I hope you were able join our virtual Winter Conference yesterday. The topic was Primary Care as a Common Good – The Prescription for a Healthier and More Equitable Health Care System. Our speakers, including keynote Dr. Shawna Hudson, spoke about the value of high-quality primary care, how that is defined, and how…Read More…

The past 21 months, perhaps more than any time in memory, have taught us the importance of relationships and collaboration. At the Quality Institute, we value our relationships with our members and others committed to our mission to advance health care safety, quality, and affordability for everyone. Much work remains ahead, especially in our efforts…Read More…

Just recently, while waiting in my ob-gyn’s exam room, I noticed heartfelt, pink posters which said, “Are you concerned about your thinning lips? Fine lines around your eyes?” Honesty, I was there for health care, but when it was mentioned, should I be concerned?   At home, the marketing continued. I received not just one,…Read More…

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades come out next week. Those grades are based, in part, on information from the Leapfrog Hospital Survey. Once again, we have a 100 percent participation rate on the Survey by New Jersey hospitals. Our state’s hospitals show their commitment to quality, safety, and transparency every time they complete the Survey….Read More…

Most of us have had at least one telehealth visit since the beginning of the pandemic. And for the majority of us, it was our first telehealth visit. Across the country, and the Northeast in particular, telehealth saw an unprecedented spike due to stay at home orders and limitations on PPE. At the Quality Institute,…Read More…

Now is the time to come together and commit to making high quality primary care the foundation of our health care system. This will be a change for New Jersey, but it’s a long overdue positive and important change that we can define and design together.   Depending on our age, health status, and our…Read More…

During the first week of March 2020, our Conversation of Your Life (COYL) county task forces were preparing community events leading up to National Healthcare Decisions Day, organized to inspire community members and health care professionals to learn more about advance care planning. But then word of people dying across the globe from a novel…Read More…

Five years ago, the Quality Institute, in partnership with many of our members, increased our focus on Maternal Infant Health. We were driven by our concern over New Jersey’s high rate of Caesarean section deliveries, high rate of maternal morbidity and mortality, and the disparities based on race. Since then, much has changed, and I…Read More…

Oral health is a window into overall health. Poor oral health is associated with higher rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and pulmonary infections. Oral health also is linked to pregnancy complications such as low-birth weight and premature birth. Moreover, studies have shown that regular dental treatments for those with chronic conditions such as diabetes lowers…Read More…

A new research report conducted by the Urban Institute and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has found that Black adult patients experience significantly higher rates of hospital acquired infections and injuries than white adult patients of the same age group, gender, with similar insurance coverage  — within the same hospital. The report is an…Read More…