Monday, October 01, 2001
OHA Prepares Resource Wish List for Disaster Preparedness
As the state of Ohio refines its strategy on preparing for and dealing with weapons of mass destruction, such as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, OHA is compiling a wish list of resources that would better prepare Ohio hospitals for such events. The state plans to submit its disaster preparedness strategy to the U.S. Department of Justice by Dec. 15. In connection with that strategy, the Senior Interagency Coordinating Group (SICG), at the request of Gov. Bob Taft, asked organizations such as OHA at its meeting last week to identify needed resources to better respond to terrorist events.

With input from member hospitals and allied associations, OHA requested funding to provide statewide and local training and education for hospitals. Education would include basic training on the recognition, identification and treatment of hazardous biological agents; use of the Incident Command System; and focused training for medical and nursing staff. OHA is also requesting resources that would allow hospitals to be better prepared to respond to a terrorist or mass destruction event during the first 24 hours after the attack until special state and federal resources arrived. Requested resources would include things like mechanical respiratory ventilators, temporary decontamination facilities and resuscitation equipment. Also, OHA is calling for funding for a position at OHA to further assist hospitals in preparing for terrorist events.

Following this initial effort to identify resource needs, SICG will review at its next meeting the proposals from the various organizations and will fine-tune its overall wish list.  Additional recommendations may be shared with Rick Sites at OHA. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Hospitals join to boost Medicare payments
Youngstown Vindicator
Monday, October 1, 2001
YOUNGSTOWN -- They're usually competitors, but the Mahoning Valley's largest health-care providers are joining forces to tackle a problem that cost area hospitals $7 million in lost revenue this year alone.

Hospitals to show ER bed availability via Internet
Cincinnati Business Courier
Monday, October 1, 2001
Tri-State hospitals hope a new software program will make it easier for patients to quickly get the care they need when emergency rooms become crowded.

Medical workers prepare for call from reserve unit
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Monday, October 1, 2001
You can usually find Dr. Mussaret Zuberi in St. Michael Hospital's emergency room treating patients for respiratory distress, chest pain or a host of other ailments requiring immediate attention.

Tuesday, October 02, 2001
Nursing Coalition Launches Recruitment Campaign 
Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow, a coalition of 32 nursing and health care organizations, is this month kicking off its national advertising campaign to address the nursing shortage and boost the attractiveness of nursing as a profession.

The campaign, “Nursing. It’s Real. It’s Life.” consists of seven print ads and a public service announcement sent to 200 television stations nationwide. Citing the importance of grassroots support, the coalition is urging health care professionals to encourage local media to run both the print ads and public service announcements. The coalition also asks that health care professionals include the print ads in their own organization’s publications, and send to television stations that have not received the public service announcement a kit including the ad and supporting materials. The kit is available from the coalition for $100, or can be personalized with an organization’s logo for $150.

Still Time to Donate for Victims of Attack
OHA is still collecting donations from the Ohio hospital family for the September 11^th Fund, established by the United Way of New York and the New York Community Trust to provide immediate support to established emergency assistance agencies following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Tax-deductible contributions may be made payable either directly to the September 11^th Fund or to the fund in care of the Foundation for Healthy Communities. All contributions should be sent to OHA, 155 E. Broad St., Floor 15, Columbus, OH, 43215-3620, and will be individually acknowledged. OHA expects to continue receiving donations through this week and into next week, and will forward them to the September 11^th Fund at end of October. Additional information is available on OHA’s Web site at www.ohanet.org or www.uwnyc.org/640/index.html. (Lynne Ayres, lynnea@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Falls General joins Summa
Akron Beacon Journal
Tuesday, October 2, 2001
Cuyahoga Falls General Hospital officially joined forces yesterday with Summa Health System to help fight off competition and stay alive.

Survey shows bad habits need change
Dayton Daily News
Tuesday, October 2, 2001
Most people in the Dayton area consider themselves healthy.

Medicare HMOs plan rate hikes
Akron Beacon Journal
Tuesday, October 2, 2001
Many seniors will have to dig a lot deeper into their pocketbooks next year if they want to keep getting health-care coverage through an HMO.

Wednesday, October 03, 2001
Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland State Team Up on Nursing Program
In an innovative partnership aimed at easing the shortage of nurses in Northeast Ohio, The Cleveland Clinic Health System (CCHS) and Cleveland State University today signed an agreement to begin a new collaborative program in nursing education.

The Accelerated Nursing Track allows adults who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing by completing nursing degree requirements in four semesters rather than the traditional three years in a year-round, specially designed sequence. CCHS will provide funding to hire additional faculty and staff at Cleveland State and will provide students in the accelerated track preferential clinical rotations within the system’s hospitals for all nursing specialties. The program will begin in May 2002, and students may formally apply for the program in January 2002.

This partnership is one of the many outreach efforts hospitals across Ohio are using to attract more individuals to health care. OHA applauds every hospital’s creative efforts to attract and retain talented health care workers and medical staff. Contact Jean Scholz at OHA, jeans@ohanet.org or 614/221-7614, if your hospital is engaged in similar recruitment and retention efforts. Also, see OHA’s online Hospital Workforce Forum at www.ohanet.org/workforce/ for more information about recruitment and retention. (Mary Yost, maryy@ohanet.org)

AHA Calling for NOVA Award Nominations
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is calling for nominations for its annual AHA NOVA Award, given to hospitals and health systems for working collaboratively with each other and other organizations to improve the health of their communities. Hospitals or health systems can nominate their own facilities, and nominations are due by Dec. 1, 2001. In its ninth year, the award will be presented at the annual Health Forum Summit in July 2002. The NOVA Award is sponsored by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. Nomination criteria, nomination forms and a letter from AHA President Dick Davidson are available on AHA’s Web site at www.aha.org. Contact Kathy Poole at 312/422.2704 for more information.

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Doctors Hospital off market
Akron Beacon Journal
Wednesday, October 3, 2001
PERRY TWP.: The owner of Doctors Hospital ended months of speculation yesterday by announcing the facility is no longer for sale.

Cincinnati Health Alliance report yields encouraging data
Hamilton Journal-News
Wednesday, October 3, 2001
Kenneth Hanover, president and chief executive officer of The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, announced Monday that since June 1 the group achieved its first financial gain from operations.

Health care employment reached plateau according to Chamber report
Columbus Daily Reporter
Wednesday, October 3, 2001
Health-care employment increased last year to a level marginally higher than that seen in 1998, according to an economic outlook recently published by the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce. Officials concluded that health-care providers in Columbus are facing the same obstacles seen nationally.

Thursday, October 04, 2001
Congress, Administration Turn Attention To Bioterrorism Preparedness
Disaster readiness, especially related to potential bioterrorist incidents, has moved to the top of the agenda for both Congress and the Bush administration, and hospitals’ role, and whether additional funding is necessary, are among key elements in the discussion.

A subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee this week heard testimony by Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and others, on the readiness of the health care system and state and local governments. Thompson told the subcommittee that while there is an adequate level of preparedness, there is more to be done, including strengthening the public health infrastructure, pharmaceutical stockpiling, food safety oversight and ensuring security of cities and response facilities.

Sen. John Edwards (D-NC), who along with Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) this week introduced S. 1486, told the subcommittee the country is not adequately equipped. S. 1486 calls for $100 million for hospital preparedness under new biological and chemical weapons preparedness block grants and $100 million for grants to strengthen hospital emergency, trauma and intensive care unit capacity.

Members of Congress and the administration will continue discussions on this issue and are likely to pass legislation by the end of the year. Testimony from this week’s hearing can be viewed online at www.senate.gov/~appropriations/. (Jonathan Archey, jonathana@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Ohio gets $2 million from Medicaid fraud settlement
Columbus Business First
Thursday, October 4, 2001
Ohio will be reimbursed more than $2 million from a settlement between drug maker TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc. and state and federal officials, says Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery.

Flu shots delivered to region
Akron Beacon Journal
Thursday, October 4, 2001
It's only the first week of October and, already, flu vaccine is arriving at hospitals, health departments, doctor's offices and pharmacies.

Palliative care relieves suffering for patients while giving loved ones support
Alliance Review
Thursday, October 4, 2001
Like most Americans, Madeleine Corbett and her husband, John Meneghello, had no idea what the term “palliative care” meant. And like most Americans, they found out only when critical illness struck.  

Friday, October 05, 2001
Hospitals Working to Improve Community Health
Concerned about the health of your community? Would you like to make a difference, and at the same time set a positive example for other hospitals in the state? Take the Mercury Challenge! Participating facilities design their own reduction goals and identify and implement prevention measures. To date, three Ohio hospitals have submitted Mercury Challenge registrations: East Liverpool City Hospital, Trinity Medical Center East in Steubenville and St. Charles Mercy in Oregon.

Mercury exposure causes damage to neurological and renal systems of developing fetuses and young children, and the primary means of exposure is through consumption of fish, which are contaminated when mercury waste leaches into lakes and rivers. Eliminating mercury from waste streams will end contamination at the source.

OHA is forming an Environmental Leadership Council to help hospitals to reduce waste and prevent pollution, and Mel Creeley, President of East Liverpool City Hospital, has been named chair. Also available to assist hospitals are resources prepared by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and OHA, including the Mercury Challenge Handbook. The handbook is online at www.epa.state.oh.us/opp/hospital.html (scroll down -- it’s near the bottom of the page) and contains a variety of information including tips and checklists for implementing a program, lists of information resources, and an inventory of mercury containing products and their alternatives. The handbook also includes a form to register for the program. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Budget cuts may necessitate closings of mental health hospitals
Columbus Daily Reporter
Friday, October 5, 2001
The Ohio Department of Mental Health expects it will need to close between one and four hospitals in the next year due to increased costs and unchanged budgetary allotments, officials said.

Clinic aims for more organ donors
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Friday, October 5, 2001
The Cleveland Clinic will try to double the number of organ and tissue donors at the hospitals in its health system as part of a $10 million federal program.