Core Competency: Strengthening Quality Reporting and Improvement

As more health care systems are shifting towards value-based models and there are increasing amounts of quality reporting need for CAHs, ensuring that quality improvement touches all parts of health care operations is essential. While state Flex Program staff don’t have to be QI experts, having a good understanding of the QI and MBQIP basics is essential. These basics ensure program staff can design quality improvement projects which are relevant to their CAHs. In many states, contractors may do the bulk of the quality work, but state Flex Program staff should be able to understand the work being done by the contractors and how it aligns with programmatic goals to be able to describe the program’s impact and to be able to design future activities based on identified needs. 

PROFICIENCIES:

• Understand QI and process improvement principles
• Analyze state and hospital-specific data in MBQIP reports from FMT to identify opportunities for QI at the state and rural provider levels
• Determine best practices in quality reporting and QI principles based on the needs of rural providers
• Describe the purpose of MBQIP
• Understand each MBQIP measure, the purpose, and overall data collection method
• Direct MBQIP reporting and QI resources to rural providers

Related Resource: 

General Quality Improvement Resources

National Rural Health Resource Center

The Role of State Flex Programs in Supporting Quality Improvement in CAHs

The Flex Monitoring Team

CAH Quality Infrastructure Resources

RQITA Resource Center

MBQIP Fundamentals Guide for State Flex Programs

RQITA Resource Center

Flex Participation for Criteria for MBQIP

RQITA Resource Center

Quality Improvement Workbook

RQITA Resource Center

Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Tools

RQITA Resource Center

Bite Size Learning: Quality Improvement Basics

RQITA Resource Center