Making Health Care Better

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney Disease, more than 37 million American adults may have chronic kidney disease. Chronic Kidney Disease means your kidneys are damaged and can’t filter blood the way they should. The disease is called “chronic” because the damage to your kidneys happens slowly over a long period of time and this damage can cause wastes to build up in your bo...

End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Network 8, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated in Jackson, Mississippi, and providing services on behalf of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to kidney patients and their providers since 1988. The Network merged with the Alliant family of companies in 2012, and maintains a partnership with ESRD Network 14, known as the Allian...

In 2019, there were 423,997 children in foster care, with the average age of the child being 8 years old.  Although they make up only 3% of the Medicaid population under age 18, children in foster care account for 32% of the recipients of behavioral health care services in this age group and it is estimated that nearly 80 percent of these children suffer from a significant mental health concern. A...

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there has been a 2600% increase in use of telemedicine, resulting in 34.5 million visits. According to a technical brief from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, there is sufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of telehealth for specific uses with some types of patients, including psychotherapy and other behavioral health specialties. With th...

The End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Network 8 in Mississippi has over 13% of patients on a home dialysis plan, which is above the national average. Due to their high home dialysis rates locally and nationally, their home dialysis nurses participated in a webinar to educate other facilities about strategies for increasing home dialysis and share highly effective practices.  Tune in as Alliant board...

Alliant Health Solution’s peer consultants utilize their expertise to improve patient outcomes, foster continuous improvement in health care and creating a culture of accountability and excellence. Our peer reviewers conduct review activities which uphold national standards of care and help us protect patient safety while improving the quality of health care.   As invaluable collaborators and part...

Despite their value, Medicare annual wellness visits  are healthcare services that are underused.  A Medicare annual wellness visit can provide an important opportunity to assess a range of factors, including functional status, health risks, cognitive function and health indicators such as blood pressure. The visit can also be a good time to coordinate care and increase patient activation. But, as...

COVID-19 has impacted thousands of nursing homes throughout the United States. The impact has led health experts and the federal government to call on increased data reporting from nursing homes and long-term care facilities.  From the appropriate use of PPE to hand hygiene procedures, Alliant has been providing long-term care facilities additional guidance from the Center for Disease Controls&apo...

The emergence of COVID-19 and dealing with all of the change associated with the virus has been stressful for many. Healthcare staff have been traumatized by what they are seeing and experiencing. Children have had to adjust to a new way to attend school. Families and friends have had to adjust to how they socially interact. All of these changes can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in bot...

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) selected Alliant Quality through its affiliates to provide quality improvement and interventions for the Medicare ESRD program. The Alliant Quality ESRD Network affiliates include: Network 8, Inc. (ESRD Network 8) serving Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee End Stage Renal Disease Network of Texas, Inc. (ESRD Network 14) serving Texas The scope of...

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI),  43.8 million adults experience mental illness in a given year and one in five adults in America experience a mental illness. As a result of COVID-19, additional behavioral health concerns such as loneliness, depression and anxiety are on the rise. Tune in as Alliant's behavioral health manager, Stacy Hull shares how COVID-19 is imp...

Telehealth and telemedicine have emerged as the new way to do healthcare. They are now a must-have for both healthcare professionals and patients during these uncertain times the COVID-19 pandemic has created. Based on a survey by Sage Growth Partner (SGP) and Black Book Market Research, 59% percent of those surveyed reported they are more likely to use telehealth services now than previously, and...

Alliant Health Solutions is anchored in being clinician led, technology driven and customer focused. Tune in as Alliant's Chief Information Officer, John Slaughter shares how and why technology is a key strategy in providing solutions to health care challenges. www.allianthealth.org

Dialysis is defined as a treatment that takes over kidney functions when those organs stop doing their jobs. Patients need dialysis when they develop kidney failure or end stage renal disease (ESRD). For dialysis patients, kidney failure can be treated by either hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Tune in as Texas-based nephrologist and Alliant board member, Dr. Charles Orji explains the differen...

Alliant is a data driven, clinically led company with a mission to make health care better. We provide data to our partners to help them achieve their goals. Tune in as the chief data officer of Alliant Health Group, Dr. Kimberly Rask , shares the top three ways that data is critical to our work. www.allianthealth.org

A Community Coalition is an alliance of organizations, groups, and agencies that come together to work toward a common goal, such as reducing avoidable hospital readmissions. Listen in as Linda Kluge, Alliant Health Solution's Executive Director of Alliant Quality, speaks about community coalitions and how they make an impact in improving the quality of health care. www.allianthealth.org

It is in times like this that the giving nature of our community unites us in ways that will save lives. Tune in as the President and CEO of Alliant Health Group, Dennis White, shares how establishing a corporate culture of giving can truly make an impact.  www.allianthealth.org

People are impacted by both their physical and mental health; depression and anxiety can increase the risk of developing heart disease; heart disease can increase the risk of developing depression and anxiety, and each may lead to a worse outcome for the other. In today's climate, it is important to pay attention to both. Tune in as the chief data officer of Alliant Health Group, Dr. Kimberly...

Alliant Health Solutions is a QIN-QIO and Alliant Quality is the quality improvement services group of Alliant Health Solutions (AHS), but what does that mean? Tune in as the executive director of Alliant Quality, Linda Kluge, shares what makes Alliant different and how QIN-QIO's are impacting the health industry. www.allianthealth.org

The first episode of the Making Health Care Better podcast features Dr. Dennis White, President & CEO of Alliant Health Solutions. He shares how Alliant's patient-centered, clinically led, and data-driven approach has been making an impact in communities for the past 50 years.  www.allianthealth.org