About Us

Qualis Health is a nonprofit organization with offices in Alaska, California, Idaho, Nebraska, South Carolina, and Washington. We are dedicated to improving the quality of healthcare delivery and health outcomes for individuals and populations across the nation.

Founded in 1974, our collaborative relationships with providers, practitioners, managed care plans, employers, and community groups define the way we do business. In 2007, Qualis Health was honored with the prestigious Washington State Quality Award at the Achievement Level, certifying the organization’s continuing commitment to improving the quality of healthcare. To learn more about our organization, and the work we do for various clients, please see www.qualishealth.org.

Making a Difference in Healthcare
Through our work as one of Medicare’s QIOs, we have made a positive impact on healthcare. Examples include:

From January 2005 through March 2007, approximately 600 more of Idaho’s heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia patients received all of the “appropriate care” treatments while in the hospital. Learn more about the results of our recent work in Idaho.

Compared to 2003, in 2006 approximately 850 more of Washington’s Medicare beneficiaries received recommended blood sugar monitoring, and among Medicare beneficiaries, the gap in diabetes care between people of color and Caucasians decreased by 60%. Learn more about the results of our recent work in Washington.

Our Work as a Medicare QIO
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, awards Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) contracts in every US state and territory. The current contract covers August 2008 through July 2011.

Qualis Health is proud to serve as Medicare’s QIO in Idaho and Washington. We have successfully performed this role since the inception of the QIO program and operated as one of Medicare’s peer-review organizations (a precursor to the QIO) since 1984. Our team includes experienced clinical, analytical, communication, and administrative staff.

The QIO program ensures the quality, effectiveness, efficiency, and economy of healthcare services provided to people with Medicare. Across the country, the QIOs serve as Medicare’s grassroots connection to engage healthcare providers, stakeholders, and beneficiaries in support of the program’s quality goals, which include:

Developing supports for quality-based purchasing
Increasing the widespread use of health information technology
Reducing disparities in care

Learn more about Medicare’s nationwide QIO program.

Review Medicare's official overview of the current QIO contract, focused on beneficiary protection, patient safety, and prevention.

Learn more about the QIO-related services we provide to healthcare professionals and Medicare beneficiaries located in Idaho and Washington.