Seattle – Thousands of patients receiving medical care in the region’s nursing homes, hospitals, and medical clinics may benefit from groundbreaking strategies being proposed at a May 23 conference sponsored by Qualis Health, a Seattle-based nonprofit healthcare quality improvement organization.
The conference, “Transformational Strategies for Quality Improvement in Healthcare,” takes place at Bell Harbor Conference Center in Seattle from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
National speakers will include Carolyn M. Clancy, MD, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the nation’s preeminent health care quality agency; Carol Beasley, MBA, vice president at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), which is committed to advancing the quality and value of healthcare worldwide; and Robert Brook, MD, vice president with RAND Corporation, dedicated to addressing global challenges that impact society, including healthcare.
“Qualis Health’s vision of improving healthcare quality can only be achieved through a sustained effort of education and collaboration among those responsible for administering health services,” said Jonathan Sugarman MD, MPH, president and CEO of Qualis Health. “This conference is one of the many ways we’re committed to driving advances in healthcare.”
Qualis Health will also present its 2004 Award of Excellence in Healthcare Quality to outstanding organizations across the state – for their innovations in making measurable improvements within the regional healthcare system. Organizations receiving the awards will be Lakewood Healthcare in Lakewood, for its wound care practice; Evergreen Hospital Medical Center in Kirkland, for its integrated model for management of congestive heart failure; Providence SoundHomeCare and Hospice in Olympia, for home health care services that reduced the need for hospitalization/emergency room visits; Island Hospital, in Anacortes, for pastoral care services; Central Washington Family Medicine, in Yakima, for Chronic care/electronic medical records; Sacred Heart in Spokane, for improving Patient Flow and Unit Activity Processes through Health Care Transformation; Ida Culver House Nursing Care Center in Seattle.
The all-day summit was developed by Qualis Health two years ago to promote innovative approaches in improving healthcare and is dedicated to featuring the country’s top health policy experts. The theory of transforming healthcare involves identifying critical issues impacting the quality of care being delivered in the region and then affecting significant cultural changes through education and care management.
An afternoon panel will address the IHI’s innovative 100,000 Lives Campaign, a nation-wide initiative designed to implement and measure six basic “interventions” proven to save lives in hospitals. The panel will feature Dr. Sugarman, Rosa Johnson, Qualis Health’s director of Washington Medicare Operations, and Carol Wagner, Washington Hospital Association’s director of Patient Safety.
Following the presentations, healthcare practitioners can participate in concurrent educational sessions designed to improve the level of care offered in hospital, home health, nursing home and physician office settings.
