a systematic review of the surgical care policies, providing individualized consultation and on-site assistance, facilitating sharing and implementation of best practices, as well as providing other technical and educational assistance to the participating hospitals throughout the duration of the project.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

This project is designed to reduce MRSA infections and assist hospitals reporting infection rates to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Healthcare Safety Network. HQSI is assisting participating hospitals in evaluating current MRSA prevention policies and practice and developing and implementing strategies for improvement. HQSI is also facilitating the sharing and implementation of best practices and providing other technical and educational assistance.

HQSI is working across multiple provider settings, including hospitals, in a southwestern New Jersey community to improve patient transitions between care settings and reduce unnecessary hospitalizations. HQSI is focusing on improving coordination of care and communication among hospitals and other providers. HQSI is working with hospitals and other provider settings to identify areas that drive re-hospitalization and implement interventions that result in system-wide changes. Interventions address issues (medication reconciliation and management, discharge planning, post-discharge follow-up, etc.) and target conditions associated with preventable re-hospitalization, such as heart failure and pneumonia.