Ohio KePROmotion June 05

While risks for many health conditions
tend to increase as one gets older,
ever yone, regardless of age, can benefit
from following preventive health
recommendations, visiting healthcare
providers on a regular basis, and having
health information updated and easily
accessible in case of an emergency.

By Daniel B. Moss, Media Specialist, Ohio KePRO

Three nursing homes in Ohio were recognized in the May 2005 edition of a
national publication for the quality care provided to their residents as a result
of their par ticipation in the Nursing Home Quality Initiative (NHQI) with Ohio

KePRO, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for Ohio.

Ohio KePRO, the Medicare Quality
Improvement Organization for Ohio, has
compiled a number of helpful online
resources to assist consumers with a
proactive approach to maintaining good
health. Beginning May 20, 2005, the
new Resources for a Healthy You button
on the home page of the Ohio KePRO
Web site at www.ohiokepro.com will
take users to a collection of links to
professional resources for health
decision-making:
   Assess Your Health Today
   Ask Your Doctor the
   RIGHT Questions
   F ind a Healthcare Provider
   Create an Interactive Online
   Health Record
   Locate a Flu Shot Clinic
   F ind a Mammography Facility
   Live a Hear t Healthy Lifestyle
   Get a Tool Kit to Prevent Falls

This new section will be updated
regularly so that the collection is always
comprehensive and valuable to the
growing number of people using the
Internet to search for health information
and resources.

Whether one wants to locate a doctor,
get a flu shot, or begin managing their
health with an interactive online health
record, Resources for a Healthy You on
the Ohio KePRO Web site offers users
the latest online information and inno-
vations to help ensure their best quality
of life.

      pringtime for Quality: Three nursing
      homes blossom under a QIO" is the
      cover stor y of the May edition of
Nursing Homes magazine, also marketed as
Nursing Homes Long Term Care Management.
The Cleveland-based magazine has a
monthly nationwide circulation of more than
50,000, and is written for administrators,
directors of nursing, and other management
personnel in nursing homes.

Eliza Jennings in Cleveland,
Trinity Community of
Beavercreek, and Mount Saint
Joseph in Euclid attributed the
foundations of their success
in improving quality on specific
measures of care as
established by the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Ser vices
(CMS) to Ohio KePRO's free
resources and technical
exper tise. These homes
achieved substantial improve-
ment on quality measures for
reductions in incidence of pain, pressure
ulcers, and use of physical restraints
among residents.

All nursing homes in Ohio have
received educational materials
from Ohio KePRO to help improve
their quality of care.

Specifically:
   Eliza Jennings Home, a 150-bed home,
   has seen pain decline by 78% for
   chronic care residents and by 71% for

post-acute residents. Pressure ulcer
rate has declined by 84%, and use of
physical restraints remains at zero.
Trinity Community, a 106-bed home,
has seen pain decline by 67% for
chronic care residents and by 28% for
post-acute residents. Pressure ulcer
rate has declined by 64%, and use of
physical restraints has declined by 55%.
Mount Saint Joseph, a 100-bed home,
       has seen chronic pain decline
       by 85% and post-acute pain by
       77%. Pressure ulcer rate has
       declined by 9%, and use of
       physical restraints declined
       by 35%.

The homes also cited Ohio
KePRO as making an impact
for improvement in other areas
such as staff retention, which
can have a substantial impact
on consistent deliver y of
quality care.

The complete ar ticle is available
on the magazine's Web site at
www.nursinghomesmagazine.com.

Ohio KePRO spearheads the NHQI under its
contract with CMS and is acknowledged by
the homes in the ar ticle as both a strong
foundation and a springboard for their
success. Quality improvement work with
nursing homes includes hands-on training
with quality exper ts, instruction in best
practices, and sharing in-depth resources.

Quality in Ohio Nursing Homes
Gets National Spotlight (cont.)

All nursing homes in Ohio have received educational materials from
Ohio KePRO to help improve their quality of care.

"Ohio KePRO is proud to have our par ticipants' success shared in
such a credible format," said Ohio KePRO Medical Director Alice
Stollenwerk Petrulis, MD, FACP "We continue to nur ture oppor tunities .
for quality improvement with homes throughout Ohio that work hard
each day to achieve success in terms of resident comfor t, safety,
and quality of life."

Ohio was one of six pilot states for NHQI when it was unveiled in
2002. Other par ticipating nursing homes in the state also have
earned critical acclaim for improvement in care as measured and
made available on Nursing Home Compare, a comparison resource
for consumers available on the Medicare Web site at
www.medicare.gov. Consumers without Internet access can get
comparison information by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

Nursing homes achieved substantial improvement
on quality measures for reductions in incidence of
pain, pressure ulcers, and use of physical
restraints.

The environment of interest and pursuit for nursing home quality is
strong in Ohio. Through March 2005, Ohio ranks 2nd in the nation
in searches and comparisons of nursing homes on Nursing Home
Compare, with an average of more than 100 searches per day.

Ready to Compare
Hospital Care?

ospital Compare, a new consumer Web site unveiled April 1,
2005 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Ser vices (CMS)
and the Hospital Quality Alliance, a public-private collaboration,
provides instant, objective, easy-to-use and free information about
the quality of hospital care in Ohio and nationwide.

Hospital quality information is now available by visiting
www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov or www.medicare.gov and selecting
Compare Hospitals in Your Area, or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE
(1-800-633-4227). Either way, consumers get the information they
need to help them make more informed healthcare decisions.

Ohio KePRO has a
step-by-step guide
for consumers to
navigate Hospital
Compare and a
hospital "checklist"
for consumers to use
when comparing
other characteristics
of hospital care,
such as facility
accreditation and
availability of private
rooms. Both of these
printed resources are free and can be viewed and ordered online
via the Ohio KePRO Web site at www.ohiokepro.com/shopping or
through the Ohio KePRO Medicare Beneficiar y Help Line at
1-800-589-7337.

Need a Guest For
Your News Program?

hether your media outlet reaches Medicare beneficiaries,
their families or their caregivers, healthcare is a dynamic and
relevant issue for listeners and viewers. We invite you to contact
Ohio KePRO's media specialist at (216) 447-9604 x2219 or via
Online Media Inquir y at
http://www.ohiokepro.com/publications/mediainquiries.asp. to
access professionals who can address the healthcare information
needs of your audience from a qualified perspective.

"People should review the data on Hospital Compare and then talk
with their physicians about any concerns and about quality of care,"
noted Ohio KePRO Medical Director Alice Stollenwerk Petrulis, MD,
FACP "You cannot always predict when you will need hospital care, .
but you can be informed."

Executive Editor : Suzana C. Iveljic, MBA
Editor : Daniel B. Moss, BSBA e-mail: dmoss2@ohqio.sdps.org

T H E J U N E E D I T I O N O F O H I O Ke P RO M O T I O N H A S A R R I V E D !
Your News Source for Health & Rights Information for Ohio's Medicare Beneficiaries

Publication No. 4123-OH-009-06/2005. This material was prepared by Ohio KePRO, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Ohio, under contract
with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Ser vices (CMS), an agency of the U. S. Depar tment of Health and Human Ser vices. The contents presented do not
necessarily reflect CMS policy. For more information, please call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), or visit the CMS Web site at www.medicare.gov.