Local MIECHV sites in Jacksonville and Pinellas County were urged to “think the unthinkable” but to test their big ideas in small steps during the May opening learning session of the new Home Visiting Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network (HVCoIIN). Florida is one of eleven states and two tribal grantees participating in the continuous quality improvement (CQI) effort organized by the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau. The mission of the HV CoIIN is to achieve breakthrough improvement, using a model developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, in selected process and outcome measures related to MIECHV benchmarks.
The Parents as Teachers (PAT) site in Pinellas is focusing on processes around screening and service provision for developmental delay while the Jacksonville Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) program will test ways to impact breastfeeding duration. Both teams will also have an opportunity to learn about innovative practices for family engagement and transition to other programs.
The opening meeting featured national faculty and CQI experts who presented on the rapid cycle Plan-Do-Study-Act process, measurement strategies, and opportunities for collaborative learning. Teams from each site prepared a storyboard on their projects outlining aims, baseline data and big ideas. Participants rolled up their sleeves during breakout sessions and reviewed research-based change packages designed to improve services and outcomes for each topic area.
The sites will select and test initial ideas for improvements and report back in June. Sites will also submit monthly data reports over the 18 month implementation period. Monthly conference calls be held to promote collaborative learning. The HVCoIIN will be used as a framework for organizing state CQI activities for other MIECHV-funded sites. For more information contact Allison Parish, Senior Manager.