Check Out Colloquium program highlights in our updated Flyer

The program for the upcoming 18th Annual Colloquium on Health Care Transformation is almost complete. There are two ways to learn more about the excellent presentations set for this meeting, May 4-6, at the Saint Paul RiverCentre, St. Paul, MN.

First, check out our updated flyer, which lists keynoters, special sessions, and brief summaries of some of the presentations planned for tracks addressing population health/care delivery, patient care/community engagement, and cost and leadership.

Then, watch Gary Oftedahl, MD, ICSI’s Chief Knowledge Officer, share his thoughts on the value you’ll receive by attending sessions in these tracks. You'll find these brief videos on our Colloquium webpage. Check them out and register today. Remember that early bird discounts are available through April 3, 2015.

Upcoming ICSI Events

Quality Improvement Basics Workshop

Tuesday, April 7, 2015, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Bloomington, MN

If you've missed out on past offerings of this popular daylong workshop just for members because no seats were available, now's your chance! Sign up today for the second quarter offering, which includes practical basics such as Aims and Measures and the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle. We'll also cover the adaptive work, communications and change management considerations necessary to make it stick and remain embedded in your practice. Learn more and sign up by March 31. Space is filling quickly so act now! You must be logged in to the website to access the page.

FREE Training to Advance Patient-Centered Care in Your Organization

Tuesday, April 28, 2015, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Bloomington, MN

Are you a clinician with a commitment to patient-centered care? To help health care professionals work with patients to make the best possible health care decisions together, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed the SHARE Approach curriculum, a five-step evidence-based approach to shared decision-making that includes exploring and comparing the benefits, harms, and risks of each option through meaningful dialogue about what matters most to the patient.

Want to learn more? Come to this free train-the-trainer workshop cosponsored by ICSI on April 28, 2015, in Bloomington, MN. Clinicians who participate will learn how to implement the SHARE Approach, train peers in shared decision-making, and gain CE credit. A learning network and webinar series will also be available to support your ongoing implementation.

This opportunity is only available to ICSI members at this time. You must be logged in to the website to access the registration information. Learn more and register. For assistance, please contact ICSI at 952-814-7060.

Member/Sponsor Spotlight

Innovative Medicaid Reform Initiative Broadens Reach Across Minnesota

Minnesota's groundbreaking approach to delivering quality health care more efficiently for low-income people has grown to encompass 15 provider groups across the state and more than 176,000 enrollees in Medical Assistance, the state's Medicaid program.

In February, six new provider groups, including two ICSI members, joined the Minnesota Department of Human Services' Integrated Health Partnerships (IHP) initiative, including providers serving people with disabilities, providers in rural central and southern Minnesota, and a collaborative of independent hospitals in northeastern Minnesota. The ICSI members are:

• Lake Region Healthcare, a rural health system focusing on primary care and specialty services to residents of west central Minnesota
• Winona Health, a community-owned rural health care system providing a full spectrum of primary care services from birth through the end of life

The IHP project is implementing a new payment model that prioritizes quality, preventive health care and rewards providers for reaching mutually agreed-upon health goals. Providers who meet a threshold for savings are eligible for a share of the savings. Beginning in the second year of participation, they also share the downside risk if costs are higher than projected.

Other ICSI members participating include:

• CentraCare Health System
• Essentia Health
• Hennepin Healthcare System (Hennepin County Medical Center Hospital and Clinics)
• Mayo Clinic
• North Memorial Health Care
• Northwest Metro Alliance (a partnership between Allina Health and HealthPartners)

The IHP initiative makes Minnesota one of a growing number of states to implement an Accountable Care Organization in its Medicaid program, with the goal of improving care. Learn more.

Fairview Health Services Youth Grief Services Program Honored by American Hospital Association

Fairview Health Services’ Youth Grief Services (YGS) program was selected as the recipient of the 2015 American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Hospital Awards for Volunteer Excellence (HAVE). The HAVE Award celebrates the contributions and value of hospital volunteers – women and men who work tirelessly on behalf of their patients and communities. The program will be honored at the AHA’s annual meeting on May 4, 2015.

YGS is a community outreach program that offers hope and healing to families after the loss of a loved one. YGS works with adults and children separately, giving them the tools they need to heal. Twice a year, YGS offers seven-week grief support and education sessions for children and teens and separate, simultaneous sessions for parents and caregivers. Read more about the program.

Our Work: Progress Reports and Updates

RARE Hospitals Maintaining Their Gains

The Minnesota Hospital Association has distributed the Potentially Preventable Readmissions (PPR) data through the third quarter of 2014 for those hospitals involved in the RARE Campaign. The hospitals continue to hold the gains on preventable readmissions, with 19 percent fewer readmissions than predicted using the 2009 baseline. The campaign was also mentioned in a February 9, 2015 Government Health IT news story, "U.S. States: Where 'Real Innovation' Around Quality and Cost is Happening."

Mental Health Collaborative Wraps Up With Learning Day

Team members from the 11 participating hospitals part of the RARE Mental Health Collaborative came together on February 24, 2015 to share their results and lessons learned. As they delivered their final reports, participants talked about signs of progress, data that is just beginning to move in the right direction, successful efforts that will be expanded and others that didn't work quite as well. Following are just a few of the suggestions mentioned by the various teams:

• Try "NAMI in the Lobby" or similar programs to engage patients' family and other caregivers at the outset
• Establish post-discharge follow-up phone calls
• Develop risk stratification tools to focus efforts on patients most at risk of readmission
• Develop relationships with community care providers
• Build connections with their patient and family councils
• Utilize dedicated pharmacists to boost medication reconciliation and education

As the collaborative wraps up, participants were eager to find ways to keep the momentum going. "RARE has kept our feet to the fire," one person said. To learn more, go to the RARE Campaign website.

Pictured above L to R are the collaborative's team members Michael Trangle MD, Regions Hospital; Kim McCoy, Stratis Health; Jill Kemper, ICSI; Mark Sonneborn, Minnesota Hospital Association; Kathy Cummings, ICSI.