ICYMI: A Message from DHHS’s QuEST

• By: Ben Hawkins
• On: 05/08/2025 16:27:39
• In: Legislative/Government Affairs

Below is a message from DHHS' Quality Excellence Success and Team Work (QuEST) project:

Greetings QuEST Partners, 
 
Thank you all for making last week's Culture Change Coalition (CCC) kickoff a huge success! We had 146 members live on the call with 69 of Maine's nursing homes in attendance, along with many regional supports, and several teams joining together on behalf of their nursing home community. Most notable was the curiosity and commitment you all continue to bring to the QuEST meetings, stoking thoughtful and inspiring conversations. For those of you who expressed an interest in becoming a pillar in the relaunch of Maine's CCC, we are grateful to have you! Amanda Nelson will reach out prior to the next CCC call on July 23^rd. If you didn't sign up at the end of the call but would like to, just send an email to OADS.NFQuality@maine.gov to let us know you're interested. Please note these additional meetings will not count toward the QuEST attendance guidelines. We'd like to also thank our presenters, Carmen Bowman and Jake Anderson, for sharing their experience, passion, and tenacious commitment to our shared goal as we bring the “home” back to nursing home across our state.
 
REMINDER: if your nursing home has not yet submitted your designated “Quality Champion,” as required for the QuEST quality bonus payment, please do so soon! We have recorded a QC for only about half of Maine's nursing homes and the deadline of May 31^st is quickly approaching. Email OADS.NFQuality@maine.gov with your team's selection. “QuEST” is the umbrella term for the quality initiatives aligned with Maine's VBP quality measures: reduction in nursing staff turnover, reduction in the use of antipsychotic medications, and measurement and improvement in resident and family satisfaction. To continue building a collaborative learning partnership, and to ensure you get credit for your attendance, we ask for participants, especially Quality Champions, to be on camera. It is also important to include your name and the nursing home represent in the chat, particularly if it isn't included in your screen name.  
 
More Resources:

• QuEST CCC Apr 30^th Kickoff Recording: QuEST Culture Change Coalition Kickoff 4.30.25
• QuEST CCC Apr 30^th presentation slides from Carmen Bowman and Jake Anderson
• QuEST CCC Speaker bios (attached)
• Pioneer Network's handouts and resources website
• Artifacts of Culture Change 2.0
• If you would like a copy of the chat or the attendance log from this call, please send your request to OADS.NFQuality@maine.gov

 
Questions? Please send your QuEST inquiries to OADS.NFQuality@maine.gov. We look forward to seeing you on May 28^th for our next Making Sense of VBP call.

Staff contact: bhawkins@mehca.org