Blog

Have you seen improvements in smoking cessation and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in your practice?

Alondra Dorsey joins MISHC as a clinical information analyst senior.

Our managing director, Annemarie Forrest's, last day at BMC2 is June 5th. Annemarie shares, "I have learned so much from you and the excellent work you are doing to improve the quality of cardiovascular care in Michigan.

BMC2 Lead Applications Programmer, John Sly, was selected as a recipient of the Michigan Medicine Department of Internal Medicine 2024 Staff Award for Excellence.

Last fall, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan charged BMC2 with creating Health Equity Dashboards for each of our registries.

Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our May 2024 meeting summaries.

BMC2 and MISHC have joined MiCR, the Michigan Society for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation’s (MSCVPR’s) Health Policy & Reimbursement Committee, and partner CQIs in advocating f

The MiCR Spring Webinar was held on April 5, 2024.

The Michigan Cardiac Rehab Network (MiCR) is excited to announce the Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) Utilization Quality Improvement (QI) Award, a new mini-grant opportunity de

The BMC2 Vascular Surgery Coordinator Webinar was held on March 13th, 2024, from 11 am – 12 pm.

The Michigan Anticoagulation Quality Improvement Initiative (MAQI2) found that patients taking warfarin in combination with aspirin had twice the rate of bleeding with no clear clinical benefit, similar to other published

Severe contrast media reactions are uncommon but can be fatal if not promptly treated. Prior history of contrast reaction, especially of anaphylaxis, is the strongest risk factor for anaphylaxis.

Thank you to those who attended the February 21st, 2024 BMC2 PCI Physician Webinar.

The paper, “Merging Machine Lear

The BMC2 publication, “

The BMC2 resource, “Lifetime Plan for Living with Heart Artery Stents” is n

We are excited to begin engaging with the new PCI Advisory Council.

Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our November 2023 meeting summaries.

After PCI, approximately 15% of patients are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of their procedure.

This November, the Michigan Tobacco Quitlink is celebrating 20 years of helping Michiganders become tobacco-free.  

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Clinical Practice Guidelines offer

2023 Attestation Forms are now available! The form is due December 1, 2023.

This spring, we asked our PCI Patient Advisory Council members which

Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our September 2023 Meeting Summaries.

More deeply engaging an advisory council in BMC2 strategic planning will strengthen the organization and benefit all consortium members.

We consulted our PCI Patient Advisory Council (PAC) to make updates to our patient-facing PAC recruitment materials.

Beginning with Q2 2023 reports, there will be a new process by which you will access your BMC2 reports.

Please use the Contact Update Form on bmc2.org to add, update, or remove contacts from your site.

We are piloting a comprehensive calendar that displays BMC2 and MISHC meetings, deadlines, and dates and locations of national and international conferences, all in one place.

Do you have an idea for the Publications Strategy Committee, need assistance creating a central illustration for your abstract, or have you received notice that a journal will publish your BMC2 manuscript

BMC2 is pleased to share health equity resources from Michigan Social Health Interventions to Eliminate Disparities (

Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our August 2023 Meeting Summaries.

September is Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) Awareness Month, and the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is hosting the “Vascular Health Step Challenge.” They invite you

When the vascular surgery team at Trinity Health Grand Rapids was identifying the focus of their FY 2022 QI Project, they turned to their BMC2 VS report data.

On July 1st, Ronald Miller, MD, of Ascension Providence Southfield and Novi, retired as cath lab director. Dr.

An archive of MISHC newsletters is now available on mishc.org.

The BMC2 VS Annual Coordinator Webinar was held on June 14th from 10 am – 12 pm. Dr. Michael Boros, with Munson Medical Center, presented on Limb Ischemia.

Applications Programmer Senior, Jeff Hartnagle, joined BMC2 in May of 2023.

We launched our new BMC2 database, utilizing REDCap, in the spring.

Dr. Ryan Kim’s first introduction to BMC2 was the opportunity to attend a few meetings during his general surgery residency at Central Michigan University.

We have made it easier for you to find previous newsletter articles and share information about BMC2 with your colleagues.

Are you interested in launching and establishing a presence on social media professionally or do you already actively participate on social media in a professional capacity?

Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our May 2023 Meeting Summaries.

The PCI Patient Advisory Council met in April to discuss the possibility of adding patient-facing resources to BMC2.org.

The MISHC Collaborative Webinar

A recent analysis of BMC2 and MISHC data compared to national registry data partners revealed a variety of critical-to-quality measures on which Michigan participants excel. 

In late 2022 BMC2 Vascular Surgery surveyed members about ways to optimize participation in the consortium.

After endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), it is necessary to perform and document surveillance imaging – by CT imaging or duplex ultrasound – to monitor patients for graft migration, device f

As shared in the February Site Spotlight, McLaren Port Huron has joined BMC2 as th

In 2022, OPEN and BMC2 worked with Alosa Health to launch a pilot program of a targeted educational intervention for improving pain management and appropriate opioid prescribing.

The team at McLaren Port Huron is a proud member of a community hospital providing leading-edge care. “Many of us have long tenures with the hospital and live in the community we work in,” explained

Healthy Behavior Optimization of Michigan (HBOM) has updated its series of resources available to support health care providers and patients with smoking cessation.

Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our January and February 2023 Meeting Summaries.

The consortium has developed a series of documents to support appropriate and effective use of IVUS/OCT imaging.

It has been my distinct honor and pleasure to serve as the co-director of the BMC2 Vascular Surgery Quality Collaborative in the state of Michigan for over a decade.

November is National Smoking Cessation Month. We are proud to collaborate with you to help your patients quit smoking. 

Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our November 2022 meeting summaries.

BMC2 Vascular Surgery maintains a publication committee comprised of physician volunteers from the consortium who review and approve proposals for statistical analysis.

Michigan Value Collaborative (MVC) claims data indicate that statewide CR utilization increased from 26% to 34% between 2015 and 2019.

This fall, BMC2 will launch REMIND-DM. This project will evaluate the effectiveness of targeted provider education and the implementation of a reminder embedded within cardiac catheterization reports.

Before 2018, Corewell Health Beaumont Hospital Troy’s rate of secondary access site vascular complications was low.

The American Heart Association released a new AHA Scientific Stateme

Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our October Meeting Summaries.

At 70.9%, Spectrum Health Lakeland’s Q4 2021 performance for P2Y12 Duration Documentation was a little too close to the minimum performance goal requirement of ≥ 70% set by BMC2.

In December of 2018, a Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) round table was held at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute where representatives from the American Heart Association, along wi

Diagnosed with kidney disease at the age of 8, Crystal Mroz knew she would need health care for the rest of her life. As she grew, she focused on her education and securing a good job.

Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our September meeting summaries.

The Michigan Bariatric Surgery Collaborative

Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our August 2022 meeting summaries.

“Evaluating the Feasibility of a Statewide Collaboration to Improve Cardiac Rehabilitation Participation” was recently published in the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention.

Our BMC2 PCI Patient Advisory Council convened in September of 2021. This initiative partners with patients to gain insight into the patient experience that may help guide and shape the work that we do as a consortium.

The Michigan Bariatric Surgery Collaborative (MBSC) is hosting the 2022 Obesity Management Summit on September 23rd from 7 am – 4 pm at the Suburban Collection Sh

On the morning of Saturday, June 18, 2016, Hal Morgenstern sat up in bed to a sudden pain in his chest.

We are excited that BMC2 is forming a new partnership with Michigan Social Health Interventions to Eliminate Disparities (MSHIELD), a new partnering CQI in the

BMC2 has incorporated the patient voice into BMC2 PCI activities by way of our Patient Advisory Committee.

When BMC2 revealed its new 2022 Pay for Performance (P4P) goal of documentation of 1-year follow-up imaging after EVAR at ≥ 70%, Michele Forist, RN, looked at her site’s data and saw the

Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our June 2022 meeting summaries.

BMC2 Vascular Surgery data was presented at SVS/VAM 2022 which was held June 15th - 18th in Boston.

“Underutilization of Medical Management of Peripheral Artery Disease Among Patients with Claudication Undergoing Lower Extremity Bypass” was just published in the Journal of Vascular

Carol Miller believes cardiac rehab is essential.

Michigan OPEN’s mission is to change the trajectory of the opioid epidemic, finding transformative solutions through research, engagement, and evidence-based actions.

BMC2 collects data that helps inform quality improvements to PCI care and the State of Michigan performs at levels that outpace national averages.

Thanks to all who attended our May meetings. Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our summaries.

To support appropriate prescribing for vascular surgery patients, Michigan OPEN is offering BMC2 vascular surgeons the opportunity to participate in one-on-one counseling sessions.

A new Best Practice Protocol (BPP), Management of Radial/Ulnar Access Bleeding and Hematoma, is now available on BMC2.org.

BMC2 seeks to create a library of archived cases to be used for training purposes. Do you have de-identified images to share?

The PCI Best Practice Protocol Task Force has put together a new best practice protocol (BPP) for prevention of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI

Thanks to all who attended our April meetings. Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our summaries.

On February 25th, 2012, Greg Merritt was a 46-year-old who considered himself in good shape.

BMC2 and the Michigan Value Collaborative (MVC) have teamed up to form the new Michigan Cardiac Rehab (MiCR) Network.

Tobacco is the single greatest preventable cause of disease and premature death in America. It’s estimated that 70% of smokers want to quit. However, in Michigan, only 15% receive treatment to help them do so.

While the BMC2 goal for peak procedure ACT recorded is greater than or equal to 80%, Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital had a rate of only 59.3% at the end of 2019.

The Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery’s 49th annual symposium was held March 19 – 23 at the Mirage in Las Vegas, NV. Data from BMC2 was shared via two poster presentations.

Thanks to all who attended our March meetings. Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our summaries.

BMC2 and the Michigan Value Collaborative (MVC) have been collaborating to improve cardiac rehab utilization since 2019, and now have formalized their shared

Thanks to all who attended our February meetings. Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our summaries.

"Impact of a Regional Smoking Cessation Intervention for Vascular Surgery Patients" was recently published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery

BMC2 PCI plans to create protocols for emergencies that happen infrequently, but that cath lab teams should be up-to-date and ready to react to.

BMC2 is pleased to announce that Dr. Loay Kabbani has joined the Coordinating Center as a strategic advisor for Vascular Surgery. Dr. Kabbani joins PCI strategic advisor, Dr.

The Michigan TAVR consortium, convened in 2015, has long focused on supporting quality improvement of transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedures across the State of Michigan.

Thanks to all who attended our January meetings. Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our summaries.

“Hospital and Operator Variation in Cardiac Rehabilitation Referral and Participation After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Insights From Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovas

In March of 2019, BMC2 PCI Data Coordinators Sue Vasquez, of McLaren Bay Region, and Mari Lee Crandell, of St.

The newest member of the BMC2 Coordinating Center is Jeremy Albright. Jeremy joins Milan Seth as a BMC2 Statistician and focuses primarily on BMC2 VS.

We are pleased to announce an additional VBR opportunity in 2022 (paid in 2023) focused on smoking cessation for participation in BMC2 Vascular Surgery.

Dr.

Collaborative Quality Initiatives, or CQIs, address many of the most common and costly areas of surg

“Impact of Left Ventricular End-Diastolic Pressure on the Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention” was presented via a poster by Dr.

The BMC2 PCI Groin Bleed Best Practice Protocol is in the form of a PDF which can be printed at letter size or pocket-card size.

While no one has quite cracked the code for patient participation in post-event cardiac rehab, the team at Beaumont Hospital, Dearborn, is making headway.

Thanks to all who attended our November meetings. Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our summaries.

Facing a major health event like pregnancy, the need for surgery, or the diagnosis of cancer or a chronic disease, can lead to teachable moments for patients.

Amy Shirato is a Clinical Quality Improvement Lead for PCI.

Thanks to all who attended our October meetings. Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our summaries.

BMC2 is celebrating 25 years of quality improvement. The impact that BMC2 has made over time is especially evident upon a review of our long-term data.

A member of the team for 9.5 years, Milan Seth is BMC2’s Statistician Expert.

Disturbing trend of new opioid users after cardiovascular surgery intended to alleviate pain.

We are seeking additional patients that represent the diversity of our State to join the newly convened Patient Advisory Council. Can you recommend a patient to this group?

Thanks to all who attended our September meetings. Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our summaries.

Lisa Cardillo was just 36 years old when she experienced a spontaneous coronary artery dissection, cardiac arrest, cardiogenic shock, and heart failure.

BMC2 is pleased to announce that Dr. Ryan Madder will be joining the coordinat­ing center as a Strategic Advisor.

Thanks to all who attended our August meetings. Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our summaries.

Administrative Specialist Intermediate, Pam Benci, was drawn to BMC2 by her interest in learning more about quality improvement in cardiology.

Mercy Health Muskegon's Quinten Davis, BSN, RN, along with teammates Brandi Whitaker, BSN, RN, Sammie Cunningham, BSN, RN, and Physician Champion, Justin Eisenberg, DO, has set a goal to increase documentation of smoking c

Providers across Michigan took action to get their patients to quit smoking before going under the knife.

Study finds some complications, but no significant difference in risk of death.

McLaren Bay Region wanted to decrease the number of patients discharged on greater than 10 opioid pills prescribed for opioid naïve EVAR and CEA patients.

Thanks to all who attended our July meetings. Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our summaries.

BMC2 Vascular Surgery has collected data on nearly 50,000 patients since 2012.

Communications Specialist, Elizabeth Walker, joined BMC2 in October of 2020.

The Best Practice Protocol (BPP) for Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR)/Instantaneous wave-Free Ratio (iwFR) Measurement is now available on BMC2.org.

Thanks to all who attended our June meetings. Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our summaries.

The Best Practice Protocol (BPP) for IVUS is now available on BMC2.org.

When she was 7-years-old, Michelle Hughes got a computer that came with a manual about how to program it.

Smokers had their first angioplasty and/or stent nearly a decade earlier than non-smokers, and patients with obesity underwent these procedures four years earlier than non-obese patients.

In 2019, Mercy Health St. Mary’s Grand Rapids had a Contrast-Induced Nephropathy (CIN) rate of 9.4%.

The BMC2 VS goal, "Less than 8% of asymptomatic carotid endarterectomy patients NOT discharged by postoperative day 2", results in big cost savings for the healthcare system.

Nate Yost’s greatest passion in life is expanding his horizons and comfort zones. He tries new things whenever possible and encourages others to do the same.

New best practice protocols are now available on BMC2.org.

Antibiotic redosing is a best practice that decreases the risk of surgical site infection (SSI).

Thanks to all who attended our May meetings. Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our summaries.

While some studies suggest female patients treated by female physicians have better outcomes, there does not appear to be a relationship between operator and patient gender and outcome in patients u

BMC2 is now on LinkedIn. Follow us for site spotlights, links to resources, information on publications and events, and more! 

Bronson Methodist Hospital has been committed to improving their rate of smoking cessation counseling at discharge for years, making it their QI project in 2018, 2019, and 2020, after the 2017 rate was 19

Thanks to all who attended our April meetings. Did you miss a meeting or do you need a refresher? Read our summaries.

Please join the BMC2 Coordinating Center in welcoming Amy Shirato to the team! Amy is our newest Clinical Quality Improvement Lead and will work with Kathleen Frazier to support PCI.

While the BMC2 target for contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is less than 3%, in Quarters 1 and 2 of 2017, Munson Medical Center was struggling with rates at 4.5%.

Rebecca Fleckenstein first started working in Collaborative Quality Initiatives in 2016 and has been a member of the team at BMC2 since August of 2019.

We’re excited to share a new publication from our colleagues at Michigan TAVR.

BMC2 is looking to incorporate the patient voice into BMC2-PCI activities and we need your help!

Did you know that BMC2 is now on Twitter? Follow us @BMC2_ for site spotlights, news about BMC2 publications, meeting updates, and more.

BMC2 updated the 2020 PCI performance goals to include “Peak intra-procedure Activated Clotting Time (ACT) documentation to greater than or equal to 90%”, and “Percent of cases with peak ACT ≥ 350 seconds for Heparin-only

In 2019 and 2020, the MI OPEN recommendation for opioid prescribing post carotid endarterectomy (CEA) was 0-10 pills; no prescribing recommendations were outlined for EVAR patients.

John Sly was looking for an opportunity to impact change while finding new ways to constantly challenge himself when he found BMC2.

Sheryl Fielding is BMC2’s Clinical Quality Improvement Leader for Michigan TAVR. Part of the team since 2010, Sheryl works from her 100-year-old house in Downtown Ludington.

Cardiac rehab not only improves patient outcomes, it can offer patients some sense of control over their situation, easing anxiety and increasing hope.

Pre-procedure hydration has been challenging for many sites. MidMichigan Health has tackled hydration as a BMC2 Quality Initiative project, making great strides.  

Kathleen Frazier is BMC2’s Clinical Quality Improvement Lead for PCI.

In Quarter 2 of 2018, the Vascular Surgery Expert Improvement Team at Spectrum Health – Meijer Heart in Grand Rapids was routinely reviewing their data when they noticed an uptick in surgical site infections (SSI).

BMC2’s new Program Manager comes to the team with over 15 years of experience in clinical research and academic health care, most recently as Director of Projects at the Clinical Trials Transformation Ini