About the Communications QIOSC
In October 2003, Qualis Health was awarded a contract from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to develop and run a national program to provide centralized planning, development, and implementation of a broad range of communications strategies and resources to support the
Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program. In November 2005, the contract was renewed by CMS through October 2008.
Organizational Roles
Qualis Health and Primaris (the Missouri QIO), as a subcontractor to Qualis Health, together serve as the Communications QIOSC along with a core group of independent PR and strategic planning consultants.
Qualis Health - Leads QIO Program communications activities including communications strategic planning and QIO Program brand management
- Leads promotion of national QIO Program initiatives and accomplishments
- Supports the community of QIOs through training and direct assistance with communication planning, use of CMS communications resources and guidelines, and compliance with CMS communications review and reporting processes
- Manages information, communications tools, success stories, and other resources for access and use by QIOs, QIOSCs, and CMS
Primaris - Provides support for individual QIOs
- Leads in assuring that communications activities from QIOs are consistent across all tasks and settings, and that topic-specific QIOSCs (for individual settings of care) provide consistent and coordinated communication support to the QIOs
- Coordinates workgroups related to technical assistance and application of best practices to QIO work
- Leads review process of QIOSC materials through a QIO advisory panel
- Maintains and updates resource materials to support QIOs
Independent public relations consultants -
Provide support for work on national initiatives, crisis communications, and QIO Program branding, messaging, and strategy
Key Contacts
Evan Stults, Executive Director, Qualis Health, evans@qualishealth.org
Deborah Finley, Co-Director, Primaris, dfinley@primaris.org
Jess Markt, Manager, Qualis Health, jessm@qualishealth.org
Jen Willey, Communications Specialist, Qualis Health, jenniferw@qualishealth.org
Ellen Moraski, Comm. Coordinator, Qualis Health, ellenm@qualishealth.org
Jennifer Reed, Communications Specialist, Primaris, jreed@primaris.org
Kam Valentine, Communications Specialist, Primaris, kvalentine@primaris.org
Tinabeth Burton, Independent Consultant to Qualis Health
Keith Nahigian, Independent Consultant to Qualis Health
