Award Honors Commitment to Excellence in the Ambulatory Care Setting

East Lansing , MI , May 2, 2007 — Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Department of Family Medicine Clinic has received the prestigious 2006 Governor’s Award of Excellence for Improving Care in the Ambulatory Care Setting. The Governor presents this award in partnership with MPRO, Michigan’s Quality Improvement Organization (QIO). The award acknowledges excellence in health care quality and safety. The 2006 award marks the sixth year that the Governor and MPRO have honored physicians’ offices statewide.

“Recipients of this award are committed to providing Michigan citizens with high quality health care services,” said Governor Jennifer Granholm. The Governor added, “Together we will continue to improve the long term health of citizens by focusing on strategies to protect public health.”

Award criterion aligns with the Physician Office Quality Improvement Program including the Doctor’s Office Quality-Information Technology (DOQ-IT). The DOQ-IT project promotes the adoption of electronic health record systems in small-to-medium sized physician offices. The clinical topics addressed by the Governor’s Award have been designated as national health care priorities by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Clinical areas of focus are individually selected from one of the following areas: preventive care, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, or cancer screening. Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Department of Family Medicine Clinic selected the following clinical area of focus: Diabetes, Cancer Prevention, and Preventive Health.

“As Michigan’s QIO, MPRO is privileged to recognize physicians’ offices such as Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Department of Family Medicine Clinic , for embracing quality improvement initiatives,” said Debra Moss, MD, MBA, president and CEO of MPRO. Dr. Moss added “The Governor’s Award of Excellence is a seal of quality that denotes a commitment to excellence in the delivery of high quality care.”

“Our staff worked as a team to develop strategies to achieve notable improvement. Together, we are demonstrating that Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Department of Family Medicine Clinic is continuously working to improve the care we deliver to our patients. Our efforts have been enhanced through our collaborations with MPRO and we are proud to be a recipient of this distinguished honor,” said David T. Walsworth, MD, FAAFP, Assistant Professor and Associate Chair for Clinical Affairs of Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Department of Family Medicine.