25 Mar 2026
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CQI Spotlight: Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium

CQI Spotlight: Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium

March 25, 2026 | 0 Comments | , , , , ,

Cancer care is not defined by treatments alone—it is measured by the experiences, quality of life, and outcomes of the people navigating the disease. Across Michigan, patients with cancer face complex clinical decisions alongside challenges that extend beyond the clinic, from treatment side effects to barriers in accessing supportive services. Through statewide collaboration, shared data, and a commitment to improving care delivery, the Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium (MOQC) is working to ensure that patients and their caregivers receive more consistent, compassionate, and high-value cancer care.

Established in 2009, MOQC was tasked with addressing oncology data that showcased significant variation in care outcomes as well as significantly higher costs compared to other areas of healthcare. One of 21 Collaborative Quality Initiatives (CQIs) sponsored by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) Value Partnerships Program, MOQC’s aim is to improve access, value, and quality of care for all invasive cancers.

In addition to establishing cross-cutting measures that apply to all disease groups within oncology, MOQC’s work expanded to acknowledge and address the impact of non-medical drivers of health on patient outcomes, intentionally creating space for more patient, caregiver, and frontline voices to shape meaningful change and guide the evolution of cancer care in Michigan.

Services and Benefits for MOQC Members

MOQC provides access to resources and tools, quality improvement initiatives, partnerships, funding, and support that its membership of 54 oncology practices would not otherwise have available. Through collaborative-wide and regional meetings, MOQC fosters member networking, ongoing education on best practices and emerging topics, new publications, and collaboration opportunities. MOQC also meets with oncology practices individually to review their performance measures. For those needing additional support in any area, MOQC conducts root cause analyses in collaboration with the healthcare team and provides resources and consultation on their processes and progress.

Members also benefit from access to the Patient and Caregiver Oncology Quality Council (POQC), a robust and highly engaged patient advocacy group currently comprised of 30 members (Figure 1). POQC gives teams the opportunity to learn directly from the lived experiences of patients and caregivers and brings forward barriers to care that may not be visible in data alone. POQC also contributes to decision-making about quality measures and initiatives through their work on MOQC’s Measures and Steering Committees. Their voices help member practices stay connected to the heart of what they do as they work to help guide MOQC’s efforts toward fair, effective, and compassionate health outcomes across the state (Figure 2).

Figure 1. Patient and Caregiver Oncology Quality Council (POQC)

group photo

Figure 2. POQC Member Quote

A text-based graphic features a testimonial quote from a POQC member expressing gratitude for volunteer opportunities and the rewarding experience of being a valued patient voice for cancer care.

MOQC members also have the opportunity to establish integrated clinical pharmacist positions providing direct patient care through the Pharmacists Oncology Excellence Program in Michigan (POEM). This program, which has been in place for five years, encompasses 12 pharmacists who support 113 physicians across 28 practices. POEM has been associated with a variety of positive patient care outcomes and clinic time savings relating to clinical care activities.

MOQC’s Key Initiatives and Achievements

Through MOQC’s targeted initiatives, oncology care and outcomes are improving across Michigan. The Palliative Care and Hospice initiative aims to increase time enrolled in hospice to maximize benefits and quality of life for patients and caregivers. By creating tools for how and when to talk to cancer patients about palliative and hospice care (Figure 3), MOQC practices have seen hospice care enrollment improve from 44% in 2017 to 66% in 2024. In the words of a member physician,

“There is so much to help us do better at survival in cancer, and so many more new treatments out there, but the one thing that is often overlooked is – is it the right thing to do for the patient? So I was thrilled to see that MOQC is focusing on hospice. It’s so under looked in oncology these days.”

Figure 3. MOQC Hospice Conversation Guide for Physicians

An informational flyer titled "Hospice Conversations: Words That Make It Easier for Patients and Their Loved Ones" provides guidance on improving communication during hospice care.

A complimentary initiative, expanding palliative care access through a partnership with the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), provides training curriculum to advance practice providers (APPs) regarding primary palliative care, with intentional recruitment in areas of the state that have little-to-no palliative care currently. Those who complete the curriculum attain a certificate from CAPC and integrate primary palliative care into their ongoing care of patients and caregivers.

Patient quality of life is an important consideration in cancer care. To address nausea, a common side effect of chemotherapy that significantly impacts patients’ quality of life, MOQC launched a Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting (CINV) – Antiemetics initiative in 2020. The initiative works to increase prescribing of olanzapine to manage treatment-related nausea. Since the initiative began, prescribing of olanzapine has increased from 10% to the notable achievement of 60% in 2024, helping more patients have better treatment experiences. To help evaluate the impact of this effort, MOQC reached out to the Michigan Value Collaborative (MVC) to leverage its robust claims-based data. Together, MVC and MOQC evaluated the impact and value of this initiative in a 2023 impact and value assessment, and the two teams are in the process of refreshing that analysis with newer years of claims data.

Other initiatives include implementing a statewide gynecologic oncology virtual tumor board to support multidisciplinary learning, standardize care recommendations across practices, expand access to clinical trials, and expand perspectives for clinicians caring for patients throughout Michigan. MOQC helps optimize statewide treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer via an oncology stewardship initiative focused on improving biomarker testing across the state and increasing education around targeted therapies.

In addition to centering patient voices through POQC and many other MOQC accomplishments, a major achievement of MOQC is the development of a comprehensive Excellence in Quality Certification program that recognizes oncology practices providing high-quality and high-value care. Eligibility criteria include a site visit to ensure safe practices regarding anticancer therapy, measure performance, medical record review, and policy review. All criteria measure policy and practice to validate that oncology care is guideline-concordant and recognizes substantial decreases in variations in care and in costs of care (Figure 4). A key component of the certification is creating an action plan to close non-medical gaps in healthcare, ensuring all cancer patients in Michigan have the same access to high quality care. Fourteen out of MOQC’s 54 practices were certified in 2024, and 23 practices pursued certification in 2025.

Figure 4. MOQC Excellence in Quality Certification Criteria

A screenshot of a certification guideline document titled "MOQC Excellence in Quality Certification," outlining required elements for certification in oncology quality.

MOQC is proud of its commitment to addressing the non-medical needs of patients and caregivers through the POQC and the Excellence in Quality Certification program. Additional ways MOQC centers this aspect of patient care is by endeavoring to provide patients with increased access to supportive services and resources, including standardizing screening for non-medical needs, integrating referrals to Michigan 2-1-1 into electronic medical records (EMR), providing meals to patients who are currently food insecure and receiving anticancer therapy (plus up to one caregiver per patient), and facilitating financial navigation training for interprofessional members of oncology care teams. Non-medical patient needs and gaps in care are also being addressed through MOQC’s stewardship initiative, which aims to improve the use of systemic anticancer therapy with the goal of enhancing patient health outcomes while reducing financial strain on patients. In addition, MOQC conducts multivariate analyses of its measures annually to find gaps in care based on demographic categories. These analyses allow MOQC to review variation among practices and collaborate individually with them as needed to close gaps.

Looking Ahead: Continuing to Drive Whole Team Collaboration

MOQC’s work offers a reminder that improving oncology care often requires thinking beyond traditional approaches. By weaving patient and caregiver experiences into the fabric of their work, MOQC is able to look for gaps in care, prompt new questions, and reshape how they understand quality. MOQC’s initiatives and learning opportunities (such as interprofessional development sessions, the statewide tumor board, the palliative care certificate program, and addressing non-medical needs) are shaped with recognition that there is a whole team involved in the patient care related to MOQC’s quality measures. MOQC invites practices to engage with quality improvement in ways that expand perspective and challenge existing healthcare power dynamics. Through this multifaceted approach, MOQC is always striving to look for a deeper partnership with all of the people most affected by the outcomes.

The BCBSM-funded CQIs play a crucial role in driving healthcare quality improvement in Michigan. MVC is excited to continue highlighting the innovative contributions of individual CQIs and the ways in which MVC’s data are supporting high-value care initiatives across the portfolio. Please reach out to MVC by email if you are interested in learning more.

 

18 Feb 2026
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MVC and MSSIC Impact Assessment Quantifies $73M in Cost Savings from Reduced Surgical Complications

MVC and MSSIC Impact Assessment Quantifies $73M in Cost Savings from Reduced Surgical Complications

February 18, 2026 | 0 Comments | , , , , ,

Over the past several years, the Michigan Value Collaborative (MVC) has partnered with clinical quality collaboratives across the state to better understand how improvements in care delivery translate into value—for patients, providers, and payers alike. By pairing robust clinical data with claims-based cost and utilization data, these partnerships allow us to move beyond reporting improvement to quantifying its real-world impact.

The MVC Coordinating Center is excited to announce the completion of two new impact and value assessments conducted in partnership with the Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC). These analyses examined statewide improvements in postoperative urinary retention (POUR) complications and surgical site infections (SSI) following spine surgery.

Although focused on different complications, both assessments followed a shared framework: pairing MSSIC’s clinically abstracted registry data with MVC’s claims-based episode data to quantify the impact of declining complication rates on episode-level spending and utilization.

Background and Approach

MSSIC has led statewide efforts to reduce preventable surgical complications following spine surgery through surgeon engagement, performance feedback, alignment of incentive-based measures, and implementation of evidence-informed practice changes. Over time, MSSIC-participating hospitals demonstrated measurable declines in both urinary retention and surgical site infections.

To assess the value implications of these improvements, MSSIC provided MVC with a dataset of lumbar and cervical spine patients that included the presence or absence of complications as abstracted from medical records. Spine patients were matched to MVC’s analytic tables and spine cohort for Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS), Medicaid, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) Commercial, BCBSM Medicare Advantage (MA), Blue Care Network (BCN) Commercial, and BCN MA claims. MVC then evaluated the matched population for readmission status and price-standardized facility payments associated with POUR and SSI. MVC and MSSIC used the rates of adverse events pre- and post-QI to estimate the number of events averted. MVC payment data was then used to calculate cost savings from averted events.

Postoperative Urinary Retention (POUR)

While postoperative urinary retention may not always be perceived as a high-cost complication, the analysis demonstrated that it is associated with meaningful differences in episode spending and utilization. Episodes involving POUR were linked to higher total payments and greater downstream healthcare use compared to episodes without urinary retention.

The analysis conducted revealed that there were statistically significant reductions in the rates of POUR and readmissions between 2016-2024 from which to estimate cost savings. Specific to POUR, MVC and MSSIC estimated there were 5,197 POUR events averted. Using the MVC-based estimate of 21.7% of POUR events also involving readmission, MVC and MSSIC estimated there were 1,128 readmissions averted.

To estimate cost savings from averted POUR events, MVC completed a comparative analysis of diagnosis-related group (DRG) and post-discharge payments among lumbar and cervical spine patients with no POUR compared to those with POUR events. The results of the analysis of higher inpatient DRG payments (Figure 1) show that the weighted average DRG payments for patients without POUR were $25,743.40; the weighted average payments for those with POUR was $27,603.20, a difference of $1,859.80 per patient. Looking at post-discharge payments (Figure 2), MVC found that the average payment for a patient without POUR was $1,691. The weighted average payment for those with POUR (21.7% with readmission and 78.3% without readmission) was $12,684.65, a difference of $10,993.65 between patients with and without POUR.

Figure 1. Calculation of Additional Inpatient Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) Payments Based on Complications and Comorbidities (CC) by POUR Status

Table outlining the differences in inpatient average episode payments for patient with and without urinary incontinence complications

Figure 2. Calculation of Post-Discharge Price-Standardized Payments Associated with POUR

Table outlining differences in outpatient costs between patients with and without urinary incontinence

This amounted to an estimated total direct cost savings to payors of $66,799,380 from POUR rate reductions. On this finding, Senior MSSIC QI Lead Kari Jarabek, BSN, RN, said, “The analyses here show how decreasing rates of what some may consider to be a ‘minor complication’ of surgery can have profound consequences in terms of cost savings for patients, employers, and other payers.”

View the complete summary of the December 2025 MSSIC urinary retention assessment on MVC’s CQI collaboration page [LINK].

Surgical Site Infections (SSI)

The association between surgical site infections and higher costs is well established, and the MVC–MSSIC assessment reinforces this relationship within Michigan hospitals. Episodes complicated by SSI were associated with significantly higher total episode payments and increased post-discharge utilization.

The analysis revealed statistically significant reductions in the rates of SSI and readmissions from the 2019 baseline year to the 2020-2024 post-intervention period. MVC and MSSIC estimated 301 SSI events were averted. Using the MVC-based estimate of 62.6% of SSI events also involving readmission, MVC and MSSIC estimated that 188 readmissions were averted.

To estimate cost savings from averted SSI events, MVC completed a comparative analysis of diagnosis-related group (DRG) and post-discharge payments among patients with no SSI compared to those with SSI events. The results of the analysis of higher inpatient DRG payments (Figure 3) showed that weighted average DRG payments for patients without SSI were $25,823; the weighted average payments for those with SSI was $26,483, a difference of $660 per patient. Looking at post-discharge payments (Figure 4), MVC found that the average payment for a patient without SSI was $1,801. The weighted average payment for those with SSI (62.6% with readmission and 37.4% without readmission) was $23,274, a difference of $21,473 between patients with SSI and those without. This amounted to an estimated total direct cost savings to payors of $6,662,033 from SSI rate reductions.

Figure 3. Calculation of Additional Inpatient Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) Payments Based on Complications and Comorbidities (CC) by SSI Status

Table outlining differences in inpatient episode costs for patients with and without SSI

Figure 4. Calculation of Post-Discharge Outpatient Payments Associated with SSI

Table outlining the differences in post-discharge payments for patients with and without SSI.

View the complete summary of the December 2025 MSSIC SSI assessment on MVC’s CQI collaboration page [LINK].

Advancing Value Through Collaboration

Taken together, these two assessments demonstrated that MSSIC efforts delivered significant net savings for its BCBSM sponsor and healthcare providers in Michigan, and that targeted practice changes—such as early ambulation and updates to existing protocols to reflect best practices—not only improved patient recovery but also contributed to improved value at the episode level.

These two assessments also demonstrated a consistent pattern: fewer complications were associated with lower episode spending and reduced downstream utilization. By linking clinical registry data with claims-based cost analysis, MVC and MSSIC were able to move beyond reporting improvements in complications to quantifying its broader impact.

As MVC continues its partnerships with the BCBSM Value Partnership CQIs, this work provides a replicable model for understanding how collaborative clinical improvement translates into measurable value for patients and the healthcare system.

21 Jan 2026
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CQI Spotlight: Obstetrics Initiative

CQI Spotlight: Obstetrics Initiative

January 21, 2026 | 0 Comments | , , , ,

In 2018, Michigan was facing a concerning reality: nearly one in three births in the state occurred by cesarean delivery, a rate that exceeded the national average and signaled opportunities to improve the safety, experience, and value of childbirth care. Behind every data point were real families navigating some of the most important moments of their lives and clinicians striving to deliver the best possible care within a complex maternity landscape. The need for change was personal, urgent, and increasingly difficult to ignore.

As such, patients, clinicians, and employers began voicing concerns about rising cesarean rates affecting patients’ recoveries, long-term health, and trust in the healthcare system. Recognizing the scope of the problem and the opportunity to address it, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) turned to clinician leaders at University of Michigan to help design a statewide response, which leveraged Michigan Value Collaborative (MVC) claims data on childbirth episodes. In 2018, this collaboration laid the groundwork for what would become a dedicated effort to transform maternity care in Michigan.

Formally launched in 2019, the Obstetrics Initiative (OBI) emerged as one of BCBSM’s 21 Collaborative Quality Initiatives (CQIs). At that time more than 70 hospitals joined together under OBI’s vision to support safer deliveries, reduce unnecessary cesarean deliveries, use resources more wisely, and improve the overall culture of care. Today, OBI continues to build on that foundation by ensuring that every birth in Michigan is supported by the best evidence, the best practices, and a shared commitment to healthier beginnings.

Services and Benefits for OBI Members

To support its members in successfully implementing quality improvement (QI) initiatives, OBI supports its members using four primary offerings (Figure 1). One of those offerings is OBI’s robust, real-time benchmarking data that enables actionable insights. OBI’s registry is a best-in-class source of clinically credible data and compelling data stories that inspire change. A second core offering is direct support and expertise on specific QI interventions, including the development of best practice protocols and resources that advance evidence-based care. A third core offering is the transformational learning that occurs at OBI’s collaborative-wide meetings and other activities that are key to networking, partnership building, and collective learning across maternity units in Michigan. Finally, a fourth core offering is the intentional collection and incorporation of patient stories and experiences in all ongoing activities.

Figure 1: OBI Member Service Offerings

OBI service offerings: data and analytics, learning, QI evaluation, collaboration with patients

OBI Program Director Michelle Moniz, MD, MSc, recognizes how OBI’s tailored approach to QI support helps sites achieve a shared purpose of high-quality perinatal care that improves the lives of current and future generations. In her words:

“Every large-scale QI initiative faces a vexing unsolved problem: how best to support hospitals and clinicians who aren’t responding. Our routine QI support approaches—group meetings, webinars, online toolkits, performance incentives—can fall short for sub-optimally responding sites/clinicians, and leave patients vulnerable to low-quality, low-value healthcare. OBI imagines a future where CQIs deliver the right support, to the right hospital/clinician, at the right time, to achieve highest-quality care across all CQI members. This vision—which we call Precision QI—leverages scarce resources most efficiently to achieve evidence-based healthcare at scale for all patients.” 

OBI’s "precision QI” offers personalized QI support for each hospital. Just as precision medicine accounts for individual patient differences in developing a treatment plan, OBI’s precision QI support model (Figure 2) is adaptive, diagnosing and responding to the unique needs of each OBI member and may include:

  • Performance Measurement: Offering observed, risk-adjusted, and peer-comparative data
  • Performance Feedback: Incorporating individualized goal setting and data for hospitals and individual providers
  • Outreach: Offering augmented support when performance deteriorates or is stably poor
  • Engagement: Offering a suite of resources for key target audiences, including hospital leadership, QI leader, bedside clinicians, and patients

Figure 2. Mechanisms for OBI’s Precision QI Support Model

performance measurement, performance feedback, outreach, engagement

OBI’s Key Initiatives and Achievements

OBI is now a unique asset for quality improvement in Michigan and beyond. Having built a vibrant community of multidisciplinary teams at currently 65+ hospitals across Michigan, OBI generates the evidence base needed for more effective, transformational quality improvement in obstetrics.

Putting that framework into action, OBI achieved noteworthy successes over the years. Since OBI’s inception, their flagship initiative, Safely Averting Cesarean Births, has focused on safely lowering the primary cesarean rate in Michigan. In 2023, OBI launched Patient Voices, a statewide survey to assess childbirth experiences and patient-reported outcomes related to birth. OBI then launched another statewide initiative, Bringing Our Patients COMFORT, in 2024, to promote best practices for managing pain after childbirth.

To reduce first-birth term cesareans – also known as nulliparous term singleton vertex (NTSV) cesareans, OBI’s Safely Averting NTSV Cesarian Births initiative successfully reduced the statewide cesarean rate from a historic high of 28.9% in 2023 to 26.9% as of September 2025. This improvement reflects years of effort to increase compliance with national diagnostic criteria for labor arrest disorders (which increased from 37.9% in 2020 to 77.1% in 2025). Increased compliance was aided using an algorithm to guide fetal management in labor, resulting in significant improvement from 47.3% compliance in 2022 to 93.2% in 2025.

Pain management is another area where OBI has made meaningful progress. Successful promotion of the use of scheduled nonopioid prescribing after cesarean births through OBI’s Bringing Our Patients COMFORT quality initiative boosted a compliance rate of 86.1% in 2024 to 96.8% compliance in 2025. Analyses are ongoing to evaluate corresponding reductions in opioid prescribing rates and amounts.

OBI’s third quality initiative Better Births for All aims to ensure that every OBI member has the tools and support to consistently implement evidence-based obstetric practices while fostering psychological safety and respectful, person-centered care for all during labor and birth. The path to accomplish that is threefold. First, OBI partners with a Patient and Community Action Board (PCAB) to center patient and community experiences in its QI initiatives. The OBI PCAB reviews patient-facing materials and has decision-making power over OBI’s selection of QI initiatives and operationalization of initiative measures in OBI’s incentive packages. OBI further centers patients’ perspectives in its work by measuring and improving collection of patient-reported outcomes and experience data to ensure that patients’ voices are embedded in daily QI work. OBI also educates and trains clinicians on patient-centered approaches and practices they can bring to their own daily work.

"Relationships are at the heart of what we do. We have a shared belief that our goals will be better met when we advance toward them together." Helen Costis, MSHA, Program Manager, OBI

What’s Next for OBI?

In 2026, OBI will launch a new Induction of Labor initiative to promote evidence-based management of induction of labor (IOL), the procedure to start labor before it begins on its own. This procedure occurs in more than 30% of all births, and yet the use of evidence-based techniques occurs in less than 10% of all inductions with wide variation across sites in Michigan (Figures 3 and 4).

Figure 3. Pathways for Evidence-Based Induction of Labor

Induction of labor pathways: Dual-Agent Ripening; Early Amniotomy
Rate of use graph of evidence-based induction of labor techniques. Patients who get both recommended techniques is 7.1%.

OBI is incredibly proud to be a part of the 25+ year history of the Value Partnership portfolio in Michigan, including its long-standing partnership with MVC. OBI and MVC are currently collaborating on several analyses to drive quality improvement, such as evaluating statewide variation in complications and expenditures for different patient groups and modes of delivery, improving the timeliness and quality of prenatal care, evaluating the association between social vulnerability and surgical management of early pregnancy loss. MVC is also working with OBI to estimate the impact and associated cost savings of OBI’s efforts to safely reduce cesarean birth rates in Michigan as well as the impact of OBI’s opioid management work on prescribing rates and costs in Michigan.

The BCBSM-funded CQIs play a crucial role in driving healthcare quality improvement in Michigan. MVC is excited to continue highlighting the innovative contributions of individual CQIs and the ways in which MVC’s data are supporting high-value care initiatives across the portfolio. Please reach out to MVC by email [LINK] if you are interested in learning more.

17 Sep 2025
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CQI Spotlight: Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative

CQI Spotlight: Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative

September 17, 2025 | 0 Comments | , , , ,

Urological surgery quality improvement is essential for enhancing patient outcomes, ensuring safety, optimizing healthcare costs, and strengthening overall healthcare system performance. To foster patient trust, reduce outcome variation, and drive continuous advancements in urological surgery practices, the Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MUSIC) was established in 2011.

One of Michigan’s 21 Collaborative Quality Initiatives (CQIs) operating in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM), MUSIC is a physician-led CQI comprised of a consortium of 44 urology practices (academic, private practice, community) across the state of Michigan, as well as four out-of-state practices. Designed to evaluate and improve the quality and cost efficiency of urologic care, MUSIC aims to improve patients’ lives by inspiring high-quality care through data-driven best practices, education, and innovation.

The initial focus of MUSIC was improving care for patients diagnosed with or at risk of prostate cancer. The earliest quality improvement (QI) initiatives MUSIC undertook focused on decreasing infectious complications following prostate biopsies and decreasing unnecessary imaging for patients with low-risk prostate cancer. Both efforts were very successful with post-biopsy infectious hospitalizations decreasing from 1.1% in 2013 to 0.2% in 2024 and unnecessary bone scans and computed tomography (CT) scans decreasing from 13% and 15% in 2012 to 5% and 4% respectively in 2018. MUSIC has also conducted four randomized clinical trials, two completed and two in-progress, utilizing the MUSIC infrastructure. Since its formation, MUSIC expanded its focus from prostate cancer (MUSIC-Prostate) to a program focused on kidney stones (MUSIC-ROCKS) in 2016 and small kidney tumors (MUSIC-KIDNEY) in 2017, with a plan to begin a new program on benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in the fourth quarter of 2025 (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative Programs

MUSIC's Prostate, ROCKS, Kidney and BPH Programs

MUSIC Achievements

Over the last 14 years, MUSIC has made significant strides in urological care and surgical quality, achieving milestones that greatly advanced the field (Figure 2). Through MUSIC’s efforts, active surveillance (AS) for patients with low-risk prostate cancer – which involves monitoring prostate cancer in its localized stage until the doctor feels that further treatment is needed to halt the disease at a curable stage – increased from about 40% in 2018 to about 80% in 2024. Post-ureteroscopy emergency department (ED) visits, another area of focus, decreased from about 10% in 2016 to about 8% in 2024.

Figure 2: Impact of MUSIC

highlights of accomplishments of MUSIC

MUSIC initiatives also made a significant impact on the use of evidence-based guidelines for prescribing opioids after surgery. Between 2016 and 2024, the use of opioid prescriptions after kidney stone surgery dropped from about 80% to about 15%. The Michigan Value Collaborative (MVC) helped assess the impact and value of MUSIC's opioid initiatives within both the ROCKS and Prostate programs, resulting in a MUSIC-ROCKS value assessment in 2022 and a MUSIC-Prostate value assessment in 2023 (Figure 3). These MUSIC initiatives had a major impact on opioid prescribing in Michigan, helping to reduce the availability of unused opioids in the community and mitigate their potential for misuse. MVC and MUSIC frequently collaborate on analytic projects and exercises that help evaluate ongoing initiatives as well as identify opportunities for QI in the future.

Figure 3. Page 1 of MVC’s Impact and Value Delivery Assessment for MUSIC-ROCKS

Page 1 of MVC’s Impact and Value Delivery Assessment for MUSIC-ROCKS

Current MUSIC Initiatives

Active surveillance for prostate cancer patients continues to be a goal with additional focus on ensuring patients on AS receive proper follow-up testing. MUSIC aims to build on the successes of previous initiatives by developing updated recommendations for type and frequency of follow-up testing and conducting urologist and primary care physician (PCP) education and feedback reporting. An area of focus for MUSIC’s ROCKS program includes decreasing post-ureteroscopy infectious complications and ED visits after kidney stone surgery. To achieve these goals, MUSIC is developing more specific recommendations for pre- and post-operative antibiotic use, providing better patient education, using non-opioid post-operative pain management, and decreasing the use of ureteral stents (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Decreasing Unplanned Healthcare Encounters after Ureteroscopy (URS)

timeline of strategies MUSIC implemented to achieve positive outcomes for unplanned healthcare encounters after ureteroscopy

Services and Benefits for MUSIC Members

MUSIC hosts multiple collaborative-wide meetings and workshops each year to support its ongoing mission to improve urologic care. Other ways MUSIC supports its initiatives and advances QI is by conducting annual site visits to urologists, other providers, and hospitals to review their performance across various metrics, offer provider education, and discuss opportunities for improvement to ensure all patients in Michigan have access to the same quality of care. MUSIC members also receive support for American Board of Urology maintenance of certification.

Jay Hollander, MD, MUSIC member testimonial quote

For patients, MUSIC provides patient education materials that build trust and help improve outcomes, which are often developed with direct input from patients. When asked to comment on the patient education materials and MUSIC program, MUSIC Patient Advocate James Humphries said,

“Guidance provided by my urologist and the MUSIC materials allowed me to make an informed treatment decision regarding my kidney mass and confidently select active surveillance. I am grateful for the continuing opportunity to participate in MUSIC collaborative meetings and provide commentary on patient educational materials. I sincerely believe other patients will benefit if this document is shared. Ultimately, I attribute my improved health and successful surgical outcome to these collaborative efforts.”

MVC is proud to partner with MUSIC in advancing urological care across Michigan. The BCBSM-funded CQIs play a crucial role in driving healthcare quality improvement, and MVC is excited to continue showcasing the innovative contributions of individual CQIs and the ways in which MVC’s data support high-value care initiatives across the portfolio. Please reach out to MVC by email if you are interested in learning more.

18 Jun 2025
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CQI Spotlight: Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative (MSQC)

CQI Spotlight: Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative (MSQC)

June 18, 2025 | 0 Comments | ,

Surgical quality improvement is essential for enhancing patient outcomes, ensuring safety, optimizing healthcare costs, and strengthening overall healthcare system performance. To build patient trust, reduce outcome variation, and drive continuous advancements in surgical practices, the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative (MSQC) was established in 2005. Originally created through a partnership between Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM), Blue Care Network (BCN), the American College of Surgeons, and 17 participating hospitals, MSQC aimed to foster collaboration in advancing surgical quality. Today, the collaborative includes 70 Michigan hospitals, all committed to improving care delivery through the promotion of evidence-based, best practices in general surgery.

MSQC Achievements

Over the past two decades, MSQC has made a profound and lasting impact on surgical quality, achieving milestones that have significantly advanced the field. The following are highlights of those success stories.

Postoperative Opioid Prescribing Recommendations

Post-procedural pain management is a crucial component of surgical care, and yet the ongoing opioid epidemic posed a pressing question: How much prescription pain medication should be prescribed after surgery? Recognizing the absence of a standardized, evidence-based approach to opioid prescribing, MSQC partnered with Michigan Overdose Prevention Engagement Network (OPEN) in 2016 to develop and implement new guidelines for general surgery and hysterectomy patients. A range of quantitative measures were employed to inform these recommendations, including the number of pills prescribed, patient-reported outcomes on pill usage, and pain levels post-surgery.

Since the guidelines were introduced, opioid prescriptions across Michigan have dropped by 50% over the course of a few years. Follow-up data showed that patients did not report higher pain levels, reductions in satisfaction with their care, or the need for additional prescriptions. This initiative has had a significant impact on public health in Michigan, helping to reduce the availability of unused opioids in the community and mitigate their potential for misuse.

MSQC Care Pathways

In the surgical field, the absence of standardized procedures often results in variation in practice, as demonstrated by the previously mentioned lack of opioid prescribing guidelines. MSQC is dedicated to fostering consistency by standardizing approaches and ensuring the adoption of evidence-based practices. Through collaboration with multidisciplinary teams across member hospitals statewide, MSQC developed the MSQC Care Pathways (Figure 1). These standardized care pathways, which cover surgeries such as colon surgery, hernia repair, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, hysterectomy, Whipple procedures, and outpatient mastectomies, are helping to improve patient outcomes and reduce care variation across Michigan.

Figure 1. MSQC Hernia Care Pathways

MSQC Hernia Care Pathways

Current Initiatives

Building on its past successes, MSQC is advancing several key initiatives to further enhance surgical care. This includes focuses on surgical quality measures for specific procedures, including colorectal cancer, abdominal hernia, and breast surgery, for which MSQC intends to improve both short- and long-term outcomes. Additionally, MSQC is working to identify patient frailty before surgery and implement targeted interventions to enhance overall surgical experiences and outcomes.

In collaboration with ASPIRE/MPOG, MVC, and MPrOVE, MSQC is also supporting the de-implementation of unnecessary preoperative testing before low-risk surgery. As such, MSQC offered metrics in 2023 and 2024, with 33 MSQC hospitals participating in the initiative and observing a 20% reduction in testing. MSQC continues this partnership via the RIght-Sizing Testing before Elective Surgery (RITE-Size) grant, which aims to support hospitals across Michigan in reducing unnecessary testing via a multi-component intervention first piloted at Michigan Medicine. Several of the resources used in the RITE-Size program (Figure 2) were developed in partnership with MSQC and its hospital abstractors, such as the decision aid, sample testing protocol, and engagement package for primary care physician partners.

Figure 2. RITE-Size Resources

RITE-Size Resources: preoperative testing decision aid and PCP package

A recent survey of surgeons identified postoperative urinary retention as one of the most common challenges in their practices. In response, MSQC has partnered with the Surgical Urinary Catheter Care Enhancement Safety Study (SUCCESS) team to develop a comprehensive toolkit. Created and tested in collaboration with a pilot group of MSQC hospitals, surgeons, and nurses, the toolkit aims to reduce inappropriate perioperative urinary catheter use, prevent complications such as infections and trauma, and improve the management of postoperative urinary retention. By 2024, over 35 MSQC hospitals had implemented these tools, significantly enhancing patient safety, particularly for the most vulnerable populations.

Services and Benefits for MSQC Members

MSQC offers a unique opportunity for hospitals and surgeons to improve surgical care through reliable, real-time, risk- and reliability-adjusted data. By leveraging data collected from trained nurse data abstractors, MSQC helps hospitals statewide with benchmarking, meeting quality standards, and driving continuous improvement in surgical care. In collaboration with surgeon leaders across Michigan, MSQC develops robust variables not captured by other organizations, offering valuable insights into a variety of surgical procedures. Additionally, MSQC provides participating surgeons with personalized reports, empowering them to assess their own performance and identify opportunities for improvement at the individual level. When asked what makes MSQC’s work within the CQI community unique, Dr. Michael Englesbe, MD, FACS, MSQC Program Director explained, “What makes us unique is the quality of clinical data that we have access to. Issues that matter the most to patients such as ‘Did I get the right cancer care’ or ‘Will this hernia repair last me a long time’ are the focus of the MSQC. Again, the high-quality clinical data enables high-quality and impactful efforts to transform care in Michigan.”

Michael Englesbe, MD, FACS, MSQC Program Director testimonial

MVC is proud to partner with MSQC in advancing surgical quality improvement across Michigan. The BCBSM-funded CQIs play a crucial role in driving healthcare quality improvement, and MVC is excited to continue showcasing the innovative contributions of individual CQIs and the ways in which MVC’s data analytics are supporting high-value care initiatives across the portfolio. Please reach out to us by email if you are interested in learning more about MVC data and collaboration offerings.

09 Apr 2025
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CQI Spotlight: Michigan Collaborative for Type 2 Diabetes

CQI Spotlight: Michigan Collaborative for Type 2 Diabetes

April 9, 2025 | 0 Comments | , , , ,

Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) affects over 1 in 9 adults in Michigan and increases the risk of kidney and cardiovascular disease, hypertension, nerve and eye damage. Although newer interventions have demonstrated effectiveness in treating and preventing T2D, barriers to widespread dissemination and implementation remain a challenge. Delivering evidence-based diabetes care to all T2D patients in Michigan is essential for creating a future where diabetes is no longer a chronic progressive disease.

With this vision in mind, the Michigan Collaborative for Type 2 Diabetes (MCT2D) launched in 2021 and aims to accelerate implementation of guideline-concordant care, through supporting its participating practices with quality improvement efforts. MTC2D is currently focused on three evidence-based strategies: dietary and lifestyle changes based on the use of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), guideline-directed antihyperglycemic medications, and low-carbohydrate eating patterns. MCT2D recognizes the importance of utilizing these strategies to reduce T2D incidence and to slow disease progression to improve health in Michigan and lower health care costs.

In three short years, MCT2D’s quality improvement efforts have already resulted in major achievements. As MCT2D Program Director and Associate Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan Lauren Oshman, MD, MPH, stated,

quote by Lauren Oshman, MD, MPH, Program Director of MCT2D: "MCT2D’s community works together to share best practices and overcome barriers we see in our practices. We’ve already seen improvements in the use of medications to prevent heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease and the prescribing of CGMs to improve diabetes control."

So far, MCT2D has recruited more than 400 primary care, endocrinology, and nephrology practices across the state. Their efforts have resulted in a 12% relative reduction in patients with an A1c greater than 8% from 2021 to 2023, as well as an increase in CGM prescribing from 17% to 31% for patients who were on insulin (2021-2023).

MCT2D’s recent successes stem from its commitment to placing patients at the heart of their efforts. The MCT2D patient advisory board meets six times a year to guide the activities of the collaborative, including reviewing medication handouts, low-carbohydrate meal plans and grocery lists, instructional videos on injectable medications, and guides for using continuous glucose monitoring devices (Figure 1). This ensures materials are accessible and patient friendly. Patients are also invited to attend collaborative-wide and regional meetings to share their stories alongside healthcare professionals, further emphasizing the central role of the patient in MCT2D’s quality improvement initiatives.

Figure 1. MCT2D Resources and Education Materials

MCT2D Resources and Education Materials

In addition to supporting patients, MCT2D addresses the needs of clinicians by offering guidance on clinical best practices, as well as insurance coverage and cost-related issues. MCT2D also hosts regional meetings twice a year and monthly educational webinars where guest speakers deliver presentations on topics requested by collaborative members. Sessions have covered topics such as “Mental Health and Diabetes,” “Working with Specialists,” and “Metabolic Surgery for Type 2 Diabetes.”

MCT2D’s impact on the quality of T2D care is dependent on strong collaborative partnerships with its 23 participating physician organizations.  While MCT2D brings together physician participants from primary care, endocrinology, and nephrology, it centers the crucial role of other members of the care team, including pharmacists, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, care managers, nurses, and dietitians. As Dr. Oshman explains, "Taking care of people with T2D is a team sport. The strength of our collaborative comes from our diversity."

Over the past year, MCT2D and MVC have collaborated in several ways. MVC provides claims-based data and analytic consultation to support MCT2D in establishing quality improvement benchmarks. MVC also collaborated with MCT2D in 2024 to develop a statewide report on T2D in Michigan. This report provided a comprehensive overview of the demographics, healthcare visits, and prescription utilization patterns of patients with T2D in Michigan. The report highlighted key trends in healthcare utilization within this patient population, including emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and consultations with primary care providers (PCPs) and specialists.

MVC is currently partnering with MCT2D on a value exercise to compare the use of guideline concordant medications and change in cost and outcomes among T2D patients in MCT2D practices compared to non-participating practices. This work significantly enhanced the MVC team's understanding of pharmacy claims data from BCBSM and BCN and provided valuable insights that will inform future projects and analyses using pharmacy claims data.

MVC is proud to partner with MCT2D in advancing T2D care across Michigan. The BCBSM-funded CQIs play a crucial role in driving healthcare quality improvement, and MVC is excited to continue showcasing the innovative contributions of individual CQIs and the ways in which MVC’s data analytics are supporting high-value care initiatives across the portfolio.

20 Nov 2024
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Diabetes Awareness Month: MVC Highlights MCT2D Collaborations to Improve Diabetes Care

Diabetes Awareness Month: MVC Highlights MCT2D Collaborations to Improve Diabetes Care

November 20, 2024 | 0 Comments | , , ,

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, a time to bring attention to the growing prevalence and impact of diabetes as well as the importance of early diagnosis, effective management, and prevention. According to the CDC, diabetes is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, affecting vital organs such as the nervous system, kidneys, heart, and eyes. In 2021, it was estimated that 38.4 million people of all ages had diabetes—more than 1 in 9 adults in Michigan alone—a number that continues to rise globally. Additionally, recent studies show that 98 million American adults have prediabetes, putting them at high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes (T2D). The need for increased awareness and proactive care has never been more urgent.

Despite being one of the most prevalent chronic conditions worldwide, T2D is largely preventable. Given its chronic nature, it is essential to advocate for widespread access to patient resources, leverage data analytics to pinpoint areas for improvement, and ensure that all individuals across Michigan have the opportunity to access care that can prevent the disease from progressing.

MVC Offerings for T2D Care

MVC is committed to using claims-based data to improve the health of Michigan through sustainable, high-value healthcare. Recently, MVC expanded its focus to address T2D and its complications. In March 2024, MVC incorporated two high-volume emergency department (ED) conditions into its new ED-based episodes: diabetes with long-term complications (e.g., renal, eye, neurological, and circulatory issues) and short-term complications (e.g., ketoacidosis, hyperosmolarity, or coma). These ED-based episodes were developed in partnership with MEDIC and can be used to generate custom analytics for any MVC hospital or physician organization member.

MVC also has ongoing collaborations with the Michigan Collaborative for Type 2 Diabetes (MCT2D) to identify opportunities to improve care for T2D patients and evaluate the impact of CQI initiatives. Currently, both teams are partnering on a value exercise to assess whether practices participating in MCT2D reduced the use of certain diabetes medications compared to non-participating sites. This work will provide valuable insights into medication utilization.

More recently, MVC’s collaboration with MCT2D led to the creation of a new report on T2D in Michigan. It provided demographics and analyses for patients with T2D in Michigan insured by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM), Blue Care Network (BCN), Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS), and Michigan Medicaid between 2017 and 2023. The report also integrated pharmacy prescription claims. The report showcased several key trends, including:

  • A notable decrease in ED utilization and hospitalizations for T2D care from 2017-2023 (Figure 1).
  • An increase in visits with primary care providers (PCPs) and specialists, such as endocrinologists and nephrologists (Figure 2).
  • A shift in prescription utilization, with increased use of newer medications like GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors, while the use of older therapies such as insulin and sulfonylureas declined (Figure 3).

Figure 1. Yearly Rates of ED Utilization Among T2D Beneficiaries, 2017-2023

Figure 2. Yearly Rates of Provider Visit Utilization Among T2D Beneficiaries by Provider Type

Figure 3. T2D Medication Utilization Among Beneficiaries with T2D, 2017-2023

The report also highlighted important demographic trends, including that T2D patients in Michigan are, on average, older, more likely to be male, and more likely to be Black, with a higher prevalence of non-commercial insurance coverage. These insights are helping MVC and MCT2D to focus their future efforts.

Looking Towards the Future

Although the prevalence of diabetes is a significant challenge, the innovative efforts of groups such as MCT2D and the American Diabetes Association provide hope for the future. MVC is excited to complete and share its value exercise with MCT2D in 2025, as well as continue to build on its offerings to MVC member hospitals and physician organizations for diabetes-related improvement projects.

Diabetes Awareness Month offers an opportunity to reflect on the challenges faced by millions living with diabetes, while also recognizing the significant progress being made in the fight against the disease. With the continued support of healthcare professionals, organizations, and communities, MVC is committed to improving care, prevention, and education. Together, we can raise awareness, improve outcomes, and provide support for those affected by diabetes.

30 Jul 2024
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Using Human-Centered Design Thinking to Improve Healthcare

Using Human-Centered Design Thinking to Improve Healthcare

July 30, 2024 | 0 Comments | , , , ,

At its foundation, healthcare quality improvement is a process of systematically improving care to better meet the needs of patients. Similarly, the concept of human-centered design thinking asks us to put people at the center of processes meant to address problems and improve outcomes. Although people have leveraged the concept of design to develop innovative solutions for centuries, “human-centered design thinking” is a relatively new approach in healthcare settings that is gaining in popularity.

One leader in this space is IDEO, a global design and innovation company; they launched a series of resources and toolkits to implement design thinking into tangible projects and emphasized the mindset behind the theory—the notion that how one thinks about design directly affects the impact of the solution. Through their design kit, IDEO suggests a three-step guide to cultivate a practical and repeatable approach to arriving at innovative solutions: inspiration, ideation, and implementation. IDEO urges professionals to connect with the population they wish to serve to ensure a project’s goals align with the needs of the intended community, and then to generate tangible ideas and solutions to address identified issues. This connection to a specific community puts the individuals they are designing for in the spotlight.

As the use of human-centered design thinking continues to grow, innovators continue to generate different visualizations of the process. Similar to IDEO’s three steps, another popular approach has been the Design Council’s double diamond model. Created to convey the process of design to designers and non-designers alike, this model (Figure 1) highlights a balance between big-picture thinking and detail-oriented refinements while translating ideas into action. This double diamond model was the guiding framework for the development of the Michigan Cardiac Rehabilitation network (MiCR) NewBeat materials – a partnership effort between MVC, BMC2, and HBOM (Figure 2). Strategically understanding the perspectives and needs of patients after undergoing a major cardiovascular event was pivotal to the success of the project.

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

Leading the NewBeat project was Larrea Young, who works as a multimedia and human-centered design project manager at MCT2D and HBOM. In reflecting back on the success of the cardiac rehab NewBeat project, she said, “One of the first questions we ask people when we talk about design is, what does it mean to design? People’s answers often focus on aesthetics; design makes things pretty or more accessible. While aesthetics is an important aspect of design, it is only one small part. We define design as envisioning and building a preferred future. This is the essence of the human-centered design process, an approach that examines challenges through lenses of aesthetics, culture, society, technology, and economics to define what something should be. In this process, we gain a deep understanding of people’s lived experiences, challenge conventional norms, and pilot innovative solutions. In the realm of healthcare, this process helps us build solutions that contribute holistically to the health and well-being of our providers and patients.”

Further evidence of the value of design thinking can be found in the quality improvement projects that placed critical importance on understanding the population they wished to serve. Many of these also have a heightened focus on patient-centered in the context of social drivers of health. Taking this into account, a number of healthcare initiatives are now incorporating a design thinking framework to ensure the circumstances, needs, and desires of patient populations are understood; and the results are promising.

In another recent study published in JAMA Network, Dr. Alex Peahl and colleagues wanted to determine how prenatal care could be redesigned to improve access and quality for Black pregnant people with low income. Utilizing human-centered design thinking, they interviewed 19 patients and 19 healthcare workers at prenatal care clinics in Detroit, Michigan, focusing on the first two phases of IDEO’s process: inspiration and ideation. In conducting this series of personalized interviews, Dr. Peahl and colleagues not only collected data to prove that current care failed to meet patient needs, but they also gathered ideas from the patient population of ways to redesign prenatal care for pregnant people in the community. By placing the individuals affected by the redesign at the center of a project, the team ensured the solutions they developed would lead to improved outcomes and experiences (Figure 3).

Figure 3.

Recently, Dr. Alex Peahl, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Michigan, led the MVC Coordinating Center through a workshop on design thinking. Dr. Peahl outlined its principles, provided personal and professional examples from her work, and facilitated a space for MVC teammates to collaborate and practice design thinking with one another.

As the MVC Coordinating Center looks ahead, design thinking will be incorporated more frequently to improve the quality and impact of MVC offerings. If your team has successfully adopted human-centered design thinking or other patient-centered frameworks that can be shared with peers across the state, please contact MVC.

23 Feb 2024
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BMC2 Recognized as a 2023 Eisenberg Patient Safety & Quality Award Recipient by NQF, Joint Commission

BMC2 Recognized as a 2023 Eisenberg Patient Safety & Quality Award Recipient by NQF, Joint Commission

February 23, 2024 | 0 Comments | ,

BMC2 (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium) has been recognized with the prestigious John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award in the Local Level Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality category.

BMC2 has been honored for its remarkable improvements in the documentation of radiation use, a decrease in high-dose radiation exposure, and reduction in opioid pill prescribing rates. BMC2 is a statewide quality improvement collaborative that develops and administers a portfolio of quality improvement interventions for patients who undergo heart stenting, vascular surgical procedures, and transcatheter valve procedures in Michigan. The consortium is one of 22 Collaborative Quality Initiatives sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network as part of the BCBSM Value Partnerships program.

The Eisenberg Awards honor the late John M. Eisenberg, MD, MBA, and bring together the quality community to recognize groundbreaking initiatives in healthcare that are consistent with the aims of the National Quality Strategy: better care, healthy people and communities, and smarter spending. Dr. Eisenberg was the former administrator of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and an impassioned advocate for healthcare quality improvement. The award, presented annually by The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum (NQF), recognizes major individual, local, and national achievements in healthcare that improve patient safety and healthcare quality.

“BMC2’s work impacts 30,000 patients treated by hundreds of physicians from more than 100 hospital teams each year,” shares Dr. Hitinder Gurm, Director of BMC2. “We are fortunate to have this unique partnership between providers, hospitals, and payers, that is focused solely on improving safety, quality, and appropriateness of care. The collaborative creates data-driven quality improvement goals and initiatives, shares best practices, and distributes reports benchmarked to statewide performance, all focused on improving cardiovascular care throughout Michigan.”

In Michigan, documentation of radiation use improved from 73.1% in 2019 to 85.5% in 2021, and BMC2 sites are outperforming national rates, which were 57.5% in 2019 and 74.3% in 2021. BMC2 sites achieved an overall 43% decrease in cases with high-dose radiation exposure (2.8% in 2018 to 1.2% in 2021), affecting hundreds of patients and care teams. BMC2 also reduced opioid pill prescribing; data showed improvement in the rate of patients with a prescription of less than 10 opioid pills by approximately 30% between 2018 (62%) and 2021 (91%). In addition, BMC2 has been exploring strategies to address healthcare disparities and partners with a patient advisory council to create resources for patients and providers.

The Eisenberg Award panel was impressed by BMC2’s dissemination of its work. BMC2 data has supported more than 100 publications in peer-reviewed medical journals and more than 100 presentations at national and international conferences. The panel noted that this kind of collaborative, best-practice approach improved outcomes, reduced costs, and could be replicated by other states. The panel was inspired by BMC2’s inclusive scope across so many clinicians, physicians, teams, and sites, acknowledging the collaborative is “working to improve care, at every institution, and for every patient. It's remarkable.”

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BMC2 is a collaborative consortium of health care providers in the State of Michigan comprised of three statewide quality improvement projects addressing percutaneous coronary interventions (BMC2 PCI), vascular and carotid interventions (BMC2 Vascular Surgery), and transcatheter aortic and mitral valve procedures (MISHC) in collaboration with the Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons. Learn more about BMC2’s activities and achievements in their 2023 Annual Report.

Like MVC, support for BMC2  is provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network as part of the BCBSM Value Partnerships program.

02 Feb 2024
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CQI Leader Selected as 2024 Presidential Leadership Scholar

CQI Leader Selected as 2024 Presidential Leadership Scholar

February 2, 2024 | 0 Comments

The Collaborative Quality Initiatives (CQIs) will be represented in this year’s Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS) program, which invites 60 scholars to participate in a six-month, one-of-a-kind, bipartisan initiative focused on learning from the presidencies of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Lyndon B. Johnson, and their administrations.

Scholars are chosen from a highly competitive field and must undergo a rigorous application and review process. They are selected based on leadership growth potential and the strength of their personal leadership projects addressing local, national, or international challenges.

For Amanda Stricklen, RN, MSN, it’s an opportunity to continue her lifelong professional journey of improving healthcare, and she brings robust experience in healthcare quality improvement and patient safety to the PLS program. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan School of Nursing before gaining years of experience in bedside nursing. Currently, Stricklen serves as the program manager for the Michigan Bariatric Surgical Collaborative (MBSC) and the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative (MSQC) focusing on improving clinical outcomes, enhancing patient experiences, and building a statewide community of providers who work together to elevate the care of surgical patients. Like the Michigan Value Collaborative, the coordinating centers for MSQC and MBSC are housed at Michigan Medicine.

“I am honored to be one of 60 scholars for this year’s Presidential Leadership Scholars Program,” said Stricklen. “I look forward to learning new leadership skills and representing the Collaborative Quality Initiatives, Michigan Medicine, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and the University of Michigan as a whole. My goal is to learn new leadership goals to empower and provide support to participating hospitals and healthcare providers to enhance care in Michigan and across the nation.”

“Amanda Stricklen is one of the longest serving program managers in Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s Collaborative Quality Initiative program, the first of its kind, internationally recognized, award-winning model that focuses on a critical challenge – improving health care quality and value,” said Tom Leyden, director of the BCBSM Value Partnerships program, which provides funding for the CQIs. “Amanda is an accomplished leader who demonstrates a strong commitment to the CQIs’ shared principles of transparency, collaboration, trust, and measuring performance.”

Stricklen will join leaders from across the country representing the military, non-profit organizations, public and private sectors. Scholars will travel to each participating presidential center to learn from key former administration officials, business and civic leaders, and leading academics. They will study, put into practice varying approaches to leadership, and exchange ideas to help strengthen their impact in the communities they serve.

“Amanda, a beacon of excellence in Michigan's quality improvement landscape, has earned her place as a Presidential Leadership Scholar, illuminating the path of leadership with dedication and innovation,” said CQI Portfolio Director Michael Englesbe, MD. “We look forward to benefiting from the enhanced skills she will gain through this program.”

The 2024 program kicks off Jan. 24 in Washington, D.C.

About the Presidential Leadership Scholars

The Presidential Leadership Scholars program is a partnership among the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. To learn more, visit presidentialleadershipscholars.org.