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Monday, February 11, 2002
ODH Posts Quality Rules for Public Comment
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has posted for public comment proposed revisions to quality rules for certain health care services. The rules, which went into effect March 1, 1997, are undergoing a five-year review as required by law. They were drawn up under legislation passed in 1995 that ended Certificate of Need for most health care services in Ohio and put into place quality requirements for solid organ transplantation, bone marrow transplantation, adult and pediatric cardiac catheterization, adult open-heart surgery, obstetric and newborn care, pediatric intensive care, pediatric cardiovascular surgery and radiation therapy. The rules are available online at http://www.odh.state.oh.us/Rules/rulesdraft.html (click Chapter 3701-84). Follow the “memorandum” link to access instructions for submitting comments, which are due by Feb. 25. Please send a copy of your comments to OHA to the attention of Rosalie Weakland so that we may include hospital concerns in our communication with the department. OHA’s Quality Improvement & Accreditation Committee will also be reviewing the rules. (Rosalie Weakland, rosaliew@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Area hospitals setting standard
Dayton Daily News
Saturday, February 09, 2002
Montgomery County's four biggest hospitals have improved the survival odds of heart attack patients to statewide norms, reducing their death rate by nearly one in six from 1998 to 2000 by following proven medical guidelines more often.

Jails, hospitals struggle with inmate-care costs
Columbus Dispatch
Monday, February 11, 2002
Dunn, 43, went to Good Samaritan Medical Center in Zanesville on Feb. 14, where doctors performed a heart catheterization. The procedure and a two-day stay cost $9,212.60. Then Dunn went back to jail to serve the rest of his 90-day drunken-driving sentence.

Ohio can't afford federal drug aid plan
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Monday, February 11, 2002
President Bush has asked Congress for $77 billion to expand Medicare's prescription drug coverage for some of the nation's low-income seniors - but there's a catch.

Tuesday, February 12, 2002
Need to Attract Talented Employees?
New information to help Ohio hospitals attract and retain talented and dedicated employees and medical staff is now available on OHA’s Web site. Accessible at www.ohanet.org/workforce/practices/, the best practices section includes examples from the field submitted by Ohio hospitals to help alleviate current and future shortages of personnel. It also features a list of scholarships, reimbursement programs and other financial assistance offered by various hospitals around the state and other organizations, and background information on OHA’s strategic objective to attract and retain a talented hospital workforce.

If your hospital would like to submit a best practice, please send it to Jean Scholz by e-mail at jeans@ohanet.org or by fax at 614.358.2730. To have your practice published, you must also submit a release form, also available online. (Jean Scholz, jeans@ohanet.org)

Happy Cardiovascular Professionals Week!
Hospitals and health care organizations this week celebrate the contributions that cardiovascular professionals make to health care. The weeklong celebration runs through Feb. 16. For more information, go to www.acp-online.org or call 757.497.1225.

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Shift seen to annexing hospital site
Cincinnati Enquirer
Tuesday, February 12, 2002
TURTLECREEK TWP. — Trustees got encouragement from residents Monday to resume negotiations over the city of Middletown's expected annexation of a new hospital site in this Warren County township.

Flu season has been mild so far, health officials say
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Tuesday, February 12, 2002
The flu sickened more people in Northeast Ohio last week and the week before than during any other period so far this winter. Even so, health officials say this flu season continues to be a mild one, compared to last year's.

UC Physicians might build hospital in West Chester
Middletown Journal
Tuesday, February 12, 2002
WEST CHESTER ‹ UC Physicians and the Health Alliance will disclose plans Thursday to further develop a West Chester site along Interstate 75, as speculation mounts that a hospital could rise there.

Wednesday, February 13, 2002
Access Compliance Manual Online from New Compliance Site
Stop flipping through hundreds of pages of paper. The OHA Compliance Manual is now available online in the new OHA Compliance Center at www.ohanet.org/compliance. The online version of the manual replaces the hard cover manual, first developed in 1997 through a joint project of OHA and Bricker & Eckler L.L.P. New online features include direct Web links to source materials, an online search function and real time updates. The manual is housed on OHA’s new online Compliance Center, which features compliance news on the latest health-care related rules and regulations, links to the OHA Compliance Update and ABC Bulletin, related links and more. The Compliance Center is open to the public, but the manual is password protected for use by OHA members only. (Mary Gallagher, maryg@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Program connects participants with healthier lifestyle
Alliance Review
Wednesday, February 13, 2002
It almost feels like family. When area residents gathered recently at St. Luke A.M.E. Church to take part in a Community Day sponsored by CONNECT, Coalition of Networking Neighbors Effecting Change Together, they shared a common vision. To become healthier individuals by making lifestyle changes such as exercising and eating healthier foods.

Hospital site’s use is studied by Defiance
Toledo Blade
Wednesday, February 13, 2002
DEFIANCE - It’s been an early 1900s golf course, a prisoner of war camp, and for the last half-century, home to Defiance Hospital.

OPINION: Politicians to blame for health-care crisis
Akron Beacon Journal
Wednesday, February 13, 2002
Regarding the Jan. 20 commentary by Karen Ignagni headlined ``Medical malpractice: Driving patients nuts, doctors out of business'': Insurance companies are raising malpractice premiums because they know that the Patient's Bill of Rights passed by the U.S. House is something that attorneys are going to use at every opportunity.

Thursday, February 14, 2002
Federal Dollars Available to Assist Caregivers
A new opportunity is available for hospitals to obtain federal dollars to fund caregiver support programs. Ohio is slated to receive $5.3 million in grants under the National Family Caregiver Support Program, which helps family members provide care for the elderly at home.

Services provided under the grants include information and assistance in identifying needs and resources, counseling, support groups and training, respite services so that the caregiver can get a short break when needed, and supplemental services that complement care provided by informal caregivers. The program also provides grants for innovative caregiving programs, support for Native American elders, and assistance for grandparents raising grandchildren and older individuals providing care to children with mental retardation and developmental disabilities.

The funds are being distributed to the 12 area agencies on aging around the state. Hospitals interested in providing services in any of the above-mentioned areas should contact their local agency to determine how to get involved in the program. To identify and contact your local agency, refer to www.ohioaging.org/GetInpOAA.html.

The program was created in 2000 under the Older Americans Act and is administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Aging (AoA). Ohio’s $5.3 million share is part of $128 million awarded nationwide. Ohio received $4.7 million under the program last year. AoA also is developing a national awareness campaign on the increasing role caregivers play in the lives of all Americans and to inform them of services available in their communities through the program. More information on the program is available at www.aoa.gov/carenetwork/default.htm.

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

When you need care now, will it be there?
Akron Beacon Journal
Thursday, February 14, 2002
MedPoint Immediate Care in Cuyahoga Falls was on its deathbed. By the end of last year, the once-bustling urgent care center was averaging just 18 patients a day, when it needed to see at least twice that number to break even.

Senate defies Taft by gutting House drug-discount bill
Columbus Dispatch
Thursday, February 14, 2002
Directly defying Gov. Bob Taft, Senate Republicans yesterday severely diluted a House-passed measure providing prescription-drug discounts for senior citizens and ignored his request to pass a strong bill by the end of this month.

Area organ donations dropped in 2001
Cincinnati Enquirer
Thursday, February 14, 2002
Last year, the LifeCenter, the agency that coordinates organ donations in Greater Cincinnati, collected 115 organs from 41 donors.

Friday, February 15, 2002
OHA Advocacy Network Expands
Beginning today, hospital employees, volunteers and other supporters can join the OHA Advocacy Network, which assists the hospital industry in sending unified messages to elected officials on pertinent health care issues. The Advocacy Network was created in 1994 with a goal of enrolling one individual at each hospital who could contact their local legislators to assist OHA in sending unified messages on specific issues. The expansion of the Network comes about due to the number of requests OHA receives from individuals who work in hospitals and want to receive targeted information on state and federal health care issues. OHA is also hoping the Network will serve as a vehicle to reach out to the hundreds of thousands of Ohioans who work in and/or support Ohio hospitals and are affected when government action impacts our facilities.

Advocacy Network contacts will receive an e-mail newsletter approximately every two weeks during legislative session containing the latest on government action impacting Ohio hospitals. Contacts will also have access to materials to assist in communicating effectively with elected officials and in building and maintaining strong relationships. On occasion, Network contacts may be asked by their hospital's Grasstops Leader to write to a lawmaker on a particular issue. Hospital employees and other supporters who are interested in joining the OHA Advocacy Network can enroll online by clicking on the following link: www.ohanet.org/government/subscribe.asp.

Mark Your Calendar for the AHA Annual Meeting!
The American Hospital Association (AHA) annual meeting this year is being held April 6-9 in Washington, D.C. This is your chance to project an Ohio hospital presence in Washington and meet with your members of Congress on pertinent issues, such as eliminating scheduled cuts to Medicaid disproportionate share (DSH) funding.

Back by popular demand is a reception for hospitals and members of Congress. It will be held the evening of Monday, April 8 and will include hospitals and legislators from Indiana, Michigan and Illinois in addition to Ohio. Tuesday, April 9 OHA will be scheduling hospital visits to Capitol Hill. More information on the Ohio elements is to come. To check out what AHA has planned for programming, such as an address by former New York City Mary Rudy Giuliani, and to register, go to www.aha.org/annualmeeting2002/index.asp. (Jonathan Archey, jonathana@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Lots of illness, but little flu
Cincinnati Post
Friday, February 15, 2002
Is it the flu?
Or The Flu?
Only a lab test can tell for sure.

County gets new hospital; Diagnostic imaging facility slated to open in September
Hamilton Journal-News
Friday, February 15, 2002
UC Physicians and the Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati on Thursday announced plans for a $3 million diagnostic imaging facility in West Chester Township ‹ the first of three phases in the development of a high-tech medical campus that will culminate with the construction of a hospital on the site.

Hospital chief questioned
Middletown Journal
Friday, February 15, 2002
LEBANON - Warren County commissioners mixed praise and hard questions for Middletown Regional Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer Doug McNeill on Thursday as he outlined a plan to build a new hospital in Turtlecreek Township.

Altman Hospital opening children's emergency room
New Philadelphia Times-Reporter
Friday, February 15, 2002
CANTON — Each year 23 million sick or injured children go to emergency departments. In response to this rising need, Aultman Hospital at Canton has created a Children’s ER devoted to diagnosing and treating young patients.