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Advancing Quality Together:
Regional QI Hub Update
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July 2026
The Regional QI Hub is a statewide collaboration that brings together Ohio’s colleges of medicine, health care providers, researchers, patients, and community organizations to improve care delivery and outcomes. Our newsletter will share successes, outcomes, and promote learning across project partners.
| | Collaborative QI in Action: Ohio’s Regional QI Hub Model Highlighted at National Meetings | | |
The GRC and the CWRU-NEO Regional Hub highlighted Ohio’s QI Hub model at the 2026 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting held in Seattle, Washington—spotlighting the collaborative partnerships behind the statewide model, and Northeast Ohio’s regional progress in glycemic control. Meanwhile, the OU Regional Hub shared site-level project results at the 2026 ADA Scientific Sessions in New Orleans.
On behalf of GRC, Dr. Gil Liu, MD, MS and Caitlin Lorincz, MS, MA presented a Learning Health Systems special interest group session titled "Ohio’s Regional QI Hub Model: A State-University Partnership to Support Ohioans Managing Chronic Disease"; and Dr. Shari Bolen, MD, MPH, from Case Western Reserve University, shared regional findings through a poster presentation titled "Understanding Improvement in Glycemic Control in Primary Care Practices: Results of the Northeast Ohio Quality Improvement Hub (NEO QI Hub)."
On behalf of the OU Regional Hub, Sarah Adkins, PharmD, BCACP, Elizabeth A. Beverly, PhD, Amber Healy, DO, and Lori A. Lammert, MA, presented posters of successful site-level interventions, including "Improving CGM Prescribing in Type 2 Diabetes Through Targeted Outreach and Provider Support Tools", "Improving Documentation of Comprehensive Foot Examinations in a Rural Endocrinology Clinic: A Quality Improvement Initiative", and "Integrating Interprofessional Support and CGM Prescribing to Improve Diabetes Outcomes: A Two-Year Collaborative Quality Improvement Initiative."
| | Clinical Vignette: Bundled Intervention to Improve Diabetes Control | |
As part of their participation in the Southeast Ohio Regional Quality Improvement Hub, the OhioHealth O’Bleness Family Medicine Residency Clinic implemented a multi-component QI initiative to improve diabetes outcomes for adults with type 2 diabetes. Using iterative Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, the clinic focused on three key areas from October 2023 through October 2025:
- Increasing continuous glucose monitor (CGM) prescribing to expand access to diabetes technology in primary care.
- Connecting patients with diabetes navigation services to provide additional support outside of routine clinic visits.
- Embedding clinical pharmacist support to assist with medication management and treatment intensification.
During the two-year period, 102 adults engaged with diabetes navigation services and 23 adults completed more than one clinical pharmacist visit. The initiative was associated with increased prescribing of CGMs, demonstrating improvement from 6.7% to 34% for all patients with diabetes. Among adults with A1c ≥9.0%, CGM prescribing increased more than threefold, from 15.8% to 61.08%.
Despite improved access to technology and follow-up support, overall glycemic outcomes did not improve. Because this measure was based on clinic encounters rather than a fixed patient population, the increase may reflect improved engagement of higher-risk individuals.
These results highlight how quality improvement coaching, diabetes navigation, clinical pharmacy services, and expanded access to CGM can help rural primary care clinics build capacity for team-based diabetes care.
| | | | Dr. Catherine Quatman-Yates, PT, DPT, PhD, serves as the lead for the OSU QI Hub. She is a tenured Professor in the Division of Physical Therapy and Director of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Learning Health System Collaborative at OSU. Her research spans experimental, qualitative, complexity science, and implementation science methodologies and she is passionate about integrating clinical practice, research, and data to continuously improve patient care and health system performance. | | | | | Dr. Gabriel Alain, PT, DPT, PhD, leads the OSU QI Hub Data Core. He is a clinician-scientist, educator, and researcher who specializes in healthcare analytics, quality improvement, and the intersection of AI with clinical practice. His work focuses on data-driven strategies that improve healthcare performance, optimize operations, and support better patient outcomes through innovative analytics and process improvement. | | | | | Jennifer Eramo, DNP, BS, RN, AHN-BC, CPHQ, LSSGB, leads the Implementation Team and is the main QI coach for practice sites in the OSU QI Hub. Her diverse background spans academic medical centers, the VA, home health, and clinical research, where she has led patient-centered quality initiatives and supported implementation of evidence-based care across healthcare settings. | | | | | Riley Summers, MPH, serves as Senior Project Manager for the OSU QI Hub. Riley is a public health professional known for leading cross-functional teams, engaging stakeholders, and managing federally and state-funded programs. She is passionate about advancing population-level impact. | | | | | |
