Thanks for caring! Are you one of the nearly 66 million Americans caring for an aging, seriously ill, or disabled family member or friend? Ohio KePRO and Medicare have online resources to help you get the information and obtain the additional support you need. Posted in our online Shopping Bag/Resource Library, Ohio KePRO caregiver resources include fact sheets, tip sheets, consumer guides, and other materials covering such topics as long-term care and assisted living, home health and home modifications, and where to go for help and information.

CRE: A Threat to Public Health Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) is a multidrug-resistant organism posing a serious threat to public health. According to a recent health advisory from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of reported CRE cases is on the rise in the U.S.¹ The organism can be spread in healthcare facilities, and has been associated with up to 50% mortality rates.² Clinicians and healthcare facilities are asked to take critical steps to prevent CRE.
1. CDC. New Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Warrant Additional Action by Healthcare Providers. Available at: www.emergency.cdc.gov/HAN/han00341.asp; 2. CDC. 2012 CRE Toolkit – Guidance for Control of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). Available at: www.cdc.gov/hai/organisms/cre/cre-toolkit/index.html. Accessed March 19, 2013

Smooth Transitions from Hospital to Home When you’re transitioning home from a hospital stay, the last thing you want to do is go back again—but unfortunately, many patients do. Take steps to ensure that you are doing all you can to stay safe, by understanding instructions from your healthcare provider, taking your medications properly, and scheduling appropriate follow-up appointments. Our online Shopping Bag/Resource Library offers resources to help you stay safe.

Hospital Quality Measure Posters Is your staff familiar with each step involved in the hospital outpatient quality measures? Having visible reminders posted in your facility can improve staff adherence and patient safety.

Excellent Ideas for Nursing Homes Is your facility participating or interested in participating in the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign? This national initiative has more than 9,000 members (and counting!) committed to improving healthcare quality in the long-term care environment. Our new publication, Excellent Ideas, has key information to enhance your participation in the campaign, such as selecting new goals, registering or logging in, using the monitoring tools, and more.

Medicare Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Programs Does your physician practice need help navigating CMS requirements for achieving Meaningful Use (MU) of health information technology? Our online Shopping Bag/Resource Library offers numerous resources to help, including toolkits, decision trees, and fact sheets. Be sure to also visit our Education/Events page to access self-study courses (with and without continuing education credits) on topics such as getting started in the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, achieving MU, and putting preventive services into practice. Coming soon: PQRS Toolkit, updated for 2013!

Antibiotic Stewardship Programs In recent years, we’ve seen the rise of antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" such as MRSA, with a significant impact on public health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched ‘Get Smart” educational campaigns to address these problems with healthcare professionals and with the general public, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has prioritized the development of antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) in hospitals throughout the nation.