EmPATH, originally the “Alameda Model,” has been under the scrutiny of our ICSI mental health working group over the past couple of years, of which CentraCare is part. It is a promising addition to the mental health continuum for people in crisis. A study of the Alameda Model in 2014 showed that it reduced ED length-of-stay by over 80%, and approximately 76% of patients were able to be discharged from the unit avoiding unnecessary hospitalization. Similar results have been experienced in Billings, MT for a rural population.

Learn more about the new EmPATH unit here.

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The news story also featured Allina infectious disease expert Dr. Frank Rhame and Dr. Zeke McKinney, a Health Partners physician and investigator on the AstraZeneca vaccine trials being conducted here in Minnesota.

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ICSI’s COVID-19 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 frequent basis as new information becomes available and more common questions emerge.

“We wanted to go beyond the standard FAQ you may see on public health websites and address misinformation that is circulating, providing clinicians with more complete fact-based responses,” said Jodie Dvorkin, MD, MPH, Associate Medical Director for ICSI. “For example, people really want to know the specific demographics of the vaccine trials, or they may need further clarification on recent news reports,” Dvorkin added that although the FAQ was created for the healthcare industry, it is intended to be of use for the general public as well.

The FAQ have been developed by ICSI’s COVID-19 Vaccination working group, comprised of healthcare leaders across Minnesota from healthcare delivery systems, health plans, county and state agencies, and others. Key authors include Dr. Jodie Dvorkin, Jill Amsbury, DO of CentraCare, and members of the M Health Fairview team.

“This is phenomenal work! The North Memorial team and I look forward to posting this living document on our website for our clinicians to use.” – Dr. Leslie Baken, Infectious Disease Physician and ICSI Vaccination working group member.

To download the COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ visit ICSI.org here.

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We look to 2021 with determination and hope. It will take radical collaboration and increased partnership as we shift and redesign healthcare in a post-pandemic world. We’re honored to continue to be part of the solution to some of healthcare’s biggest challenges:

• The ICSI Immunizations Work Group is planning how to best mobilize and create community infrastructure for COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
• We are partnering with others in the community to evaluate quality and access issues for people around virtual visits/telehealth.
• Our workgroups and cross-sector networks are strong in the areas of mental health and substance use disorder, where our friends, family, and neighbors need help now more than ever.

ICSI is a powerful mechanism for change because it’s powered by you. Together, we will lead the way into a new era for healthcare.

Download the entire ICSI 2020 message here.

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 Bloomington, Minn. – December 8, 2020 – Representatives from ICSI announced efforts to improve postoperative opioid prescribing practices in Minnesota have resulted in significant risk reduction for patients requiring pain management after specific surgical procedures.  Recent claims data shows that ICSI’s initiative has contributed to a 44% decrease in the opioids prescribed by Minnesota surgeons after certain procedures, measured by Morphine Milligram Equivalent (MME). This includes an intensive four-month effort in 2020 that reduced amounts prescribed substantially for  specific procedures including orthopedics (-45%), podiatry (-33%), and spinal surgeries (-52%).

“With this work we’ve proven we can reduce the risk of patients becoming addicted while still helping manage their pain, thus improving quality of care,” said Claire Neely, MD, FAAP, CEO and President of ICSI. initiative shows us that by focusing on improvements one procedure at a time, we can make significant progress toward safer opioid prescribing.”

The Postoperative Opioid Prescribing initiative includes a  workgroup of surgeons who gather monthly to create new recommendations regarding the dosage and amount of opioids prescribed after surgical procedures. Recommendations were made based on the procedure, patient history, current evidence-based research and other proven practices. Changes were suggested and subsequently implemented with a specific focus on improving patient care while reaching new, lower benchmarks for opioid prescriptions.

Data from healthcare claims across the state of Minnesota demonstrates that this work has contributed immensely to  safer prescribing practices.  Reports indicate a state-wide 43% decrease in the average postoperative discharge opioid dose between 2016 and 2019.

“Our principal goal was to reduce risk for addiction among our postoperative patients. Through this work, we moved from prescribing generic practices influenced by more by tradition than science to a data-informed approach in partnership with our patients to meet their individual needs.,” said Todd Stanhope, MD, a physician who practices obstetrics and gynecology with North Memorial Health Hospital, and  a key member of the postoperative opioid prescribing workgroup. “In doing so, we not only achieved our goal, but improved our patients’ experience by reducing pain and adverse effects of the medication. When healthcare providers collaborate and share best practices, we can better meet the health needs of our patients and communities.“

ICSI’s recommendations for opioid prescribing practices can be found in the ICSI Postoperative Opioid Prescribing Toolkit 2020

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The study was retrospective, examining a group of 1,910 patients that included those who had already been tested and admitted to inpatient psychiatry, and those who were admitted without testing. The study primarily measured the number and costs of laboratory tests ordered in the emergency department and during the inpatient hospital stay, as well as hospital consultations during admission, transfers to non-psychiatry hospital services and inpatient deaths.

Results showed that a policy avoiding routine laboratory screening tests for patients admitted to inpatient psychiatry can improve patient care, decrease length of stay and save money without causing harm.

Of ICSI’s role in the study, Dr. Isenberger said, “This is work that was a result of our collaboration made possible with ICSI discussion and system thinking. Thank you.” Dr. Isenberger, Medical Director of Regions Hospital Emergency Department, was part of an ICSI working group of 15 health systems to create and implement evidence-based recommendations for Medical Clearance Evaluation in the ED.

Read more about ICSI’s mental heath work here. 

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Bloomington, Minn. – October 14 , 2020 – Representatives from ICSI announced they have wrapped their first mental health support series for COVID healthcare workers, a series of live, interactive sessions focused on sharing ways to proactively support the mental and emotional health of the healthcare workforce during the pandemic.

The sessions began on April 14, 2020 and continued on a bi-weekly basis through September of this year. Each session featured healthcare leaders presenting implementation strategies including models for intervention, peer support, stress reduction and other factors impacting the wellbeing of healthcare workers on the frontlines of COVID-19.

Presentations were collected and curated into a shared knowledge network  managed by ICSI. Based on the this information ICSI also created a Mental Health Playbook to provide planning and implementation strategies to support the current and long-term mental and emotional wellbeing of healthcare workforces. Nearly 1,000 healthcare representatives participated in the sessions, including leaders from across the United States.

“It’s a testament to the readiness and resilience of our industry that we were able to create this forum so quickly, and that so many mental health and healthcare leaders were eager to participate, despite  enormous pressure from the COVID-19 crisis,” said Tani Hemmila, Director of the MN Health Collaborative for ICSI. “More than a dozen programs were presented and adapted across the network over the course of the past 5 months, representing both existing best practices and those adapted to meet additional needs as a result of the pandemic.”  Hemmila added that a second series is being planned  to address changing needs over time.

Healthcare and mental health experts from organizations including the University of Minnesota, Johns Hopkins University, Mayo Clinic, Mount Sinai Health System and the University of Missouri were among those presenting sessions during the series which included best practices originating from healthcare as well as military, education and social work programs.

Session summaries, materials and call reports are available on ICSI’s website here.

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About ICSI: A trusted influencer in healthcare for over 25 years, ICSI convenes organizations to find solutions to healthcare’s toughest challenges. As ICSI, healthcare leaders work together to find ways to initiate positive change and improve health outcomes. ICSI is activated by an independent, objective non-profit organization with one clear goal – improving health together.  For more information visit ICSI.org.

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Bloomington, Minn. – September 22 , 2020 – Representatives from 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. The Toolkit is designed as a companion to the Opioid Prescribing Improvement Guide and can be used by surgical teams to improve safe opioid prescribing.

The new Opioid Prescribing Improvement Guide and Postoperative Prescribing Toolkit are the result of collaborative work of Minnesota healthcare leaders who wanted to provide patient-centered recommendations for safe opioid prescribing practices. Prescribers also needed a way to assess their current prescribing habits and test improvement strategies for safe opioid prescribing.  The Postoperative Toolkit was specifically designed for surgeons, who needed guidance to determine  safe postop opioid dosages is for specific procedures, as published studies are small and limited, and can’t be broadly applied.

Minnesota’s Department of Health Services (DHS) contracted with ICSI to create tools that could be used by providers to help demonstrate improvement in safe opioid prescribing practices.. Data showing improvements in opioid prescribing habits as a result of ICSI’s work in this area is available on request.

Both the Opioid Prescribing Improvement Guide and Postoperative Prescribing Toolkit are available at no cost to healthcare plans and providers and may be accessed here.

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