Register today for IMQ's Stepping Up to Leadership Conference The Institute for Medical Quality’s (IMQ) Stepping Up to Leadership conference will be held at the Paradise Point Resort and Spa in San Diego on February 22-23, 2018. This program is widely recognized as the “go to” course for acquiring knowledge and skills to successfully lead a medical staff. Offered in conjunction with the University of California, San Diego PACE Program, the program was developed in response to a commonly expressed need for better, more practical hands-on training for medical staff leaders. In addition to interactive training in communicating and handling disruptive or impaired individuals, the 2018 program will also address workplace violence, preventing and treating physician burnout, aging physician policies, and recent legal and regulatory changes. The program offers unique hands-on and interactive learning opportunities and excellent faculty in a beautiful, relaxing, San Diego location. Thanks to a generous grant from the Physicians Foundation, this course is offered at prices significantly lower than other courses of its caliber. For more information or to register, click here. February 5, 2018 General IMQ, Institute for Medical Quality, Organized Medical Staff Section, Hospital Medical Staff, Medical Staff, Organized Medical Staff, Physician Leadership 0 0 Comment Read More »
IMQ Medical Staff Conference early bird registration deadline is Sept. 30 Register today for the 2017 Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) Medical Staff Conference and save. This event—held October 26 at the Embassy Suites SFO (Gateway) Hotel in South San Francisco—will deliver the information, solutions and best practices that physicians need to successfully lead their medical staffs. Join us for a day of learning, problem solving, fact finding and dialogue about ways to enhance the medical staff's effectiveness in meeting goals and improving quality of care and patient safety. This one-day course will address the critical challenges facing medical staff and is designed for physicians, hospital leaders, medical staff directors, credentialing specialists and quality improvement professionals. The conference will tackle some of the difficult decisions that face medical staffs, such as strengthening approaches to Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE) and Focused Professional Practice Evaluation (FPPE) when dealing with case review and setting up triggers that go from OPPE to FPPE. Participants also will learn how to integrate, evaluate and share meaningful data. Through examples and discussion, faculty will demonstrate how they can best position the medical staff to modernize quality improvement and peer review systems. The conference also will provide an update on Joint Commission standards and discuss standards that are most often found noncompliant. Ashby Wolfe, M.D., Region IX Chief Medical Officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), will discuss CMS initiatives related to patient safety, quality reporting and electronic medical record usage. AMA PRA Category 1 creditTM has been applied for and approval is pending. California Medical Association member discounts are available. For more information or to register, click here. Contact: Leslie Anne Iacopi at (415) 882-5167 or liacopi@imq.org. September 27, 2017 General Hospital Medical Staff, IMQ, Institute for Medical Quality, Medical Staff 0 0 Comment Read More »
LAST CHANCE: Free online course helps providers identify child abuse and understand reporting obligations Thanks to a grant from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, the California Medical Association’s Institute for Medical Quality has been able to offer, free of charge, an online educational program on child abuse prevention, recognition and reporting. The course is designed for California physicians, nurses and other health care professionals who regularly or occasionally treat pediatric patients. If you haven’t had a chance to take this free 75-minute course, do so now before the grant expires on September 30, 2017. Physicians and other health care professionals are mandated by law to report suspected child abuse and neglect. This course, produced by the Child Abuse Prevention Center in Sacramento, will help providers recognize the signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect, and understand their reporting obligations. It has been approved for 1.25 continuing medical education credits. The course is also approved for nursing continuing education units or a completion certificate for other health care professionals. The program is available for providers to take in group settings and get course credit, provided the participants sign in, include their license number, and complete the post test and evaluation form. Click here for more information. Pre-registration is required. Contact: Leslie Anne Iacopi, (415) 882-5167 or liacopi@imq.org. September 27, 2017 General Child Abuse, CME, Continuing Medical Education, IMQ, Institute for Medical Quality 0 0 Comment Read More »
Free CME: Child abuse prevention, recognition and reporting The Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) is offering a free online course on child abuse prevention, recognition and reporting. This 75-minute course, created by the Child Abuse Prevention Center in Sacramento, is designed for physicians, nurses and other health care professionals who are mandated by law to report suspected child abuse and neglect, but who may not be familiar with the signs and symptoms. This course will also explain what, when and to whom to properly report findings. Upon completion of the course, attendees will receive 1.25 continuing education credits commensurate with their degree. The course also is available for providers to take in a group setting and get course credit, provided the participants sign in, include their license number, and complete the post test and evaluation form. The course is offered free of charge through a grant from the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services. The governor's office hopes that ALL licensed California physicians, nurses and other health care professionals will take this course. Under the terms of the grant, pre-registration is required that includes name, degree, license number and email address. After entering this information, you will receive an email with the link to the full registration form and instructions on how to access to the course. Contact: Leslie Anne Iacopi, (415) 882-5167 or liacopi@imq.org. July 24, 2017 General CME, Continuing Medical Education, IMQ, Institute for Medical Quality, Child Abuse 0 0 Comment Read More »
Next CME Essentials Workshop is December 12 in San Mateo Join the Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) on Friday, December 12, 2016, for the next CME Essentials Workshop, to be held at the San Mateo Medical Association (near SFO). This one-day workshop focuses on the fundamentals of planning and evaluating a continuing medical education (CME) activity. The CME Essentials Workshop is designed for individuals who are new to CME or who are seeking a refresher, including physicians (CME chairs, committee members, faculty or speakers), CME coordinators, nurses, and other medical staff and education professionals involved in planning CME activities. The workshop will teach attendees CME accreditation requirements and walk them through the fundamentals of designing educational activities and assessing their impact on improving competency, performance and/or patient outcomes. They will learn how to evaluate both individual activities and their overall CME programs. In addition, attendees will learn the standards for commercial support and ensuring independence in CME activities. Enrollment is limited, so reserve your spot today. For more information or to register, click here. November 21, 2016 General CME, Continuing Medical Education, IMQ, Institute for Medical Quality 0 0 Comment Read More »
Next IMQ CME Essentials Workshop is Dec. 12 in San Mateo Join the Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) on Monday, December 12, 2016, for the next CME Essentials Workshop, to be held at the San Mateo County Medical Association in San Mateo (near SFO). This one-day workshop focuses on the fundamentals of planning and evaluating a continuing medical education (CME) activity. The CME Essentials Workshop is designed for individuals who are new to CME or who are seeking a refresher, including physicians (CME chairs, committee members, faculty or speakers); CME coordinators; nurses; and other medical staff and education professionals involved in planning CME activities. The workshop will teach attendees the CME accreditation requirements and walk them through the fundamentals of designing educational activities and assessing their impact on improving competency, performance and/or patient outcomes. They will learn how to evaluate both individual activities and their overall CME programs. In addition, attendees will learn the standards for commercial support and ensuring independence in CME activities. Enrollment is limited, so reserve your spot today. IMQ is a subsidiary of the California Medical Association. For more information or to register, click here. October 27, 2016 General CME, CME Accreditation, IMQ, Institute for Medical Quality 0 0 Comment Read More »
IMQ offers FREE CME for online course on child abuse and neglect In an effort to prevent more childhood trauma, the Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ), a subsidiary of the California Medical Association, is offering a free online course to help physicians, nurses and mental health providers recognize and report child abuse and neglect. This interactive course, approved for 1.25 continuing medical education (CME) credits, was produced by the Child Abuse Prevention center in Sacramento, an international training, education, research and resource center dedicated to protecting children and building healthy families. The course is especially helpful for learning how to handle questionable situations. Nurses, social workers and other health care professionals also are encouraged to take the training, as they often have more extensive contact with patients or families. IMQ has received a grant from the California Governor’s Office on Emergency Services to provide this training at no charge. The course is approved for physician CME credits, nursing continuing education units or a completion certificate for other health care professionals. Pre-registration is required. To initiate the training, click here. Contact: Leslie Anne Iacopi, (415) 882-5167 or liacopi@imq.org. September 13, 2016 General CME, Child Abuse, Continuing Medical Education, IMQ, Institute for Medical Quality 0 0 Comment Read More »
IMQ offers customized peer review to assist medical staffs Did you know that the Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ), a subsidiary of the California Medical Association (CMA), offers peer review consultations? IMQ currently offers two types of consultations—a clinical case review or a comprehensive evaluation of a physician’s practice. In both cases, IMQ's physician reviewers are in active practice in the clinical specialty or sub-specialty of the case selected for peer review. These services are customized for each medical staff, group or clinic, with fees based on the scope of services provided. Upon completion, the reviewers create a report detailing their findings and recommendations. Clinical Case Review IMQ’s clinical case review consultation is an off-site patient chart review and provides an objective evaluation of the clinical practice of one or more physician members of a hospital medical staff through peer review of selected cases. Comprehensive Peer Review IMQ’s comprehensive peer review consultation is custom-designed to assess the quality of care and services provided by one or more physicians. This program is valuable to physicians and medical staffs who identify a need for a peer review by an outside, objective party. This on-site visit is by two experienced physicians, unaffiliated with the physician or facility, who represent appropriate clinical specialties. IMQ is also developing a program to offer ongoing peer/clinical case review for facilities that want established peer/chart review but do not have the providers available to conduct these reviews. Please contact IMQ if you are interested in this type of review. For more information, visit www.imq.org. Contact: Leslie Anne Iacopi,(415) 882-5167 or liacopi@imq.org. August 8, 2016 General IMQ, Institute for Medical Quality, Peer Review, Hospital Medical Staff, Medical Staff 0 0 Comment Read More »
Registration open for CME Essentials Workshop, August 12 in Newport Beach Join the Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) on Friday, August 12, 2016, for the next CME Essentials Workshop, to be held at HOAG Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach. This one-day workshop focuses on the fundamentals of planning and evaluating a continuing medical education (CME) activity. The CME Essentials Workshop is designed for individuals who are new to CME or who are seeking a refresher, including physicians (CME chairs, committee members, faculty or speakers); CME coordinators; nurses; and other medical staff and education professionals involved in planning CME activities. The workshop will teach attendees the CME accreditation requirements and walk them through the fundamentals of designing educational activities and assessing their impact on improving competency, performance and/or patient outcomes. They will learn how to evaluate both individual activities and their overall CME programs. In addition, attendees will learn the standards for commercial support and ensuring independence in CME activities. Enrollment is limited, so reserve your spot today. For more information or to register, click here. June 8, 2016 General Institute for Medical Quality, CME Accreditationh, IMQ 0 0 Comment Read More »
IMQ Granted Deeming Authority for ASCs by CMS On April 29, 2016, the Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) was officially recognized as a national accrediting organization for ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) that participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs. This approval by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) came following a comprehensive review process to ensure that IMQ’s Standards of Accreditation meet or exceed Medicare’s Conditions for Coverage.“Our physician surveyors are highly experienced in systems that promote optimal patient care. We are pleased that CMS recognizes our expertise and profound commitment to patient safety and high quality care," said Neal Shorstein, M.D., Chair of the IMQ Ambulatory Accreditation Program. Over the years, many procedures that traditionally were performed in hospitals have shifted to less costly outpatient ambulatory surgery centers. Experts predict that outpatient surgeries will grow by nearly 20 percent within a decade. IMQ’s accreditation process ensures that ASCs serving Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries meet all the conditions set forth in regulation to ensure quality. IMQ understands the unique attributes of ambulatory care settings because most of the organization's surveyors are actively practicing physicians. IMQ believes that its peer-to-peer methodology greatly increases the value of the accreditation process because IMQ surveyors understand how an ASC’s regulatory compliance activities directly impact patient outcomes. Accreditation benefits patients and doctors alike. For patients, accreditation demonstrates their doctors’ dedication to the highest standards of care. For doctors, accreditation strengthens the systems that underlie quality care. Organizations choose IMQ as their accrediting entity because of its pragmatic program, unparalleled customer service, easier application process, quick turnaround, and commitment to eliminating process barriers. The Institute for Medical Quality, a subsidiary of the California Medical Association, is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, overseen by a Board of Directors of nationally recognized academic and community physicians and business leaders dedicated to improving the quality of health care across America. May 5, 2016 General ambulatory surgical centers, IMQ, Institute for Mecial Quality 0 0 Comment Read More »
