Strategic Plan 2004-2007

This is an overview of the proposed "strategy positioning" exercise completed by the Forum of ESRD Networks' Board of Directors. The Board of Directors views strategic planning as an ongoing process and encourages dialogue to explore alternatives, evaluate progress, and modify strategy as appropriate to remain nimble and responsive.

The Board has approached this effort with the following spirit:

If we could ask one thing of a crystal ball
in every new situation it would not be
"What's wrong and what will fix it?"
It would be
"What's possible here and who cares?"

The challenges are real, but so are the opportunities. How will the Forum and the Networks position itself for success in the future?

We propose both continuity and change. We think it important that the Forum - its leaders, staff, and members - affirm what is core to the organization (a Core Ideology of Purpose and Values) and also develop a shared vision of what the organization will strive to become in the future (Envisioned Future).

CONTINUITY OF PURPOSE AND VALUES
We propose that the core purpose of the Forum is "to support and advocate on behalf of the ESRD Networks and to improve the quality of care to patients with renal disease."

• Volunteerism Serving our customers: patients, nephrology physicians, professional organizations and Network partners, regulatory agencies, and industry
• Collaboration Working together inclusively with our customers
• Innovation and flexibility Making changes, doing something in a new way, or introducing something new and adapting to new, different, or changing requirements
• Spread of knowledge Distributing and facilitating the use of information by our customers
• Integrity Exhibiting professional responsibility, ethical behavior, and collegiality among partners
• Autonomy of individual Recognizing that the Networks are independent, self-ESRD Networks governing partners

ENVISIONED FUTURE
We propose that the Forum be the recognized leader in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) quality improvement, information management, and accountability.

The Forum is committed to employing creative strategies to achieve our goals and objectives, which are as follows:

QUALITY CKD CARE
Patients with CKD will receive high-quality, safe, and consistent care.

• Improve the timeliness, accuracy, and usefulness of facility-specific reports for quality improvement (QI)
• Improve analysis and reporting of national QI data
• Increase the focus on QI in the renal transplant population
• Increase Network autonomy to perform QI within specific parameters
• Expand safety and patient-centered initiatives

SUPPORT TO NETWORKS AND PROVIDERS
Individual Networks and providers will achieve outstanding performance as a result, in part, of the support and value-added services from the Forum

• Reduce variability of Network performance
• Improve measures of Network and provider performance
• Enhance perception of the Forum's value among Networks and other stakeholders

INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE
The CKD information infrastructure will be accessible to and functional for multiple end users.

• Achieve development and implementation of a functioning CKD information infrastructure

POLICY INFLUENCE
The Forum will serve as a valued resource on CKD health care policy to improve (provider) performance.

• Increase number of instances when policy-makers seek information/opinions of the Forum before policy is recommended/developed

ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS
The Forum and Networks will obtain multi-source funding and will achieve sufficient volunteer and staff capacity to achieve Forum and Network goals

• Increase volunteer participation
• Create attractive opportunities for volunteers
• Increase knowledge/skills of staff and volunteers
• Increase sources of funds and resources available to the Forum and Networks

HIGH PRIORITY GOALS AND STRATEGIES FOR 2004 - 2005

1. Quality CKD care: Patients with ERD will receive high quality, safe, and consistent care. The Forum will be a leader in quality improvement, defining and using an information structure to define measures that serve quality. Partner with CMS to:
• Develop the information infrastructure
  • Complete and continuously refine core ESRD Information Technology set
  • Establish a plan for a quality measurement system supported by data elements, incorporating:
    • Data collection
    • Data management
    • Reporting
    • Use
  • Create a three to five year plan to improve and increase quality measures, refine core data set, improve patient safety and satisfaction
  • Deploy knowledge derived from this quality measurement system to improve performance and outcomes
    • Use information from defined populations
      • Feedback reports to providers
      • Focused QI activities
      • Set national priorities for next round of QI focus
  • Use information to provide point of care decision support
  • Integrate financial and clinical data to improve outcomes
  • Explore extending the quality measurement system to stages III-V CKD
2. Support the Networks
   • Demonstrate the value of the Forum to the Networks
   • Develop and implement a marketing plan
     • Promote the value of the Forum to stakeholders
     • Promote the value of Networks to stakeholders
   • Increase communication among CMS, Forum, Networks and other stakeholders to enhance the Networks' role
3. The ERD information infrastructure will be accessible to and functional for Network and ESRD facility staff
• Increase the skill set of Network and facility staff
• Establish training programs for Network volunteers and leadership
4. The Forum will serve as a valued resource on CKD health care policy to improve provider knowledge and care
• Increase knowledge of Network staff and Forum members regarding CKD and reimbursement barriers to quality
5. Forum organizational effectiveness
   • Expand the resource base
   • Monetary resources
   • Human resources

1. The goal of being the "recognized leader" includes acting in ways that will be "compelling" to others and achieving, through action, a position of "authority;" authority through action, not position. One definition of leadership is "the ability to lead and the passion to show the way."