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Monday, January 14, 2002
ODH Requesting Comments on Health Care Facility Licensure Rules
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is requesting comments on proposed changes to rules that license ambulatory surgical facilities and freestanding inpatient rehabilitation facilities, dialysis centers and birthing centers. The proposed changes, available online at www.odh.state.oh.us/Rules/Draft/Chap83/Dr83_lst.htm, should clarify and make the rules more workable. ODH expects to file a final draft of the rules the end of February with an expected effective date in June. Comments are due to ODH by Feb. 2 and should be sent to: Ohio Department of Health, Policy, Program, and Research, 246 N. High St., Third Floor, Columbus, OH, 43266-0588, Attn: Kathryn Kimmet.

OHA requests that hospitals submitting comments also send a copy to Rick Sites at OHA, to ricks@ohanet.org or to Rick Sites, Ohio Hospital Association, 155 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215. Although OHA will probably not submit comments, OHA members’ interests are being represented by the Ohio Association of Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Ohio Association of Rehabilitation Facilities and Ohio Renal Association. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Suburbs feel effect of crowded ERs
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Sunday, January 13, 2002
The Cleveland Clinic cut ambulance diversions 38 percent, MetroHealth Medical Center trimmed its down time by 33 percent, and University Hospitals slashed the amount of time it diverted ambulances 61 percent.

Urgent-care centers act as salve for swollen ERs
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Sunday, January 13, 2002
With suburban emergency rooms jammed, urgent-care centers offer some patients an alternative for after-hours care.

Ohio students waiting for shot at nursing school
The Columbus Dispatch
Monday, January 14, 2002
With a worsening nationwide nursing shortage, students and their parents question why Ohio colleges and universities are not turning out more nursing graduates

Tuesday, January 15, 2002
Hospitals Invited to Attend Safety Forums
Ohio’s business and industry community, including hospitals, are invited to attend a two-hour regional security forum hosted by the State of Ohio Security Task Force. The task force, chaired by Lt. Gov. Maureen O’Connor, was established by Gov. Bob Taft to develop a coordinated, comprehensive strategy to address security issues.

A total of ten forums will be held throughout January in Cleveland, Akron, Chillicothe, Columbus, Youngstown, Dayton, Cincinnati, Toledo, Findlay and Marietta. A complete schedule is available online at www.ohiopublicsafety.com under “Homeland Security.” Those wishing to attend should also RSVP online at www.ohiopublicsafety.com.

The agenda for each forum includes O’Connor, who will present an overview of the task force and its current projects; Dr. Nick Baird, director of the Ohio Department of Health, who will discuss bioterrorism in Ohio; Dale Shipley, director of Ohio Emergency Management Association, who will outline Ohio’s participation in mutual aid agreements; and Adjutant General MG John Smith, who will review employers’ roles when National Guard members are activated to serve. (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 work together on response to strokes
Akron Beacon Journal
Tuesday, January 15, 2002
With the help of the American Heart Association, Northeast Ohio hospitals are trying to get more stroke victims to the hospital within three hours -- the critical window after a stroke begins in which powerful clot-busting drugs can be given intravenously.

$1.29 million in upgrades planned for hospital
Middletown Journal
Tuesday, January 15, 2002
Even though Middletown Regional Hospital plans to move east to Warren County, it is still making upgrades to its McKnight Drive location.

Outpatient cancer center will get federal funding
Springfield News-Sun
Tuesday, January 15, 2002
A new outpatient cancer center — a joint project of Springfield’s two hospitals — is among the projects to benefit from federal dollars.

Wednesday, January 16, 2002
Standardized HIC Credentialing Form Revised
A new version of the Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) standardized credentialing form used by health insuring corporations (HIC) when credentialing physicians to provide services to health plan enrollees this week became effective. Although the official effective date was Jan. 14, all HICs have until May 14 to begin using the form. It is available on ODI’s Web site at www.ohioinsurance.gov/Company/insprodfile.htm in both Microsoft Word and PDF formats.

The new version of the form, which was negotiated by hospitals, physician groups and HICs, replaces the original version promulgated by ODI in 1999. The original form was mandated by the Physician-Health Plan Partnership Act, House Bill 361 of the 122^nd General Assembly. (Mary Gallagher, maryg@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Hospitals get exam from teens
Akron Beacon Journal
Wednesday, January 16, 2002
More than 150 Akron middle school children went to area hospitals yesterday, but they weren't complaining.

Children's starts rare transplant
Cincinnati Enquirer
Wednesday, January 16, 2002
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is launching a small bowel transplant program to improve care for babies with rare conditions that cause their intestines to fail.

OPINION: Hospitals: accept the mayor’s challenge
Toledo Blade
Wednesday, January 16, 2002
Hospitals: accept the mayor’s challenge The proliferation of billboard advertising by the two area hospital systems exacerbates their ongoing competition. This approach to the public contradicts a rational utilization of healthcare resources and cost-containment procedures.

Thursday, January 17, 2002
OHA Submits Testimony on Triage Protocol
OHA submitted written testimony in support of trauma triage rules yesterday at a public hearing. The rules, drawn up under legislation passed in 2000 calling for a statewide trauma system and registry, determine where critically injured trauma patients should be transported.

If implemented properly, the rules ensure patients with significant trauma injuries are transported to trauma centers in a timely manner, as well as ensuring prompt care for patients who can be successfully treated and stabilized at nearby hospitals. OHA stressed that at many hospitals the workforce is already stretched due to shortages. OHA does not want the problem exacerbated by non-trauma patients being sent to trauma centers.

Determining over- or under-triage under the rules may not be feasible until well after the bill’s November 2002 effective date. OHA will continue to work with state officials on the implementation of the state trauma registry and the EMS incidence reporting system to evaluate the rules’ effectiveness. If significant over-triage is detected, experts may need to revisit certain aspects of the protocol.

The rules are expected to go to the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review in early to mid-February. OHA’s testimony is available online at www.ohanet.org/government/state_correspondence.asp. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

DeWine boosts re-use of hospital
Cincinnati Enquirer
Thursday, January 17, 2002
HAMILTON — Mercy Hospital Hamilton played a significant role in the lives of countless people, said Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, noting that the first of his eight children, Patrick, now a Cincinnati city councilman, was born there almost 34 years ago.

City still wants to annex hospital site
Middletown Journal
Thursday, January 17, 2002
Whatever agreement Turtlecreek Township and Middletown may reach, one thing is clear for the city: Annexation of township property on which Middletown Regional Hospital would sit is a must.

OPINION: Prescription-drug errors should prompt changes
Columbus Dispatch
Thursday, January 17, 2002
The Dec. 12 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association contains two studies and an editorial describing medication errors made by health-care providers.

Friday, January 18, 2002
Hospitals Holding Their Own in Tough Environment
In the face of a declining environment Ohio hospitals are holding their own, according to the latest data available. While hospitals’ financial health has taken a hit, they are managing in most cases to maintain a degree of profitability. These results are from audited financial statements from 112 hospitals, providing comparisons in statewide performance from 1997 to 2000. The most critical indicator of hospitals’ financial health is total margin, which dropped from 7.7 percent in 1997 to 3.7 percent in 2000. Total margin compares total revenue, from both patient care and non-patient care sources, with total expenses. This measure could look different in 2001 due to the decline in the stock market, as total margin includes income from investments. For more, see the January 2002 issue of OHA HealthBeat, at www.ohanet.org/healthbeat/healthbeat0102.htm.

Hospitals Asked to Review Wage Index Data
Again this year, OHA is distributing data for review that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will use to calculate area wage indexes for Medicare inpatient and outpatient prospective payment systems.

Wage indexes are based on data from the most recently available cost reports. For fiscal year 2003, which begins Oct. 2, 2002, CMS will use 1999 data. Data was mailed this week by OHA to hospital chief financial officers, who are asked to review it and notify a Medicare audit manager of any inaccuracies. Any corrections to hospitals’ data must be submitted to AdminaStar Federal audit managers with supporting documentation by Feb. 8.

The accuracy of the data is vital because Medicare wage indexes are based on data from all hospitals within the boundaries of each metropolitan statistical or statewide rural area. Each hospital’s data impacts the wage index for all hospitals in its area. (Charles Cataline, charlesc@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Copter hits UH tower, killing two
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Friday, January 18, 2002
A University Hospitals Med Evac helicopter attempting a take-off from the hospital crashed early this morning, killing two passengers and injuring another, authorities said.

HIPAA mandate for privacy could impact health-care costs
Columbus Daily Reporter
Friday, January 18, 2002
Protection of patients' privacy has been at the root of the Health-care Insurance Portability and Accountability Act since the federal mandate was established in 1996, but while the privacy could come at a cost, a local software producer is hoping to help industry professionals contain their costs.

City OK’s hospital plan for permanent MRI
Canton Repository
Friday, January 18, 2002
Alliance Community Hospital officials received city approval to build a chamber housing a magnetic resonance imaging machine.