Summer 2007

Upcoming OHA Seminars to Consider
OHA will be sponsoring several educational seminars in the coming weeks, including:
- Medication and Sedation - JCAHO 2007-2008 - This one-day, comprehensive program will focus on the JCAHO medication management standards. Hot topics like pharmacy review of contrast orders, medication control and the national patient safety goals related to these standards will be discussed in detail. This seminar will be held Aug. at the Crowne Plaza in Dublin.  Read more.
- Finance Essentials for Hospital Managers - Department directors, managers, coordinators and supervisors with responsibility for all or a portion of a department budget will want to attend this one-day program. It will be held Aug. 24 at the Crowne Plaza in Dublin.  Read more.
- Medicare & Medicaid Update - This seminar will be held Sept. 28. Check back to the Education Page for registration details soon.

Legislation Would Provide Tax Credits to Businesses That Offer Workers Wellness Programs
Senate Appropriations Labor-Health-Education Subcommittee Chair Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, recently introduced legislation that would provide a tax credit to businesses that offer wellness programs for their employees, CQ Today reports (Teitelbaum, CQ Today, 7/9).  The legislation would provide businesses a tax credit "worth 50% of the costs they incur per employee for wellness and preventive health care services," CongressDaily reports. Companies would receive a tax credit of up to $200 for the first 200 employees participating in a wellness program and up to $100 per employee thereafter (CongressDaily, 7/9).
     To qualify for the program, businesses would have to provide programs that meet a least three of four criteria, including: events to raise awareness and screen for health risks; seminars to boost behavioral change; incentives for participants; and a committee to oversee the wellness program (Shellnutt, Bloomberg/Houston Chronicle, 7/9). Businesses that offer wellness programs would be eligible for the credit for up to 10 years under the legislation.
    Harkin and Smith said the cost of the legislation has not yet been calculated. However, Harkin said that typically, every dollar spent on wellness and prevention programs over one year to 18 months saves $3 to $4 in health care costs. Harkin said that he hopes to attach the measure to tax legislation that likely will be considered in the fall. The American Medical Association, American Lung Association, American Cancer Society and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce support the legislation, among other groups (CQ Today, 7/9).
                                      Article provided by MedicalNewsToday.com

HTP, Inc. Signs +$2.8 Million in Contracts in 1Q
HTP, Inc., a leading developer of software for the healthcare industry, signed contracts totaling more than $2.8 million in the first quarter of 2007. Overall revenue increased 63 percent compared to the same quarter in 2006, and by the end of the quarter the company was processing a record 30 million electronic health transactions per month. Significant accomplishments of the quarter included:
● HTP RevRunner was recognized as the 2006 Outstanding Product of the Year for its role in accelerating revenue management and increasing price transparency for the nation's hospitals. HTP was honored for the third consecutive year by TechColumbus at its annual TopCAT awards in January.
● HTP processed more than 90 million exchanges of healthcare information during the quarter, ranking it among the largest processors of healthcare data in the country. HTP's subscription pricing model allows customers to process an unlimited number of transactions without incurring additional costs.
● The company signed new contracts for HTP RevRunner covering hospitals in California, North Carolina, Georgia, South Dakota and Ohio.
● Dayton, Ohio-based HealthLink RHIO selected HTP MedRunner to support the electronic exchange of administrative data for members of its Regional Health Information Organization, making HTP MedRunner one of only a few software platforms installed in more than one operational RHIO. HTP MedRunner was developed as a platform for the Utah Health Information Network (UHIN), recognized as the country's first successful RHIO.
     Read more about this article here.
                                                            Article provided by HTP, Inc.

Canton's Mercy Medical Center's Energy Program Heals Patients and Economics
Canton, Ohio — Mercy Medical Center is part of a 50/50 not-for-profit, joint venture partnership between the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine Health System and University Hospitals Health System. The 476-bed hospital serves Stark, Carroll, Wayne, Holmes and Tuscarawas counties and parts of Southeastern Ohio.
Client Objective:  Mercy Medical Center lowers energy and operating costs, while improving the environment for patients and staff.
Client Results:
► The center's annual electricity cost per square foot is now only $0.83, down from $1.07 before its new addition. The Midwest average range is $1.02 to $2.63. 
► The annual square foot cost for natural gas is now $0.37, compared to the pre-construction rate of $0.47; the Midwest averages are between $0.33 and $1.11.
► The number of temperature-related complaints has been reduced significantly.
► Staff response time and effectiveness have improved dramatically with remote access.
► The center reduced the general maintenance staff during the evening hours while improving the productivity of each engineer.
     For additional information, please contact Karen Huttsell at            614.431.3190.
                                                            Article provided by Siemens

OHA Welcomes New Corporate Partners
We would like to welcome the following Corporate Partners for the second quarter of 2007:

ACF Medical Services, Inc.
Back on Track Employee Assistance Program
CHARIS Healthcare
Hammel, Green & Abrahamson, Inc.
Preferred Medical Devices
QHR
Skanska USA Building

Thank you to all Corporate Partners who support OHA programs and initiatives! OHA appreciates each one of you and the work that you do!

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