For best results after spine surgery, get moving as soon as possible.
June 8, 2023
A Blue Cross initiative is helping people get back on their feet after spine surgery and back to normal, daily activities. The idea of getting up and moving around less than eight hours after a back or neck surgery might seem unpleasant, even risky to many patients. Yet, a recent study published in Neurosurgery shows […]
Michigan outperforms national trends in reducing opioid prescribing after surgery
April 28, 2023
Opioid addiction is the top complication after surgery for patients who have never taken them before. Persistent opioid use happens when patients are prescribed opioids to help with post-surgical pain, but they continue to use the opioids well after post-surgical pain period. The absence of established opioid prescribing guidelines for surgeons to follow contributed to […]
Experts Gather at Inaugural Michigan Obesity Summit to Address the Obesity Public Health Crisis
October 11, 2022
The United States has an obesity problem, and it’s costing more than a trillion dollars in direct and indirect medical costs. In Michigan, which has one of the highest obesity rates in the nation, 36% of adults and 17% of children are obese. If the trend continues, about half of the population will be obese […]
Anesthesiology CQI reduces greenhouse gas emissions
April 1, 2021
The Anesthesiology Performance Improvement and Reporting Exchange CQI, or ASPIRE, aims to improve the quality of care and outcomes for patients receiving anesthesia. Now, participants are focusing on improving population health as they help the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “We often forget that providing health care can generate great amounts of waste and pollution, causing disease […]
Reflections from a patient: CQI collaboration improves quality and patient experience
July 17, 2019
I have long admired the Collaborative Quality Initiatives, but never imagined that I would personally benefit from their work.
Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: Knowledge is Power
November 21, 2018
Opioid overdoses have tripled in Michigan since 2012. Michigan ranks 10th in the nation for rates of prescribing opioids and 18th for overdose deaths.
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 […]
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 […]