CHARLESTON, W.VA. | MAY 23, 2023

Quality Insights, a partner with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program initiatives, is proud to announce the newly released QIO Program 2021 Yearly Summary. The 2021 Yearly Summary presents data-driven achievements and outcomes of QIO Program initiatives, along with stories and personal snapshots of the people behind the work.

QIO Program initiatives, led by organizations like Quality Insights, partner with local health care providers, nursing homes, hospitals, communities and people with Medicare. Together, they help contribute to national progress on critical health care priorities that are detailed in the Yearly Summary, such as increasing COVID-19 vaccine and booster uptake, implementing evidence-based practices to prevent adverse drug events and infections and reducing unplanned hospital readmissions. The Yearly Summary also demonstrates how QIO Program initiatives support providers and local and tribal communities to improve health care quality, access, value and equity for people with Medicare.

Examples of national health care quality outcomes found in the QIO Program 2021 Yearly Summary include:

• Significant decreases in opioid adverse drug events among people with Medicare treated at participating hospitals, nursing homes, and Partnerships for Community Health (formerly community coalitions).
• Substantial reductions in the incidence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) within enrolled hospitals and nursing homes. CDI is a serious, sometimes fatal infection of the colon that is often transmitted in health care settings.
• Notably higher COVID-19 vaccination rates among residents and staff at participating nursing homes.

The QIO Program 2021 Yearly Summary is available online via a new, interactive microsite and can be accessed at https://bit.ly/44Dvqlc.

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About the Quality Improvement Organization Program

Under the direction of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program serves people with Medicare, health care providers and communities. All initiatives are designed to improve health care quality, access, value and equity for people with Medicare.

QIO Program initiatives include:

• Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organizations (QIN-QIOs)
• Hospital Quality Improvement Contractors (HQICs)
• The American Indian Alaska Native Healthcare Quality Initiative (AIANHQI)
• The Opioid Prescriber Safety and Support initiative (OPSS)
• Beneficiary and Family Centered Care-Quality Improvement Organizations (BFCC-QIOs)

Learn more about QIO Program initiatives at www.qioprogram.org.

About Quality Insights

Founded in 1973, Quality Insights is celebrating 50 years of using quality improvement science, education and collaboration to develop and bring best practices to health care settings and communities. As change agents, connectors and decision partners, Quality Insights has assisted tens of thousands of clinicians, positively impacting millions of patients. Odds are, Quality Insights has reached you. Learn more at www.qualityinsights.org.