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Monday, February 18, 2002
Seeking Your Extraordinary Health Care Workers
OHA is planning an event to recognize health care workers across the state, and we’re inviting every hospital to participate. As part of the OHA Educational Summit in June, an event will be held to honor Ohio’s health care workforce. We are asking each hospital to get involved by nominating one staff member who embodies excellence. The nominees will be invited to attend a celebration and be recognized, and one will be chosen as the recipient of the 2002 Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year. Hospitals may already have a nominee identified through existing recognition processes, and this is an opportunity to extend recognition beyond your four walls. We have sent a letter to hospital CEOs asking them to provide us with a contact person, perhaps someone in human resources or communications, with whom we can work to obtain a nominee. We asked for responses by Feb. 15, but there is still time to get involved. If your hospital has not yet responded, please forward the name of a contact to Michele Egan, 614-221-7614 or michelee@ohanet.org. We will soon provide additional details to the contacts on how to submit a nomination.

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Nursing shortage in NE Ohio bad and expected to get worse
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Saturday, February 16, 2002
Hospitals across Northeast Ohio have more than a thousand nursing jobs available, but nursing schools and recruiters have been unable to fill the positions.

Hospital feeling competition
Cincinnati Enquirer
Saturday, February 16, 2002
WEST CHESTER TWP. — This week's announcement that a new hospital could be built here in three to five years makes it more critical than ever that Middletown Regional Hospital move closer to Interstate 75, Butler County Commissioner Mike Fox said Friday.

Officials consider transformation of Riverside Mercy Hospital
Toledo Blade
Saturday, February 16, 2002
Major portions of Riverside Mercy Hospital would be transformed into senior housing, and a possible job training center, and outpatient clinic for veterans, under plans being pursued by Mercy Health Partners officials.

Tuesday, February 19, 2002
OHA Asks for Amended HIPAA Privacy Rules
OHA last week asked Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson to reform and clarify the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy rules to allow state hospital associations to continue collecting and sharing life-saving data with hospitals, allowing them to make critical decisions about treatment practices and to improve health care delivery.

As currently written, the privacy rules will prevent state hospital associations from collecting or sharing: geographic information (such as a patient’s zip code, city or county); dates of admission, treatment and release; or certain age data (such as month of birth). This type of data was used in a recent project of OHA, Montgomery County hospitals and the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association to identify that improvement was needed in heart attack cases. In just two years, the project helped decrease the number of people dying from heart attacks in Montgomery County by 16 percent. This type of project will not be possible after April 2003, the compliance date for the HIPAA privacy rules.

In addition to OHA, the American Hospital Association (AHA) and other state hospital associations will continue working with HHS to allow the collection and sharing of critical data. OHA has also asked Rep. David Hobson (R-Springfield), a recognized congressional leader on HIPAA, for help in convincing HHS to clarify the privacy rules. OHA’s letter to Thompson is available at www.ohanet.org/government/fedcorrespondence/021502_HIPAA.pdf. More information on HIPAA and other letters to Thompson are available on AHA’s Web site at www.aha.org/hipaa/hipaa_home.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.

Ohio to build network of bioterrorism labs with Canton, other health
Canton Repository
Teusday, February 19, 2002
COLUMBUS — To avoid the backlogs created by last fall’s anthrax scares and hoaxes, the Ohio Department of Health plans to create a statewide laboratory network with private and public labs.

Clinic tries to cut stroke drug risks
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Teusday, February 19, 2002
Eleven of 70 patients who had been given the promising stroke drug TPA at 29 Greater Cleveland hospitals suffered brain hemorrhages as a result. Six died.

Public, doctors concerned over possible closing of birth center
Lima News
Teusday, February 19, 2002
KENTON - The thought that Hardin Memorial Hospital might close its obstetrics unit has given birth to an outcry from concerned doctors and citizens.

Wednesday, February 20, 2002
TUPCF Looking for a Few Good Teens
The Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation (TUPCF) is creating a new youth-focused campaign to reduce tobacco use among teens throughout the state. As part of the campaign, TUPCF is asking community leaders in Ohio to help identify a diverse group of 50 teens for potential participation in its Teen Advisory Panel. Members of the panel will assist with all aspects of the campaign including: approving advertising, serving as peer leaders, writing copy for the Web site, and serving as media spokespersons. Applications must be received by March 8, and teens selected for the panel will be notified March 15.

Hospitals that know of interested teens should encourage them to contact Megan Pohorylo at The Nixon Group, 202-408-4755 or pohorylo@nixongroup.com, for more information or to obtain an application form. Application materials are also available on OHA’s Web site at www.ohanet.org/application.pdf. (Lynne Ayres, lynnea@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Flu scarce, but winter 'bugs' thrive
Cincinnati Enquirer
Wednesday, February 20, 2002
While actual influenza cases remain low this season, a soup of other winter illnesses has made plenty of Tristate residents sick and kept area hospitals busy.

Area health officials report milder flu season -- so far
Akron Beacon Journal
Wednesday, February 20, 2002
Though influenza may be in ``full swing'' in Summit County right now, all signs are pointing toward another mild season like last year's.

Board members questioned about hospital cuts
Lima News
Wednesday, February 20, 2002
KENTON - Hardin County residents questioned Hardin Memorial Hospital board members Tuesday about possible plans to close the obstetrics department.

Thursday, February 21, 2002
ODH Proposes Pediatric Trauma Center Designation Rules
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has proposed new rules that would establish the process by which level II pediatric trauma centers are designated. The rules, which OHA supports, are a result of House Bill 138, legislation passed in 2000 calling for a statewide trauma system and registry.

A public hearing on the pediatric trauma center designation rules is scheduled for March 4 at 10 a.m. at ODH. The rules are available online at www.odh.state.oh.us/Rules/Pending/Chap85/Pr85_lst.htm.

Also moving forward are rules on pre-hospital triage protocols. They were recently filed with the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) and will be reviewed by JCARR in March. While these rules were approved unanimously by the State Trauma Committee and the State EMS Board, both with a cross-section of hospital representation, concerns remain around a potential for over-triage of patients. (Bridget Gargan bridgetg@ohanet.org)

What Do Kidneys, Nutrition and Social Work Have in Common?
All share next month as a time for national recognition and awareness. March is the month to learn about kidney disease, improve your nutrition and recognize the importance of social workers.

March has been flagged as National Social Work Month by the National Association of Social Workers. In March, NASW celebrates the contributions and commitment of our nation’s social workers. Go to www.socialworkers.org for more details.

The National Kidney Foundation has designated March as National Kidney Month and urges Americans to learn bout kidney health. Every year more than 50,000 Americans die from causes related to kidney disease. Learn more at www.kidney.org.

The American Dietetic Association sponsors Nutrition Month during March to promote the importance of nutrition as a key component of health. Find out more at www.eatright.org.

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Emergency room jammed
Cambridge and Sunday Jeffersonian
Thursday, February 21, 2002
Officials at Southeastern Med employed a “diversion policy” in their emergency room facilities for approximately two hours Tuesday after an increase in admissions resulted in a potential lack of beds.

Aultman unveils new ER for children
Canton Repository
Thursday, February 21, 2002
CANTON - Teddy bears with oxygen masks and bandaged arms wait on beds that look like fire engines or school buses. The fuzzy creatures appear to beckon a healthy child to play.

Ohio not tracking birth defects
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Thursday, February 21, 2002
Ohio's failure to build a birth defects registry remains a key stumbling block in researching and preventing the leading cause of infant mortality.

Friday, February 22, 2002
Initiative Helps Hospitals, Physicians Improve Care
A project aimed at improving health care outcomes is doing just that. More heart attack patients are surviving in the Dayton area as a result of a project designed to identify how doctors and hospitals can make the care they provide even better. From 1998 to 2000, mortality rates for heart attack patients in Montgomery County declined 16 percent. The improved results are a direct effect of the collection and analysis of data on treatments and their results. The project uses hard data to show where new treatments and processes can be put to use and helps physicians and hospitals assimilate proven new treatment approaches much faster than might otherwise occur. For more, see the February issue of OHA HealthBeat at www.ohanet.org/healthbeat/healthbeat0202.htm.

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

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

Hospital still plans on moving
Cincinnati Enquirer
Friday, February 22, 2002
Warren County's Turtlecreek Township may not get an interchange, but it still will have a hospital, Middletown Regional Hospital officials pledged Thursday after their hopes for a new Interstate 75 interchange were dashed.

Doctor offers self as role model
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Friday, February 22, 2002
John George III didn't know any doctors growing up in Detroit. But he had known since age 5 that he wanted to be one. And he had lots of time to think about it.