Utilizing the Malnutrition Quality Improvement Initiative (MQii) to Strengthen Transitions of Care

Angel has supported multiple healthcare stakeholders from across the industry on quality measure feasibility and development (specifically as it relates to electronic clinical quality measures), evidence generation strategy, engagement with federal government healthcare stakeholders, development and implementation of digital health strategies, and development of public-private partnerships. He has experience in patient-centered outcomes research, qualitative and quantitative research, program evaluation, and the design and implementation of clinical research studies.

 During his tenure at Avalere, Angel has led the data infrastructure and quality measure development for the Malnutrition Quality Improvement Initiative (MQii). The MQii is a national initiative which includes a learning collaborative of almost 300 U.S. hospitals who aim to advance evidence-based high quality of care for hospitalized patients at-risk of malnutrition or with identified malnutrition. His team has developed the largest clinical malnutrition database of its kind representing over 50 hospitals and more than 750,000 patient encounters. Data from this database have been used to implement multiple studies, several which have been published in peer-reviewed journals.

Angel received an MPH from the University of Michigan and a BS in biological science and anthropology from Florida State University.

Angela is the Clinical Nutrition Manager at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina, where she has worked since 2008. She is an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a member of the Clinical Nutrition Management dietetics practice group, serving on the Professional Development Committee.  Angela obtained her BS in Nutrition from East Carolina University in 1999 and completed her dietetic internship at Winthrop University in 2001. She earned her MS in Nutrition from East Carolina University in 2006 and has been a Certified Nutrition Support Clinician since 2009.  Angela has been a part of the MQii Learning Collaborative since 2017 and has focused on Malnutrition throughout the continuum of care for the hospitalized patient, most recently shifting her focus to the Transition of Care for the malnourished patient upon discharge. Angela and her team were awarded a Duke Endowment Grant to help further their work in the malnourished patient population. Angela was awarded The People’s Choice Award at the 2019 Clinical Nutrition Manager Symposium for her poster titled, Bridging the Gap from Hospital to Home: Implementation of a Malnutrition Transitions of Care Program.

Skip is the Clinical Outreach Registered Dietitian at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, NC. Previously Skip was the Nutrition Director for Campus Dining at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. He completed is Master’s Degree and Dietetic Internship at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC in 2015 and his B.A in Exercise Science from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 2008. Skip recently moved back to Wilmington to help New Hanover Regional Medical Center develop the Malnutrition Transitions of Care Program with the support of Angela Lago the Clinical Nutrition Manager. Since joining the NHRMC team, Skip has treated hundreds of malnourished patients across all socio-economic ranges and has been able to help develop standards of care for the NHRMC Malnutrition Transitions of Care Program.