Quality Improvement Collaboratives

The Alabama Chapter-AAP supports pediatric practices in improving the care delivered to infants, children and adolescents. Through the Alabama Child Health Improvement Alliance (ACHIA), the Chapter is a partner in developing and implementing practice collaboratives around areas of care in need of improvement such as improving obesity prevention and treatment or increasing screening to identify children at risk of developmental delay at ages where intervention is most beneficial.  Approved for Maintenance of Certification Part 4 by the American Board of Pediatrics, these collaboratives provide practice-based improvement through evidence-based content, QI coaching to implement workflow changes, technical assistance in collecting and interpreting QI data, as well as information about coding the level of care delivered.

History

With a strong desire to build Chapter capacity for quality improvement, the Alabama Chapter-AAP's QI journey began in 2009.  After establishing a QI Committee and embedding quality as a standard priority in the Chapter's strategic plan, the AL-AAP responded to and was awarded the American Academy of Pediatrics' Chapter Quality Network asthma grant project opportunity that year.  With the AAP's guidance, 12 Alabama practices collaborated to achieve measurable improvements in asthma outcomes, and the Chapter's foray into QI was launched.  In 2013, the Alabama Chapter-AAP brought experts from the National Improvement Partnership Network to Alabama to work with thought leaders from across the state to explore the establishment of a state Child Health Improvement Partnership, mirroring similar initiatives in more than 20 states.

From there, the Alabama Child Health Improvement Alliance (ACHIA) was born, with a host of partners and University of Alabama at Birmingham General Pediatrician Cason Benton, MD, FAAP serving as part-time Medical Director, leading the charge for pediatric quality improvement in Alabama moving forward. We celebrated our 10 year anniversary in 2024 and hope to continue our work to improve health outcomes for children and youth in Alabama.

Alabama Priorities for Improvement

In partnership with UAB School of Public Health’s Applied Evaluation and Assessment Collaborative (AEAC) ACHIA engages stakeholders representing a cross-section of child health interests in a "sort" or prioritization of quality measures culled from Bright Futures, state payor metrics and national standards. The results provide the foundation for ACHIA to marshal resources to support practices around the state as they tackle continuous quality improvement.

From there, the Alabama Child Health Improvement Alliance (ACHIA) was born, with a host of partners and University of Alabama at Birmingham General Pediatrician Cason Benton, MD, FAAP serving as part-time Medical Director, leading the charge for pediatric quality improvement in Alabama moving forward. 

Our next quality improvement priorities for 2026 - 2028 (in no specific order) are:

• Firearm Injury Prevention

• Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI)

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Diagnosis  

• Vaccine completion by age 2 years

• Teen Mental Wellness

Learn more

To learn more about how to get involved, contact Beth A. Johns, MPH, Chapter Project Coordinator, at 205-910-1814, or visit ACHIA's website or contact staff here:

Alabama Child Health Improvement Alliance
1600 7th Avenue South CPPI -310
Birmingham, AL | 35233
205.638.6776

www.achia.org