Aligning Forces For Quality Hospital Quality Network Home Care Path

Aligning Forces For Quality Hospital Network (AF4Q) is a National Improvement Program funded through The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Aligning Forces For Quality (AF4Q) is The Robert Wood Johnsons authorized effort to lift the overall quality of health care in 17 targeted regions, as well as reduce racial and ethnic disparities and provide models for reform.

The AF4Q Hospital Quality Network includes three separate quality improvement initiatives aimed at helping hospitals improve care delivery. Hospitals throughout the United States (Mile Bluff Medical Center of Mauston Wisconsin is participating) will pilot health care delivery improvement strategies.

Reducing readmissions is one of the three quality improvement initiatives. This will help hospitals improve care for heart failure patients, ultimately reducing costly and avoidable readmissions.

Increasing Throughput will focus on emergency care. Increasing throughput will utilize real patient provider interactions to improve pace and efficiency of patients moving through the hospital emergency room setting. The flow of patient treatment and release, or admission and transfer to appropriate department will be examined.

Improved Language Services will help the hospital improve care for patients who speak or understand limited English. Trained medical interpreters are to be available with the admission and discharge process to improve patient - provider communication.

Participating hospitals will commit to 18 months, with collecting and submitting required data. Hospitals participating in the pilot demonstrate to the community a leadership role in improving patient care and overall health outcomes.

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com provides non-medical in home custodial care for seniors in south central Wisconsin.