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What's New | May 12, 2008

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Patient Flow Management
Improving patient flow in hospitals increases patient safety, access to care, patient and staff satisfaction, and revenue. 

Overcrowding in hospitals can lead to bottlenecks in patient flow, delays in care, lack of continuity in care, and other inefficiencies.

The featured innovations describe how three hospitals used strategies and flow management principles from the private sector to redesign their health care processes.
Featured Innovations:
Featured QualityTools:

 AM Bed Huddle Worksheet
Developed by Owensboro Mercy Health System

 ICU Transfer Log
Developed by Scottsdale Healthcare

 Queueing ToolPak 4.0
Developed by University of Alberta School of Business

View Other Issues
Also in This Issue:
Innovations >
QualityTools >

 Frequently Asked Questions About HIV and STD Testing
Developed by AIDS.gov; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Prevention Information Network

 Hormones & You: Postpartum Thyroiditis
Developed by The Hormone Foundation

 Hospital Performance Report 2006: 31 Common Medical Procedures and Treatments
Developed by Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council

 Illness Management and Recovery Implementation Resource Kit
Developed by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS)

 Improving Chlamydia Screening: Strategies from Top Performing Health Plans
Developed by National Committee for Quality Assurance; Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University

 Improving Preventive Care Services for Children: A Best Clinical and Administrative Practices Toolkit for Medicaid Health Plans
Developed by Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc.

 Improving the Quality of Home and Community Based Services and Supports, Work Book
Developed by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

 Infection Control Guidance for Community Evacuation Centers Following Disasters
Developed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 Infection: Don't Pass It On, Hand Hygiene Posters
Developed by Department of Veterans Affairs

 Infection: Don't Pass It On, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Posters
Developed by Department of Veterans Affairs; Employee Education System; National Center for Patient Safety; Office of Patient Care Services; Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards; VA Infection Control Professionals

 Infection: Don't Pass It On, Respiratory Etiquette Posters
Developed by Department of Veterans Affairs

 Interim Immunization Recommendations for Individuals Displaced by a Disaster
Developed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 Keep Food and Water Safe After a Disaster or Power Outage
Developed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 Key Outcome Indicators For Evaluating Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs
Developed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 Know Your Blood Sugar Numbers
Developed by Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Family and Community Health, Diabetes Control Program

 Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices, Evidence Report/Technology Assessment
Developed by University of California, San Francisco-Stanford Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC)

 Making Strides in Safety
Developed by American Medical Association; Institute for Healthcare Improvement

 Mammograms and Other Breast Imaging Procedures
Developed by American Cancer Society

 Management of Major Depressive Disorder in Adults Algorithms
Developed by Department of Defense; Department of Veterans Affairs; Veterans Health Administration

 Medical Care of Ill Disaster Evacuees: Additional Diagnoses to Consider
Developed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 Medicare Options Compare
Developed by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

 Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage: "A National Conversation - Friends and Family First"
Developed by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

 Medications At Transitions and Clinical Handoffs (MATCH) Initiative
Developed by Northwestern Memorial Hospital

 Medicines In My Home
Developed by Food and Drug Administration (U.S.)

 Mental Health Services Locator
Developed by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (U.S.)

 Monitoring and Evaluating Medicaid Fee-for-Service Care Management Programs: A User's Guide
Developed by AcademyHealth

 Moving into Action: Promoting Heart-Healthy and Stroke-Free Communities
Developed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 MRSA Toolkit for Childcare Programs
Developed by Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department

 MRSA Toolkit for Middle and High Schools
Developed by Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department

 MRSA Toolkit for Outpatient Clinics/Offices
Developed by Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department

 My Bright Future: Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Guide for Adult Women
Developed by Health Resources and Services Administration

 My Medication Record
Developed by University of Arizona Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERT)

 My Medicines: Women's Health: Take Time to Care
Developed by National Association of Chain Drug Stores; Office on Women's Health

 MyGenerations
Developed by Evanston Northwestern Healthcare

 National Center for Farmworker Health
Developed by National Center for Farmworker Health

 National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
Developed by National Dissemination Center; National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

 National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC)
Developed by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Publications: Screening Tests
Developed by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

 National Inventory of Mental Health Quality Measures
Developed by Center for Quality Assessment and Improvement in Mental Health

 National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse
Developed by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (U.S.)

 National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP)
Developed by National Kidney Disease Education Program; Renal Physicians Association

 National Kidney Foundation
Developed by National Kidney Foundation

 New York Regional Health Care Report Card
Developed by New York State Health Accountability Foundation

 Office of Research on Women's Health: Publications
Developed by Office of Research on Women's Health (NIH)

 Optimizing Surge Capacity: Hospital Assessment and Planning, Bioterrorism and Health System Preparedness, Issue Brief No. 3
Developed by AcademyHealth; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

 Patient Guide to the Management of Maternal Hyperthyroidism Before, During and After Pregnancy
Developed by The Hormone Foundation

 Predicting Casualty Severity and Hospital Capacity
Developed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 Preventing Wrong-Site Surgery Toolkit
Developed by Patient Safety Authority-Commonwealth of PA

 Promoting Awareness of Motivational Incentives Toolkit, Successful Treatment Outcomes: Using Motivational Incentives in Addiction Treatment
Developed by National Institute on Drug Abuse; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (U.S.)

 Promoting Cultural Diversity and Cultural Competency: Self-Assessment Checklist for Personnel Providing Services and Supports to Children with Disabilities and Special Health Needs and Their Families
Developed by Georgetown University, Center for Child & Human Development

 Public Health Emergency Response Guide for State, Local, and Tribal Public Health Directors
Developed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 Quick Guide For Administrators Based on TIP 45: Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment
Developed by Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

 Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule
Developed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 Re-mission.net
Developed by HopeLab

 Reye's Syndrome Bulletin
Developed by National Reye's Syndrome Foundation

 Roadmaps for Clinical Practice Series: Assessment and Management of Adult Obesity Primer
Developed by American Medical Association; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

 School Violence Prevention: Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative
Developed by Center for Mental Health Services

 Screening Tools for Completing Mental Health Assessments in HIV Primary Care Settings
Developed by Johns Hopkins University Division of Infectious Diseases; New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute

 Skin Cancer Flier for Parents
Developed by California Department of Health Services

 Start Talking Before They Start Drinking: A Family Guide
Developed by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (U.S.)

 State Health Policy Survey Report: 2007 Guide to State Adverse Event Reporting Systems
Developed by National Academy for State Health Policy

 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Recovery Month Kit
Developed by Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) Division of Workplace Programs
Developed by Center for Substance Abuse Prevention; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (U.S.)

 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
Developed by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (U.S.)

 Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking: A Guide to Action for Communities
Developed by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General

 Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking: A Guide to Action for Educators
Developed by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General

 Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking: A Guide to Action for Families
Developed by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General

 Taking Your Eyedrop Medication
Developed by Prevent Blindness America

 TalkingQuality.gov: Talking to Consumers about Health Care Quality
Developed by Work Group on Consumer Health Information

 Technical Assistance Costing Tool (TACT): A Resource To Help Clinicians and Health Care Organizations Identify Costs In Providing HIV/AIDS Care
Developed by Center for Health Services Financing and Managed Care; Health Resources and Services Administration, HIV/AIDS Bureau

 The Curricula for Simulated Obstetric Emergency Response Drills & Safety (CORDSTM)
Developed by Oregon Health & Science University

 Tobacco Use: Prevention, Cessation, and Control: Evidence Report/Technology Assessment
Developed by RTI International-University of North Carolina Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC)

 What Peer Educators and Resident Advisors (RAs) Need to Know About College Drinking
Developed by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

 Women and Domestic Violence: Programs and Tools That Improve Care for Victims
Developed by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

 Women and HIV/AIDS: Research and Clinical Trials
Developed by National Women's Health Information Center