Improving Care for Medicare Beneficiaries
Recent U.S. Census estimates show that the percentage of the U.S. population 65 and older increased 34% since 2010 and that 20% of the population will be 65 and older by 2030. Most older adults have at least one chronic condition and many have multiple conditions. The most common are high blood pressure, arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes.
Stratis Health is building on a long history of success as the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Minnesota by serving as a key partner in Superior Health Quality Alliance (Superior Health). Superior Health is powered by eight organizations with a strong track record of achieving Medicare quality improvement goals to improve health and health care for consumers, patients, clinicians, health care organizations, and communities. Superior Health is serving Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin as the Medicare Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) from November 2019 through October 2024.
Superior Health, including Stratis Health, is bringing together health care organizations and community-based organizations in community coalitions for collaborative learning and action. Superior Health is providing training, technical assistance, and convening using our subject-matter expertise and evidence-based interventions to improve health care quality and value. We aim to:
- Improve behavioral health outcomes, focusing on decreased opioid misuse
- Increase patient safety, including reduced adverse drug events
- Increase chronic disease management, focusing on cardiac/vascular health, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease
- Improve coordination of care, including reduced hospital readmissions and emergency department visits
- Increase immunization rates for COVID, flu, and pneumonia
- Improve infection prevention and control practices
Actions
- Improve health care quality and safety for older adults by addressing the goals listed above with over 1,000 nursing homes, 43 communities, and providers serving at least 65% of the Medicare beneficiaries in the region (MI, MN, WI)
- Increase health equity by measuring the impact of our work on populations that experience the greatest health disparities and concentrating effort on the health and safety issues at the root of those disparities
- Improve the health care experience by increasing coordination among clinicians and facilities and across settings of care; facilitating health information exchange through better use of technology; and engaging patients, residents, and caregivers in the design and delivery of care
We make lives better by…
Improving the quality of care and overall health of older adults across three states (MI, MN, WI) through a large-scale initiative:
- Improving quality of care and quality of life for older adults
- Reducing the burden of care for health care providers and practitioners
- Increasing health care access and value for all
Stratis Health has led quality improvement for Medicare beneficiaries for the state of Minnesota since the inception of the QIO program in 1971.