Priorities in Action

National Quality Strategy Priorities in Action Features Nationally Recognized Programs That Promote Patient-Centered Care

The latest edition of National Quality Strategy Priorities in Actionfeatures Better Health Greater Cleveland, a collaborative of more than 700 primary care providers from 12 health care systems, health plans, employer groups and community organizations that joined to improve health care in northeast Ohio while reducing costs. The collaborative has been successful in reducing emergency room visits by 60 percent and achieving more than $50 million in savings. Care transformation efforts by the collaborative promote National Quality Strategy priorities such as promoting the most effective prevention and treatment practices and making quality care more affordable through the levers of public reporting, learning and technical assistance, measurement and feedback and health information technology. The Priorities in Action also features the Reginald S. Lourie Center for Infants and Young Children, a nationally recognized pioneer, incubator and disseminator of evidence-based treatments involving early childhood development, prevention and intervention. The National Quality Strategy, first published in March 2011, was mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. It is led by AHRQ on behalf of HHS.

Priorities in Action features some of our nation's most promising and transformative quality improvement programs, and describes their alignment to the NQS' six priorities. Updated monthly, these programs represent private sector, Federal, State, and local efforts.

We want to hear from you! If your program aligns with the priorities, email NQStrategy@ees.hhs.gov with details.

Inclusion in the Priorities in Action program listing does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

To expand/collapse the full description of any program below, please select the link labeled (more...).

---

• Better Health Greater Cleveland (more...)

  In 2007, northeast Ohio health care systems, health plans, employer groups, and community organizations established Better Health Greater Cleveland to improve health and health care while reducing costs. The collaborative develops and disseminates evidence-based care transformation strategies focused on primary care for chronic conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart failure. Across the region, the collaborative's programs have helped more than 700 primary care providers from 12 health care systems adopt patient-centered models of care, use electronic health records more effectively, and regularly measure care to identify opportunities to continuously improve.

• NQS Priorities
  	Making care safer by reducing harm caused in the delivery of care.
  	Ensuring that each person and family are engaged as partners in their care.
  	Promoting effective communication and coordination of care.
  	Promoting the most effective prevention and treatment practices for the leading causes of mortality, starting with cardiovascular disease.
  	Working with communities to promote wide use of best practices to enable healthy living.
  	Making quality care more affordable for individuals, families, employers, and governments by developing and spreading new health care delivery models.