MHA serves members’ health planning needs through consultation, education, grant information and resources relating to population-based health and management of illnesses and diseases. Health planning services can assist hospitals in strategic planning efforts for managing and improving health and clinical outcomes.

Health planning is linked closely to quality and clinical outcomes in many hospitals. The MHA Task Force on Health Care Quality advises MHA staff in the development of a quality advocacy agenda and related health improvement activities. A primary goal of the task force is the development of value-added resources providing quality-based, safe and effective systems to manage care in Missouri’s hospitals.

Health planning services offered by MHA include the following.

• reports and consulting services to assist hospitals in achieving improved quality of care and health outcomes for patients and their communities. Recent reports have focused on Missouri’s health status, the impact of chronic disease, hospital performance and the use of hospital services.

• hospital administrative forms translated into several languages. HealthTranslations.com was developed by MHA in response to Missouri’s growing foreign-born population and language barriers restricting their access to health care. This Web-based service includes translated documents such as admission agreements, which are available for downloading. Documents are updated regularly to reflect state and federal regulation changes.

• www.focusonhospitals.com, a Web site which allows Missouri hospitals to convey current and complete information about health care quality to the public, media and legislators. The Focus on Hospitals site also allows providers to post and search for best practices, tools and evidence-based guidelines.

• educational programming available through the MHA Center for Education

Health improvement awards and recognition include the Visionary Leadership Award, which recognizes health care executives whose innovative and exemplary initiatives improve the health and clinical outcomes of people in their communities.