CHCQM Diplomate Achievement Award Submissions with Honorable Mention
To recognize the achievements of our extraordinary Diplomates, ABQAURP presents the CHCQM Diplomate Achievement Award bi-annually in conjunction with our Annual Health Care Quality & Patient Safety Conference. ABQAURP presents the Award to recognize the Diplomate that embodies the values of the medical profession through leadership, service, excellence, and integrity; demonstrating their commitment to advancing our mission to improve the quality of health care.

To read about the Award Winner: Click HERE.

A sincere "Thank You" to all of our ABQAURP Diplomates that submitted outstanding initiatives leading to sustainable change in patient safety outcomes, provider and/or patient engagement, and overall quality improvements. Below is a summary of their submissions:

Yazan Abdeen, MD, MHCA, FCCP, CHCQM
Pulmonary and Critical Care Physician and Medical Staff President
HCA Houston Healthcare Pearland / Pulmonary and Sleep Physicians of Houston – Houston, TX

Dr. Abdeen applied performance improvement and CQI processes to lead the medical executive committee, integrate new policies, service lines, and appointments to streamline internal processes and provide guidance for decision-making. By exemplifying exceptional collaboration, verbal and written communication, and risk management skills to cultivate robust relationships and establish a culture of excellence, the program was successful in optimizing the ICU’s utilization management, improving length of stay, improving hospital-acquired conditions, and adding evidence-based order sets to improve outcomes.

Hardik Patel, MD, CPE, CHCQM-PHYADV, FACP
Hospitalist
Sound Physicians / Advent Health – Palm Coast, FL

Dr. Patel led his team at Advent Health to improve Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Performance and Systems (HCAHPS) scores. Patient experience has been linked with lower readmissions, improved overall treatment adherence and outcomes on morbidity & mortality, improvement of hospitals’ star rating, measurable improvement of monthly company quality metrics, and increased physician incentives. Utilizing Lean A3 vision planning and Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) methodology, the quality improvement project was successful in accomplishing these goals.

Kelley Robinson Rohe, MD, CHCQM-PHYADV
Physician Advisor
Kettering Health – Kettering, OH

In an effort to improve clinical workflow and patient safety, Dr. Robinson Rohe led her team in using CMS’ Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) statistics, identifying quality issues, and improving length of stay through the formation of an Ethics Committee and widespread education programs. Using PEPPER Medicare data statistics to identify improper payments due to billing, DRG coding, and/or admission necessity issues, her team was able to improve outcomes and advocate for change. The creation of pocket education guides for providers along with patient/family education guided many families to come to a better understanding of the intersection of patient autonomy, beneficence, and nonmaleficence. Patient safety was enhanced by tirelessly advocating for timely orthostatic vitals, safe discharge plans, family education regarding patient complexity, and continued staff education.

Krzysztof Pierko, MD, MBA, CHCQM
Associate Chair, Division of Hospital Medicine
Cook County Health – Chicago, IL

Dr. Pierko’s multidisciplinary workgroup utilized PDSA methodology to reduce excess days of acute care for health failure patients through inpatient management, patient education, and post-hospital follow up and communication. Education was provided to medical staff to identify “best practices” for CHF management, implement automatic cardiology consult for patients with advanced heart failure, and standardize documentation to accurately capture acuity and severity of symptoms. Patient education was provided by the nurses throughout the hospital stay (educational pamphlets in three languages, use of teach back technique), extensive medication reconciliation, and standardized review of congestive heart failure medications by nurses and pharmacy students, along with a review of patient needs and barriers at home by a Transitions of Care Team. Post-hospital communication and follow up was improved through increasing patient access to cardiac clinics, post-hospitalization phone calls, and thorough understanding of patient needs and medications.

Saira Qudus Saggu, MBBS, CHCQM
Senior Woman Medical Officer
Punjab Employees Social Security Institution (PESSI) – Islamabad, Pakistan

As the first to be certified in quality at her organization, Dr. Saggu was responsible for the supervision and training of health care providers in health care quality and education in addition to primary care clinician duties. In response to the Punjab Healthcare Commission Act of 2010, all health care establishments in the province were required to institute quality methodology to maintain licensure. Her team was assigned by the PESSI Head Office to lead the implementation of The Punjab Healthcare Commission’s quality methodology, the Minimum Service Delivery Standards (MSDS). She was successful in implementing 20 programs, completed three training sessions, and performed four hospital audits as they began to implement MSDS standards. She was also responsible for leading four programs in the health safety quality tool, HealthWISE (Work Improvement in Health Services) Program, and she led her hospital in achieving ISO 9001 Certification.