Quality Initiatives

Implementation of evidenced-based health care guidelines ensures standard care within the clinics. Priority is placed on conditions which are impacting our society in significant ways and are able to be addressed in such a way as to provide positive outcomes for our patients.

Diabetes

Implementation of evidenced-based standards of care ensure the best possible outcomes for diabetic patients. To learn more about diabetes care, visit the D5: Managing Diabetes Care in Minnesota web site.

Depression

Proper diagnosis and follow-up will positively affect the care of those patients. Utilizing a common tool to assess and grade depression allows for coordination of care across the health care system. Watch for more news in the near future as CentraCare Clinic participates in the DIAMOND Initiative.

Preventive Services

Prevention is the best medicine. This initiative places tools at the hands of health care providers as they care for patients and assist in providing proper services at the appropriate times of life.

Child & Teen Check

This initiative is an effort to provide all of the recommended exams and services to children at the appropriate time. Well-child visits provide the required screenings which assure parents that the best possible care is given to their child for a healthy future.

Medical Home Project

The pediatric department of CentraCare Clinic Women & Children and the Heartland Family Medicine Clinic have been participating in this important national initiative. Work in this area creates coordination of care between the health care system, schools, home and EMS.

To learn more, please visit the National Center of Medical Home Initiatives for Children with Special Needs web site.

Medication Safety

There are many steps you as a patient can take to work with your health care providers to prevent medication errors. Start by being an informed consumer and learn all you can about your condition and the medications used to treat it.

Learn more about what you can do to help prevent medication errors.

Congestive Heart Failure

Heart Failure is a major health problem in the United States, and the incidence of the disease is projected to increase. It was the most frequent diagnosis of Medicare patients discharged from the hospital in 2001. There are an estimated 4.9 million individuals currently diagnosed with heart failure, 550,000 new cases diagnosed annually, 1 million people hospitalized annually (including readmission rates of 30 to 60%), and over 260,000 annual deaths from heart failure.

Work currently being done in this area is collaboratively focusing on both inpatient and outpatient care process for patients with heart failure. Utilization of the chronic care disease model and a focus on successful chronic disease strategies are the first steps being taken in this important improvement initiative.