09 | Managing Professional Interactions, Development, and Departmental Change
Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) Meetings
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) mandates that facilities surveyed must have a written established QAPI plan that includes a systematic approach for quality management, feedback, data collection, and monitoring (CMS, 2023b). Long-term care facilities emphasize quality improvement, and CDM, CFPPs actively participate in QAPI meetings. These sessions involve reviewing data related to FNS, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing strategies to enhance the overall quality of care. The CDM, CFPP can present what is occurring in the department and brainstorm for solutions to produce a measurable and realistic plan.
A presentation from the California Department of Public Health entitled “CDM/DSS and Health & Safety Code” from the 2023 Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals (ANFP) Regional Meeting described an example of an effective QAPI intervention. A monthly client satisfaction survey showed that only 75 percent of clients were satisfied with the temperature of their food at breakfast. The kitchen supervisor brought the result of the satisfaction survey to the quarterly QAPI meeting and then the team decided to add the issue of cold breakfast food temperatures to the QAPI project. The team set the client satisfaction goal of food at 95 percent. The kitchen supervisor suggested purchasing food warmers as a solution to resolve the cold breakfast temperatures. The QAPI team agreed on the intervention and purchased the food warmers. Data was collected after the plate warmers were installed to assess the satisfaction of the food temperatures. The frequency of collection of client satisfaction scores was increased from once monthly to three times a week. When satisfaction showed improvement, data was then reduced to collecting weekly for three months. Data showed after three months that client satisfaction of breakfast food temperatures increased to 85 percent. The method of purchasing a food warmer was most likely working; however, the goal of 95 percent satisfaction was not achieved. The QAPI team then decided to warm the pancake syrup before serving instead of serving cold syrup with the pancakes. The breakfast food data collection was resumed back to three times a week for three months, and after three months it showed 95 percent satisfaction for the temperatures of the breakfast food.
Task Forces and Committees
The CDM, CFPP may be asked to represent the foodservice department on several facility committees and task forces led by an appointed chairperson.
Foodservice Management—By Design
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CMS requires a QAPI plan, with CDM, CFPPs presenting data and collaborating on improvements in meetings.