MOQC held its January Biannual Meeting virtually on Friday, January 16, 2026. The meeting focused on Advance Care Planning and was very well attended.
Keli DeVries, MOQC’s Program Manager, welcomed everyone and shared a few MOQC updates, after which Tracey Cargill-Smith presented on behalf of POQC. She shared the core values that POQC has defined for themselves—Integrity, Compassion, Collaboration, and Empowerment, as well as their vision statement—We use our lived experiences to improve cancer care in Michigan. She gave an update on the work of each POQC workgroup and reminded practices that POQC is continuing to recruit members, particularly from rural areas.
Keli DeVries then updated the collaborative on the CAPC (Center to Advance Palliative Care) MOQC Palliative Care Certificate Program, noting the first cohort successfully completed their six-month training with 14 participants representing all MOQC regions. She highlighted the program’s structure, which combines CAPC Communication coursework with collaborative case-based learning. Jessie Salo, a nurse practitioner from UP Health – Portage and a member of the initial cohort, was invited to share her experience. Jessie described the training as uniquely valuable, emphasizing the benefit of monthly interdisciplinary meetings with chaplains, social workers, and palliative care physicians. Applications for the second cohort were open at the time of the biannual, and participants were encouraged to spread the word to their colleagues.
Dawn Severson, MD provided an update for the Steering Committee. She emphasized the importance of collaborative leadership and encouraged additional members to join to help shape the future of statewide quality improvement efforts.
Lynn Henry, MD, PhD, MOQC’s Associate Director of Clinical Initiatives, and Lydia Benitez, PharmD, BCOP, MOQC’s Director of POEM and Oncology Stewardship Initiatives, presented the practice data and performance. They provided a comprehensive review of MOQC’s statewide quality measures tied to Value-Based Reimbursement (VBR) and MOQC Excellence in Quality Certification (MEQC).
For 2025, performance data were shared at both the MOQC and practice levels. Discussion highlighted that documentation workflows, EMR variability, and resource availability (such as access to genetic counseling or palliative care) significantly influence performance. Practices performing well commonly embed measures into treatment plans, rooming workflows, or chemotherapy teaching processes. In 2026, measures will be streamlined across VBR and MEQC opportunities to reduce burden and align priorities, with continued emphasis on collaboration and realistic improvement goals.
The keynote presentation focused on Advance Care Planning (ACP) and was presented by Amy Bailey, LMSW; Tracy Bargeron, MSN, RN; and Summer Bates, FNP-BC, ACHPN. The session provided a review of ACP documents including a deeper dive into legal requirements regarding patient advocate designation, Out-of-Hospital Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders, and the Michigan Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment (MI-POST). This process was shared to include both ongoing conversation and the creation of appropriate ACP documents.
Effective scripting and communication skills specific to ACP and Goals of Care conversations were shared and demonstrated through presentations, role-plays, and discussions, optimizing a multidisciplinary team approach. The speakers also provided examples of the impact that the presence and absence of ACP documents had on the patient, family, and oncology health care team.
MOQC will be providing additional opportunities to learn about Advance Care Planning through upcoming Interprofessional Development opportunities.