Part of the local Aligning Forces for Quality program, the effort will focus on improving cardiovascular care for African-American and Hispanic patients
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MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MN Community Measurement today announced that Regions Hospital has been selected by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to participate in a new effort to improve the quality -- and equality -- of cardiac care delivered in hospitals. The Aligning Forces for Quality: Equity Quality Improvement Collaborative (Equity QI Collaborative) will identify and test ways for hospitals to improve the quality and efficiency of their cardiac care, while also identifying and reducing any racial and ethnic disparities.
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The Equity QI Collaborative is part of Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q), the Foundation's signature program to lift the overall quality of health care in targeted communities, reduce racial and ethnic disparities, and provide models for real reform. Minnesota was selected by RWJF as one of 15 communities nationwide to serve as "learning laboratories" for improving the quality of care being delivered in a given region. MN Community Measurement coordinates local efforts for the program.
"In every region involved in the Aligning Forces for Quality initiative, including Minnesota, broad-based teams of people who get, give and pay for care are working together to improve health care quality," said Jim Chase, president of MN Community Measurement. "By aligning people from across the community who might not typically work together, we are helping to achieve a community-wide transformation of health care."
Although the quality of health care is poor for many Americans, research shows specific racial and ethnic groups continue to experience lower-quality health care when compared to white patients. The well-respected Institute of Medicine has shown that patients who are racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to receive lower-quality care than whites, particularly when treating heart disease and cancer.
"This effort is part of a broader commitment at HealthPartners and Regions Hospital to reduce health disparities and ensure that every patient receives the best care," said Brock Nelson, Regions Hospital president and CEO.
Led by RWJF, the Equity QI Collaborative will be overseen by the Center for Health Care Quality at The George Washington University Medical Center School of Public Health and Health Services, which serves as the national program office for the AF4Q initiative.
For more information, visit www.mncm.org or www.rwjf.org.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 30 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org.
MN Community Measurement is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of health care in Minnesota by publicly reporting quality results. Founded by Minnesota's health plans and the Minnesota Medical Association, MN Community Measurement is a collaborative that works with health plans, clinics, employers and consumers to spur quality improvement, reduce health care costs and maximize value. For more information, visit www.mncm.org.
SOURCE MN Community Measurement
