Health Quality Innovators

What Health Quality Innovators does

Health Quality Innovators (HQI) is a non-profit healthcare quality consulting organization founded in 1984 and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, with a permanently home-based workforce distributed across more than 10 states. The organization delivers three core service lines — Population Health Management, Care Delivery Improvement, and Health IT Optimization — to hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient clinics, and community-based providers. Its primary program is the federally contracted Medicare Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) for the Southeast Region, awarded by CMS and covering Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee; this contract was re-awarded for a five-year term in 2025. HQI also manages state-level quality improvement programs including the Maryland Perinatal-Neonatal Quality Collaborative on behalf of the Maryland Department of Health, plus work for the Missouri and Virginia health agencies, and CDC- and AHRQ-funded initiatives.

Underlying delivery infrastructure includes HQI Academy, a TalentLMS-based online learning portal offering free training modules, the Project Firstline infection control program featuring interactive Escape Room training, and evidence-based clinical protocols such as the Antibiotic Prescription Pause. HQI operates on a professional services model in which revenue is generated almost entirely through competitive government contracts and grants from CMS, CDC, AHRQ, and state health departments. Services are provided at no cost to participating healthcare providers because they are funded through these public-sector programs. Customer concentration is high by structure: the CMS QIN-QIO contract is the dominant revenue anchor, with state health departments as secondary buyers. Reach is broad — more than 5,000 providers in the Southeast QIN-QIO region, 119 hospitals in HQIC work spanning 22 states, 686 skilled nursing facilities in COVID response, and 32 Maryland birthing hospitals — and documented outcomes include 65% relative improvement in CLABSI rates, 26% in sepsis mortality, and a stated $9.77 ROI per dollar spent on the nursing home COVID program.

Name

Health Quality Innovators

Legal name

Health Quality Innovators

Website

https://hqi.solutions

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Health Quality Innovators is a non-profit healthcare quality consulting organization that delivers population health management, care delivery improvement, and Health IT optimization services to hospitals, nursing homes, and outpatient clinics primarily under CMS and state health agency contracts, including the Southeast Region QIN-QIO.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Quality Improvement Consulting

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Skilled Nursing Care Facilities (8051)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health Population Health, Quality & Outcomes Measurement (HLAEAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

HIE Platforms & Network Services (Community/Regional/National) (HLACABAB)

Keywords

• Healthcare quality improvement
• Government healthcare consulting
• Care delivery improvement
• Population health management
• Health IT optimization

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Contracts: HQI generates revenue primarily through competitive government contracts with federal agencies, particularly CMS. As the QIN-QIO for the Southeast Region, HQI is awarded multi-year contracts to improve healthcare quality, patient safety, and outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries.
2. State Health Department Contracts: HQI receives funding from state health departments including Maryland Department of Health, Virginia Department of Health, and Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services for specific quality improvement initiatives.
3. Federal Grants: HQI receives grant funding from agencies including CDC for infection prevention programs and CMS for initiatives like the Accountable Health Communities model.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Health Quality Innovators (HQI) is a non-profit healthcare quality consulting organization that delivers population health management, care delivery improvement, and health IT optimization services to hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient practices, and government agencies. The organization operates as the CMS-designated Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) for the Southeast Region, providing consulting, technical assistance, training, and coaching to improve patient safety, chronic disease outcomes, and value-based care adoption.

Product overview

Health Quality Innovators (HQI) is a non-profit healthcare quality consulting organization offering three primary service lines: Population Health Management, Care Delivery Improvement, and Health IT Optimization. These are delivered through government contracts (notably as the CMS QIN-QIO for the Southeast Region) and partnerships with healthcare providers, public health agencies, and community organizations. Supporting infrastructure includes HQI Academy (online learning portal) and management of the Maryland Perinatal-Neonatal Quality Collaborative. The organization does not offer a unified software product but rather provides consulting, training, coaching, and technical assistance services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HQI Academy: Online learning portal offering free training modules and micro-learning courses for healthcare personnel on topics including diabetes prevention, sepsis awareness, and other clinical areas.

Products and services

• Population Health Management Services helping healthcare providers identify and care for populations at risk of chronic disease. Includes workflow design, team-based care, chronic care management, value-based payment support, clinician burnout support, community convening, public health campaigns, and social determinants screening and navigation.
• Care Delivery Improvement Practical, sustainable approach to solving quality problems. Includes improvement coaching and training, implementation support, measurement and evaluation, tool and resource development, learning network management, provider outreach and education, health equity and disparity reduction, and patient and family engagement.
• Health IT Optimization Services helping healthcare organizations maximize technology benefits while keeping patient care central. Includes interoperability, telehealth readiness, change management, privacy and security, clinical documentation, data collection and reporting, and vendor and platform selection.
• Southeast QIN-QIO Program Medicare Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization program for the Southeast Region covering Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Supports hospitals, nursing homes, and outpatient clinicians with quality improvement initiatives.
• HQI Academy Online learning portal offering free training modules and micro-learning courses for healthcare personnel on topics including diabetes prevention, sepsis awareness, and infection control. Built on the TalentLMS platform.
• Maryland Perinatal-Neonatal Quality Collaborative (MDPQC) Network of perinatal care providers and public health professionals working to improve health outcomes for birthing people and newborns through continuous quality improvement. Provides education, technical assistance, and best practice sharing for 32 Maryland birthing hospitals.
• Project Firstline Free infection control training program in partnership with Maryland Department of Health. Features public webinars, private sessions, and interactive Escape Room training for healthcare facilities on infection prevention and control practices including hand hygiene and PPE usage.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65% relative improvement rate in central-line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI)
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Maryland Department of Health (MDH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHQI manages the Maryland Perinatal-Neonatal Quality Collaborative (MDPQC) on behalf of MDH. The collaborative works to improve maternal and infant health outcomes through quality improvement initiatives.
• Maryland Perinatal-Neonatal Quality Collaborative (MDPQC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of perinatal care providers and public health professionals working to improve health outcomes for birthing people and newborns through continuous quality improvement.
• Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services (DHSS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to expand access to Self-Measured Blood Pressure (SMBP) training and resources statewide, focusing on priority populations including high utilizers, racial and ethnic minority groups, and rural residents.
• LeadingAge VirginiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop model infection prevention and control policies for adult day centers across Virginia. HQI provided expertise through a policy development workgroup and training sessions.
• Goodwin LivingmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to expand the StrongerMemory brain health program to skilled nursing facilities across Virginia. HQI provided training, guidance, and hands-on support to help facilities integrate the program.
• Eastern Shore Community Action Agency (ESCAA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to implement the MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition...Do It!) family-focused childhood obesity intervention and promote the National Diabetes Prevention Program in Virginia.
• Maryland Department of Health - Project FirstlinemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHQI partners with MDH to deliver free infection control training and resources across Maryland healthcare facilities. Training includes webinars, private sessions, and escape room experiences.
• Virginia Department of Social ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in policy development workgroup for adult day center infection control policies.
• Virginia Department of HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in policy development workgroup for adult day center infection control policies.
• Prevention Link of Southern MarylandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHQI performs diabetes prevention work funded through a CDC grant to Prince George's County Health Department.
• American Hospital Association and PremierminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHQI performed CLABSI quality improvement work with over 200 hospitals across the country for AHA and Premier.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHQI conducted additional antibiotic stewardship projects funded by AHRQ.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG): HSAG is a CMS-contracted QIN-QIO providing quality improvement and external quality review services across multiple states. As a major federal quality improvement contractor, HSAG directly competes with HQI for QIO contracts and serves similar provider and payer segments.
• Comagine Health: Comagine Health is a CMS QIN-QIO serving the West region, formed from the merger of HealthInsight, Acumentra Health, and Qualis Health. It provides healthcare quality improvement consulting, population health, and care transformation services, directly competing with HQI under the federal QIO program.
• Stratis Health: Stratis Health is a Minnesota-based QIO providing healthcare quality improvement, patient safety, and population health services. As a fellow QIO organization with CMS contracts, Stratis Health directly parallels HQI's service model and provider segments.
• Alliant Health Solutions: Alliant Health Solutions is a QIO providing quality improvement services to hospitals, nursing homes, and clinicians across multiple states. It directly competes with HQI in the federal quality improvement market with overlapping CMS contracts and similar provider engagement models.
• TMF Health Quality Institute: TMF Health Quality Institute is a CMS-contracted QIN-QIO serving multiple states in the Southwest region, directly competing with HQI for CMS quality improvement contracts. Both organizations deliver hospital quality improvement, nursing home support, and chronic disease management under the federal QIO program.
• IPRO: IPRO is a CMS-contracted QIN-QIO serving the Mid-Atlantic region, delivering quality improvement, utilization review, and healthcare assessment services. IPRO directly competes with HQI as a federally designated quality improvement organization with overlapping service offerings.
• Telligen: Telligen is a CMS QIN-QIO serving the Central region, providing quality improvement and population health management services to providers across multiple states. Telligen directly competes with HQI for CMS quality improvement contracts and serves overlapping provider segments.
• MetaStar: MetaStar is a Wisconsin-based QIO providing quality improvement, external quality review, and healthcare consulting services. MetaStar directly parallels HQI's role as a federally contracted quality improvement organization serving providers across multiple settings.
• Primaris: Primaris is a former Missouri QIO that has transitioned into a healthcare consulting and quality improvement organization. Primaris directly parallels HQI's origins as a state QIO and shares overlapping service offerings, with HQI's current CEO having previously served as Primaris COO.
• Healthcentric Advisors: Healthcentric Advisors is a CMS QIN-QIO serving the Northeast/Atlantic region, providing healthcare quality improvement services to hospitals, nursing homes, and outpatient providers. It is a direct federal-contract peer to HQI operating under the same QIO program structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HQINetwork
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfqiI8D4e1v1qY1kX7t1rDw
• Facebookfacebook.com/HQISolutions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/health-quality-innovators

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Health Quality Innovators