Performance & Quality Improvement CME
National Jewish Health is committed to improving physician practice and patient outcomes. We have been fortunate to receive educational grants for several Performance and Quality Improvement (PI/QI) CME initiatives. National Jewish Health works with health care networks within Colorado, all of which provide needed care to underserved and at-risk patient populations. We work closely with each of the partnering organizations to develop customized training and educational programs to meet the specific needs of their providers and improve internal processes and performance in practice for cancer, asthma, COPD and other health care issues.
Learn more about these PI/QI CME programs:
COPD Toolkit (PDF)
National Jewish Health Partners With Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics
An initiative targeting eczema, funded by an educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline.
A local hospital is teaching some pediatricians how best to treat a chronic condition. They're targeting eczema, an itchy rash that can be so bad it affects the whole family.
CBS4 Health Specialist, Kathy Walsh, found the experts are reaching out to clinics that serve people who I know struggle to get proper care and that's important because this can be a nasty problem.
Kathy Walsh: Oh absolutely. Do you remember that advertising campaign, The Heartbreak of Psoriasis? Well, you could probably call this, The Misery of Eczema. Kids are so miserable they often scratch and rub uncontrollably, but thanks to an educational grant, doctors in clinics that serve the needy are learning what may stop the itch.
Patient's Mother: It's really bad. You have no idea, I went through tons of lotions, I bought everything that got in my way, I tried my best.
News Reporter: The 17-month-old was born with eczema. A disease that causes itchy, inflamed skin. His just keeps getting worse.
Patient's Mother: You can see right now he's desperate. He wants to scratch himself. And, if I don't pay attention to him, he'll do it and bleed like crazy.
News Reporter: Eczema is a chronic condition. 17% of kids have it. But, in severe cases, the whole family suffers.
When it's bad it can be really bad.
Patient's Mother: It's all the time, all day, day and night, every day.
News Reporter: They have come to the right place for help. Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics are zeroing in on eczema, using the expertise of National Jewish Health.
You want to really just put on a nice thick layer of the lotion. Dr. Sophia Meharena and others are training.
And, moisturize them, head to toe.
They've learned tips for better treatment like bathing often.
Dr. Sophia Meharena: Staying in the water 10 minutes when you have eczema is actually good for the skin to allow it to hydrate.
The partners have created pamphlets and iPad videos for desperate parents.
Patient's Mother: We're going to try the new method. I hope everything goes just the right way, and I hope he gets better, because look at him, he's just going crazy on him.
News Anchor: Oh, we all do. You know, National Jewish experts suggest those with eczema soak and seal, soak the skin then within three minutes seal in the moisture with lotions. The hope is this educational partnership will help doctors teach parents and kids in need how best to manage that itchy condition.
It's just so frustrating because parents want to do anything they can to make their kids feel better, but in this case, there's not a whole lot you can do.
Right. That little guy can't even tell you. He's just crying all night and scratching.
Oh, bless his heart.
National Jewish Health Helping to Train Physicians on Asthma Care
News Anchor: It's really all about asthma education both for medical staff and patients. The program has been successful in rural Colorado, now National Jewish is targeting needy patients in counties around Denver.
You're going to take a deep breath in, and then you're going to wrap your lips around this, and you're going to breathe out.
Medical Assistant Melissa Borella is trying her hand at spirometry. The test measures lung function. She's being coached by nurse Deborah Fending of National Jewish Health.
You tell her, you keep blowing until I tell you to stop.
In fact, the entire staff at the Estes Street Community Clinic in Lakewood is getting a crash course in asthma care.
About 10% of people in Colorado have asthma. That's a lot of people, and not everyone with asthma in Colorado gets care for their asthma, or appropriate care.
Now, they turn to urban asthma. Working with the Metro Community Provider Network clinics for the under served and uninsured. They provide information and experience to better manage asthma.
We found patients to have asthma that we didn't know that they had asthma before, and so we're able to treat that early on.
The goal is better control of the disease.
Miss less school, miss less work, have a better overall quality of life, and especially, to keep them out of the emergency department and out of the hospital.
The Office of Professional Education is extremely excited to be working on these inaugural programs and is looking forward to making a measurable impact on atopic dermatitis, asthma and COPD care in Colorado.