Medicare Enhances QIO Program Oversight

       To more effectively promote high-quality, efficient, and person-centered care for beneficiaries, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlines actions the agency is taking to enhance oversight and evaluation of the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program. Its “Report to Congress” was developed as a result of intensive CMS review and a recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) report.
       “The QIO program is a cornerstone in our efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of care delivered to Medicare beneficiaries,” says CMS Administrator Mark B. McClellan, MD, PhD. “QIOs have had a positive impact on the quality of healthcare in America, and with enhanced oversight and accountability and new initiatives to improve transparency and care, they will do more to support better care and lower costs.”
       QIOs are organizations with state-level responsibilities under contract with CMS that, by statute, are responsible for a range of key tasks in support of the Medicare program. They work to improve quality of care, measure and reduce the incidence of improper Medicare fee-for-service inpatient payments, address beneficiary complaints and patterns of potentially substandard care, and offer mediation services to help address poor communication issues between healthcare providers and patients.
       One key issue in the report responds to recommendations on reforming the oversight and governance of the QIO program. Under CMS’s existing authority in the current contracting cycle, CMS is strengthening its financial oversight by requiring each contractor to have a more independent advisory board charged with review of compliance, conflict of interest, ethics, and program integrity. Boards will be required to evaluate the structure of each state-based QIO contractor and its relationship with providers and stakeholders within the state. In addition, CMS is taking steps to improve beneficiary awareness of the complaint and appeals process available through QIOs to make sure that beneficiaries are familiar with this important resource and can use it when they need it.
       To view the report, visit www.cms.hhs.gov/QualityImprovementOrgs.

Coloplast Launches Education Program to Train, Empower Caregivers

       After years of focus on the development of best practices in skin health for acute and long-term care healthcare organizations, Coloplast Corporation announces the launch of an award-winning, accredited modular educational program entitled “Skin the Vital Organ^®.” This program is designed to train, empower, and develop specific skin health competencies essential for all levels of care.
       The program has been selected by APEX (Awards for Publication Excellence) as a 2006 award recipient in the category of Education, Training, and Electronic Publications. It was recognized for excellence in key areas, such as editorial content, graphic design, and overall communications excellence. The Coloplast Education Committee in conjunction with the University of Miami’s Department of Dermatology and experts in the field of skin and wound care developed the program.
       “Coloplast is very excited to offer these programs as part of our comprehensive preventative skin care program,” says Randy Schwartz, Director of Marketing. “The education and the accompanying tools will become standards of care within any healthcare setting.”
       For more information on enrolling in the program, visit www.us.coloplast.com and click on “Skin Care” followed by “Skin Health Institute.”

ZASSI Bowel Management System Sold to Hollister

       ZASSI Medical Evolutions, Inc., a privately held company that innovates, develops, and commercializes high-technology medical devices, announces it has successfully sold its award-winning ZASSI Bowel Management System^TM product line to Hollister, Inc. (Libertyville, Ill), a global healthcare company.
       The ZASSI Bowel Management System was launched in the United States in 2003 and the first product of its kind in the marketplace. It is a catheter-based system designed to effectively and reliably divert, collect, and contain potentially harmful and contaminated fecal waste from bedridden and/or immobilized patients.
       For more information, visit www.zassimedical.com or www.hollister.com.