A partnership between Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the Tennessee State Department of Health has helped some VHAN practices improve antibiotic stewardship efforts.

As VHAN’s executive director and chief medical officer, I want to extend a sincere thank you for your unwavering dedication to ensure patients receive high-quality, personalized care. As I reflect on our most recent performance year’s successes, I am reminded that our network’s collective strength and commitment enables better health outcomes.

Milan Medical Center (MMC) is a well-oiled machine when it comes to addressing quality measures for their patient population, thanks in large part to Care Coordinator Elizabeth Hutcherson. Read this practice spotlight to learn more about how Hutcherson plays a vital role at MMC and in the community at large.

VHAN recently received Cigna CAC performance results for PY21, and we are happy to announce that the network performed remarkably well compared to market and national rates across key measures. According to representatives from Cigna CAC, VHAN’s efforts to identify and list actions for preventive care initiatives and improvements, along with quality measure reports, patient outreach and best practice-sharing contributed to the favorable results. Read the article for a full list of VHAN’s achievements.

To improve Erlanger Health System’s (EHS) AWV completion rate and deliver vital preventive care, the Erlanger Medical Group (EMG) quality team implemented an Annual Wellness Visit template and clinical education program in 2018. Since implementing the new process, Erlanger has experienced a year-over-year increase in total Medicare AWVs. Read the article to leverage best practices from the EMG quality team.

One in every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. That’s a sobering statistic, and it’s one that compels members of Vanderbilt Population Health’s Quality Impact Specialists (QIS) Team to motivate patients to get their annual breast cancer screenings. By pairing new technology strategies with more efficient communications, last year the team achieved dramatic results in the number of patients scheduled for these screenings. Read the full article to find best practices your staff can use to increase screening appointments and meet this important quality benchmark.

Coinciding with VHAN’s 10th anniversary, the third season of the miniVHAN podcast looks back at the unique vision for VHAN and how the network launched amidst a major transition in health care from fee-for-service to value-based care following the signing of the Affordable Care Act in 2010.

To support patients with diabetes, Vanderbilt Primary Care began offering diabetes classes in 2020. After a short stint of in-person classes, COVID-19 caused the organization to move to a virtual environment, and attendance grew exponentially. The free, one-hour courses are held four times per month on Zoom, and they are available to all Vanderbilt Primary Care patients through a provider or nurse referral. Learn more about how Vanderbilt successfully launched this program—and how other practices could possibly do the same.

VHAN is pleased to announce that the network achieved 100% performance on all Aetna Commercial quality measures in 2021. VHAN members also scored higher than Aetna’s Q4 national average on several measures, including Breast and Colorectal Cancer Screening and Comprehensive Diabetes Care.