Primaris Press Release
| For immediate release: Aug. 14, 2007 |
Contact: Matt Heger Primaris Communications Department (800) 735-6776, Ext. 136 |
MP3 Audio Getting Involved - Paul R. Johnson of Columbia, consumer Graphics
Photo credit: Matt Heger |
Missourians lead nation supporting nursing home quality
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missourians are proving they care when it comes to nursing home quality. Missouri leads the nation in private citizens supporting Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes, a two-year campaign to accelerate improvement in the quality of medical care provided by nursing homes.
Since it was launched statewide in May, more than 400 Missourians have already signed up to show their support; nearly four times as many as the next leading state, Ohio.
“This sends a clear message that we Missourians care about our seniors and we support those nursing homes that are taking a proactive approach,” said Deborah Finley, director of nursing home services for Primaris, a Columbia, Mo.-based not-for-profit healthcare firm involved in the project.
Missouri citizens, especially those that care about improving long term care in the state for their family members, loved ones and friends, can help promote the campaign by registering as consumers at www.nhqualitycampaign.org.
At this Web site, citizens can also view which nursing homes in their area are participating in the Advancing Excellence campaign. Since it’s known that care providers can improve their residents’ quality of care by simply setting goals to improve – when consumers register and ask nursing homes to do likewise, they have a direct hand in motivating healthcare improvement in Missouri.
So far, 214 Missouri nursing homes, more than 40 percent of facilities statewide, have joined the campaign. To participate, nursing homes commit to three of the following eight campaign goals: reducing bed sores, reducing the use of physical restraints, improving pain management for long- and short-term residents, establishing targets for quality improvement, assessing the satisfaction of nursing home residents and families, and increasing staff retention and consistent staffing.
The campaign is supported on the state level by the Missouri Local Area Network for Excellence (MO LANE). MO LANE includes nursing home associations, consumer organizations, the state Medicare Quality Improvement Organization, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and culture change organizations. This group provides Missouri facilities with encouragement to set Advancing Excellence goals and educational opportunities to match.
More information about the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign is available online at www.nhqualitycampaign.org.
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Editor’s Note:
You can find local participants by visiting www.nhqualitycampaign.org
The Eight Quality Goals
- Reduce high-risk pressure ulcers
- Reduce use of daily physical restraints
- Improve management and treatment of pain in long-stay residents
- Improve management and treatment of pain in post-acute residents
- Set annual quality improvement targets
- Measure resident and/or family satisfaction
- Measure and reduce workforce turnover
- Adopt consistent assignment of staff to residents
Members of MO LANE Planning Committee are:
- Center for Practical Bioethics
- Missouri Association of Homes for the Aging
- Missouri Association of Nursing Home Administrators
- Missouri Coalition Celebrating Care Continuum Change
- Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
- Missouri Health Care Association
- Missouri Hospice and Palliative Care Association
- Missouri State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
- National Association of Health Care Assistants
- Primaris
- Social Services Association of Missouri