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Monday, September 9, 2002
Influx of Patients Possible Sept. 24
Providers should be prepared for a possibly higher than average appointment volume Sept. 24, deemed Take a Loved One to The Doctor Day by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and ABC Radio Networks. The groups are launching the special day as part of a national campaign that aims to close the gap between the health of communities of color and the general population by encouraging African Americans to change their health behaviors. Take a Loved One to The Doctor Day is intended to convey the importance of regular health screenings and encourages individuals to see a health care professional on Sept. 24 or, at least, make an appointment that day or week to see a health care professional in the future. Visit www.healthgap.omhrc.gov/dr2.htm for more information.

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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, September 10, 2002
U.S. Senate Bill Reduces Mercury Use
With National Pollution Prevention Week’s Sept. 16 kick-off rapidly approaching, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Mercury Reduction Act of 2002 to limit the sale of mercury thermometers and improve management of surplus mercury. S. 351, sponsored by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), allocates $20 million in grants for the collection and exchange of mercury thermometers. It also creates a federal task force and authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency to spend $1 million per year for the proper management of surplus mercury.

More than 20 Ohio health care organizations have already pledged to eliminate mercury, which is toxic and can cause negative effects, in their facilities. For more information on establishing a resolution to eliminate mercury or creating other pollution prevention programs in your facility, visit www.ohanet.org/p2/. (Susan Zabo, susanz@ohanet.org; Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

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Wednesday, September 11, 2002
Hospitals Improving Disaster Preparedness
Since last Sept. 11, many Ohio hospitals have updated their emergency/disaster plans or implemented new programs. At a homeland security forum held this week by the governor’s office, OHA Director of Emergency Management Carol Jacobson reported on the efforts of Ohio hospitals to improve their ability to meet the new threats of terrorism. She also highlighted areas that still require attention.

All Ohio hospitals now have emergency/disaster plans in place and many have trained personnel to better recognize and report symptoms of nuclear, biological or chemical agents. Hospitals have increased communication and coordination with community partners such as police, fire, emergency medical services and public health officials. They are also working to implement the Hospital Emergency Incident Command System to establish standardized communication between facilities and the communities’ “first responders.” Federal money has been allocated to the placement of regional coordinators in each of Ohio’s seven regions to help coordinate the response plans of individual hospitals into regional plans.

Hospitals should continue to seek collaboration with other facilities and community partners to develop regional terrorism response plans. Regional exercises and drills, as well as close monitoring of diversion status and surge capacity, are also recommended.

For more information and resources on disaster and bioterrorism preparedness, visit www.ohanet.org/terrorism_preparedness/. (Carol Jacobson, carolj@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.)

Thursday, September 12, 2002
Clock Ticking on HIPAA Extension Deadline
With only a month until the Oct. 15 deadline, hospitals and other health care providers are encouraged to apply for an extension on compliance to a provision of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Without this one-year extension, providers will be required to adopt the new standard transaction code sets next month and comply with all HIPAA regulations by April 14, 2003.

Of Ohio’s hospitals, about 150 have submitted applications for an extension but nearly 25 have not yet applied. Other providers, including dentists, home health agencies, hospice services, nursing homes, pharmacies and physician group practices, will also be bound by the new HIPAA requirements and should consider applying for an extension.

Extension applications are accepted both in print and electronically at www.cms.hhs.gov/hipaa/hipaa2/ascaform.asp. For more information, call the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Regional Office HIPAA Hotline at 312.353.1400 or e-mail questions to askhipaa@cmsa.hhs.gov. The American Hospital Association also offers resources to aid hospitals in applying for the extension at www.aha.org. (Charles Cataline, charlesc@ohanet.org)

Tobacco Foundation Zeroing In On Grant Selection
The Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation (TUPCF) is meeting over the next several weeks to determine the recipients of $7 million in tobacco grants from the pool of more than 100 applicants requesting nearly $35 million in grants. Several OHA members applied for or were partners in coalitions that applied for TUPCF grant dollars for prevention and cessation programs.

Hospital representatives may attend TUPCF’s upcoming meetings. The grant review process will be outlined at the Sept. 20 meeting at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Dublin. Final grant determinations will be made at the TUPCF board retreat Oct. 3 and 4 at Deer Creek Resort and Conference Center in Mt. Sterling. Meeting times are not yet determined. Contact Lynne Ayres at lynnea@ohanet.org for details on either meeting.

Also, The TUPCF board will soon gain four delegates from the Ohio legislature. Sens. Eric “Larry” Fingerhut (D-Cleveland) and Randy Gardner (R-Bowling Green) are recommended for appointment. Representatives from the House have not yet been selected. (Lynne Ayres, lynnea@ohanet.org)

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Friday, September 13, 2002
Tort Reform Bills Pending
As doctors and hospitals grapple with rising medical malpractice insurance premiums, state and federal tort reform legislation that would address the problem is under consideration in the legislature.

Enactment of three pending tort reform bills would provide much-needed stability and predictability in Ohio’s medical malpractice insurance market.

Senate Bill 120, sponsored by Sen. Jay Hottinger (R-Newark), would make liability proportional to a defendant’s degree of fault or responsibility. The bill has passed the Senate and is in the House Civil and Commercial Law committee.
Senate Bill 179, sponsored by Sen. Lynn Wachtmann (R-Napoleon), would modernize peer review law. The legislation has passed the Senate and is now in the House Civil and Commercial Law committee.
Senate Bill 281, sponsored by Sen. David Goodman (R-Columbus), would, among other things, cap non-economic damages for pain and suffering in malpractice lawsuits at $300,000. The bill is currently in the Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor committee.

The federal Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Health Care Act of 2002 would limit the costs incurred by doctors and improve access to affordable health insurance. H.R. 4600, sponsored by Rep. James Greenwood (R-PA), would also impose reasonable time limits for filing a medical malpractice lawsuit and reform joint and several liability. The bill has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Health.

Though important, passage of tort reform legislation isn’t enough. Ohioans need to elect Ohio Supreme Court justices who will return much-needed balance to the court since it has knocked down tort reform legislation enacted as recently as 1996 in Ohio. OHA’s political action committee, Friends of Ohio Hospitals, has endorsed Justice Evelyn Stratton and Lt. Gov. Maureen O’Connor in Ohio’s Supreme Court races. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

OHA Center for Education
Don’t miss out on the following educational seminars, offered by the OHA Center for Education. Visit http://www.ohanet.org/education/education_programs.asp or call 614.221.7614 for more information.

How to Recruit the Doctor You Want: A Method, Sept. 27, The Jessing Center, Columbus.
Hip to HIPAA: Countdown to Compliance (Protecting Patient Privacy Without Alienating the News Media), Oct. 1, Villa Milano, Columbus.
Managing Falls in the Geriatric Population: An Integrated Approach AND Effective Risk Management for the Hospital Based Skilled Nursing Unit, Oct. 7, OHA Offices, Columbus, 5.0 BENHA credits.
Society of Ohio Healthcare Attorneys Fall Conference, Oct. 3-4, Cherry Valley Lodge, Newark.
Ohio Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy Annual Fall Conference, Oct. 10-11, Cherry Valley Lodge, Newark.
Ohio Society of Healthcare Executive Assistants Fall Workshop, Oct. 11, Quest Business Center, Columbus.

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