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November 2018
Prepare For 2018 MIPS Data Submission By Obtaining Your Enterprise Identification Management (EIDM) Credentials Now
The 2018 performance year for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) ends on Dec. 31, 2018. You’ll need your EIDM User ID and Password.
Congestive heart failure is one of the top three reasons for hospital readmissions in northeast Indiana, according to the local Care Coordination Community there. Dupont Hospital in Fort Wayne collaborated on a congestive heart failure pilot project with a skilled nursing facility (SNF) and a home health agency (HHA).

“The methods we implemented with this pilot were a great reminder of the purpose of discharge planning and that we need to consider disease-specific concepts when assessing for discharge needs,” said Marcia Kessler, a registered nurse and team specialist for Dupont Hospital.

The rate of patients being readmitted into the hospital with heart failure was lowered from 18.2 percent to 6.1 percent. During the six-month pilot project, 155 high-risk patients diagnosed with heart failure were guided through the congestive heart failure pathway and only eight were readmitted to the hospital. atom Alliance estimates that this project prevented 20 patients from being readmitted and saved the Medicare health system approximately $175,260.
Featured Resources
Checklist Helps Patients Successfully Manage Their Diabetes  
You can give this double-sided Patient Education Sheet and Patient Care Checklist to patients to help them understand how to work with their providers to successfully manage their diabetes (side 1) and a checklist to use to document recommended care that encourages communication among all healthcare providers (side 2).
Quality Payment Program Measure - Eye Exam
P ercentage of patients 18-75 years of age with diabetes who had a retinal or dilated eye exam by an eye care professional during the measurement period or a negative retinal or dilated eye exam (no evidence of retinopathy) in the 12 months prior to the measurement period.
Promote Self-Management for National Diabetes Month
November is National Diabetes Month. Providers should encourage their patients to play a more active role in their diabetes care and can do so by using the online resources atom Alliance has compiled to make self-management and improving care easier. 
Research shows that diabetes outcomes are improved with diabetes self-management education (DSME) and support.
Sickle Cell Education Saves Estimated $1.6 Million in Memphis

Approximately 300 clinicians and healthcare navigators in Memphis were given the opportunity for face-to-face meeting and on-demand learning webinars as part of a special Sickle Cell Disease project. These carefully-planned educational events featured nationally recognized leaders and had a successful impact on the care for Memphians with sickle cell disease.
Caring for Individuals with Sickle Cell Disease in Your Emergency Department
Emergency Department staff and those who care for Sickle Cell Disease patients are encouraged to participate in a new learning collaborative overseen by Duke University's School of Nursing being conducted the first Wednesday of each month from 12-1 p.m. EST.(except for Jan. 2 and July 3, 2019).
Featured On-Demand Learning Opportunity
Patient Insight: Depression and Diabetes
It’s not uncommon for a person with diabetes to be depressed. Addressing one condition can lead to improvements for both illnesses. During this Webinar, Cherokee Health Systems' Dr. Holly Robertson and Behavioral Health Consultant Eboni Winford, PhD, share their insight for patients about understanding depression, how it affects diabetes and where to get assistance.
Upcoming Events
Nov. 13
Seize The Day: Improving Care for SCD in the ED and Beyond
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a multi-system, progressive disorder that affects approximately 100,000 Americans, primarily of African and Hispanic descent. Patients with SCD often require care in emergency departments (EDs) for a myriad of potentially life-threatening conditions. Most commonly seek treatment for pain due to vaso-occlusive episodes.
Nov. 16
Using Telehealth to Improve Quality Measures
Learn about telehealth use cases and hear from staff how they have helped meet quality goals.  Please be prepared to share lessons learned or barriers in your use of telehealth.
Nov. 27
Patient and Family Engagement Initiative
KEPRO offers four FREE services to people with Medicare and their families: review of beneficiary complaints, discharge appeals, Immediate Advocacy, and Patient Navigation. The focus of this webinar will be on Immediate Advocacy and Patient Navigation - programs that help patients with Medicare find their way through the healthcare system.
View our  upcoming atom webinars  page and our  calendar  page for more details.
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This material was prepared by atom Alliance, the Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO), coordinated by Qsource for Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Mississippi and Alabama, under a contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Content presented does not necessarily reflect CMS policy. 18.A1.05.040