The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has selected ECRI Institute as a Prime awardee of the Network of Quality Improvement and Innovation Contractors (NQIIC). This designation will allow NQIICs to bid on task orders over the next five years.
As a Prime NQIIC awardee partnering with other Quality Improvement contractors under the new CMS Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract mechanism to support quality improvement efforts, each NQIIC may serve as quality improvement experts, as well as change agents for healthcare transformation by achieving bold aims at a high value.
ECRI Institute has demonstrated healthcare quality improvement expertise, officials for the nonprofit say. Further, services supported by some of the NQIIC awardees may include:
- Provide direct technical assistance in specific areas of healthcare quality improvement (e.g., patient safety, opioid misuse, nursing home quality, etc.)
- Seek and gain commitments from patients, providers, and stakeholders to achieve aims
- Use a human centered design that involves teaming with patient and family members to improve healthcare processes and outcomes
- Focus on helping providers and healthcare organizations achieve quantitative results for improved outcomes, lower costs, better care, less provider burden, greater transparency, and more
- Support a diverse array of organizations and populations, including: rural providers, vulnerable beneficiaries, clinical practices, hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis facilities, and more
- Support providers in efficient use of Health Information Technology and interoperability
- Serve as backbone organizations to form and engage Community Coalitions
- Convene and support Learning and Action Networks
