CMS Commends Georgia for Reporting Quality Measures
Georgia Is One of Eight States Recognized by CMS
ATLANTA -- Georgia leads the nation in the number of Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) Initial Core Set quality measures it reported to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in FFY 2010. Georgia was one of eight states recognized recently during the 2nd Annual CMS Medicaid/CHIP Quality Conference held in Baltimore, Md. Georgia reported on 18 of a possible 24 quality measures, more than any other state.
“Not only are we reporting more quality measures, we are using these measures to monitor our initiatives and improve the level of care delivered to this very vulnerable population,” said David A. Cook, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH). “We continue to equate delivery of care with quality outcomes. This recognition reinforces the positive work that we have been doing.”
Janice Carson, MD, deputy director for Performance, Quality and Outcomes with DCH’s Medicaid Division was one of several speakers at the CMS conference, held in mid-June. She and Bonnie Marsh, RN, BSN, MA, executive director with Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG), the state’s External Quality Review Organization (EQRO) vendor, presented on the topic “Transitioning from Paper Compliance to Program and Performance Improvement.” Georgia is a national leader in its work to document true improvements in health outcomes using the documents submitted by Medicaid managed care plans and validated by HSAG.
“We have been instrumental in affecting the way our EQRO vendor validates performance improvement projects,” Dr. Carson said. “DCH and HSAG have worked collaboratively to enhance the scoring methodology for the Performance Improvement Projects (PIPs) that HSAG validates. This new methodology builds upon the previous CMS protocol. It now requires documentation of outcome improvements rather than simply reporting activities required by the protocol. HSAG is now using this new scoring methodology in other states as well.”
About the Georgia Department of Community Health
Through effective planning, purchasing and oversight, the Department of Community Health (DCH) provides access to affordable, quality health care to millions of Georgians, including some of the state’s most vulnerable and underserved populations.
DCH is responsible for Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids,® the State Health Benefit Plan, Healthcare Facility Regulation and Health Information Technology in Georgia.
David A. Cook serves as Commissioner for the Georgia Department of Community Health. To learn more about DCH and its dedication
to A Healthy Georgia, visit www.dch.georgia.gov.