The Missouri Hospital Association was recognized at the end of July for its work to improve health care quality.
The Missouri chapter of the American Hospital Association received the 2018 Dick Davidson Quality Milestone Award for Allied Leadership during the AHA's Leadership Summit in San Diego, California. The award goes to associations that play a role in the transformation of care in their states and contribute to national health care improvements.
MHA and its members are implementing initiatives to achieve their "Triple Aim" of better health and better care at lower costs. The Triple Aim combines strategy, timing and resources. MHA has committed to all three by providing hospitals the technical and adaptive support needed to drive and realize improvement, according to an AHA news release. The Triple Aim approach recognizes that health happens in places patients live, learn, work and play - in the community, not necessarily the hospital.
MHA developed and deployed a population health survey to gauge progress. Missouri is the only state without a prescription drug-monitoring program. MHA provided resources and support to help a county-based prescription drug monitoring program launched by St. Louis County.
The AHA is a nonprofit association of health care provider organizations and individuals committed to the health improvement of their communities.