The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) National Quality Strategy (NQS) is a national effort to align public- and private-sector stakeholders to achieve better health and healthcare for all Americans. It was developed “through a transparent and collaborative process with input from a range of stakeholders. More than 300 groups, organizations, and individuals, representing all sectors of the health care industry and the general public, provided comments.”

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) contracts with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Networks to implement the NQS principles and HHS Secretary’s priorities in the ESRD community. Starting in December 2017, Networks will launch a set of new quality improvement activities, data reporting requirements, and educational programs that reflect updated priorities and goals.

HHS Secretary’s Priorities

1. Reform, Strengthen, and Modernize the Nation’s Health Care System
2. Protect the Health of Americans Where They Live, Learn, Work, and Play
3. Strengthen the Economic and Social Well-Being of Americans Across the Lifespan
4. Foster Sound, Sustained Advances in the Sciences
5. Promote Effective and Efficient Management and Stewardship

CMS Goals

1. Empower patients to make decisions about their health care
2. Usher in a new era of state flexibility and local leadership
3. Support innovative approaches to improve quality, accessibility, and affordability
4. Improve the CMS customer experience