FROM: Theodore O. Will, Chief Executive Officer
DATE: Jan 21, 2004
SUBJECT: Pneumonia Physician Pocket-Card Reference, Pneumonia Collaborative Invitation and Questionnaire
IPRO CONTACTS:
Marcia Brinson, M.P.H., R.D., Project Manager, ext. 422 or Marguerite Shaffer R.N., Senior Director, Improvement Strategies, ext. 410
We are pleased to provide you with two excellent opportunities designed to assist your hospital staff in improving the management of your patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).
The first is a revised edition of the pneumonia physician pocket-card reference 'Management of Community-Acquired Pneumonia' which was initially produced in Fall 2001. This edition updates antibiotic recommendations for the initial empiric treatment of hospitalized pneumonia patients and recommends administration of antibiotics within 4 hours of arrival to the hospital. It is our hope that the pocket-card will assist your institution in achieving the goal of administering appropriate antibiotics within the first 4 hours of hospital arrival. Please feel free to distribute to hospital staff that treat CAP patients. To request additional physician pocket-cards, complete the faxback request form and fax to IPRO at (516) 326-0434, attention Eloise Tate.
The second is an invitation to acute care hospitals across the state to participate in an IPRO sponsored 12-month pneumonia collaborative scheduled to begin in April 2004. The pneumonia collaborative will seek to improve the quality of care provided to Medicare pneumonia patients through accelerated learning, innovation and clinical system change. Throughout the collaborative, participating hospitals will test and measure practice innovations, then share their experiences with collaborative members. The expected result is rapid learning and widespread implementation of best practices. In order to register or to receive further information regarding the collaborative, please complete the 'Pneumonia Collaborative Questionnaire' and fax your response to (516) 326-0434, attention Marcia Brinson, Project Manager.
Should you have any questions regarding this memorandum, the physician pocket-card or the pneumonia collaborative, please feel free to call Marcia Brinson at 1-516-326-7767 ext 422, e-mail: mbrinson@nyqio.sdps.org or Marguerite Shaffer at (516) 326-7767 ext. 356, email: mshaffer@nyqio.sdps.org. All materials are also available on our website, along with our reports and tools.