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Monday, June 24, 2002
Medicaid Payments Held Back
For the second time in a month, Medicaid payments to hospitals are being delayed. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) last week announced it would be forced to hold payments to hospitals, physicians and pharmacies the last week of June. Department sources report the state is experiencing an end-of-the-year budget emergency, and ODJFS was told to hold payments to these three provider groups until after the July 1 start of the new state fiscal year. OHA was told to expect all backlogged Medicaid payments to be released July 3.

The first payment delay in late May was attributed to a mix-up in the processing of computer tapes. Hospitals were expected to receive those back payments the week of June 1 through larger than normal remittance checks. Hospitals are advised to check their anticipated remittance with ODJFS and advise OHA if their payments continue to fall below expectations. (Charles Cataline, charlesc@ohanet.org)

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(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.)

Tuesday, June 25, 2002
Hospital Receives Critical Access Designation
Another Ohio hospital has been designated as a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) through the federal program that entitles select small, rural hospitals to Medicare cost-based reimbursement. The designation of Harrison Community Hospital in Cadiz as a CAH brings the total in Ohio to 12. Additional CAHs include Community Memorial Hospital in Hicksville, Doctors Hospital of Nelsonville, Greenfield Area Medical Center, Henry County Hospital in Napoleon, Lodi Community Hospital, Mercy Hospital Willard, Oberlin Medical Center, Paulding County Hospital, Twin City Hospital of Dennison, UHHS Brown Memorial Hospital in Conneaut, and UHHS Hospital of Geneva. (David Hendershot, davidh@ohanet.org)

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(Editor’s note: The news clips are being password-protected on the OHA Web site. OHA members will be notified separately of the password. HEALTH e-NEWS Plus subscribers can still access news clips through the daily e-mail without a password.)

Wednesday, June 26, 2002
JCARR Passes HCAP Rule; Web Site Launch Soon
A rule to set the distribution formula under the 2002 Hospital Care Assurance Program (HCAP) this week passed the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review without objections. The rule will go into effect July 1 and the program will move forward with a new timeline for assessments and payments. The timeline will be revised and posted to the new HCAP section of the OHA Web site, available July 1 at www.ohanet.org/hcap/. The HCAP section will include a summary and overview of the program, past and current models, OHA advocacy efforts and HCAP-related links. (Ryan Biles, ryanb@ohanet.org)

The Results Are In!
This year’s OHA Annual Meeting had 1,196 registered participants - over 400 more than in 2001. Among them were 270 senior health system and hospital executive staff members, 62 of whom were CEO's. The discipline most represented was nursing, with 101 nurse managers and nurse executives. Those in attendance were challenged by two visionary and insightful keynote speeches. Joe Flower, Monday's keynoter, rolled out OHA's Strategic Direction initiative.

More than 300 representatives honored exceptional health care workers and leaders at an OHA recognition dinner June 3. More than 50 hospitals nominated a single health care worker for this distinction. During the event, Lt. Gov. Maureen O’Connor presented OHA President and CEO Jim Castle with a resolution from Gov. Bob Taft designating June 3 as Ohio Hospital Employee Appreciation Day.

Those in attendance also participated in 83 educational activities focused on key strategic and operation critical issues. In addition, OHA's 22 Corporate Partners highlighted a gathering of 88 exhibits and displays. (Joe Ruggles, joer@ohanet.org)

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Thursday, June 27, 2002
Optional Tests Added to Newborn Screenings
Beginning June 30, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is kicking off a pilot program to screen newborns for 16 additional disorders. The additional tests for fatty-acid oxidation disorders and amino-acid and organic-acid disorders are optional for parents. The state already requires hospitals to draw blood for 12 metabolic, endocrine and genetic disorder screenings. Hospitals will not be required to draw additional blood for the new tests or change the way they now submit blood samples to ODH. The department plans to use the pilot program to help determine what tests should be added to the required panel of tests.

ODH will be distributing information to hospitals, physicians and newborn screening coordinators about the pilot program. Hospitals are asked to ensure mothers-to-be receive information about the optional screening, which can be done during pre-natal visits or at the time of labor. OHA supports the optional testing, which was developed by the ODH Newborn Genetic Screening Workgroup, largely comprised of hospital representatives. An ODH news release on the pilot program is available at www.odhpressroom.org. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

Salary Surveys Due Soon
Hospitals participating in the 2002 OHA Salary Survey have until Wednesday, July 3 to return the questionnaires to Management Science Associates, Inc. (MSA), the firm coordinating the survey process. Participating organizations will receive confidential survey reports in late August analyzing the salary information - pay rates and practices for chief executive officers and over 100 executive and other hospital and health system positions. Questions can be directed to MSA at 816.795.1947. (Brenda Slagle, brendas@ohanet.org)

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(Editor’s note: The news clips are now password-protected on the OHA Web site. OHA members have been notified separately of the password and can access today’s and archived news clips at www.ohanet.org/healthenews/. HEALTH e-NEWS Plus subscribers can still access news clips through the daily e-mail without a password.)

Friday, June 28, 2002
A Rise in Admissions Presents Challenges For Hospitals
The number of patients being admitted to Ohio hospitals is rising after a more than decade-long decline. The data for 2000, the latest statistical information available, shows that 1.4 million patients were admitted to Ohio hospitals. This represents a three percent increase from 1999 and the highest total number of admissions since 1993. Outpatient visits also rose eight percent, from 24.9 million in 1999 to 26.9 million in 2000, and emergency departments nationally report that they are at or over capacity.

An unexpected change in the trend of decreasing admissions, the higher patient numbers may be attributed to such factors as the aging of baby boomers, the growing number of uninsured patients and the adoption of new services by many Ohio hospitals. For more, see the June issue of OHA HealthBeat at http://www.ohanet.org/healthbeat/2002/healthbeat0602.htm.

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