About
In 2005 the Minnesota Legislature requested a study of local and regional quality assurance models that might be adopted statewide. In response, the Department of Human Services (DHS) established a Quality Assurance Panel of citizen experts representing a range of perspectives and charged it with responsibility to recommend an approach to quality assessment and management of HCBS and related disability programs.The QA Panel's work was guided by the expectations for quality assurance of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) as specified in the CMS Quality Framework. The Quality Framework provides states with substantial guidance regarding their responsibilities in managing HCBS programs. Specifically it establishes state responsibility for programs of assessment (discovery), remediation and improvement in seven focus areas, including access; person-centered services; provider capacity; participant safeguards; rights and responsibilities; outcomes and satisfaction; and system performance.
The QA Panel met monthly throughout 2006. During the year, it heard from national QA experts, received reports of interviews, focus groups and surveys, read case studies of innovations in other states, regions and local communities, and participated in facilitated discussions. It then formulated and vetted its recommended model for Minnesota.
The QA Panel recommends adoption of five key components of a reformed statewide quality assurance program to respond Federal expectations and State responsibilities for quality assurance and improvement for supports and services. These integrated components include:
- A State Quality Commission;
- Six Regional Quality Councils;
- An annual independent statewide survey of a sample of service recipients;
- An outcome-based quality assessment program for service quality monitoring; and
- An effective program of incident reporting, investigation and analysis;