February 2010 E-zine
Forums
TIPQC is excited to announce our new on-line Forums which are available online. The public forum is open to all and can be joined by clicking the FORUM link and following the directions. Password protected project forums are also available for project participants. Internet-based forums provide a powerful tool for collaboration, thoughtful discussion and community building, but they are only as useful as their members make them. Go online, contribute, participate, do your part to shape your state’s perinatal quality!
From the Medical Director’s Office
January has been an eventful month for TIPQC- all 5 project groups have achieved major milestones as outlined below, and anticipation is building around the updates these groups will present at our State Meeting in Franklin on March 3rd and 4th.
What else is new in perinatal quality in Tennessee? Well, we need you to tell us! Like last year, we will again have poster sessions at the Annual Meeting for both OB and NICU teams to share what they are doing. Certainly some teams may share what they are doing on TIPQC projects, but this is also an opportunity to share new work as this is the forum where future projects emerge. We will again be voting on new projects, and while this year’s discussion will need to include consideration of existing projects, this shouldn’t deter us from looking at our data for new opportunities. There may be projects that could utilize new participant stakeholders who are waiting on the sideline for “their project” that would allow TIPQC to further broaden participation in the work of improving perinatal outcomes.
The State Meeting is shaping up to be a busy, productive gathering. We are looking forward to seeing the work of many friends and colleagues as we review the past year’s progress and make plans for the remainder of 2010. However, this is only possible if you are there to do your part, so please send in your registration, make your reservations, and start putting those posters together!
Sponsored by Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Division of Neonatology
TIPQC Annual Meeting
Please join us for the 3rd Annual TIPQC Meeting on March 3-4, 2010 at the Cool Springs Marriott in Franklin, Tennessee. Speakers Gautham Suresh, MD, Jay Iams, MD & Lucky Jain, MD will speak to NICU and OB safety, as well as the 39 Week Initiative. A legislative and Governor’s forum as well as an opportunity for Patients & Families to participate in workshops will energize our meeting. For speaker information, the agenda, and to register go to the Meetings page.
Hotel reservations need to be made by Monday, February 8, 2010 to receive the TIPQC group rate of $101 per night. (Regular rates are $225 per night!) Reservations must be made by individual attendees by calling the Marriott directly at 888-403-6772 and ask for the TN Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care (TIPQC) Group Rate, or click here.
Vanderbilt Medical center, Department of Nursing Education and Development is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Tennessee Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nursing Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit.
Project Highlights
NICU - Admission Temperature Project
The 22 NICU hospital teams have had eight phone huddles and three learning sessions. Each temperature team will have the opportunity to bring a poster to the Annual Meeting and share their improvement story. We look forward to hearing from every hospital, as we celebrate their achievements. During the sustainment phase for this project, webinars will be held every six months. Some of the teams have reached a 4 or 5 on the IHI scale for improvement projects, and should be congratulated for all their efforts! These teams will want to make sure the changes have been implemented, and now work to sustain the gains. Other teams will need to continue diligently working to regulate temperature during resuscitation and NICU transport until reaching their goals and stabilizing their process(es). The next webinar for the temperature teams will be on July 28, 2010.
Projects Being Piloted
OB - Reducing Elective Deliveries before 39 Weeks
The Davidson County pilot has completed their data training and data collection is underway- including direct uploading from pilot hospital EMR systems for key project data fields!
The TIPQC State meeting this year will feature Dr. Jay Iams with the Ohio Perinatal Collaborative and recently named the March of Dimes Man of the Year for Ohio, as well as Dr. Lucky Jain a neonatologist from Emory who will address critical opportunities for improvement in the management of mothers and infants in the latter weeks of pregnancy. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about this project and see how you can be involved in Reducing Elective Deliveries before 39 Weeks!
NICU - CLABSI Reduction
TIPQC launched the CLABSI Project State-wide on January 22, 2010! This is the first of many projects that have been developed in and for Tennessee. The CLABSI project was launched with the collaborative efforts of pilot teams from East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, Johnson City Medical Center, Jackson Madison County General Hospital, TC Thompson Children’s Hospital, and the TIPQC team.
Nine of the twelve teams across the state joined together for a one-day “kick-off” learning session. Teams developed their Aim statements, their goals, reviewed the clinical evidence, began flow charting their processes, and planned their first interventions as PDSA cycles.
The CLABSI teams will have their first webinar “Huddle #1” on February 25, 2-3:30 CST. On Thursday, March 4, Gautham Suresh will lead a workshop for our CLABSI teams at the State Meeting. Plan to join us!
NICU - Human Milk Feeding Project
The four pilot centers of The Med, Parkridge East, East Tennessee Children’s, and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt have almost completed the “tool kit.” They are currently forming an Expert Committee to review the literature & tool kit. Please send any nominees for this sub-committee to Brenda.Barker@TIPQC.org. The pilot teams are submitting IRB applications & data agreements for a Pilot Team “Kick Off” at the State Meeting on March 4. This project should be ready for state-wide enrollment this summer.
Projects Being Developed
OB - Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign
This group of state leaders has met seven times, and is developing a state-wide project spanning antenatal, hospital, and well child opportunities to promote the initiation and sustainment of breast feeding. We are currently recruiting obstetricians who are interested in promoting breast feeding to add to the antenatal team, as well as hospital leaders who are interested in a collaborative approach to address the recently released Joint Commission Perinatal Measures.
For more information on all projects, see the Project page.
Family & Patient Corner
The State Advisory Committee met this month and hope to be able to present a potential state-wide parent project called “How’s Your Baby?” We need any centers that might be willing to “pilot” this project prior to the Annual Meeting, to then present this as a possible project. Please let Brenda know if you are interested in this project.
TIPQC is still seeking two parents to serve on our state-wide oversight committee. Send any nominations to Brenda.Barker@tipqc.org.
New Staff
TIPQC is fortunate to have Lynn Booker join the team as a part-time administrative assistant. Lynn has worked for 14 years in human relations, health care, and most recently in the finance industry. Lynn’s email is Lynn.Booker@TIPQC.org. Welcome Lynn!
Please note that we have added a calendar feature to our website, where these dates and others can be found here.
Watch the web for updates throughout the month.
Sincerely,
Brenda Barker, MEd
Peter Grubb, MD
M. K. Key, PhD
