HEALTH e-NEWS+

Ohio hospitals and other health care providers can immunize an appropriate individual seeking H1N1 influenza vaccine under a new Director’s Order from the Director of Health Dr. Alvin Jackson. The director amended his previous order Sept. 13 as follows:

“Furthermore, based on the most recent information and EFFECTIVE Monday, December 14, 2009, while approved providers should continue to give high risk individuals priority consideration, unless medically contraindicated, all individuals wishing to be vaccinated are now eligible to be vaccinated.”

The original Director’s Order placed limitations on who providers could immunize for H1N1 based on the availability of vaccine and the overall recommendations of the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. The new Director’s Order lifts that restriction and opens up vaccine availability to any individual seeking the vaccine unless medically contraindicated. View an OHA memo for additional information. (Carol Jacobson)

On Nov. 30, Alvin Jackson, director of the Ohio Department of Health, and Tom Breitenbach, CEO of Premier Health Partners, Dayton, announced the release of the Infant Mortality Task Force Report. The more than 70-member task force first convened in April and held four full task force meetings over the course of the year. The 82-page report—an extensive strategy for reducing infant mortality—is the result of the task force’s collective work.

The report identifies several strategies in which hospitals will play a role in reducing infant mortality:
• Provide culturally sensitive information to staff and patients on a variety of topics that affect a woman’s and her baby’s health such as obesity/nutrition, alcohol/tobacco/drug use, physical activity, breastfeeding and infant sleeping positions.
• Support and initiate collaborative quality improvement efforts in areas that affect prenatal and infant care in the hospital setting.
• Provide cultural diversity training for staff.
• Develop partnerships with community and government organizations to address the health needs of women of childbearing age in the community.
• Promote the use of telemedicine to ensure access to medical specialists.

In recognition that a report alone will not reduce infant mortality in Ohio, one primary strategy is to form a consortium of stakeholders to continue the work the task force started. OHA staff will communicate to Ohio hospitals any opportunities that arise for involvement in this group going forward. (Charlie Solley)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued recommendations for imaging facilities, radiologists and radiologic technologists to take steps in preventing excess radiation exposure to patients during computed tomography (CT) perfusion scans. The FDA continues to work with manufacturers, professional organizations and state and local public health authorities to investigate the scope and causes of the excess exposure.

Recommendations include facilities assessing whether patients who underwent CT perfusion scans received excess radiation, reviewing radiation dosing protocols for these scans and implementing quality control procedures to ensure dosing protocols are followed. In addition, the FDA advises checking the CT scanner display panel before a study to make sure the radiation level is appropriate and adjusting radiation dose as appropriate if more than one study is performed during an imaging session.

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray warned Ohioans of scammers posing as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They send an e-mail carrying a computer virus announcing the launch of a “state vaccination H1N1 program” and recipients are then encouraged to create a personal vaccination profile. It provides a link to a Web page that looks similar to the CDC’s Web site. Within the page are downloadable instructions for creating a personal profile. Strangers can then access personal information.

Cordray offers the following tips to help Ohioans avoid this scam and others like it:
• Contact the institution and don’t respond to unsolicited requests for personal information.
• Don’t click on links in e-mails and use caution when opening attachments.
• Look for warnings signs, such as misspelled words or lack of a personal greeting.
• Use spam filters, anti-virus software, anti-spyware software and a firewall.
• Don’t give out personal information through e-mail.
• Monitor all accounts.
• Report scams to the organization being impersonated and to the Ohio attorney general’s office by visiting its Web site or calling 800.282.0515.

OHA, the Ohio State Medical Association and the Ohio Osteopathic Association yesterday filed an amici curiae brief with the Supreme Court of Ohio urging the reversal of a district court ruling that allowed a plaintiff to substitute a health care provider for a named defendant well beyond the statute of limitations. In Cora Erwin v. Joseph E. Bryan, M.D., the Fifth District Court of Appeals issued a decision permitting a plaintiff to amend her complaint after the statute had expired by utilizing a court rule that allows an unknown party to be named in the complaint as “John Doe.” However, the plaintiff knew or should have known the identity of the defendant from the medical record before the expiration of the statute of limitations. The amici argue that the decision of the Fifth District Court of Appeals creates a loophole that can render the statute of limitations meaningless. This would be inconsistent with previous determinations by the General Assembly and the Ohio Supreme Court as to the appropriate statute of limitations for medical malpractice actions. (Rick Sites)

OHA’s Foundation for Healthy Communities has announced the availability of Hospitals for Healthier Ohioans grants. Recognizing the growing obesity epidemic, the foundation is seeking applications from not-for-profit members of OHA for grants aimed at reducing or preventing obesity among Ohioans. Up to $100,000 will be available for four to six projects and will be awarded next Spring. The grant RFP and application materials are available online at www.HealthyCommunitiesOhio.org.  Applications are due by Monday, Feb. 22, 2010. Hospitals interested in applying for a grant are highly encouraged to participate in a bidders webinar scheduled for Jan. 5. (Stacey Conrad)