IPRO Turns 40!

2024 marks the IPRO's 40th anniversary. Over the past four decades, IPRO has evolved to meet the ever-changing needs of its clients and remain responsive to emerging healthcare trends, crises and technologies. The year-long celebration kicked off with this video highlighting IPRO's staff and their special connection to the organization and its work.

Within the next few weeks, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) is expected to release an RFP for the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) 13th Scope of Work (SOW). Under the 12th SOW, IPRO works with nursing homes and Partnership for Community Health Coalitions in 11 states and the District of Columbia. We also currently work as a Hospital Quality Improvement Contractor (HQIC) in 12 states. Under the 13th SOW, CMS is combining the QIN-QIO and HQIC contracts and restructuring the program to focus on its national quality strategy, which includes equity, person-centered care and engagement; safety and resiliency; improving quality, outcomes and alignment; and interoperability and scientific advancement. IPRO looks forward to leveraging its staff expertise and existing stakeholder relationships to continue this important work in the future.

Mark Your Calendar!



IPRO's 40th Annual Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 11, 2024 at the Garden City Hotel in Garden City, New York. The event features a keynote speaker, Quality Awards recognizing outstanding healthcare quality improvement work, and more. Email invitations will be sent out soon.

Listen Now: Latest Quality Watch Podcast

"You save one life, you save the world." - Harry Feder, our latest Quality Watch Podcast guest. Harry recently decided to retire from his role as IPRO's COO after a remarkable 50-year career in healthcare, 37 of them at IPRO.

In this episode, Harry reflects on half a century of healthcare quality improvement. Host Dr. Edison Machado also shares the latest headlines and data from the healthcare quality improvement landscape

IPRO Work to be Featured at CMS Quality Conference



The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Conference, a three-day hybrid event highlighting healthcare quality improvement work from around the nation, will be held April 8 - 10, 2024 with the in-person option in Baltimore. IPRO QIN-QIO staff members were selected to present on two panels - one discussing the new Neighborhood Enrichment Team project, and the other on using data and collaboration to reduce the risk of opioid overdose in the nursing home setting - and to share other aspects of their work via four poster presentations. In addition, our HQIC team will be making two presentations on their work concerning sepsis and health equity. Their project using an all-cause harm prevention model will also be featured on a poster in the conference's gallery walk. The ESRD team will also showcase its work with four posters in the gallery walk

QIN-QIO Produces Animated Video to Encourage Vaccination



As part of a coordinated campaign to encourage vaccine acceptance and increase vaccination rates, the IPRO QIN-QIO produced an animated video educating the public about the benefits of the pneumococcal vaccine. The video is one element of the campaign that also includes a microsite that offers a comprehensive array of tools and resources, customizable social media graphics and posters, videos and podcasts.

Employees Reach Out to Help Those in Need During Holiday Season

In the spirit of the holiday season, IPRO and its staff reached out to the community to bring cheer to those in need. Among the activities:

• IPRO provided Thanksgiving dinner to 20 families serviced by a domestic violence shelter.
• Through our annual Giving Tree project, our employees across the country generously purchased 159 gifts distributed to clients of a domestic violence shelter, residents of a state veteran's home, and an animal shelter. The number of gifts purchased was nearly double the previous year.
• Staff members at IPRO’s Albany office donated items to Toys for Tots.
• Employees in the Connecticut office participated in their local radio station’s Stuff A Bus event.