PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) selected ECRI Institute as a Prime awardee of the Network of Quality Improvement and Innovation Contractors (NQIIC). This designation will allow NQIICs to bid on task orders over the next five years. As a Prime NQIIC awardee partnering with other Quality Improvement contractors under the new CMS Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract mechanism to support quality improvement efforts, each NQIIC may serve as:

• Quality improvement experts
• Facilitators/change agents for healthcare transformation by achieving bold aims at a high value
• Innovators of quality improvement

As a NQIIC awardee, ECRI Institute has demonstrated healthcare quality improvement expertise. Services supported by some of the NQIIC awardees may include:

• Provide direct technical assistance in specific areas of healthcare quality improvement (e.g., patient safety, opioid misuse, nursing home quality, etc.)
• Seek and gain commitments from patients, providers, and stakeholders to achieve aims
• Use a human centered design that involves teaming with patient and family members to improve healthcare processes and outcomes
• Focus on helping providers and healthcare organizations achieve quantitative results for improved outcomes, lower costs, better care, less provider burden, greater transparency, and more
• Support a diverse array of organizations and populations, including: rural providers, vulnerable beneficiaries, clinical practices, hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis facilities, and more
• Support providers in efficient use of Health Information Technology and interoperability
• Serve as backbone organizations to form and engage Community Coalitions
• Convene and support Learning and Action Networks (LANs)

For more information, visit www.ecri.org, contact communications@ecri.org, or call (610) 825-6000.

About ECRI Institute
ECRI Institute, a nonprofit organization, is an independent, trusted authority on the medical practices and products that provide the safest, most cost-effective care. For more than half a century, ECRI Institute has built its reputation on rigorous evidence-based research, with an unwavering dedication to strict conflict-of-interest policies and transparent reporting of its findings. ECRI Institute is designated an Evidence-based Practice Center by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. ECRI Institute PSO is listed as a federally certified Patient Safety Organization by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Visit ecri.org and follow @ECRI_Institute.

For more information, contact:
Laurie Menyo, Director of Strategic Communications
(610) 825-6000, ext. 5310
lmenyo@ecri.org