DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Hospital diversions increase
Cincinnati Enquirer
Saturday, July 21, 2001

Nurses heading back to the job
Warren Tribune-Chronicle
Saturday, July 21, 2001

CPS to end nursing classes
Cincinnati Enquirer
Monday, July 23, 2001

Tuesday, July 24, 2001
Governor Signs Prompt Pay Bill
At a bill-signing ceremony today at Doctors Hospital West in Columbus, Gov. Bob Taft signed into law legislation that will help ensure hospitals and other health care providers receive timely payments for services. Senate Bill 4, the prompt pay bill that passed the Ohio General Assembly in late June, becomes effective one year from today.

The new law requires insurers to establish a system whereby providers and patients can check the status of a claim. It also requires insurers to pay claims within 30 days, or 45 days if additional documentation is needed by the insurer, and prohibits insurers from contracting for timeframes longer than those stipulated in the bill. It prohibits insurers from engaging in any business practice that unnecessarily delays the processing or payment of claims and includes penalties for violations of the law, including 18 percent interest to be paid by the insurer to the provider on late payments.

At the bill signing, the governor said the new law will allow hospitals and doctors to spend more time on medicine and less time collecting bills. (Jeff Klingler, jeffk@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Feds push to bar public from Clinic secrets trial
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Tuesday, July 24, 2001

Bill speeds prompt pay on medical insurance
Dayton Daily News
Tuesday, July 24, 2001

OPINION
Side effects: Drug makers' profit lust harms consumers
Columbus Dispatch
Tuesday, July 24, 2001

Wednesday, July 25, 2001
Hospitals Lead the Way to Community Health
The Ohio State University Medical Center took steps yesterday to improve community health in Columbus. Mansfield Hospital kicked off a similar campaign last week and Fisher-Titus Medical Center will be promoting a fitness program for senior citizens next week in Norwalk. These and other hospitals across Ohio are taking action to improve their communities.

Partners with OSU in the latest initiative, Commit to be Fit, include WBNS-TV, the City of Columbus and several local businesses. For more information, visit http://www.10tv.com/specials/commit/andrea_gen_intro.php

As part of its strategic plan, OHA is working with members to demonstrate how hospitals are leading their communities to better health and prosperity. Share your best practices and community benefit reports with Mary Yost, maryy@ohanet.org.

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Insurers must pay on time
Akron Beacon Journal
Wednesday, July 25, 2001

Forum Health to hire nurses
Youngstown Vindicator
Wednesday, July 25, 2001

Editorial: End of nurses strike doesn't solve underlying problem
Youngstown Vindicator
Wednesday, July 25, 2001

Thursday, July 26, 2001
Grassroots Efforts Underway for Workforce Relief
Continuing to build grassroots support for relief from the health care workforce shortage, several health care organizations are asking hospitals nationwide to join a workforce relief campaign.

As part of the campaign, all hospitals should this week receive a draft hospital board resolution that portrays the severity of the shortage and asks Congress and the Bush administration to support and enact workforce relief legislation. The campaign is a joint project of the American Hospital Association (AHA), Association of American Medical College, Catholic Health Association, Federation of American Hospitals, National Association of Public Hospitals, Premier and VHA, Inc. The organizations are asking hospitals to pass the resolution, and then share it with their representative or senator in August during the summer recess. Hospitals are encouraged to include hospital-specific information and statistics in their final resolution.

AHA member hospitals will also soon receive a kit of materials to help promote workforce relief, including postcards to be sent to legislators, posters and support materials. Additionally, AHA is sending to the Bush administration, representatives and senators daily AHA Blast Faxes depicting how the workforce shortage impacts an individual hospital. (Jonathan Archey, jonathana@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Aultman plans to relocate nearly 60 jobs
Canton Repository
Thursday, July 26, 2001

Bypass surgery offers last resort' to the dangerously overweight
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Thursday, July 26, 2001

Friday, July 27, 2001
Ohio Hospital Employee Injuries Show Downward Trend
Between handling sharps, lifting patients and working with dangerous chemicals in laboratories, there are plenty of opportunities for hospital employees to become injured on the job. But according to data collected for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Ohio hospitals’ efforts to improve workplace safety are working. Employee injuries in hospitals have been on a general downward trend over the last several years. The number of hospital employee injuries requiring time away from work, as reported to OSHA, have declined from 2,629 in 1996 to 2,002 in 2000. And this occurred during a time when inpatient admissions remained fairly steady (1.37 million in 1996 and 1.36 million in 1999, the latest year for which this data is available) and outpatient visits increased by nearly 2 million.

One of the goals in OHA’s strategic plan is to help Ohio hospitals further reduce workplace injuries. To do this, OHA is working to establish a statewide safety council comprised of hospitals with superior employee safety records. The council will help identify and share with hospitals across the state best practices for training and technology solutions to avoid workplace injury. The safety council is currently being assembled and is expected to be in place by fall of this year.

For more information on Ohio hospital employee safety, see this month’s issue of OHA HealthBeat at http://www.ohanet.org/datawatchtemplate.asp?doc=/OhaNet/datawatch/datawatch0701.htm.

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Anesthesiologists in short supply
Cincinnati Enquirer
Friday, July 27, 2001

New clinic will treat tiniest newborns
Cincinnati Enquirer
Friday, July 27, 2001

Stork heralds hospital's new baby
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Friday, July 27, 2001