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Monday, April 22, 2002
Hospitals Battle Pollution
To celebrate Earth Day today, Ohio hospitals are continuing to look for ways to reduce waste, recycle hazardous materials and eliminate other environmental risk factors every day to keep the planet safe and clean for this and future generations. A news release touting the hard work of Ohio hospitals in this endeavor was sent to Ohio media last week. The release is available online at www.ohanet.org/media/news_release/earth_041902.htm.

OHA is also soliciting nominations for hospital top administrators who have made noteworthy contributions in supporting his or her hospital's effort to prevent pollution. The John Chapman award for excellence in environmental leadership will be presented by OHA's Environmental Leadership Council at a recognition dinner during the OHA annual meeting on June 3. The award is named after John Chapman, popularly known as "Johnny Appleseed," who planted tens of thousands of apple trees during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Nominations must be submitted by May 1. More information is available at www.ohanet.org/p2/.

More information about Ohio hospitals’ and OHA’s efforts to protect the environment is available in the Spring 2002 OHA EnviroNews, available at www.ohanet.org/p2/EnviroNews/EnviroNews_spr02.htm. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

Smaller hospitals closing maternity units
Canton Repository
Sunday, April 21, 2002
TOLEDO - Some small-town hospitals, faced with growing competition and rising costs, have replaced their maternity wards with more-profitable health care centers.

Doctor shortage hurting Bethesda
Cincinnati Post
Saturday, April 20, 2002
A shortage of neurosurgeons is likely to keep Bethesda North Hospital from becoming certified as a Level II trauma center before a state-imposed November deadline, Tri-Health President John Prout said Thursday.

Lakewood Hospital opens improved ER
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Saturday, April 20, 2002
When Lakewood Hospital last expanded its emergency room in the mid-1980s, planners thought the 16-bed unit would serve long into the future.

Tuesday, April 23, 2002
Comments on HIPAA Changes Due Friday!
Hospitals are urged to comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on proposed changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy rules. It is critical that HHS hear hospitals’ comments supporting the proposed changes, and not just the comments of those in opposition of the changes. Comments are due to HHS Friday, April 26.

Comments can be submitted on the HHS Web site at hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa. However, the American Hospital Association (AHA) has received reports that individuals who have attempted to comment are encountering technical difficulty with HHS’ Web site. AHA is accepting comments on its Web site at www.aha.org under the "HIPAA" section and they will be forwarded to HHS.

OHA member hospitals may also send comments to OHA and the association will submit them this week. A template letter is available at www.ohanet.org/government/federal_correspondence.asp. Comments should be sent to Val Adams at vala@ohanet.org. (Jonathan Archey, jonathana@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

For your daily health care news digest, go to the Hannah News Service's StateHealthClips.com at www.statehealthclips.com/2002/OHA/20020416_OHA.htm.

(Editor’s note: StateHealthClips.com has gone to a subscription service. Please note that the link to access clips will change daily. If you visit www.statehealthclips.com, you will be required to enter a subscriber password. No password is required for the link published in HEALTH e-NEWS Plus.)

Summa hospitals drop Cigna
Akron Beacon Journal
Tuesday, April 23, 2002
Citing unhealthy payment rates, two of Summa Health System's hospitals are dumping their contract with Cigna Health Plan of Ohio at the end of the month.

New Doctors chief aims to balance quality, efficiency
Massillon Independent
Tuesday, April 23, 2002
It not only creates a more comfortable working atmosphere but it also improves productivity, he said.

Good News: Hospital to receive funds
Cincinnati Enquirer
Tuesday, April 23, 2002
Children's Hospital Medical Center's largest auxiliary, Kindervelt , will present its annual check to the hospital at its meeting at 6 p.m. May 9 at the Cincinnati Club, 30 Garfield Place, downtown.

Wednesday, April 24, 2002
Groups Collaborate on Prescription Brown Bag Checkup
Using materials distributed by the Ohio Patient Safety Institute (OPSI), Ohio Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Ohio Pharmacists Association, five Akron-area health organizations collaborated on the first scheduled brown bag prescription drug checkup for consumers yesterday at the Summit Mall. Sponsored by OPSI, Akron Regional Hospital Association, Area Agency on Aging, Akron Area Society of Health-System Pharmacists and Akron Beacon Journal, the brown bag checkup encouraged consumers to bring in their medications to be checked by a pharmacist for dangerous drug interactions. Participants also received informational materials and a medical information card to list their medications and other important health information to be located in a secure place and used in case of an emergency. Several additional regional brown bag checkups are planned around the state, and hospitals are encouraged to work with local pharmacists associations to offer a brown bag event. More information about patient safety initiatives is available at www.ohiopatientsafety.org. (Rosalie Weakland, rosaliew@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

For your daily health care news digest, go to the Hannah News Service's StateHealthClips.com at www.statehealthclips.com/2002/OHA/20020417_blizzard55.htm

Nurses have area expert on their side
Akron Beacon Journal
Wednesday, April 24, 2002
A researcher at the University of Akron is seeking federal funding for a pilot program that would look at burnout and other stress-related problems that drive new and experienced nurses alike out of hospitals.

The obesity deduction
Toledo Blade
Wednesday, April 24, 2002
Behold, in the eyes of the mighty Internal Revenue Service, obesity is a disease and efforts to lose excess weight can be written off as a tax deduction. That’s a nice surprise.

Thursday, April 25, 2002
Budget Fix in Works; Medicaid OK
Ohio Senate Republicans are working this week on a state budget bill that is expected to address a deficit without cutting Ohio’s Medicaid program. As anticipated, legislators are looking to a proposal to raise Ohio's cigarette tax by 50 cents a pack, from 24 to 74 cents. The increase could yield about $400 million over this and next fiscal year to address the state budget deficit. Increasing the tax would generate $26 million by July 1, the end of this fiscal year, and $375 million next year. Additional budget fixes are likely to be included in the bill. OHA will keep a close eye on the legislation, which is expected to pass before the legislature adjourns for summer recess. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org; John Callender, johnc@ohanet.org)

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

For your daily health care news digest, go to the Hannah News Service's StateHealthClips.com at www.statehealthclips.com/2002/OHA/20020418_scanner45.htm.

(Editor's note: StateHealthClips.com has gone to a subscription service. Please note that the link to access clips will change daily. If you go to www.statehealthclips.com, you will be required to enter a subscriber password to view the "Ohio Edition.” No password will be required for the link published in HEALTH e-NEWS Plus.)

Seminar addresses nursing shortage
Sandusky Register
Thursday, April 25, 2002
There is a national shortage of nurses today, and the effects are being felt locally.

Review of trauma centers will be used to aid in staffing hospitals
Toledo Blade
Thursday, April 25, 2002
Most seriously injured patients in northwest Ohio emergency rooms are there because they've either fallen down or been in a motor vehicle accident.

Huron Hospital is happy to have its own baby boom
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Thursday, April 25, 2002
Open just a year, Huron Hospital's maternity center is so busy that officials already are planning an expansion.

Friday, April 26, 2002
Pressure Mounts on Hospitals to Care for Uninsured
There are an estimated 43 million uninsured Americans today. As the number of uninsured Americans and Ohioans continues climbing to dangerous new heights, hospitals are under increasingly more pressure to provide health care services to uninsured individuals and families.

In Ohio in 2000, 10.8 percent of health care consumers had no insurance, compared to the 14 percent of Americans not covered under any private or public insurance. As more people lose health insurance, hospitals may be forced to foot the bill for uncompensated care more so than they already do. In Ohio, hospitals provided about $750 million in uncompensated care in 2001, and were reimbursed for less than half of that, or $320 million, from the Hospital Care Assurance Program (HCAP). For more, see the April issue of OHA HealthBeat at www.ohanet.org/healthbeat/healthbeat0402.htm.

DAILY NEWS CLIPS

For your daily health care news digest, go to the Hannah News Service's StateHealthClips.com at www.statehealthclips.com/2002/oha/20020426_case29.htm.

HHS chief wants to double physicians who volunteer
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Friday, April 26, 2002
Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson wants to double the number of physicians who volunteer in their community by the year 2004 and said the Bush Administration remains committed to a medical service corps that sends new doctors into underserved rural and urban areas.

Hardin Memorial Hospital gets nursing waiver
Lima News
Friday, April 26, 2002
KENTON - Hardin Memorial Hospital no longer has to have a nurse on duty in the maternity ward when there are no patients there, a decision that factors into whether the hospital can keep that ward open.

Ground broken for new hospital
Alliance Review
Friday, April 26, 2002
“Let’s move dirt. Let the building begin!” With those words, Alliance Community Hospital CEO Stan Jonas ushered in the first phase of the hospital’s ambitious construction plan that will culminate in an entirely new facility on the current campus.