| Chair | Mark L. Metersky, MD | Farmington, CT |
| Vice Chair | Laura C. Feemster, MSc, MD | Seattle, WA |
| Committee Member | Amik Sodhi, MBBS | Memphis, TN |
| Committee Member | Bela Patel, MD | Houston, TX |
| Committee Member | Brian W. Carlin, MD | Sewickley, PA |
| Committee Member | Carey C. Thomson, MD, MPH, ATSF | Cambridge, MA |
| Committee Member | Carolyn L. Rochester, MD | New Haven, CT |
| Committee Member | George Su, MD | San Francisco, CA |
| Committee Member | Isaretta L. Riley, MD, MPH | Durham, NC |
| Committee Member | Jennifer Stevens, MD, MS | Boston, MA |
| Committee Member | Katie Artis, MD, MPH | Portland, OR |
| Committee Member | Lara Bashoura, MD | Houston, TX |
| Committee Member | Patrick Aguilar, MD | St. Louis, MO |
| Committee Member | Robert M. Burkes, MD, MS | Cincinnati, OH |
| Committee Member | Robert C. Stansbury, MD, ATSF | Morgantown, WV |
| Committee Member | Valerie G. Press, MD, MPH, ATSF | Chicago, IL |
| Staff | Joseph Ruminjo | New York, NY |
The Quality Improvement and Implementation Committee serves as a resource for the ATS regarding quality and performance improvement and measurement. It seeks to ensure that ATS is involved in these activities in a way that creates value for ATS members and advances the practice of quality improvement in the fields of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. The function of this Committee has additional significance as the new health care legislation takes effect and quality and performance standards are put forward that affect ATS members. Its scope broadly includes identification and recommendations relating to safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of health care delivery. It provides recommendations concerning how quality standards should be implemented in the care setting and performance measures. The Committee evaluates existing quality standards related to Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, examines existing practice guidelines to identify potentially new standards for quality practice, and identifies the need for new guidelines. Its ultimate goal is to improve the outcomes of care through improvements in clinical practice. This committee considers opportunities for ATS participation in performance improvement movements in order to advance the quality and science behind performance improvement and provide a service to ATS members, patients, and the public in this area. The Committee helps ATS take a leading role in relevant quality improvement research through independent and collaborative research programs and support of the science of quality improvement research and value-based incentives.
Benchmarks, 2021-2022:
• Completion of the development of the COPD/Pulmonary Rehabilitation Measure. Patient recruitment has been completed through the ATS membership and reliability testing will soon be completed in preparation for measure submission.
• Review the data to determine if it’s feasible to pursue the development of low-tidal volume ventilation quality measure.
• Collect, analyze and report on data submitted to CMS regarding the two quality measures of which ATS is a steward. COPD measure 0091 spirometry evaluation and COPD measure 0102 inhaled bronchodilator therapy. The 3-year review to CMS is scheduled for 2020 which will require a majority of the committees’ time and attention. The committee will also ask members to participate in a gap analysis of these measures.
• Pursue opportunities with peer organizations to develop quality reporting mechanisms in pulmonary and critical care.
• Monitor, review and comment on quality measures proposed for the Medicare program.
• Add agreed upon language to all ATS CPGs regarding appropriateness for performance measure development. Refine and post on QIIC webpage our internal QIIC process for determining appropriateness for performance measure development. Discuss with DDIC regarding possibility of providing detail on relevant potential performance measures to be included in the CPG summaries published in Annals of the ATS.
