Media Release

For Immediate Release
October 20, 2008

Contact:
VNA Community Relations
(248) 967-8374/vna@vna.org

Visiting Nurse Association of Southeast Michigan
Receives 2007 Michigan Award of Excellence

Visiting Nurse Association of Southeast Michigan has received MPRO’s, Michigan’s Quality Improvement Organization (QIO), prestigious 2007 Michigan Award of Excellence for Improving Care in the Home Health Setting. VNA of Southeast Michigan recently received the accolade for working to improve care by implementing strategies to reduce the number of hospitalizations that can occur with medically fragile patients. Nationally, the trend is that patients are more likely to be hospitalized within the first three weeks of beginning home care services care if they are being treated for chronically unstable conditions including heart failure, hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.

The Michigan Award of Excellence honors agencies statewide that are committed to improving the quality and safety of care in such areas as: decreasing acute care hospitalizations and improving the management of oral medications, improving the implementation of telehealth technology, and improving screenings for flu and pneumonia immunizations – designated as national health care priorities by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Visiting Nurse Association of Southeast Michigan used a multi-pronged approach of best practice methodologies including its TeleHomecare program that incorporates daily education, telephone support for, and in-person nursing visits. The organization also increased the amount of social worker visits to maximize a patient’s connection to needed community resources.

“As Michigan’s quality improvement organization for Medicare, MPRO is pleased to recognize Visiting Nurse Association of Southeast Michigan for its efforts to advance patient care,” said Robert Yellan, president and CEO of MPRO.  “The Michigan Award of Excellence denotes a commitment to excellence in the delivery of high quality care to ensure the right care for the right person every time.”
About VNA of Southeast Michigan—110 Years of Serving the Community

Since 1898, Visiting Nurse Association of Southeast Michigan has been the first name in homecare and hospice for exceptional care delivered through innovative and specialty programs including TeleHomecare, wound care and orthopedics. Today, VNA of Southeast Michigan is the largest, independent nonprofit home health care and hospice organization to serve patients of all ages, from birth to end-of-life. Annually, VNA provides care to more than 8,400 residents of Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Livingston and Washtenaw counties. Additionally, VNA provides corporate wellness services and a wide range of immunizations.  For more information call (800) 882-5720 or visit www.vna.org.

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