Welcome and Highlights from the Board
Robert Lancey, MD, Sentara Norfolk
•Describe and assess recent achievements, initiatives, and the strategic direction of the Virginia Cardiac Services Quality Initiative (VCSQI) to understand its role in advancing cardiovascular care.
•Identify and evaluate key priorities and challenges in cardiac quality improvement, and propose strategies for addressing barriers within healthcare systems.

Bridging the Gap: Patient Perspectives on Cardiac Care and Quality Improvement
Patient Panel Discussion
Special Guests:
Judy and Frank Smith, Melanie and Tim Johnson
Moderator: Sherri White
•Describe how patient and family experiences highlight gaps in communication, care coordination, and recovery support throughout the cardiac care continuum.
•Reflect on patient narratives to enhance cultural humility, empathy, and shared decision-making in clinical practice.

Readmission Reduction: A Team Sport
Robbin Shifflett, RN and Judy Smith, RN, University of Virginia
•Identify key system-level drivers of avoidable readmissions and describe how integrating care pathways, data registries, and post-discharge supports reduces system variation and improves patient outcomes.
•Apply evidence-based strategies (e.g., risk stratification, predictive tools, follow-up protocols) to develop patient-centered discharge plans that address clinical, behavioral, and social risk factors for readmission.

Cost and Quality Data Review
Eddie Fonner, VCSQI Executive Director
•Analyze and interpret current trends in cost, quality, and outcome data to enhance understanding of system-level performance in cardiovascular care.
•Identify and apply opportunities for improving patient care by integrating data-driven decision-making into clinical practice and systems-based initiatives.