Quality Initiative

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The Spokane VNA has joined the national Home Health Quality Initiative (HHQI) to improve the quality of care that 3.5 million elderly and disabled Americans get each year from nearly 7,000 Medicare certified home health agencies nationwide.

The initiative gives consumers the ability to gain easy access to important, objective healthcare information to help make more informed decisions when choosing a home health care provider for themselves or a loved one. The data is part of a new initiative of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is designed to improve quality of care provided by home health agencies through public reporting and community-based efforts.

“VNA is working in partnership with Qualis Health to utilize their knowledge and resources in our efforts to continually improve our services,” according to VNA President Sheila Masteller. “Since VNA was established in 1942, we have worked to provide quality care to patients and their families while carrying out our charitable mission of serving all those who need us, regardless of ability to pay.”
The HHQI releases new data to give seniors and their families comparative information about home health agencies’ quality of care, and through our participation, VNA further demonstrates our commitment to offering the highest quality of home health care in Washington. Consumers can obtain the comparative data by going online at www.medicare.gov and clicking on Home Health Compare. They can also request information by calling toll-free at 1-800-MEDICARE.

“A key component of home health care is educating patients and caregivers about their medical condition and how to become as independent as possible in managing their care. VNA has always been supportive of efforts to provide consumers with information about quality outcomes to assist them in making informed health care choices,” said VNA Director of Patient Care Debra Rappuchi.
Consumers are encouraged to use this information as one tool in an overall strategy to learn about home health care. Additional information available on-line or by phone includes brochures and fact sheets on how to choose a home health agency, information on patient rights, and a checklist that will help consumers begin the dialogue with a home health agency.

For more information about the Home Health Quality Initiative or about other quality improvement projects now underway at Qualis Health.

Qualis Health is a private, nonprofit organization that offers programs and services to generate, apply and disseminate knowledge to improve the quality of healthcare delivery and health outcomes. In operation since 1974, the firm has headquarters in Seattle with offices in Boise and Anchorage.

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