Improving Unadjusted and Adjusted Mortality With an Early Warning Sepsis System in the Emergency Department and Inpatient Wards.

Background: Mortality reduction has been a major focus of improvement for health care systems. Although several studies have noted improved sepsis-related mortality with the use of electronic health record (EHR) systems, there are no known published early warning sepsis systems using the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) EHR system.

Methods: The Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MRVAMC), a large academic 1a VHA facility within the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System (NF/SGVHS), was identified as having opportunities for improvement related to inpatient mortality outcomes.

Improving Inpatient Tobacco Treatment Measures: Outcomes Through Standardized Treatment, Care Coordination, and Electronic Health Record Optimization.

Introduction: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that tobacco use is the largest and most preventable cause of disease and mortality in the United States. The Joint Commission implemented inpatient tobacco treatment measures (TTMs) in 2012 to encourage healthcare systems to create processes that help patients quit tobacco use through evidence-based care.

Methods: A tobacco cessation care delivery system was implemented at James A.

Template Design and Analysis: Integrating Informatics Solutions to Improve Clinical Documentation.

Background: Electronic health record templates have served a variety of functions, such as improving documentation for reliable reporting of health care outcomes. Standardizing template documentation has been important for accurately capturing case workload and supporting quality improvement initiatives.

Methods: North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System consists of 2 Florida-based hospitals: Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MRVAMC) in Gainesville, and Lake City Veterans Affairs Medical Center (LCVAMC).

Advancing Order Set Design.

Order set design using evidence-based medicine, quality improvement techniques, and standardization increases the likelihood of provider order set adherence and potentially better patient outcomes.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the midesophagus.

An inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMFT) is a rare entity that can arise in a multiplicity of organs including the lung, liver, and at any location within the gastrointestinal tract. Typically, an IMFT presents as a localized mass with clinical symptoms dependent upon its site of origin. IMFTs pathologically resemble a neoplastic process but are theorized to arise from an unknown inflammatory event.