Congress has authorized HHS to make appropriate changes to the regulations. According to the document, HHS will propose changes for provisions regarding phoned-in prescriptions, referral appointments, allowable communication and the “minimum necessary” scope of disclosing health information. HHS “can and will issue proposed modifications to correct any unintended negative effects of the Privacy Rule on health care quality or on access to such care,” according to the document. HHS further states that additional changes to the privacy regulations might also be considered appropriate.

To make changes to the HIPAA regulations, HHS will publish a notice of proposed rule-making in the Federal Register and invite public comment before issuing final rules. Hospitals and OHA will have the opportunity to contribute to and comment on the proposed changes. Comments will likely reflect that hospitals are in favor of patient privacy, but want to ensure that the Privacy Rule does not adversely affect health care. (Jonathan Archey, jonathana@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

Tuesday, July 10, 2001
JCARR Approves HCAP Rules
The Hospital Care Assurance Program (HCAP) took an important step forward this week when the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) approved three administrative rules to implement this year's program.

For your daily health care news digest, go to the Hannah News Service's StateHealthClips.com.

Hospital touts Jackson YMCA site
Akron Beacon Journal
Tuesday, July 10, 2001

Group offers to lease Berger Hospital
Columbus Dispatch
Tuesday, July 10, 2001

Bill offers paid leave to state employees for organ donation
Columbus Dispatch
Tuesday, July 10, 2001

The health council last year tabled a set of rules to increase staffing requirements in nursing homes. Following further information gathering by the department, new rules were proposed this week that reflect an understanding of the current workforce environment and staffing shortages. The rules, which are based on a Health Care Financing Administration report made last year, call for 2.75 hours of direct care per day for each patient. This is reduced from the proposed 4 hours in last year’s rule. The new rule, which will receive a hearing Aug. 23, calls for a minimum of: 2 hours of direct care per patient per day by a nurse aide, 0.2 hours by a registered nurse, and 0.55 hours by certain other personnel, such as social workers, dietitians and physical therapists.

The Public Health Council also held a hearing on rules that would add five diseases to the list for which newborns are screened: propionic aciduria, isovaleric aciduria, methylmalonic aciduria, citrullinemia and arginnosuccinic aciduria. OHA testified in support. The rules will likely become effect in September. Two new rules were also proposed at the meeting: one to increase the fee for newborn screening test kits and the other to conduct a pilot study to determine if more tests should be added to the list. The fee increase from $27 to $33.75 is the first in at least nine years. Part of the increase will pay for courier transport of the kits to public health labs for analysis. A hearing by the Public Health Council on the proposed rules will be held Aug. 23. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

Slated to run up to and beyond Labor Day, one of the first appeared in publications serving Capitol Hill. Sponsored by the American Hospital Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, VHA and the Federation of American Hospitals, it highlights the June 27 report by Fitch, the Wall Street bond-rating agency, calling the health care staffing shortage “the most significant problem facing the industry today.” Also this week, an ad ran in Washington asking for increased funding to teaching hospitals, and a TV ad highlighting nursing home staff shortages began airing last weekend. The Coalition to Protect America’s Health Care will begin its ad campaign after the congressional Labor Day recess. For more, go to http://www.aha.org/workforce/index.asp.

Friday, July 13, 2001
Tobacco Trust Fund On Track
Created out of the National Tobacco Settlement, Ohio’s Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation (TUPC) is working toward its goal to distribute millions of dollars in grants next year. Approved at its July 6 meeting, a draft budget suggests that approximately $13 million will be available for grant payouts in the first round. Requests for Proposals (RFP) are expected to be made available the end of the year with the first grants approved in early 2002.

Wanted: Reviewers for Tobacco Fund Grant Applications

The Foundation for Healthy Communities is anticipating a strong response to its request for proposals for the tobacco settlement funds. It is asking for assistance with initial screening of the proposals. Hospital staff members, particularly those with expertise in prenatal, maternity, child services or pulmonary rehabilitation, are asked to submit their names for consideration as an reviewer of the 2001 tobacco applications, due July 31. To request additional information or submit your name, please contact Lynne Ayres (lynnea@ohanet.org) or Cindy Stump (cindys@ohanet.org) at (614) 221-7614 no later than July 31.

Grant reviewers’ responsibilities include:

• Reading and evaluating a maximum of 10 proposals (average review time per application 10-15 minutes);
• Completion of a scoring sheet for each grant application including written comments and explanation of ratings;
• Availability and reliability to conduct the evaluations within a two-week period around the mid/end of August; and
• Maintaining complete confidentiality of the process.

Hospitals and staffs who have submitted tobacco grant applications are eligible to apply and will reveal any conflicts of interests on grants they are asked to evaluate. Reviewer recommendations will be considered by the Foundation’s board for final approval. (Lynne Ayres, lynnea@ohanet.org)