We created the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) to improve the quality of care patients receive in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) (PDF - 1 MB).
MBQIP focuses these efforts in the 45 states that participate in the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program. Through Flex, MBQIP works with 1,360 rural Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to use quality measure data for quality improvement activities.
How does the MBQIP help hospitals?
MBQIP supports CAHs in reporting on quality measures. Most quality measures are collected through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) quality reporting programs.
These measures help CAHs understand health care processes, outcomes, patient perceptions of care, and organizational structure to guide decisions about improvements to health care services.
Quality improvement efforts focus on strategies for hospitals serving smaller patient groups those found in urban areas.
What data must hospitals collect and report?
Hospitals collect and report quality measurement data to national reporting systems.
What are the areas of focus in MBQIP?
MBQIP aims to capture quality of care in the most relevant areas. Currently, MBQIP includes:
- Patient Safety/Inpatient
- Outpatient Care
- Patient Engagement
- Care Transitions
What can hospitals do with this data?
They can review their own data and compare their quality outcomes to the outcomes of similar hospitals in their state. Then, they can make decisions about quality improvement priorities relevant to their hospital. They can also form partnerships to design activities to make improvements. The goal is improved patient outcomes.
How do hospitals that participate in MBQIP affect their communities?
Rural hospitals are a safety net to people living in rural communities. They provide valuable health services to the medically underserved. Many hospitals are the only way for some patients to receive life-saving health services in their community.
Through MBQIP, states and CAHs can use data to improve the quality of care these patients receive.
Which states perform the best?
Every year, we recognize the top states who achieved the highest reporting rates and levels of improvement in CAHs over the past 12 months.
Top states recognized in 2023
- New Hampshire
- Illinois
- Arkansas
- New York
- Nebraska
- Nevada and West Virginia
- South Carolina
- Michigan and Utah
Top states recognized as the Flex QI Award* recipients
- VT
- MA
- MT
- KS
*The Flex QI Awards recognize states that demonstrate outstanding innovation in driving forward the Flex Program’s quality improvement goals.
How can my hospital participate in the MBQIP?
Contact your State Flex Program to learn how to participate.
Contact us
Lorraine Burton, M.S.
MBQIP Program Lead
Email: lburton@hrsa.gov
Phone: 301-443-1082