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Monday, July 8, 2002
Ohio Among States to Fine Insurer Golden Rule
Ohio will receive $150,000 as the result of a multi-state action against Golden Rule Insurance Company of Lawrenceville, Ill. Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) Director Lee Covington signed the order last week to fine the company for violations of state insurance laws and for attempts to impede the investigation of its practices. Ohio’s share of the company’s $660,000 fine is the largest market conduct fine ever levied by Covington.

Ohio joined with insurance regulators from Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin in taking action against Golden Rule after a market conduct exam revealed company practices that denied access to coverage to small employers, the elderly and other vulnerable customers protected by state and federal insurance laws. Golden Rule reached a negotiated settlement with the states, agreeing to make substantive changes in its policies and procedures. An ODI news release on the action is available at http://www.ohioinsurance.gov/Newsroom/NewsIndex.htm. (Mary Gallagher, maryg@ohanet.org)

Deadline Extended on Salary Surveys
The 2002 OHA Salary Survey was due July 3 to Management Science Associates, Inc. (MSA), the firm coordinating the survey process, but the deadline has been extended and it’s not too late to take part. 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: 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, July 9, 2002
Foundation Seeking Additional Board Members
OHA’s Foundation for Healthy Communities is seeking up to six new board members for terms beginning next year. Candidates should be interested in collaborative approaches toward improving community health status and reading grant proposals. Eligible candidates include executive or operating officers from member institutions, especially teaching, research and specialty hospitals. Representatives of the community or non-profit agencies will also be considered. Board members serve three-year terms and are eligible for two additional terms.

Responsibilities include attending at least two meetings a year in Columbus in addition to reviewing the agenda and supporting materials, and reading and evaluating grant proposals in advance of meetings. Travel expenses are reimbursed by OHA.

If you are interested in serving on the Foundation’s board or have a candidate to recommend, please contact Foundation Director Lynne Ayres at 614.221.7614 or by e-mail lynnea@ohanet.org. For additional information about the Foundation, visit www.ohanet.org/HealthyCommunities/.

JCAHO Assessing Lab Staff Effectiveness
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) is developing a new approach to assessing staff effectiveness in its hospital program and other accredited programs. The approach utilizes human resource and clinical/service screening indicators and JCAHO is currently accepting input from pathology and clinical laboratory services on appropriate screening indicators and the level of their sensitivity to staff effectiveness.

To participate in the indicator development project, access the JCAHO Web site at www.jcaho.org before Aug. 9 and click on “Laboratory Survey” under the column “Latest from JCAHO.” For additional information, contact Wilma Delaney at 630.792.5837 or by e-mail at wdelaney@jcaho.org. (Rosalie Weakland, rosaliew@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, July 10, 2002
Needlestick Safety Increasingly Important
Hospitals may have one more impetus to keep their employees safe from needlestick injuries. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) last month clarified its position on the removal of contaminated needles and is expected to start inspecting hospitals in several states for compliance with the Needlestick Safety Act. In a letter of interpretation, OSHA clarified the blood-borne pathogen standard that requires blood tube holders with needles attached to be immediately discarded into a sharps container after the safety feature is activated. Bending, recapping or removing contaminated needles is prohibited unless no other alternative is feasible. An OSHA press release and the letter are available at www.osha.gov/media/oshnews/june02/trade-20020612A.html.

Also working on the issue is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is soliciting comments from interested parties to determine what actions, if any, should be taken to protect health care workers from needlesticks. The FDA, which regulates medical devices, is also looking for comments on requests from the Public Citizens’ Health Research Group and the Service Employees International Union. The two groups submitted a joint petition calling on the FDA to ban IV catheters that do not meet the criteria identified in the FDA’s April 16, 1992 safety alert, glass capillary tubes, and IV infusion equipment that does not use needless technology or recessed needles. Comments are due by Sept. 18 and can be submitted online at www.fda.gov/dockets/ecomments. The FDA’s request for comments was published in the June 20 Federal Register. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

Senate Committee Considers Medical Liability Reform
Medical liability reform legislation, Senate Bill 281, introduced by Sen. David Goodman (R-Columbus) and supported by OHA, is currently in the Senate’s Insurance, Commerce/Labor committee. Also backed by the Ohio State Medical Association, this bill would establish a $300,000 cap on non-economic damages. The legislation is based on California’s Medical Injury Compensation Act, which successfully stabilized the state’s liability insurance market, increased patient access to care and reduced the time needed to settle a claim by 33 percent

In addition, the OHA-supported SB 120, joint and several liability reform, and SB 179, modernized peer review protections, are being considered in the House Civil and Commercial Law Committee. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org)

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Thursday, July 11, 2002
Ohio Department of Health Announces Budget Cuts
As part of a 15-percent state budget cut announced last week, the Ohio Department of Health will eliminate hemophilia case management along with the arthritis subsidy and the fish advisory program. It will also make minor reductions to the majority of public health programs. The elimination of the hemophilia case management program translates to a loss of state grant funding for the nine hospital-based hemophilia treatment centers, which represents 65 percent of their revenue on average. OHA will continue to monitor the effects of the budget reductions and the impact they might have on Ohio’s hospitals. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

OONE Offers Nurses CE Credits
The Ohio Organization of Nurse Executives (OONE) is currently offering “The Ohio Nurse Practice Act,” an independent study that satisfies a continuing education (CE) requirement for nurses seeking license renewal. The study is approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing for 1.2 contact hours, meeting standards set by an amendment to the Ohio Nurse Practice Act of 2001. The amendment requires all nurses pursuing license renewal to complete one contact hour of approved CE dedicated to the law and rules directly relating to nursing practice in Ohio. It applies to registered nurses beginning in 2003 and licensed practical nurses in 2004.

The cost is $20 for individual purchase, and $100 plus $2 per certificate per nurse for organizational purchase. For additional information, contact Elaine Lakin at 614.777.0813 or by e-mail at eglakin@columbus.rr.com.

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Friday, July 12, 2002
Fuel Cells Present New Energy Option to Hospitals
OHA and the Biomedical Research and Technology Transfer Commission co-hosted a meeting this week on the potential use of fuel cells in Ohio hospitals. Fuel cells are a possible alternative to hospital emergency generators and are currently used in more than 15 U.S. hospitals, though none in Ohio. They are smaller and more reliable, produce very little pollution or noise and require less maintenance. Falling prices and possible subsidies from both public and private entities would also make the fuel cells more attractive to Ohio hospitals.

Representatives at the meeting hope to see fuel cell demonstration projects hosted by Ohio hospitals within the next two years. A work group will propose such a project by the end of this year.

NASA, electric utility companies and other organizations are also researching fuel cells. Ohio Gov. Taft supports the Ohio Fuel Cell Technology Coalition and has proposed legislation to increase the development of this technology. For additional information on fuel cells visit www.utcfuelcells.com/fuelcell/benefits_fl.shtml. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

JCAHO Adds Two Accreditation Participation Requirements (APRs)
The Accreditation Committee of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) recently approved two new APRs for all accreditation programs. The first new APR, effective in September, requires organizations to allow JCAHO staff and Board of Commissioners to observe surveys. The purpose of the observations is to assess surveyors’ knowledge of standards and the survey process as well as consistency among surveyors, not the health care organizations. The second new APR, effective Jan. 1, 2003, mandates that health care organizations comply with all six National Patient Safety Goals and all 11 recommendations associated with these goals. If an organization does not meet all of the goals and recommendations, it can receive a special Type I recommendation.

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(Editor’s note: StateHealthClips.com is not available today. Please use the direct links below. StateHealthClips.com will resume publication Monday, July 8.)