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Vaccination working group has created a comprehensive list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) regarding COVID-19 vaccines. Designed as a tool for healthcare clinicians faced with a multitude of questions from patients and others as the new vaccines are rolled out, the FAQ covers a broad range of topics including vaccine availability, information about vaccine trials, and patient eligibility. The new COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ will be updated on a weekly basis as new information becomes available and more common questions emerge.
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ICSI announced the introduction of two new tools to help identify and support safer opioid prescribing when pain management is required. The Opioid Prescribing Improvement Guide addresses opioid prescribing for patients with acute, subacute, and chronic pain and is accompanied by the Postoperative Prescribing Toolkit, focused specifically on the initial postoperative discharge and post-acute phase of opioid prescribing.
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ICSI is proud to announce the creation of a joint commitment across health service providers and healthcare stakeholders throughout Minnesota to eliminate systemic racism and its negative impact on health and well-being.
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Representatives from ICSI announced that Nathan Chomilo, MD, has been named to its Board of Directors. Dr. Chomilo, a pediatrician and internist who sees patients at Health Partners Park Nicollet Clinic – Brookdale, is also a well-known equity advocate working to reduce racial disparities in education and healthcare. Dr. Chomilo was hired by Minnesota’s Department of Human Services (DHS) as its Medicaid Medical Director in December of 2024.
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ICSI announced that the first edition of a new Mental Health Playbook is now available. The Playbook was created to provide planning and implementation strategies to support the current and long-term mental and emotional wellbeing of the healthcare workforce.
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Representatives from the MN Health Collaborative and ICSI have released initial results from a nearly two-year effort to implement new acute-care and post-surgical prescription standards for opioids.
ICSI’S Quality Improv(e) program complements traditional quality improvement methods with a unique framework for teamwork and collaboration
The Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI) announced the formal launch of its Quality Improv(e) program, an adaptive approach that blends the science of improvement with the art of improvisation. The Quality Improv(e) framework provides a new way for healthcare leadership, clinicians and staff to approach change management and achieve more effective ways to develop, test and implement quality improvement. The program includes dynamic keynote sessions, workshops and customized training programs aimed at revitalizing healthcare change efforts by using improvisation techniques and associated collaborative communication tools to complement existing quality initiatives.
“Real change in healthcare today requires a mindset of collaboration and continuous learning. Improvisation provides a framework for exceptional teamwork and actionable tools that allow for more agile and adaptive problem-solving. This in turn makes improvement seem much more achievable,” said Sarah Horst, ICSI Healthcare Consultant and creator of the Quality Improv(e) framework. “These techniques help healthcare practitioners use safe experimentation to find newer, more innovative ways of doing things. People who attend the program typically leave feeling much more inspired to test new ideas.”
Quality Improv(e) is comprised of several components:
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This week we are grateful that the work of MN Health Collaborative was featured in a news story by mental health reporter Andy Steiner. The MinnPost story describes how MN Health Collaborative partners have developed and implemented standards for suicide prevention and intervention in Emergency Departments (EDs) to improve care for people experiencing mental health crisis and support the people who serve them in EDs.
New initiative seeks to improve care for patients and support Emergency Departments (EDs) with evidence-based guidance for screening, assessment and intervention, transitions and follow-up
The MN Health Collaborative announced today they have developed new evidence-based recommendations for suicide prevention and intervention in EDs. The shared standards, developed by physicians and other leaders from both emergency departments and psychiatry, are based on MN Health Collaborative members’ expertise, shared learnings regarding tools and current or planned practices in use, and review of existing relevant literature. The goal of the initiative is to improve patient care as well as strengthen support for ED staff and others involved in supporting patients.
“In Minnesota, the suicide rate has increased by 40.6% since 1999, with 783 deaths by suicide reported in 2017. In addition, visits to the ED in our state for mental health and substance abuse have increased by 75% in the last seven years,” said Dr. Chris Palmer, Medical Director for the Emergency Department at North Memorial Health Hospital, a MN Health Collaborative member. “Clearly, there is a need to address these alarming statistics by reinforcing and strengthening how we screen, assess and intervene with patients at risk of suicide, both during the visit and afterward.”
Healthcare leaders of MN Health Collaborative have a strong focus on ensuring the use of evidence-based tools and practices. The group’s recommendations on suicide prevention and intervention in the ED provide guidance that is adaptable to a local context and in alignment with CMS and new 2024 Joint Commission requirements.
The Suicide Prevention and Intervention in the ED Shared Standards include recommendations in several key areas of care:
- Determination of patient populations in which to conduct screenings.
- Use of evidence-based, validated screening tools for suicide risk.
- Risk stratification to assist decision-making for safety precautions, rooming and resource needs
- Recommendations for comprehensive assessment and intervention tools for patients with a positive screen or presenting with suicidal ideation/attempt.
- Disposition suggestions based on the assessment that might include admission, observation or discharge.
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Twelve of the largest health systems in Minnesota have come together to address major health issues in a new effort called the Minnesota Health Collaborative. These systems provide care and coverage for 80 percent of the patients in Minnesota. Together they are tackling major health topics that affect all communities, starting with the opioid epidemic and mental health crisis.
