Online Resources

Many organizations are very interested in hospital quality and work diligently to improve the quality of care that all Americans receive in hospitals across the nation. Some of these organizations are listed below.

American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) www.aarp.org	AARP stand up for its members and society as a strong nonpartisan advocate for social change. It works on the issues that are important to 50+ Americans, including health and financial security and livable communities.
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) www.aflcio.org	The mission of the AFL-CIO is to improve the lives of working families to bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to the nation.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) www.ahrq.gov	The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) mission is to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. Information from AHRQ’s research helps people make more informed decisions and improve the quality of health care services.
America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) www.ahip.org	AHIP provides a unified voice for the community of health insurance plans. A major policy goal for our members is to expand access to high quality, affordable coverage to all Americans.
American Hospital Association (AHA) www.aha.org	AHA focuses on advancing the health of individuals and communities. The AHA leads, represents and serves hospitals, health systems and other related organizations that are accountable to the community and committed to health improvement.
American Medical Association (AMA) www.ama-assn.org	The mission at the American Medical Association is to promote the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health.
American Nurses Association (ANA) www.nursingworld.org	The ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the rights of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.
American Osteopathic Association (AOA) www.osteopathic.org	The AOA is a member association representing more than 67,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs). The AOA serves as the primary certifying body for DOs, and is the accrediting agency for all osteopathic medical colleges and health care facilities.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBS) www.bcbs.com	The Blue Cross and Blue Shield System provides healthcare coverage for nearly 100 million people or one-in-three Americans.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) www.cms.hhs.gov	CMC aims to ensure effective, up-to-date health care coverage and to promote quality care for beneficiaries.
Greater Detroit Area Health Council (GDAHC) www.gdahc.org	GDAHC is southeastern Michigan’s health care coalition of leaders from business, labor, hospitals and health systems, physician organizations, payers, government and community organizations that provides leadership on regional issues of health care quality, access and cost, and aligns leaders to activate transformative solutions.
Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) www.hfap.org	Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) is one of only three national voluntary accreditation programs authorized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to survey hospitals for compliance with the Medicare Conditions of Participation and Coverage.
Hospital Quality Compare www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov	Hospital Quality Compare helps you find information on how well hospitals care for patients with certain medical conditions or surgical procedures, and results from a survey of patients about the quality of care they received during a recent hospital stay. This information will help you compare the quality of care hospitals provide.
Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) www.hospitalqualityalliance.org	The HQA facilitates continuous improvement in patient care through the implementation of measures that portray the quality, cost and value of hospital care; by developing and using measure reporting in the nation’s hospitals; and sharing hospital performance information with the public.
Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) www.ihi.org/ihi	IHI works to accelerate improvement by building the will for change, cultivating promising concepts for improving patient care, and helping health care systems put those ideas into action.
The Leapfrog Group www.leapfroggroup.org	The Leapfrog Group is a voluntary program aimed at mobilizing employer purchasing power to alert America’s health industry that big leaps in health care safety, quality and customer value will be recognized and rewarded.
Michigan Health and Hospital Association (MHA) www.mha.org	MHA represents the interests of its member hospitals and health systems in both the legislative and regulatory arenas on key issues and supports their efforts to provide quality, cost-effective and accessible care.
Michigan Peer Review Organization (MPRO) www.mpro.org	MPRO serves as the federally designated quality improvement organization (QIO) for Michigan under contract with the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions (NAHPC) www.nationalalliancehealth.org	NAHPC seeks to accelerate the nation’s progress towards safe, efficient, high-quality health care and the improved health status of the American population.
National Quality Forum (NQF) www.qualityforum.org	The National Quality Forum (NQF) is a nonprofit organization that aims to improve the quality of healthcare for all Americans.
US Department of Health Human Services (HHS) www.hhs.gov	The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.