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Monday, December 9, 2002
Internet-Savvy Hospitals to be Recognized
Hospitals are encouraged to participate in the 2003 Most Wired Survey and Benchmark Study, created by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine in 1998 to measure the effectiveness of hospital information technology systems and name the 100 Most Wired hospitals and health systems in the United States. The survey will be available from Jan. 15 through the first of March at www.hhnmostwired.com.

This eight-page survey includes questions about how a hospital connects to patients, doctors and nurses, employees, suppliers and health plans through Internet technology. Results from the survey name the 100 Most Wired, the 10 Most Improved, the 10 Most Wireless and the 10 Most Wired - Small and Rural.

Last year 800 hospitals participated, 15 from Ohio. The Ohio winners were Aultman Hospital, Canton, and The Ohio State University Health System, Columbus. In 2003 winners will receive a discounted admission fee to the 2003 Health Forum Leadership Summit, recognition at the Leadership Summit, a plaque and other rewards.

To access the survey online, participating hospitals will need a user ID and a pass code, which will be mailed to all chief information officers on Jan. 10.

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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.)

Tuesday, December 10, 2002
Ohio, U.S. End-of-Life Care Lacking
A new national report card on end-of-life care suggests the United States needs to improve care for its seriously ill and dying patients. Though Ohio rated well in the number of physicians and nurses trained to treat such patients, it fell short along with numerous other states in the seven remaining areas measured by the study.

Grading all 50 states and the District of Columbia, “Means to a Better End: A Report on Dying in America Today” analyzed state policies, locations of death, rate of hospice use, state pain management policies, hospital end-of-life care services, care in intensive care units at the end of life, persistent pain among nursing home residents and the number of health care employees certified in end-of-life care for each state. Following the low-scoring trend of most states, Ohio received Ds in the first five areas, Cs for hospital pain management, intensive care unit care at the end of life and persistent pain among nursing home residents, and a B for the number of employees certified in palliative care.

Ohio is making efforts to improve palliative care with initiatives such as creating new positions devoted to end-of-life care. The report also recommended methods for improving the situation such as changes in federal and state policy, hospital initiatives to train employees in end-of-life care and programs to research this care and deliver it effectively. The report was funded by The Robert Woods Johnson Foundation and is available online at www.lastacts.org.

Cancer Symposium Planned for Spring
The Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System and American Cancer Society (ACS), Ohio Division, Inc. will be presenting the Ohio Cancer Symposium 2003: Data Into Action - The Ohio Cancer Plan. Attendees will learn about the availability of Ohio cancer incidence data, public health efforts and medical service planning in Ohio communities. The event is planned for the evening of May 2, 2003, and all day May 3 at the University Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in Columbus. Speakers include representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Cancer Institute and ACS. Registration is $35 in advance or $50 the day of the event. For more information, contact Lynn Ogden at logden@gw.odh.state.oh.us or 614.466.2306.

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Wednesday, December 11, 2002
Caps Bill In Final Stretch
Following much debate and media attention, legislation to establish caps on medical malpractice jury awards for non-economic damages is heading to Gov. Bob Taft, who is expected to sign the bill. The Senate yesterday concurred with changes made to Senate Bill 281 in a conference committee by a vote of 22-9. The House had already concurred with the conference report by a 61-34 vote last Friday.

The revised measure would cap non-economic damages at $350,000 for most claims and $500,000 for injuries causing permanent disability of damage. If multiple patients are involved in a claim, damages would be capped at $500,000 in most cases and $1 million for catastrophic cases. A provision to limit fees for personal injury lawyers was amended that if a fee exceeds the non-economic damages, the probate court must make the final decision. Also, language creating a risk pool that could have created a tax on providers was deleted from the bill in the conference committee. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@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.)

Thursday, December 12, 2002
Bush Expected to Order Smallpox Vaccinations
President George Bush is expected to roll out a plan tomorrow to first vaccinate the military and then select volunteer health care workers for smallpox as part of a long-term, national bioterrorism preparedness plan.

Military personnel will probably receive the vaccination yet this year. Select emergency health care workers, who will make up smallpox response teams that would care for initial smallpox patients in the event of an incident, will likely be immunized in early 2003, followed by a second wave of vaccinations for 7 to 10 million more first responders and finally the general public. Immunizations for health care workers and the public are voluntary given the many side effects of smallpox vaccination.

In conjunction with Bush’s planned announcement tomorrow, OHA will send to all member hospitals guidelines to help determine which health care workers should participate in the first round of voluntary vaccinations. Follow-up communication with more detailed information and talking points will be sent next week. OHA also plans to provide hospital public relations representatives information about educating the general public on the vaccination and its risks, and helping health care workers to educate the public as well. More information on smallpox is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/index.asp. (Carol Jacobson, carolj@ohanet.org)

Stand Campaign Seeks Partners for Youth Events
The Ohio Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation's (TUPCF) stand campaign will host five regional standfests in February 2003 at venues in Cleveland, Feb. 1; Columbus, Feb. 8; Toledo, Feb. 9; Cincinnati, Feb. 15; and Athens, Feb.22. The standfests, created for youths 11 to 17 years old, will be a fun, engaging way to educate kids about tobacco issues, get them directly involved in the campaign and allow them to take a stand against tobacco use.

Stand is looking for community partners to organize groups of youth to attend the event, distribute promotional information and/or publicize the standfests. Community partners will be recognized in standfest media materials, on the stand Web site and in standfest briefings to community leaders and elected officials. Hospitals that would like to team up with the effort should e-mail northlich@standohio.org or call Anne Sesler at 513-762-1702. More information about the campaign is online at www.standohio.org. (Lynne Ayres, lynnea@ohanet.org)

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Friday, December 13, 2002
JCAHO Seeks Input on Standards
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) is conducting a comprehensive review of the standards in its accreditation manuals and encourages hospitals to participate in an online evaluation of the proposed changes. Revisions to the Medical Staff Chapter and the standards dealing with clinical practice guidelines and telemedicine services are available for review and comment on JCAHO’s Web site at www.jcaho.org.

The main objectives of the review are to simplify and clarify the presentation of the standards in the manuals, guarantee that the standards reflect current health care practices and reduce the standards’ compliance burdens for accredited organizations. JCAHO requests all completed evaluations be submitted by Jan. 17, 2003. Please forward any major concerns or comments with the proposed standards to Rosalie Weakland at rosaliew@ohanet.org.

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