The goal of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) during the 8th Scope of
Work (2005–2008) is to work with health care providers to ensure
that patients receive the right care, every time.
In the
hospital setting, the strategy to meet this goal begins by
focusing on patients receiving care for
acute myocardial infarction (AMI),
heart failure (HF),
pneumonia (PN), and
surgery. QIOs work with hospitals in these clinical areas to
improve hospitals' performance on the publicly reported
quality measures that were established during the 7th Scope of
Work (2002–2005).
To achieve the
transformational change that is required to reach its 8th Scope
of Work goal, CMS has launched four national hospital projects.
Volunteer hospitals are working within Identified Participant Groups
(IPGs) to adopt information technology, measure and report
performance, redesign care processes, and transform organizational
culture. The four projects are
