Improving Health Equity Through Quality: the GMCS

Details

Malnutrition burdens healthcare systems and jeopardizes patient outcomes, yet it often goes unnoticed. Malnutrition can be influenced by the environment, policies, and community, making social determinants of health (SDOH) a key factor when evaluating malnutrition. The Global Malnutrition Composite Score (GMCS), the first nutrition-focused electronic clinical quality measure, places increased value on the importance of malnutrition care for acute care patients. Identified as a key measure to improve rural health, SDOH, and Food Insecurity, the GMCS supports hospitals in improving health equity and quality care. This session explores the GMCS and how it can support hospitals in improving health equity.

Performance Indicators

7.4.1, 7.4.4, 7.4.5, 7.4.6, 7.4.7, 7.4.8

Learning Objectives

  1. Describe the Global Malnutrition Composite Score (GMCS) and its application for quality improvement.
  2. Assess the value of the GMCS selection as CQM and discuss barriers and opportunities to implementation.
  3. Explain the impact Health Equity has in nutrition and dietetics practice and how the GMCS can support the hospital in addressing health equity.

Speakers

Anne Coltman, MSHA, MS, RDN, FAND, FACHE

Anne Coltman is the Senior Director of Quality, Standards, and Interoperability for the Commission on Dietetic Registration. Anne has previous experience as a nutrition support dietitian in surgical critical care, a clinical nutrition leader, and a hospital operations senior leader with a wide variety of experience implementing malnutrition initiatives with a focus on quality. She is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and a Fellow of both the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American College of Healthcare Executives.

 

Tamaire (Tammy) Ojeda Avila, MHSA, RDN, LDN

Tammy is the Senior Manager of Quality Initiatives and Improvement at the Commission on Dietetic Registration, applying her knowledge, experience, and skills to develop and promote quality improvement programs. She previously served as the Food Service Manager and Outpatient Clinical Dietitian at a Veteran’s Health Administration Facility and holds a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt and is Green Belt Trained. She has been a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for 18 years with experience in Acute Care, outpatient, higher level education, and community settings. Tammy has always been an advocate for quality care and has always worked on quality initiatives that focused on improving service to all patients.

The speakers have no conflicts of interest to disclose