Monday, December 17, 2001
OHA Asks Congress to Delay OPPS Rule
OHA is asking Congress to delay the Jan. 1 effective date of the Medicare outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) rule, which changes how the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) processes bills, and to ensure funding for hospitals while CMS updates its system.

In a letter sent last week, OHA asked Congress to order the Department of Health and Human Services to delay the implementation date of the final OPPS rule until at least April 1. CMS intends to hold hospitals’ outpatient bills with dates of service on and after Jan. 1 for at least three months while it updates its software. Hospitals will be reimbursed a monthly advance payment equal to 90 percent of the average monthly receipt for the last quarter of 2001. Without a delay in the implementation, hospitals will not be paid in full for a large amount of Medicare services until April 1 at the earliest.

OHA is also asking Congress to include language in the pending Labor/HHS budget to ensure CMS has the funding necessary to adequately reimburse hospitals in the interim while CMS updates its system. Early Ohio support on this issue comes from Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Elyria), who has signed a letter from congressional leaders requesting inclusion of the necessary funding in the budget bill, which is currently being discussed in conference committee.

Final September 11^th Check Sent This Week
OHA this week sent an additional $17,608.16 to the September 11^th Fund, established by the United Way of New York and the New York Community Trust to aid victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. The additional donations bring the total amount collected by Ohio hospitals’ 200,000 caregivers to nearly $200,000. The total includes both donations sent directly to the September 11^th Fund and donations sent to OHA and forwarded to the fund.

OHA thanks each and every hospital employee who made a contribution and asks that any future donations be sent directly to the September 11^th Fund at: United Way of New York City, 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016. More information is available at 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.

Hospital expansion unwelcome
Dayton Business Journal
Monday, December 17, 2001
Middletown Regional Hospital's plan to relocate to Turtlecreek Township is facing opposition from a community group that says the move will bring traffic gridlock, urban sprawl and higher taxes to their quiet neighborhood.

One doctor's story: Medicine vs. money
Cincinnati Post
Saturday, December 15, 2001
For five years, Dr. Morton Bertram III lived the American dream and fulfilled a family legacy. A third-generation surgeon from Vanceburg, Ky., Bertram carved out a prosperous niche for himself as a surgeon who replaced hip and knee joints on the east side of Cincinnati.

OPINION
Another health care revolution
Dayton Business Journal
Monday, December 17, 2001
Americans have said loudly and clearly that their primary wish in seeking medical care is to have maximum choice -- of physicians, hospitals, treatments and drugs.  

Tuesday, December 18, 2001
No Reported Flu Cases in Ohio; Hospital Capacity Data Requested
Although there have not yet been any confirmed cases of influenza in Ohio, it’s not too early for hospitals to be prepared for flu season.

OHA is looking for several hospitals not already reporting to metro associations to volunteer to submit information each week regarding their inpatient capacity. This will allow OHA to establish baseline capacity data in the event the organization needs to request permission from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for hospitals to open additional beds for flu patients. If your hospital is interested in submitting data to OHA, please e-mail Rick Sites at ricks@ohanet.org. OHA is working with allied associations, who are also collecting data from hospitals in their regions.

Additional information on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the flu is available in a live satellite and Web broadcast to be held by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday, Dec. 20 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. More information on the program, CDC Responds: Influenza – Prevention, Detections and Control, is available at www.phppo.cdc.gov/phtn.

A real-time map of confirmed flu cases across America is available at www.fluwatch.com. According to the National Flu Surveillance Network site, surrounding states are seeing some flu activity. Pennsylvania is on alert and Michigan and Indiana are on watch, whereas Kentucky and West Virginia are reporting no confirmed flu activity. Flu cases can also be viewed by city and zip code on FluWatch.com. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

JCAHO Surveying Home Health on ORYX Requirements
The Joint Commission on Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) is surveying all accredited home health care facilities to help clarify JCAHO’s understanding of issues associated with current ORYX requirements. The survey will also help identify a potential alternative option to offer relief to home care facilities struggling with these requirements. The survey may be completed online at www.jcaho.org. Select “Top Spots,” then select “Home Care ORYX Requirements Survey.” The survey should be completed by Friday, Jan. 11. If more than one sitting is required to complete the survey, which should take about 5-7 minutes to complete, all entered data can be saved, provided the same computer is used each time data is entered. (Rosalie Weakland, rosaliew@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Aultman program aids parents of premature babies
Canton Repository
Tuesday, December 18, 2001
During the seventh month of her pregnancy when Merri Brown developed toxemia pushing her blood pressure dangerously high, Aultman Hospital neonatologist Martha Magoon knew an emergency Caesarean section delivery was necessary.

EMH budget will determine possible layoffs
Elyria Chronicle-Telegram
Tuesday, December 18, 2001
ELYRIA — An EMH Medical Center spokeswoman said it’s “premature” to discuss staff reductions at the hospital.

Seniors in UnitedHealthcare losing access to Clinic doctors
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Tuesday, December 18, 2001
Cuyahoga County seniors enrolled in UnitedHealthcare's Medicare HMO may get a surprise for the holidays: a new doctor, whether they want one or not.  

Wednesday, December 19, 2001
OPPS Rule Delayed; Hospitals to be Paid at 2001 Rates
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) yesterday announced that implementation of the 2002 Medicare outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) rule will be delayed until after March 31. Hospitals will be paid at 2001 OPPS rates until then, when CMS finishes its review of rates and codes announced in the final regulation on Nov. 30. Without the delay from the original Jan. 1 implementation date, hospitals would not have been paid in full for a large amount of Medicare services until April 1 at the earliest.

The delay comes after OHA last week urged Congress in a letter to force a delay in the effective date of the OPPS rule. The American Hospital Association met repeatedly with Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and CMS Administrator Thomas Scully to negotiate a delay.

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Whose child is this? Hospitals on alert for a baby snatcher
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Wednesday, December 19, 2001
Hospital maternity units in five Greater Cleveland counties are on alert to watch for a woman who fits the profile of a baby snatcher.

OPINION
Ohio Health will miss Wilkins' hand on wheel
Columbus Dispatch
Wednesday, December 19, 2001
A few months ago, Ohio Health staff received notification that William Wilkins, chief executive officer of Ohio Health, is retiring in January.

Thursday, December 20, 2001
Health Care Futurist Sheds Light on New Possibilities for Health Care Workforce
A noted health care futurist presented some new possibilities for consideration by the state’s Health Care Workforce Shortage Task Force this week.

Leland Kaiser challenged task force members to view health care staffing from a different perspective and provided some predictions for changes in the ways health care is provided and the workforce is structured. Kaiser pointed out that advances in technology will alleviate some of the human resources needs, for instance by automating certain types of testing and assessments. While technology will play a greater role in health care, Kaiser noted that a human touch will still be necessary, especially as care becomes increasingly holistic, encompassing the spiritual as well as the physical needs of patients. This will create a need for health care professionals trained to provide this type of care. Finally, Kaiser predicted that as consumers become increasingly informed through the wealth of health-related information available to the public, they will take a greater role in managing their care.

Kaiser challenged the group to think creatively and encouraged the use of pilot projects to test out new ways of using technology and providing care. Creativity in addressing workforce supply issues will become increasingly necessary as the demand for health care services continues to grow and outpace the supply of workers.

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

ER doctors not always under hospital's plan
Akron Beacon Journal
Thursday, December 20, 2001
A little known quirk in the nation's health-care system can turn an emergency hospital visit into a potential financial crisis.

Health center finding niche
Hamilton Journal-News
Thursday, December 20, 2001
Less than a month in service, Hamilton's new health center is quickly carving its niche, serving an average 12 patients per day and booked on physical exams through February.

Friday, December 21, 2001
Safe Havens Materials Available  
New materials are available to help hospitals participate in the Safe Havens Program. The program was instituted by Ohio House Bill 660, which was passed during the last legislative session and allows parents to voluntarily deliver a baby within 72 hours of birth to a hospital or law-enforcement agency without facing child-desertion charges. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) has designed written materials for use by hospitals explaining the program and also allowing for collection of basic medical information on the child. Brochures soon will be mailed to hospitals and are also available online at www.state.oh.us/odjfs/safehavens/. Watch for a Bulletin from OHA in January with more information about the law and requirements for hospitals.

OHA News Readership Survey Results Are In  
OHA would like to thank everyone who participated in a survey recently conducted to evaluate the way members prefer to receive their information. The newsletter readership survey was distributed in November through both OHA News and Health e-News. The feedback was positive and will help us deliver information to you in a way that best suits your needs.

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Hospital, CWRU cleared of significant wrongdoing; project suspended
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Friday, December 21, 2001
A healthy 70-year-old Warrensville Heights woman died in May after getting an apparent overdose of an over-the-counter dietary supplement as part of an Alzheimer's disease study at University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University.

Hospital studies could last months
Ironton Tribune
Friday, December 21, 2001
Court-ordered studies of the former River Valley Health System could take until March to complete, while Bellefonte leaders - the only ones to make an official offer for the defunct county hospital - say they're growing impatient.