ASPIRE Quality Champion
Roles and Requirements
Role Summary
The Anesthesiology Performance Improvement and Reporting Exchange (ASPIRE) is the quality
improvement (QI) arm of the Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group (MPOG). Each participating site
is required to have a Quality Champion, whose primary function is to oversee the administration and
implementation of the ASPIRE program at their institution. As a direct link among multiple perioperative
teams, the Quality Champion serves as the leader of MPOG QI efforts to improve outcomes for patients
undergoing procedures requiring anesthesia.
Key Responsibilities Include:
●ASPIRE Meeting Attendance.
○Quality Committee meetings - Quality Champions are members of the MPOG Quality
committee which meets virtually 5-6 times per year, on the fourth Monday of the month
at 10:00 a.m. EST. Quality Committee members provide the primary governance for
ASPIRE. During the meeting, measures are discussed and approved, QI Stories are
shared, and the coordinating center obtains feedback on QI initiatives.
○ASPIRE Collaborative meetings - As part of ASPIRE’s involvement in the BCBSM funded
Collaborative Quality Initiative, Quality Champions at Michigan sites have the additional
responsibility of attending up to 3 offsite meetings per year. Refer to BCBSM
Pay-for-Performance scorecard for specific requirements as they are updated annually.
●QI Measure Review. Quality Champions are assigned to review existing measures to ensure
ASPIRE quality measures remain current and align with literature recommendations. The current
measure review cycle allows for each measure to be reviewed at least every 3 years. Reviewers
will provide recommendations (with supporting evidence) to retire, modify or continue the
measure as specified. The goal is to leverage the vast experience of quality champions and gain
expert consensus among the MPOG quality committee for measure modifications.
●Support for the Anesthesia Clinical Quality Reviewer (ACQR)*. Michigan Quality Champions
should maintain a professional and consistent working relationship with the ACQR. It is
recommended this team meets monthly to review ASPIRE data using tools provided by MPOG
and identify areas for quality improvement.
●Provide QI Education. Quality Champions should communicate performance results and
expectations to anesthesia providers, nursing, administration and leadership at their institution.
Providing QI education can include group presentations on the ASPIRE metrics incorporating best
practice recommendations, discussion with an individual provider to review performance, or
responding to provider questions via email regarding practice changes.
●Implementation of QI Projects. MPOG provides validated data to enable continuous quality
improvement through reports, dashboards, and other resources necessary to make informed
decisions about improving care to patients undergoing anesthesia. Quality Champions are
responsible for implementing QI efforts at their site.
*Michigan sites only
Required Qualifications
●Must be a practicing anesthesiologist at the institution they are representing
●Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and communicate well with others
Desired Qualifications
●Clinical Quality Improvement experience
●Experience with literature review to identify and summarize recommendations for practice
Alternate Quality Champion
MPOG sites may designate an alternate Quality Champion to ‘stand in’ for the site lead Quality
Champion and fulfill his/her role when he/she is unavailable. Alternate Quality Champions should be
selected based on the following requirements:
●Must be a practicing anesthesiologist at the institution they are representing
●Ability to disseminate information to the department either though communication back to
the Quality Champion or directly to team members
*Michigan sites only
