As Linda Krulish, our OBQI Guest Editor, discussed in the August Editorial, HHN is working diligently to bring you a "feast" of material on Outcome-Based Quality Improvement. In this month's issue we continue with the final two steps of the OBQI process-The Process-of-Care Investigation and Developing a Plan of Action. Combined with the material in the August issue, you now have a comprehensive reference of basic information and practical applications that you can use in developing and implementing your agency's OBQI program.

In addition to those two articles, Linda Krulish contributes important information from an interview with CMS' Mavis Connolly on how OBQI affects the survey process. Linda also provides her own true confessions of why she is a "lover" of OBQI. Mary Weakland from CMS developed a composite of Web sites, other sources, and support organizations for OASIS and OBQI issues. This information has never before been published in one complete article, and thanks to Ms. Weakland's efforts it references all the new CMS Web site addresses.

Dr. Elizabeth Madigan, from Case Western Reserve University, offers a summary of research findings on the statistical dimensions of OASIS. All of this, plus several staff OBQI competency tools provides a full issue indeed!

Thanks to the thorough work and dedication of many people, our readers now have the most comprehensive and current OBQI information ever available in one place. Unlike weekly newsletters that have bits of information, the August and September issues of HHN can be used as ongoing references and teaching aides as you embark on your own OBQI journey.

I want to personally thank those who contributed to these issues. Kathy Crisler and Angela Richard from the Center for Healthcare Policy Research at the University of Colorado; Kathleen Murdock from the Delmarva Foundation-the QIO who led the pilot program. Thanks also to Mary Narayan, Doris Mosocco, Michelle Garner, Karen Utterback, Kathleen Murdock, Mary Cox, Alan Wright, Liz Madigan, Chandra Branham, Mary Weakland, and Mavis Connolly of CMS. Theses people are truly your dedicated colleagues and care very much that you are current with the correct OBQI information.

Most of all, I want to acknowledge the incredible commitment and contributions of Linda Krulish as guest editor of these two OBQI focus issues. Linda is not only the nation's foremost expert on OASIS and OBQI, she is a busy consultant, speaker, wife, and mother as well as one of the nicest and funniest human beings on the planet.

Linda will tell you that she had no idea what she was getting into when she agreed to undertake this project 1 year ago. Coordinating content with a large amount of people is a challenge for the best of us, especially when information and rules are constantly changing. When it was evident that the manuscripts would not fit into a single issue, she successfully argued that we should publish two issues as there was a great deal of essential material that needed to be shared.

Linda has taken the time, energy, and humor necessary to bring you this comprehensive amount of material from the best of sources. "Thank you" is not strong enough sentiment, so I will say many, many thanks to Linda for her commitment to her colleagues, home care, and HHN.

And now...enjoy the second course of your OBQI feast!