Quality Advisor

Season's Greetings and Happy Holidays from our team to yours!

Registration Now Open for WHA's 2026 Advocacy Day - February 25!

Join us for WHA’s annual Advocacy Day on Wednesday, Feb. 25—a powerful opportunity for hospital employees, trustees and volunteers to make a visible impression in the state capitol. This event offers a chance to connect, learn and influence critical health care issues.

Fourth Annual Health Care Quality Showcase in Conjunction with WHA's Advocacy Day

WHA's 2025 Health Care Quality ShowcaseThe Health Care Quality Showcase is a wonderful opportunity to see firsthand the innovative efforts Wisconsin hospitals are making to enhance patient safety and improve care.

We invite you to attend the Health Care Quality Showcase the afternoon of Advocacy Day, from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. in the Capitol Rotunda to share your projects and learn about the quality improvement initiatives at other WHA member hospitals. This event highlights the dedicated work of hospital staff to improve patient safety and the quality of care across the state. It’s a great chance to engage with elected officials, Advocacy Day attendees, and the public to raise awareness of the important strides Wisconsin hospitals are making in ensuring safer, higher-quality care for all patients.

If you are interested and would like to participate at the WHA Health Care Quality Showcase, please complete and submit this form.

If you have questions, please contact Nadine Allen or Marcia Egle.

AHA Reports Hospitals Continue to Improve Performance on Key Patient Safety Measures and Outcomes

The AHA released a report Dec. 4 that found patient safety in hospitals and health systems across the nation continues to improve. The report, which uses data analyzed by Vizient, examined key safety and quality metrics from the fourth quarter of 2019 to the second quarter of 2025. It found that despite caring for a sicker patient population, hospitals’ focus on safety led to improved patient outcomes and reduced infections.

“Keeping patients safe is the top priority of America’s hospitals and health systems,” said AHA Chief Physician Executive and Senior Vice President Chris DeRienzo, M.D. “The latest findings show that hospital teams continue to innovate and develop programs and strategies that are improving care and outcomes for the patients and communities they serve.”

The report also found:

• Hospitalized patients in the second quarter of 2025 were on average nearly 30% more likely to survive than expected given the severity of their illnesses to the fourth quarter of 2019.
• Hospitals’ efforts to improve safety led to more than 300,000 Americans hospitalized from April 2024 through March 2025 surviving episodes of care they would not have in 2019.
• Hospitals cared for more patients in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, with increases in volume by 4% and case mix index by 5% during this period. Patients in 2025 also had more complex and severe conditions.
• Hospitals’ central line-associated bloodstream infections and catheter-associated urinary tract infections in the second quarter of 2025 were at lower rates than the fourth quarter of 2019.
• Key screenings for breast and colorectal cancer increased 95% from the fourth quarter of 2019 to the second quarter of 2025.

The AHA’s Patient Safety Initiative provides tools and data to help hospitals advance patient safety and serves as a platform to share stories of improvement with peers. It also highlights examples of applicable innovation that support, spread and sustain safety improvement.

2025 Measures Under Consideration (MUC) List Now Available

The 2025 Measures Under Consideration (MUC) List is now available on the Measures Management System (MMS) Hub. The publication includes an Excel file detailing measures specifications, along with the 2025 MUC List Overview, a PDF that summarizes the MUC List process and provides high-level information.

2025 MUC List Highlights:

• 24 Unique Measures on this Year's List - A total of 24 unique measures included for consideration, of which ten are currently implemented in Medicare programs: eight are on the MUC List due to substantive changes made to their specifications, and two are on the MUC List because they were submitted for use in additional programs.
• 100% of Measures Use a Digital Data Source - 100% (24 of 24) of the measures rely on data submissions using at least one digital data source and 96% (23 of 24) of these measures rely on data submissions using only digital data sources, which is consistent with CMS’s priority for the development of interoperable and digital quality measures.
• Continued Support of Meaningful Priorities - 29% (7 of 24) of the measures address the Chronic Conditions and Related Acute Events Meaningful Measure Priority, while 25% (6 of 24) of the measures address the Safety Meaningful Measure Priority, reflecting the importance in improving health care quality and patient well-being.

2025 March of Dimes Report Card Released: A Snapshot of Perinatal Health in Wisconsin

The 2025 March of Dimes Report Card for Wisconsin is now available, providing an updated snapshot of maternal and infant health across the state. The report highlights progress in some areas while underscoring ongoing challenges, including preterm birth and persistent disparities. These findings reinforce the importance of continued collaboration, quality improvement, and advocacy to improve outcomes for birthing people and infants across Wisconsin.