Improvement Partnership Model Supports Pediatricians’ Maintenance of Certification Efforts

Newswise — A national leader in the charge for healthcare reform for children, the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program (VCHIP) at the University of Vermont was the first "Improvement Partnership" — a statewide collaboration of multi-disciplinary public and private partners that uses quality improvement science to improve child healthcare systems, practice, and child health outcomes — in the nation. VCHIP executive director Judith Shaw, Ed.D., M.P.H., R.N., F.A.A.P., is at the helm of these efforts, and has not only established a successful system in Vermont, but assisted the development of Improvement Partnerships in multiple states across the country. She will lead a workshop focused on how Improvement Partnerships can support Quality Improvement (QI) activities and provide Maintenance of Certification (MOC) to participating physicians at the 2011 Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Denver, Colo., on April 30.

Since 2009, 15 Improvement Partnerships have worked collaboratively on QI in pediatrics as part of the National Improvement Partnership Network (NIPN). Four of these partnerships – in New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Vermont – have received American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) approval and offer MOC-approved QI projects to pediatricians in their states. Topics have included standardized developmental screening, autism, immunizations, preventive services for youth, abusive head trauma, and obesity.

“Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Part IV requirements for pediatricians provides a new opportunity for academic pediatricians to support their colleagues in measurably improving primary care practice,” says Shaw. “With increased emphasis on demonstrated practice change rather than increased knowledge, it is critical for academic pediatric faculty to be adept in quality improvement skills and approaches and to be prepared to present new content knowledge in the QI context.”

Shaw plans to highlight basic requirements and common challenges to obtaining approval for a QI project under MOC in her workshop, which will review quality improvement principles and approved MOC projects, as well as an opportunity to critique a mock MOC application, and adapt a recently approved MOC project proposal for use in their own setting.

Launched in 2000, VCHIP's work impacts many areas of child health, including child development, newborn and childhood preventive services, ADHD, asthma, foster care, prenatal care, opiate-exposed newborn care and adolescent health. VCHIP has established collaborations and partnerships with the Vermont Department of Health, American Academy of Pediatrics VT Chapter, Office of Vermont Health Access (OVHA) – Medicaid, and the Vermont Agency of Human Services, and is actively collaborating on several health care quality improvement projects locally and nationally.