Meet the team 

Meet Maureen Marsella, RN, BS, CCM. Maureen works for Healthcentric Advisors, a member of the IPRO QIN-QIO. A former hospital Joint Commission and Regulatory Compliance Manager, Certified Case Manager and Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Coordinator for the Rhode Island Department of Health, she supports IPRO's Partnerships for Community Health.

At Healthcentric Advisors and across the IPRO QIN-QIO, Maureen is the "go-to" person for any hospital-related activities. Her vast knowledge of the setting, regulations, and measures allows her to offer comprehensive support to our internal team and the providers she supports 

As a contractor under the CMS QIN-QIO program, the IPRO QIN-QIO provides access to experts like Maureen who are available to provide you with assistance at no charge.



Learn more about working together to make our communities healthier and more equitable.

Upcoming Education

Our Building QI Resilience Series continues throughout the month of August. Each week, attend a live, 30-minute session on Tuesdays at noon, or a live-hosted recorded replay on Wednesday at 3:30. IP3 Office Hours: Infection Prevention for Infection Preventionists by an Infection Preventionist, take place every Thursday at 11.

Join tomorrow's IP3 Office Hours (August 4, 11 am ET).

GREAT SHOT! Making Your Vaccine Campaign a Slam Dunk

In this session, you will learn to:

• Recognize the disease burden of influenza, pneumonia and COVID-19
• Identify vaccine recommendations for the adult population
• Review strategies to help increase vaccination rates

Join us on Tuesday, August 16 at 2:00 p.m.

Save the Date: Wednesday, September 7, 1 - 2 pm ET

Clostridioides Difficile: Update On Diagnosis And Treatment In Acute And Post-acute Care Settings

Speaker: Ghinwa Dumyati, MD, Director Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Prevention Program, University of Rochester Medical Center. 

Resource Library

Curated by our experts, the IPRO QIN-QIO resource library contains tools, links and information on everything from care coordination to COVID-19, CKD to social determinants of health. Use the Resource Picker to find what you need, or check out this month's featured resources:

• In recognition of Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, peruse our resources on opioids and pain management, including the IPRO QIN-QIO Opioid Utilization Dashboard

• In observance of National Immunization Awareness Month, take a look at our Vaccination Rule Audit Tool.

Opioid, Pain Management, and Behavioral Health

Dog Days of Summer: International Dog Day is August 28. There are so many reasons to love dogs, but did you know that studies have shown that dogs can have a positive impact in the healthcare setting? Read more...

Related: View our resource on Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System

Take the Medication Safety Assessment Today

Did you know that, during COVID-19...

• Medicare beneficiaries experienced a higher rate of adverse drug events due to anticoagulants than for prescribed opioids?

• Antipsychotic drugs were prescribed more for nursing home residents, particularly on admission? 

Take our brief, multiple choice Medication Safety Assessment. It will help you identify your medication management gaps and tell you if your organization has everything it needs to safely manage high-risk medications such as anticoagulants, diabetes medications, antipsychotics, and antibiotics. 

Questions? Contact Anne Myrka, Senior Director, Drug Safety at IPRO QIN-QIO.

Patient Safety 

The CDC has released updated Enhanced Barrier Precautions (EBP) for Nursing Homes. Among the recent changes are additional rationale for the use of Enhanced Barrier Precautions in Nursing Homes, including the prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms, expanded residents for whom EBP applies and more. Check out the CDC's FAQs on EBP.

Immunizations

August is National Immunization Awareness Month. Enhance your nursing home's staff vaccination rates with this toolkit from the CDC. Pair this with IPRO's toolkit on Preparing for a Community COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic. And sign up for our Great Shot! Make Your Vaccination Campaign a Slam Dunk webinar on August 16.

CMS Enhances Rating System with Staff Turnover Data

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has launched its enhanced Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating System, which will integrate self-reported data on annual staff turnover. Read more.

Health equity

Don't miss our August Health Equity Newsletter.This month, read about implicit bias, National Minority Donor Awareness Month, food insecurity, widening disparities in overdose deaths, and more.