Two clinical care programs developed in Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States were recently selected as finalists for the 2018 James A. Vohs Quality Award.
The honors, presented in several categories, are a prestigious recognition of work that showcases innovative techniques and knowledge that can be transferred throughout Kaiser Permanente. Criteria for selection included making significant improvements in their focus areas and clearly distinguishing themselves by advancing care or service quality.
The KPMAS finalist for the Vohs Regional Quality Award is for our Hepatitis C Care screening pathway (or cascade) program, developed through a collaboration with the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group and its research institute, MAPRI. “The Hepatitis C Cascade is an integrated program designed to identify, engage, stage, and appropriately care for our members at risk for and who have Hepatitis C infection,” says MAPRI executive director Michael Horberg, MD.
Through this process of unburdening physicians while utilizing MAPRI clinical research team members at the top of their skill sets, KPMAS has been able to screen over 70,000 members and newly diagnose nearly 1,000 members with chronic hepatitis C — and stage these patients and engage them in optimal care for their disease.
The KPMAS finalist for the Vohs Multi-Regional Award is a collaboration with Northern California on identification and treatment of patients struggling with alcohol abuse, an important HEDIS measure. In just a few short years, the collaborative effort has dramatically improved the quality of care for these patients: KPMAS rose to a national rating of 5th in this quality measure, according to the 2017 National Committee for Quality Assurance’s Quality Compass® (an increase from 304th in 2014).
“By leveraging and improving upon Northern California workflows, MAPMG created tools and training materials to enable adult and family medicine physicians to properly screen the population at risk for Alcohol Use Disorder and quickly connect these patients with appropriate treatment,” says Associate Medical Director for Quality Joseph Territo, MD.
Several regions submitted nominations last fall, and three finalists each were selected for the Regional and Multi-Regional categories. Finalists across the KP program are working on the final award write up, due this summer. The 2018 Vohs Award winners and finalists will be recognized at the Board’s Annual Vohs Quality and Lawrence Patient Safety Awards dinner in November 2018.
The Vohs and Lawrence awards were created to honor the contributions of two esteemed Kaiser Permanente leaders – James A. Vohs and David M. Lawrence, M.D. They are presented by the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals Board of Directors annually.
KPMAS was last awarded both a Vohs and Lawrence award in 2006 for programs on controlling high blood pressure and Perinatal Patient Safety.
The complete list of finalists are below:
Lawrence Regional Patient Safety Award Category:
- Northern California- Stroke Door-to-Needle Redesign
- Northwest- Ventricular Assist Device Program
Vohs Regional Quality Award Category:
- Colorado- A Multi-Modal Initiative to Increase Long Acting Reversible Contraception Among Adolescent Women
- Mid-Atlantic States- The Hepatitis C Care Cascade: Increasing Comprehensive Screening and Diagnosis
- Northwest- Mobile Health Partners: Extending the Patient’s Healthcare Team
Quality or Safety “Multi-Regional” Category:
- Mid-Atlantic States & Northern California- Alcohol Use Disorder Identification, Treatment and Monitoring
- Northwest, Colorado, Hawaii, Northern California & Southern California – National Pediatric Opioid Reduction
- Southern California & Colorado- Optimizing Multiple Sclerosis Treatment
About the Awards
James A. Vohs Award for Quality
First awarded in 1993, this award recognizes projects that exemplify Kaiser Permanente’s focus on providing high-quality, affordable care. Award recipients have implemented successful practices and developed knowledge that can be shared across the organization. James A. Vohs provided 40 years of distinguished service to Kaiser Permanente. He served for 17 years as president, chief executive officer and/or chairman of the Kaiser Permanente Boards of Directors. He created the board’s Committee on Quality of Care and emphasized the moral and strategic importance of quality. When Vohs retired, the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals’ Boards of Directors established the James A. Vohs Award for Quality.
David M. Lawrence Patient Safety Award
This award recognizes projects that improve the safety of care for patients and accelerate the rate and scope of patient-safety improvements at Kaiser Permanente. During his 11 years as CEO and chairman of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, David M. Lawrence, MD, challenged Kaiser Permanente and the entire health care industry to pursue patient safety as an integral component of high-quality care. On the occasion of his retirement in 2002, the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan/Hospitals’ Board of Directors established the Lawrence Patient Safety Award to recognize and honor projects that advance the quality of care by improving the safety of care.
