The June 2024 issue of Alliant Health Solutions Cares & Shares: A monthly newsletter highlighting events and resources for those caring for Medicare beneficiaries.
- Register for Upcoming Events
- Leadership Lesson: Advice from the Frontlines
- Health Equity Corner
- Resources and Information on:
- COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness
- Opioid Utilization and Misuse
- Patient Safety
- Training
- Chronic Disease
- Care Coordination and Partnerships for Community Health
- Immunization
- BFAC
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Events
Give the Boost a Shot Event
Thursday, June 6, 2024, at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT
*CME credit awarded*
During this Boost Education and Office Hours event, participants can engage with subject matter experts, ask questions, and get instant, real-time answers. This event offers a unique opportunity to enhance your knowledge and gain insights in a collaborative environment.
Register Here
Nursing Home Readmission Affinity Group: Using Data To Tell Your Falls Story
*NAB credits awarded* *CE for physicians and nurses available*
Thursday, June 12, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. CT
Join this session to explore how effective data collection, prep, visualization, analysis and storytelling can help your team communicate insights that influence decisions, inspire action and drive change.
Learning objectives:
- Learn how to use and talk about a fall tracker tool.
- Identify key sources of fall data and how to prioritize fall interventions and initiatives.
- Learn why using the fall rate is important.
Thursday, June 27, 2024, at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT
*CME credit awarded*
Join us and invite your clinical colleagues to our Boost educational events. In this session, we'll take a deeper dive into your challenges and questions from our earlier office hours session.
Register Here
Were You Able to "Use Tomorrow" What You Heard During the LAN Events?
If Yes, Click Below.
Nursing Homes LAN Attendees: Click here
Partnership for Community Health LAN Attendees:Click here
Thursday, June 20 at 2 p.m. ET | 1 p.m. CT (60 min.)
**CME and NAB credit awarded**
Join the monthly Shop Talk sessions hosted by the Alliant patient safety team. Attendees will receive updates on the NHSN database and CMS requirements.
There will also be a live question-and-answer session to help with your immediate needs. Submitting data accurately into NHSN will help you more confidently plan your risk assessments and quality improvement initiatives.
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Join the Alliant Health Solutions-LTC NHSN Group!
Joining the group and conferring rights to Alliant Health Solutions-LTC to view NHSN data allows for seamless support and technical assistance.
View Step-By-Step Guide
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Leadership
Words of advice from leaders on the front lines.
This month’s leadership lesson is from Nicole Haas, MPH, CPH, CPHQ, Quality Improvement Initiative Manager for Alliant Health Solutions.
Lessons Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic
It has been one year since the official ending of the Public Health Emergency for COVID-19. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 PHE, leaders have learned many lessons that they will carry with them throughout their careers. A few of the most valuable lessons that I plan to carry with me are:
- Build Resilience: It is not easy and takes focus, but encouraging and fostering your team's resilience is key to overcoming challenges, learning from mistakes, and giving yourself and them the strength to not give up in the face of adversity.
- Encourage Feedback: Keep the dialogue open with your teams and colleagues. Show your team you’re listening and willing to work toward common goals and improvements.
- Be Empathetic: Teams with leaders who show empathy are shown to work together better during rough patches and difficult moments. By showing empathy as a leader, you can connect better with your teams and encourage the team to do the same with one another.
- Embrace Change: Embracing changes helps your team to do the same. Remain positive, keep the communication about the change open, and accept feedback along the way.
People are the most critical asset to any organization. Leaders who can relate to, listen to, and inspire their teams are key to a resilient workforce and adaptability within teams. Thank you to all of you for your continued efforts!
To learn more about COVID-19 please visit Alliant’s website here.
Resources
COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness
Vaccine Recipient Education
Check out resources from the CDC that will help you share clear and accurate information about the COVID-19 vaccines and raise awareness about the benefits of vaccination. View Resources
COVID-19 Vaccine Myth-Busting Resource in English and Spanish
Alliant Health Solutions has created a resource to debunk COVID-19 vaccine myths and provide facts. Download and share the resource, available in English and Spanish, with everyone you know. Download English Version | Download Spanish Version
Opioid Utliziation and Misuse
NIH-Supported Study Highlights Increasingly Dangerous Illicit Drug Supply Risk
Individual pills containing illicit fentanyl were 2,300 times greater in 2023 than in 2017. This comes along with increasing fentanyl-containing powder seizures. More information
White House Challenge To Save Lives From Overdose
The Challenge is a nationwide call to action to stakeholders across all sectors to save lives by committing to increase training on and access to lifesaving opioid overdose reversal medications. More information
SAMHSA and HHS: Medications for Treating Opioid Use Disorder
The final rule from the Department of Health and Human Services was published on February 2, 2024, and will become effective on April 2, 2024, with a compliance date of October 2, 2024. View the Final Rule
Patient Safety
An article from McKnight’s Long-Term Care News sheds light on why CMS is focusing on sepsis hospitalizations among nursing home residents and how Alliant Health Solutions can support nursing homes in making improvements. Read Article
Alliant Health Solutions has many resources available to support sepsis recognition and response, communication, and educational materials for residents and families, staff, and sepsis program leaders.
Enhanced Barrier Precautions
During our recent Boost Office Hours event, we discussed enhanced barrier precautions (EBP) implementation and rationale and discussed frequently asked questions. The session recording is available here. Our patient safety team is here to assist you with EBP implementation questions. Please reach out to patientsafety@allianthealth.org.
Training
Newly Updated CMS Training for Frontline Nursing Home Staff and Management Modules 3 and 6
Learn how it takes a team to manage COVID-19 in nursing homes - starting with policies and procedures for effective cleaning practices and extending to all aspects of facility operations - through this no-cost, updated Quality, Safety & Education Portal (QSEP) online training developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). View Training
Chronic Disease
June is the kickstart to the summer grilling season and a great time to talk to patients about how to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their diet. Fruits and vegetables are great sources of essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which all aid in the body’s regulation of blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. The low-calorie and high fiber content of fruits and vegetables also makes them a great aid in weight management. Help patients make taking advantage of the antioxidant protection of these nutrient-rich foods a year-round strategy for managing chronic diseases. The American Heart Association has great resources to help us all enjoy more fresh fruits and vegetables:
- Learn what fruits and vegetables are in season with this handout: View Handout
- Find out how to keep fruits and vegetables fresh: View Infographic
- Get ready to grill with these preparation tips: Watch Video
Care Coordination & Partnerships for Community Health
Alliant has developed a new tool for providers to give to their patients. This tool is designed to help patients determine whether they need to see their doctor, go to urgent care, or visit the emergency room. The first page can be used as-is, or providers can customize the second page by adding maps, locations, and phone numbers of urgent care centers in their area. Download Tool
Enhance Your Excel Skills With Our Resource
Share the Excel Reference Guide and the recording of the May 9 Leveraging Excel for Effective Data Display in Nursing Home Quality Improvement and Assurance affinity group session to support beginner and intermediate Excel users in developing their data collection, display, and analysis capabilities. View Resources
Immunization
Updated Toolkit for Increasing Vaccination Rates in Nursing Homes The Toolkit for Increasing Vaccination Rates in Nursing Homes has been updated to align with the Seasonal Immunization Campaign Calendar 2024-2025. Additional resources and explanations have been added to include other examples and clarifications. This toolkit provides resources, guidance, and samples for promoting and encouraging acceptance of vaccinations in your facility. Download Toolkit
Seasonal Immunization Campaign Calendar 2024-2025 – Ready, Set, Go
The updated 2024-2025 calendar and tool can be used as a planning guide to increase influenza and pneumococcal vaccination rates for your seasonal immunization campaign. While influenza is often the primary focus, this campaign can be a great opportunity to focus on the pneumococcal vaccine or other vaccines! The calendar contains targeted activities with a timeline to assist your teams with planning, implementing and evaluating your facility’s seasonal campaign. Download Campaign Calendar
Beneficiary & Family Advisory Council (BFAC)
Browse resources our council has worked on below:
As we age, we should not let it hinder us from enjoying summer activities. However, extreme heat, overexposure to the sun, and dehydration can all pose serious health risks if we are not careful. Fortunately, we do not have to compromise our health to have fun in the summer. By following these summer safety tips for seniors, we can enjoy the season and all its activities with our loved ones while staying safe and healthy. Get Summer Safety Tips
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