Maryland Quality Innovation Network (QIO), 10th SOW

10^th SOW – As the Maryland QIO, Qlarant worked collaboratively with providers and partners to measurably improve the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries. Core functions include beneficiary and family centered care, improving individual patient care, integrating care for populations and communities, improving health for populations and communities, supporting and convening learning and action networks, providing technical assistance to providers, facilities and partners, care reinvention through innovation spread, continuous learning through rapid development and deployment of special innovations projects.

Qlarant’s work focused on:

• Reducing healthcare-acquired infections and hospital-associated conditions,
• Preventing avoidable hospital readmissions by integrating care for Medicare beneficiaries after they are discharged from the hospital,
• Using electronic health records to improve preventive care, reduce heart attacks for high-risk seniors, and increase Medicare reimbursement through PQRS reporting,
• Helping providers prepare for value-based purchasing.

Qlarant was also awarded two Special Improvement Projects to support the QIO 10^th SOW.

• Qlarant served as the “Disparities National Coordinating Center,” In this role, QQS supported QIOs in 10th SOW core contract activities related to (a) reducing racial and ethnic health care disparities in Medicare beneficiaries, (b) analyzing data related to special innovative disparities projects, and (c) working with special innovative project contractors to analyze data and create reports related to progress, achievements, results, and recommended practices associated with the reduction of racial and ethnic health care disparities in the 10th SOW.
• Under the Special Innovative Project, entitled “Using Data to Drive Dramatic improvement in Baltimore,” Qlarant worked with local healthcare communities in Baltimore to identify strengths and weaknesses in the designated areas and identify and recommend interventions to improve patient outcomes and achieve sustainable improvement.