Virginia Health Quality Center
Encyclopedia
Virginia Health Quality Center (VHQC) was an independent, not-for-profit corporation that primarily focused on health care
quality assessment services. Their role was to assess the needs, implement improvements, and evaluate results as it related to how medical care is delivered by health care providers within a targeted geographic area. The VHQC's clients included federal and state agencies, health care provider
s, managed care
organizations, and commercial health insurers
in Virginia
and throughout the United States.
As the Medicare
quality improvement organization
for Virginia, they worked under the guidance of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS), an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services
.
Productivity and Quality Award Plaque for Progress in Performance Excellence, the highest level award bestowed on an organization in Virginia during 2002.
The VHQC serves as the federally designated quality improvement organization for Virginia, and is one of the many Quality improvement organizations
(QIOs) throughout the nation. The VHQC has held the CMS contract to provide quality improvement and Medicare beneficiary outreach services in Virginia since 1984. The VHQC partners with Virginia's health care community to improve patient care for Virginia's 913,886 Medicare beneficiaries in all health care settings, including hospitals, physician
offices, nursing homes and home health
agencies. The VHQC serves as an advocate for Virginia's Medicare beneficiaries, providing education and handling complaints.
The VHQC provides quality improvement assistance to Virginia's acute care hospitals and more than 700 physicians in a number of clinical topics such as heart failure, pneumonia
, stroke
, breast cancer
and diabetes. In addition, the VHQC conducts many local and national projects that employ quality improvement techniques for at-risk populations.
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
quality assessment services. Their role was to assess the needs, implement improvements, and evaluate results as it related to how medical care is delivered by health care providers within a targeted geographic area. The VHQC's clients included federal and state agencies, health care provider
Health care provider
A health care provider is an individual or an institution that provides preventive, curative, promotional or rehabilitative health care services in a systematic way to individuals, families or communities....
s, managed care
Managed care
...intended to reduce unnecessary health care costs through a variety of mechanisms, including: economic incentives for physicians and patients to select less costly forms of care; programs for reviewing the medical necessity of specific services; increased beneficiary cost sharing; controls on...
organizations, and commercial health insurers
Health insurance
Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and throughout the United States.
As the Medicare
Medicare (United States)
Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
quality improvement organization
Quality improvement organizations
Quality Improvement Organizations monitor the appropriateness, effectiveness, and quality of care provided to Medicare beneficiaries. They are private contractor extensions of the federal government that work under the auspices of the U.S...
for Virginia, they worked under the guidance of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services , previously known as the Health Care Financing Administration , is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services that administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with state governments to administer...
(CMS), an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...
.
Description
Established in 1984, the VHQC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation with clients in both the public and private sectors. The VHQC has more than 60 employees, including physicians, nurses, biostatisticians, health educators and public relations professionals. It was the recipient of the 2002 United States SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Productivity and Quality Award Plaque for Progress in Performance Excellence, the highest level award bestowed on an organization in Virginia during 2002.
The VHQC serves as the federally designated quality improvement organization for Virginia, and is one of the many Quality improvement organizations
Quality improvement organizations
Quality Improvement Organizations monitor the appropriateness, effectiveness, and quality of care provided to Medicare beneficiaries. They are private contractor extensions of the federal government that work under the auspices of the U.S...
(QIOs) throughout the nation. The VHQC has held the CMS contract to provide quality improvement and Medicare beneficiary outreach services in Virginia since 1984. The VHQC partners with Virginia's health care community to improve patient care for Virginia's 913,886 Medicare beneficiaries in all health care settings, including hospitals, physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
offices, nursing homes and home health
Home care
Home Care, , is health care or supportive care provided in the patient's home by healthcare professionals Home Care, (also referred to as domiciliary care or social care), is health care or supportive care provided in the patient's home by healthcare professionals Home Care, (also referred to as...
agencies. The VHQC serves as an advocate for Virginia's Medicare beneficiaries, providing education and handling complaints.
The VHQC provides quality improvement assistance to Virginia's acute care hospitals and more than 700 physicians in a number of clinical topics such as heart failure, pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
, breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
and diabetes. In addition, the VHQC conducts many local and national projects that employ quality improvement techniques for at-risk populations.