Merging into LANEs
As you have read in recent issues of AMDA Reports and Caring for the Ages, and through announcements on the AMDA Web site, AMDA is a founding sponsor of the Advancing Excellence in Nursing Homes campaign. This is a two-year collaborative campaign to transform the quality of care and quality of life for those living or recuperating in America's 16,000 nursing homes. The campaign focuses on eight (8) measurable goals. Nursing homes that agree to commit to working on at least three (3) goals will be considered participating providers.
Developed to support the campaign locally, the Local Area Networks for Excellence (LANEs) are a coalition of stakeholders at the state level that come together for the purpose of supporting providers and consumers in achieving the campaign goals. The LANE serves as the central organization to ensure the success of the campaign for each state. Its purpose is to recruit participating providers and consumers, to promote the campaign, to provide access to local education, to foster constructive relationships among stakeholders, and to identify evidenced-based protocols.
LANEs should be inclusive of the spectrum of long term care stakeholders in a state that share a commitment to and expertise about quality improvement. Current LANE participants include QIO and state affiliates from AHCA and AAHSA. Participation in the LANE is voluntary and all members are equal. AMDA chapters are encouraged to join the LANE in your state to represent the role of the medical director in improving quality in nursing homes. Lorraine Tarnove explains, "medical directors are crucial to success in moving the campaign's clinical indicators. The physician voice must be heard as the LANEs begin their work and offer technical assistance." "It's a great opportunity for AMDA chapters to network," adds Tarnove.
LANE Responsibilities include:
- Raise Awareness
- Drive Enrollment
- Convene Meetings
- Provide Technical Assistance*
- Deliver Key Messages
- Respond to Critical Issues
- Provide Updates
The Campaign's Technical Assistance Workgroup is led by AMDA President Steve Levenson MD, CMD.
Technical assistance includes the dissemination of tools and resources available to help improve quality of life for residents and staff, and education about and implementation of process frameworks for each of the campaign goals. These process frameworks should be very familiar to AMDA medical directors as they are of the same premise as AMDA's Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs).
Each LANE will designate one entity, the LANE Convener, to serve as the liaison between the LANE, the Regional Campaign Office, and the national Steering Committee. The campaign will look to the
LANEs for innovative approaches to address issues, and to support their participants in reaching their goals. These best practices will be shared among all LANEs. Throughout the campaign, LANEs are encouraged to offer feedback regarding what is working well, and where opportunities exist for improvement. This information will enable the national campaign Steering Committee to address issues and provide the support needed to ensure success.
For more information about the campaign, the Local Area Networks for Excellence, and/or to join a LANE, visit www.nhqualitycampaign.org or contact Marcie O'Reilly at moreilly@amda.com.
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