QIN-QIO: Program impact
Overview
Telligen QI Connect™ is a network of partners working on healthcare quality improvement initiatives that are data-driven and locally-tailored to improve healthcare quality and outcomes by implementing and spreading evidence-based and best practices.
Telligen QI Connect™ is operated by Telligen, which is funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and currently encompasses our work as the CMS Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) across Colorado, Illinois, Iowa and Oklahoma.
“Our partnership and collaboration with Telligen has been instrumental to our success in Colorado’s post-acute and long-term care community. Their on-the-ground support for infection control, vaccine hesitancy and quality improvement has been transformative. They are accessible and have been a lifesaving difference in our community…I can confirm that the support, education and guidance we receive from Telligen are unmatched nationally.”
– Leslie Beth Eber, MD, CMD, CMDA Immediate Past President,
AMDA Medical Director of the Year for 2021
Enrolled Partners
Event Participants
website downloads
“Thank you for all your support throughout the years as our QIN-QIO. We appreciate you helping us walk through some difficult times and bringing the facilities I have been associated with as a traveling administrator to regulatory compliance. Telligen was instrumental in helping us in the maze of COVID-19 regulations and keeping our residents and staff safe in that very difficult time.”
– Johanna Volm,
Vice President of Clinical Services at Care Initiatives in Iowa
Highlights
25.1% reduction in C. diff hospitalization
There was a 25.1% reduction in C. diff (Clostridioides difficile) hospitalization rates in nursing homes that partnered with Telligen.
18.2% Reduction in Readmission Rates
Opioid best practices in each state
100% of Telligen’s communities have opioid best practices in place.
Enhanced Technical Assistance Helped an ACO Surpass Goals for A1c Measure Improvement
In less than six months, Telligen helped this organization exceed its goal of reducing the percentage of patients with uncontrolled A1C to 30% or less. Through Telligen’s support, the number of patients with uncontrolled A1C levels dropped by 37%, from 62.5% to 25.4%. Additionally, there has been a 60% overall reduction in missing or uncontrolled A1C levels since Telligen’s intervention.
COVID-19 Vaccination rates increased in 2024
In the 2023-2024 period, nursing home resident and staff COVID-19 vaccination rates increased by 51.4% and 30.9%, respectively, while community beneficiary vaccination rates rose by over 67%.
“Telligen has provided a wealth of ideas. There are not obvious answers to some of our challenges and Telligen helps us find the unique answers. Quality is not only their profession; quality embodies the people you’re working with.”
– Tandy Warren, RN, CIC,
Director of Clinical Operations at Lindsay Municipal Hospital in Oklahoma
Innovations in Quality Improvement
The Blue Ribbon in COVID-19 Vigilance award was created to recognize nursing homes in the Telligen QI Connect™ network for their efforts in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Eligible nursing homes received a marketing toolkit that included a certificate, marketing graphics, social media content, and a press release to share with community members, healthcare partners, hospitals, employees, residents and families.
As of July 2024, 801 nursing homes in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa and Oklahoma have been awarded the Blue Ribbon in COVID-19 Vigilance.
In 2023, Telligen launched the B.E.S.T. in Class recognition program. This annual award recognizes nursing homes that provide safe and high-quality care. To qualify, nursing homes must earn the Blue Ribbon in COVID-19 Vigilance award for multiple quarters, complete Telligen’s Emergency Preparedness Assessment, ensure at least 75% of staff complete infection prevention and control training, and reduce preventable emergency department visits by 5%.
Telligen recognized 94 nursing homes across Colorado, Illinois, Iowa and Oklahoma as the B.E.S.T. in Class.
Telligen has built a culture of resilience by focusing on real-time response and adaptability rather than traditional preparedness. By developing a unique Emergency Preparedness Assessment, Telligen helped organizations refine strategies and close gaps in performance. This interdisciplinary approach, including training and ongoing learning, enhanced both organizational and community-wide preparedness for future emergencies.
100% of Telligen partners attested to having an emergency preparedness plan in place.
The podcast series Shine a Light on Stigma explores substance use disorder (SUD) and the opioid crisis in healthcare settings. The hosts and guests cover topics like opioid prescribing guidelines, peer recovery coaches, stigma-free treatment and the connection between trauma and addiction. The series highlights the importance of empathy and harm reduction and emphasizes community engagement as key to improving health outcomes for individuals affected by SUD.
This limited podcast series contributed to Telligen’s podcasts receiving over 1,000 listens and developed a dedicated following.
“Our designation by Telligen for B.E.S.T. in Class has been a great honor. The process has built our confidence and provided clear direction following the chaos of the pandemic. Attaining B.E.S.T. in Class has improved trust with residents and families, and we have seen improved referral volume!”
– Don Backstrom,
Executive Director at Suites at Clermont Park Care Center in Colorado
Impact Examples
APPLYING COST-BENEFIT ANALYSES TO QUALITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES
Across the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa and Oklahoma, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) referred 916 nursing homes to Telligen for COVID-19 related interventions. Telligen’s delivery of targeted response support to these nursing homes for COVID-19-related initiatives yielded demonstrable benefits. Targeted response interventions led by Telligen in the 916 nursing homes resulted in:
$136.9 million in overall savings of hospital expenditures; every $1 dollar spent saved $57 in healthcare costs
15,496 prevented COVID-19 cases among nursing home residents and a 34% reduction in COVID-19 infection rates
Prevention of 1,803 deaths and 5,733 hospitalizations due to COVID-19
Partnering to Provide Immunizations to Nursing Home Residents
At the start of 2024, Telligen partnered with the Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network (CPESN) to tackle a challenge for nursing homes – access to vaccination services. The process of connecting nursing homes in need of vaccines with contracted CPESN pharmacies was an innovative way to work through barriers to vaccine access. The partnership resulted in:
130 vaccine clinics, 107 administered COVID-19 vaccines; 36% of the clinics took place in rural settings and 15% of clinics took place in areas with a high Social Vulnerability Index (SVI)
5,663 total administered vaccines including COVID-19, pneumococcal, influenza, RSV and others as requested
614 one-on-one technical assistance encounters related to infection prevention and/or vaccination