Reducing excessive imaging in the emergency room can save millions, per CQI study

July 3, 2019

A new study, published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, found that Michigan hospitals could avoid more than $3.8 million annually simply by reducing the amount of low-value imaging tests performed in the emergency room.

A $2 solution for blood clot prevention after knee surgery

November 13, 2018

Sometimes, the answer to a complicated medical challenge isn’t complicated at all. In the case of the Michigan Arthroplasty Registry Collaborative Quality Initiative (MARCQI), an analysis of 30 months of data from Michigan patients having total knee transplants found that aspirin worked as well as anticoagulants to prevent blood clots after the procedure. “There are […]

Michigan Coalition Successfully Reduces Unnecessary Blood Transfusions

September 25, 2018

Although blood transfusions are considered to be insignificant, and done without much forethought, the procedure is not without potential risk. “Blood transfusions are associated with infections, allergic reactions, lung injury, as well as potential for long-term complications, such as heart attack or kidney failure,” said Sarah Lanivich, senior health care analyst, Value Partnerships. “They also […]

Oncology collaborative adds ovarian cancer as a special focus

August 14, 2018

The Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium was launched in 2010 with the ambitious goal of improving the quality of cancer care provided to patients across the state of Michigan. As a result, over 90 percent of eligible Michigan oncologists participate to promote high-quality, effective, and cost-efficient care for cancer patients. Late last year, MOQC expanded its […]

National summit aims to expand Collaborative Quality Initiative model to other states

November 7, 2017

Surgeons from California, Washington, South Carolina – even from the United Kingdom – travelled to Northern Michigan in early October to learn about Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s Collaborative Quality Initiative model. Roughly 75 surgeons and health professionals gathered at an inaugural summit to share information and experiences, and inspire similar initiatives in other […]

Blue Cross CQIs Gaining National Attention

August 18, 2017

Since the cardiovascular consortium, the very first collaborative quality initiative, was launched in 1997, with funding from the BCBSM Foundation, Blue Cross has since launched more than 20 consortiums across areas of surgical and medical care, all looking at ways to improve safety, quality and processes for procedures that are high cost and have high […]