Valued Voice

WHA members joined association representatives in a virtual discussion with Wisconsin Department of Health Services Division of Quality Assurance (DQA) staff about recent trends in hospital compliance visits.
 
WHA President and CEO Eric Borgerding welcomed DQA Administrator Otis Woods, DQA Bureau of Health Services Director Ann Hansen and other members of the DQA team to the meeting and referenced the productive collaboration between the agency and WHA members. “Please thank your teams who have worked as partners with hospitals supporting Wisconsin communities during the pandemic,” said Borgerding, kicking off a roundtable discussion about various survey issues and concerns with more than 50 Wisconsin hospital leaders from across the state.


 
Borgerding emphasized that the pandemic has been difficult for patients and their families and for hospital staff, including when enforcing government mandated COVID-19 policies. He noted that survey activity and issues added stress during a challenging time.
 
Borgerding emphasized that the pandemic had been difficult for patients, their families and hospital staff who, too often, when enforcing unpopular COVID-19 policies have been threatened and harassed. He noted that survey activity and issues added stress during a challenging time.
 
Woods recognized the hospitals’ work during the pandemic and provided an overview of DQA’s oversight responsibilities. Hansen and Vicky Griffin, DQA’s infection control specialist, responded to specific questions and comments posed by hospitals about survey issues. Some hospital questions and comments focused on survey burdens, such as multiple surveys occurring within a brief period and frequent vaccine compliance surveys.
 
Hospitals also requested clarification regarding the application of various U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards, the vaccine mandate and the best way to stay up to date with evolving standards. DQA reminded hospitals that the DQA Subscription Service provides hospitals with the opportunity to receive notifications from DQA. Hospitals can sign up for the service here.  
 
DQA stressed the importance of providing feedback to its leadership when a hospital has concerns with the conduct of a survey. The DQA post-survey questionnaire is available here.
 
Borgerding thanked hospital leaders and the DQA team for the frank discussion, and both DQA and WHA agreed to schedule another roundtable discussion soon.