Funding opportunity for Community Health Worker clinic teams
KHC — in partnership with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment — is soliciting applications from clinics interested in embedding teams of Community Health Workers (CHWs) at clinics in Brown, Crawford, Johnson, Finney, Wyandotte, Sedgwick, Thomas, and Mitchell Counties. CHW teams will work to provide greater access to COVID-19 prevention and response while addressing chronic diseases and access to social determinants of health that exacerbate COVID-19. Find more information here.
KHC position opening: Executive Director
KHC is accepting applications for Executive Director. The Executive Director is the chief administrative officer of KHC. This role will direct all administrative affairs and all official responsibilities of KHC subject to the approval of the KHC Board of Directors. Among other things, the Executive Director acts as the company’s principal liaison to members, consultants, government agencies, professional associations and societies, the insurance industry, and the community at large. Experience in risk management and/or quality improvement activities is preferred. KHC is accepting applications through October 22, 2021. Find the full job description at www.khconline.org/executivedirector. Thank you for helping spread the word about this exciting opportunity.
KMS position opening: Clinical Case Manager
The Kansas Medical Society's Professionals’ Health Program (PHP) is hiring a full-time Clinical Case Manager. Under the direct supervision of the KMS PHP Program Director, this position provides appropriate activities/talks for intakes, intervention, support, treatment facility referral, monitoring of program participants with health-related issues such as substance use disorders, mental and emotional health issues, and other issues resulting in PHP involvement. Applicant will meet with participants for monitoring with appropriate interaction to meet criteria set forth in KSBHA Professional Development Plans and Consent Orders. More information, including how to apply, is available here.
KHC webinar: Office Hours
The next KHC Office Hours will be held from 10 to 11 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 27. The featured topic is addressing opioids and best practices for hospitals to help reduce opioid misuse. The KHC Office Hours webinar series is conducted the fourth Wednesday of each month and allows Kansas hospitals to keep abreast of the Compass HQIC program and other hospital quality improvement initiatives and resources. To join our monthly meetings, a one-time registration will provide a confirmation appointment for events to be held Oct. 27, Nov. 24, and Dec. 22. Register here.
RFP: Kansas Overdose Data to Action Program
KHC — in partnership with Kansas Department of Health and Environment — is soliciting applications from hospitals and health systems interested in participating in a project to identify provider needs related to opioid use and pain management and in implementing evidence-based interventions, including opioid overdose protocols, policies, and procedures. The interventions will engage hospitals, health systems, and community partners to promote referrals to evidence-based treatment and community resources. This is the third year of this three-year project and applications from new partners are welcome. For more information, visit: www.khconline.org/OD2A.
HQIN webinar: Fixing the Polypharmacy Problem
Medications prescribed from numerous providers can duplicate, contradict, and complicate a patient’s regimen and create a recipe for potential Adverse Drug Events. At 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 28, join Kevin Wissman — PharmD, the University of Kansas, Department of Internal Medicine — who will discuss strategies to address the potential consequences of polypharmacy. Register at no cost here.
New in the KHC Education Archive: Basic Infection Prevention Learning Series for the Ambulatory Care Setting
The statewide Learning Action Network (LAN) for the outpatient setting held earlier this year featured basic infection prevention training for frontline health care workers and office staff. This nine-part collaborative series was conducted by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) in partnership with KHC. Each recorded session focused on building knowledge and confidence in improving infection prevention practices. Recordings of each session are available at: www.khconline.org/LAN. An informational flyer is available here.
Webinar recording: Learn how to deploy eCR to reduce reporting burden on health care staff
KHC and KDHE—in collaboration with the CDC—have teamed up to help providers learn more about eCR, learn how to easily implement it, and ultimately improve public health reporting in our state. A webinar with CDC and KDHE officials was held recently, a recording of which can be accessed at no cost here. If you are interested in equipping your organization’s EHR with eCR capability, please let KHC know by emailing Treva Borcher at
#KansasFightsFlu campaign
The time for flu vaccination is here, and the Immunize Kansas Coalition’s #KansasFightsFlu webpage has been updated for the 2021-2022 flu season. The latest update on the webpage includes a section designated to college vaccine messaging, and an upcoming graphic showcasing the rise of COVID-19 cases in Kansas ERs among the young adult population. We’re excited to announce the new #KansasFightsFlu collegiate campaign in partnership with KDHE HAI/AR Program/Advisory Committee, KFMC, IKC, and Kansas universities and colleges. This campaign is an effort for Kansas universities to promote their yearly vaccine clinics, and raise the rates of flu and COVID-19 vaccines among their university students.
No-cost HPV and Flu vaccine training available for CME and CNE
The Immunize Kansas Coalition is offering no-cost training to help improve vaccination among young people: one module for HPV vaccination (approx. 30 min.) and one module for influenza vaccination (approx. 15 min.). The training modules are intended for medical and nursing staff members and teams addressing vaccine hesitancy and providing a strong recommendation for vaccination. There is no cost, and CME and CNE are available.
HQIN webinar recording: A Community of Immunity
The recent HQIN webinar on vaccinations is now available at no cost on demand. Access the recording here and access the handouts here.
Health Quality Innovators of the Year Awards
HQi is offering an opportunity to earn recognition for using successful approaches to quality improvement. Share how you and your team work to help patients live healthier lives. The deadline to submit an entry for the awards is October 15. Winners will be announced in November. Awards will be given in five categories: Collaboration; Patient Engagement and Activation; Population Health; Health Equity; and Rural Health. For more information and to apply, visit: www.hqi.solutions/about/awards.
AHA webinar recording: Addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy
Individuals may be reluctant to get the COVID-19 vaccine for many reasons. One way hospitals and health systems can increase vaccination rates for their patients, employees and communities is to focus on why people are hesitant. Understanding the roots of vaccine hesitancy allows health care organizations to tailor their vaccine communication strategies to their specific communities. To that end, the AHA recently held a webinar to discuss finding in a new report by Kaiser Permanente and the California Testing Task Force, which examined what drives attitudes toward vaccines and describes archetypes of vaccine-hesitant individuals. Watch the recording here: https://youtu.be/kR1HtSlSuqs and download the report here.
Here are additional resources for addressing vaccine hesitancy:
- Guide for talking to family and friends about getting vaccinated for COVID-19 (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health)
- Increasing Access to Vaccination Opportunities: COVID-19 Vaccination upon Discharge from Hospitals, Emergency Departments, and Urgent Care Facilities (PDF)
- A Guide for Talking to Your Congregation: Supporting Empathetic Congregational Conversations on COVID-19 Vaccination
- CDC Vaccine Education
- CDC Vaccine Training Modules
Additional upcoming events
October 14
2 – 3 p.m.
Compass HQIC Office Hours
During this call, the Compass HQIC team will review updates, provide clarifications, and answer hospital questions regarding the Compass HQIC measure set annual updates that were released Oct. 1. Register here.
October 14
Noon - 1 p.m.
CMS webinar: Readmission Reduction — Transforming Into a Care Partner Hospital
Register here.
October 21
1 – 2 p.m.
Value of PFACs to Hospital Staff, Patients + Families
Registration and more information here.
October 27 and November 10
11 a.m. to noon
CLABSI Reduction -- Let’s Reboot: Examining Strategies to Reset Culture + Practices
Registration and more information here.
October 28
Noon to 1 p.m.
Exploring Strategies to Prevent Hypoglycemia in Hospitalized Patients
Register here.
October 29
Noon to 1 p.m.
Large Hospital Affinity Group (All HQICs)
Register here.
November 9
1 – 2 p.m.
Restart of PFACs with New Staff + PFAC Members
Registration and more information here.