The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2022 Quality Conference virtually brought together nearly 5,000 health care leaders to share and hear promising practices for advancing health care quality, equity and safety at CMS and within the U.S. health care system.

CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure introduced a new National Quality Strategy which emphasizes behavioral health, health equity and quality initiatives to improve the health of the American people. She noted that while attention to these issues was warranted prior to COVID-19, the pandemic illuminated the urgent need for improvement especially for those in underserved communities. The strategy is driven by eight goals intended to provide a more equitable and outcome-based healthcare system for all individuals. These goals are: 1) Embed quality into the care journey; 2) Advance health equity; 3) Promote safety; 4) Foster engagement; 5) Strengthen resiliency; 6) Embrace the Digital Age; 7) Incentivize innovation & technology; and 8) Increase alignment of performance measures, programs, policies and payment across CMS, federal partners and external stakeholders.

Administrator Brooks-LaSure also introduced the CMS Behavioral Health Strategy. This new strategy is grounded in the belief that individuals should receive person-centered services for behavioral health, mental health, substance use disorder and pain management that address their needs and foster healthy living. It is guided by the following five goals: 1) Strengthen equity and quality in behavioral health care; 2) Improve access to substance use disorders prevention, treatment and recovery services; 3) Ensure effective pain treatment and management; 4) Improve access to and the quality of mental health care and services; and 5) Utilize data for effective actions and impact on behavioral health.

Participants also heard from Dr. LaShawn McIver, Director of the CMS Office of Minority Health who shared examples of how CMS is working to advance health equity. These include designing, implementing and operationalizing polices and programs that support health for everyone served by CMS programs; eliminating avoidable differences in health outcomes, especially for those who are disadvantaged or underserved; and providing the care and support people with Medicare and Medicaid need to thrive. “Our goal at CMS is to approach quality and quality improvement with an equity lens at the front of our mind,” she said.

CMS’ strategies for improving health care quality, behavioral health and health equity are tied together by the voices and needs of patients. During a panel discussion led by Jean Moody-Williams, RN, MPP, Deputy Director for the CMS Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, the spouse and caregiver of a home dialysis patient and a kidney transplant recipient shared their thoughts and recommendations for how CMS can better integrate the patient perspective into its quality improvement programs and activities.

Including caregivers in all aspects of training, treatment and education, creating mental health resources for patients and care partners, incentivizing patients to try in-home treatments and creating patient advisory boards at dialysis centers that report back to CMS about what’s happening “on the ground” are just of a few of the insightful recommendations provided by the panel. “We know that we cannot transform systems without the voices of patients, families and caregivers,” said Moody-Williams. “They are the ones that will chart the course,” she said.

This material was prepared by The Bizzell Group (Bizzell), the Data Validation and Administrative (DVA) contractor, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official views or policy of CMS or HHS, and any reference to a specific product or entity herein does not constitute endorsement of that product or entity by CMS or HHS. 12SOW/Bizzell/DVA-1132-07/18/2023