The MMA works in partnership with other organizations on projects that lead to measurable improvements in care delivery and patient outcomes. The MMA helps physicians to improve the quality of their care by sharing quality success stories and providing them with tools, resources, and educational opportunities.
MMA Physician Leadership in Quality Award Each year the MMA Quality Committee presents an award to a Minnesota physician who has demonstrated leadership in advancing quality and safety in health care. Past winners include John D. Bergseng, D.O. (2006), William Davis, M.D. (2006), and Gordon Mosser, M.D.(2006); Burnell J. Mellema, M.D. (2007); Brian J. Anderson, M.D. (2008); Prathibha Varkey, M.D., of Rochester (2009); Bill Nersesian, M.D. (2010).
MMA Quality Committee
MMA Publication: MMA Quality Review
The MMA Quality Review, a quarterly publication reporting Minnesota's health care safety and quality news, was published from 2006 through 2008. Its goal was to provide Minnesota's physicians practical information about how they could improve the quality of health care in the state. Beginning in 2009, this information was incorporated into Minnesota Medicine, the MMA Physician Advocate, and MMA NewsNow.
MMA High-Tech Imaging Tool Kit
Agency for Health care Research and Quality (AHRQ) AHRQ is a federal agency that sponsors and conducts research designed to improve health care. Their website contains white papers on a range of research topics, data on hospital performance, and reports on other quality-related topics.
American Medical Association (AMA) The AMA is involved in several quality improvement initiatives including the AMA’s Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement, which works with the national medical specialty societies and quality organizations to develop evidence-based performance measures.
Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI) ICSI develops practice guidelines, forms learning collaboratives on health care delivery redesign, provides quality-improvement consulting services, and convenes stakeholders to address some of the toughest issues facing health care.
Institute for Health care Improvement (IHI) The Institute for Health care Improvement (IHI) is an independent not-for-profit organization helping to improve health care quality and safety in the United States. Hundreds of provider organizations have used IHI’s ideas and techniques to improve patient care.
National Guideline Clearinghouse
Stratis Health Minnesota’s Medicare Quality Improvement Organization, leads efforts to address health care quality and safety in Minnesota. Stratis’s efforts include assessing and improving safety culture in hospitals and nursing homes, integrating patient safety-related technology, training and supporting root cause analysis, and clinical safety improvement.