Innovations

What are innovations?
In this section, the Fund highlights practical tools, case studies, and innovative state strategies that can help you put sound policy into practice.

Dedicated Surgical Care Improvement Team Guides Changes at Reid Hospital and Health Care Services

November 10, 2009 - This case study describes the strategies and factors that appear to contribute to high performance on surgical care improvement measures at Reid Hospital. It is based on information obtained from interviews with key hospital personnel and materials provided by the hospital during the spring of 2009.

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A Guide to Developing State Child Health 'Improvement Partnerships'

February 24, 2009 - A new online guide from the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program provides state leaders in child health with step-by-step instructions to developing sustainable collaborations of public and private partners that are dedicated to improving the quality of children's health care.

Family Council Manual and Toolkit: A Guide for Creating and Sustaining Effective Nursing Home Family Councils

August 28, 2009 - The Family Council Manual and Toolkit: A Guide for Creating and Sustaining Effective Nursing Home Family Councils is a practical handbook for family members interested in setting up a new family council as well as a comprehensive resource for more experienced leaders facing new issues or wanting to reinvigorate an existing council.

Resident-Centered Regulation: Achieving Resident-Centered Nursing Home Care Through the Regulatory Process

August 28, 2009 - With support from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and partial funding from The Commonwealth Fund, the Rhode Island Department of Health conducted a project called the Individualized Care Pilot.

How to Retain Nursing Home Staff and Improve Organizational Performance

August 28, 2009 - Based on the experiences of more than 400 nursing homes, the Staff Stability Toolkit is designed to serve as an evidence-based resource for nursing homes that are working to reduce staff turnover.

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Holland Hospital: Improving Pneumonia Care by Hardwiring Process Enhancements

October 7, 2009 - Holland Hospital has significantly improved its performance on the pneumonia process-of-care, or "core" measures, over the last five years. The core measures, developed by the Hospital Quality Alliance, relate to provision of recommended treatment in four clinical areas: heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, and surgical care.

St. Charles Hospital: Improving Surgical Care Through Best-Practice Literature and Order Sets

September 22, 2009 - From 2004 to 2008, St. Charles Hospital achieved dramatic improvement on process-of-care measures, particularly on those intended to reduce surgical complications. This case study examines how they achieved these quality improvements.

Mayo Clinic: Multidisciplinary Teamwork, Physician-Led Governance, and Patient-Centered Culture Drive World-Class Health Care

August 13, 2009 - The Mayo Clinic is the world's oldest and largest integrated multispecialty group medical practice, combining clinical practice, education, and research at the regional, national, and international levels for the benefit of individuals with routine as well as complex health care needs.

Henry Ford Health System: A Framework for System Integration, Coordination, Collaboration, and Innovation

August 13, 2009 - Henry Ford Health System is a vertically integrated health care system in southeastern Michigan whose leadership is committed to systemic integration, clinical excellence, and customer value through the core competencies of collaboration, care coordination, and innovation and learning.

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New York: State and City Innovations to Scale Up Health IT

November 4, 2009 - Since 2006, New York State has awarded $226 million in public funds to develop and implement a comprehensive health information infrastructure—more than in all other states combined.

Arizona Medical Information Exchange Outgrows Medicaid

November 4, 2009 - The Arizona Medical Information Exchange is a Web-based health information exchange that enables participating practitioners to view hospital discharge and other clinical reports, lab test results, and medication data for many of their patients.

Delaware: First State, First Statewide Health Information Exchange

November 4, 2009 - Delaware established the first statewide clinical health information exchange (HIE) in 1997. Compared with other states, it has taken more of a public sector approach to HIE governance, though this strategy may be shifting.

Maryland: Increasing Adult Eligibility While Cutting the Budget

August 28, 2009 - Maryland recently began expanding Medicaid coverage to low-income parents and expanding health benefits to low-income childless adults as part of a larger set of health reforms aimed at reducing the number of uninsured, improving the quality of care, and containing costs.