Sepsis Core Measures

Sepsis Core Measures and the New CMS Readmission Measure: An American Data Network Analysis

The first payment-determining period for CMS's new sepsis readmission measure opened July 1, 2026, a month before the final rule that created it was published. Because the measure counts unplanned readmissions for any cause within 30 days, strong performance on sepsis core measures may not carry over to post-discharge results. This American Data Network analysis shows how quality teams that connect SEP-1 data with post-discharge follow-up can see where readmission risk is building while the period that sets payment is still underway.
Accreditation 360

Accreditation 360: What Hospital Quality Teams Should Reassess Even When Requirements Haven’t Changed | American Data Network

Accreditation 360 restructured the Joint Commission’s hospital standards, but the Joint Commission says it adds no new expectations for organizations that were already compliant. That leaves many quality teams with a different problem: crosswalks, evidence folders, and readiness tools that still point to the old structure. The practical work now is remapping and simplifying those tools.
Transforming Episode Accountability Model

How Quality Teams Manage Episode Performance Under the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM): An American Data Network Guide

Under the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM), a surgical stay that goes well can still end in a poor episode, with financial consequences, if a transition fails after discharge. For Quality teams, the work shifts from evaluating the inpatient encounter to locating where across the 30-day episode performance breaks down, often in processes and settings outside the hospital. This American Data Network guide covers how to map that risk, analyze what is driving it, and prioritize improvements where the hospital has real influence.
Clinical Benchmarking

How Hospitals Use Clinical Benchmarking to Set Realistic Quality Improvement Targets: An American Data Network Guide

A clinical benchmarking gap shows where a hospital stands against its peers. It does not show where the hospital should aim or how fast it can move. When a peer median becomes the target by default, teams can improve care and still miss the goal. American Data Network explains how a structured path from validated gap to defensible target gives Quality leaders goals their teams can reach, and their boards can govern.
CMS star ratings

Why Your CMS Star Ratings Changed in 2026 and What It Means for Your Hospital | American Data Network

American Data Network (ADN) has been tracking CMS's April 2026 refresh to the Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings, one of the most significant changes since the program began, introducing linear mean inputs for Patient Experience and a new Safety of Care cap. Hospitals can see their CMS Star Ratings move even when the HCAHPS scores they've been tracking look stable, leaving Quality Directors to explain shifts that legacy performance frameworks don't predict.
Hospital Quality Reporting

Hospital Quality Reporting: What Boards Need to Make Real Governance Decisions

Hospital boards receive quality and safety reports, discuss them, and record that the review happened. Whether that review led to an actual decision is a different question, and the reporting structure rarely answers it. This gap can make it harder for hospitals to demonstrate the active governance expected under CMS’ Patient Safety Structural Measure (PSSM) Domain 1 and current Joint Commission requirements. American Data Network outlines what hospital quality reporting needs to include to support real hospital governance, not just compliance.
QAPI program

QAPI Program Responsibilities Under CMS Conditions of Participation

Most quality leaders can recite the Conditions of Participation from memory. Far fewer can prove, on the spot, that their hospital is meeting them. Across QAPI, patient rights, and infection control, citations often stem from the gap between doing the work and being able to demonstrate it.
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