Meet the Team 

Meet Josh Clodius, a Quality Improvement Specialist at Healthcentric Advisors and a member of the IPRO QIN-QIO Nursing Home Team.

Josh is a former nursing home administrator and an expert on NHSN. During the pandemic, he became well-versed in troubleshooting all sorts of problems that nursing homes encountered during the submission process.

As a contractor under the CMS QIN-QIO program, the IPRO QIN-QIO has a full team of experts like Josh available to assist you at no charge.

Upcoming Education

Vax Chat

Join Vax Chat every other Thursday morning from 7:45 - 8 am for a brief but impactful conversation about the latest topics in vaccines. A single registration allows you to join us, whenever it works best for you.

Register:

November 17

IP3: Infection Prevention for Infection Preventionists by an Infection Preventionist (Office Hours)

Our weekly sessions, offered Thursdays from 11 - 11:30 am ET, provide a forum for peer support, questions and answers, and best practices around infection prevention. Join our IP3 Facebook Group to keep the conversation going.

Register:

November 3

November 10

November 17

Boosters and Beyond: Rethinking Readmissions

This series reviews factors that can contribute to readmissions and strategies to help. Among the topics discussed are C.Diff, Sepsis, UTIs, Dementia, Falls, Wound Care, and CHF. The series guides participants through the processes of nursing home quality improvement. Register for upcoming sessions:

Dementia Care

November 8 - 12 Noon

November 9 - 3 pm Live Replay

CHF & COPD

November 15 - 12 Noon

November 16 - 3 pm Live Replay

Wounds

November 29 - 12 Noon

November 30 - 3 pm Live Replay

IPRO QIN-QIO High-Risk Medication Safety Monthly Learning Circle

Beginning on December 7 from 2 - 3 pm ET and continuing on the first Wednesday of each month.

Email amyrka@ipro.org to receive a calendar invitation for the Medication Safety Monthly Learning Circle. 

New Day Nursing Home Education Summit

Nursing homes do extraordinary work every day. At the same time, you may be seeking opportunities to learn and grow, to be on the cutting-edge of best practices, especially now. Join the IPRO QIN-QIO for a dedicated day of learning just for you. We’re excited to share the latest updates on vital topics to advance quality and address your needs. New Day features informative presentations and keynotes. Stream New Day in your conference room to allow interdisciplinary teams to attend. 

Register for New Day

Prevention, Management & Care Coordination

Are you ready for the Great American Smokeout on November 17? Read this month's blog to learn how smoking rates and cessation referrals fared since the COVID-19 pandemic, and find our compendium of resources to help you help your patients quit.

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 and CKD to social determinants of health. Use the Resource Picker to find what you need, or check out this month's featured resources:

Antibiotic Stewardship Week begins on November 20. Download our Monthly Infection and Antibiotic (ABX) Tracking Form and Guide, designed to help nursing homes keep residents safe by tracking both infections and antibiotic use on a monthly basis.

Our new Guide to Screening Patients for Food Insecurity offers information and best practices, including a validated two-question assessment that can be used at point-of-care to screen patients. It also includes resources for patients who screen positive for food insecurity.

Opioid, Pain Management, and Behavioral Health

November 24 is the National Day of Mourning. Too many families will mark the day in remembrance of loved ones lost to opioid overdose. Our Resource Library includes "Naloxone Saves Lives," a guide for patients and their families/care partners as well as pharmacists. The guide describes what naloxone is, how it works, why it is offered to individuals with an opioid prescription, and signs of opioid overdose.

Emergency Prep, Infection Control, and Patient Safety 

Take 5 minutes to help keep your residents safe...



In less time than it takes to…

• grab a cup of coffee,
• answer an email,
• park your car,
• or scan the morning headlines

...you can help ensure that your residents and visitors remain safe during an emergency.

Please complete this 5-minute survey today. And don't forget to download our Safe Visitor Policy Template for Nursing Homes to review and modify to meet the needs of your facility and comply with your state regulations.

November is C.difficile Awareness Month

Learn about the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, disinfection and outbreak response to C. diff from the CDC.

Just in Time for World Pneumonia Day on November 12...

The CDC announces the PneumoRecs VaxAdvisor Mobile App for Vaccine Providers. The app helps vaccination providers quickly and easily determine which pneumococcal vaccines a patient needs and when.

Immunizations

Join our bi-weekly Vax Chat, a 15-minute, early morning call that tackles a range of topics related to vaccines (see description above). Drop in on November 17 for a discussion on the pneumonia vaccine.

Then, find more resources and strategies in our updated Influenza, Pneumococal and COVID-19 Immunization Toolkit, which includes strategies to make your vaccine campaign a success.

Health Equity

Don't miss our November Health Equity Newsletter, packed with the latest information on how you can work to eliminate healthcare disparities. This month, read about racial and ethnic differences in bystander CPR, strategies to reduce bias in healthcare delivery, food as medicine, the business case for social needs intervention, and more.

Known for their rich and varied cultures, American Indians and Alaskan Natives face unique health disparities. Read about how CMS OMH Honors Native American Heritage Month in November.