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Monday, June 30, 2003
Bill Eliminates Credit Line for Joint Township Hospitals
Legislation has passed the Ohio House of Representatives removing a state requirement that secure lines of credit used by joint township hospitals be limited to $500,000. Current state law allows two or more contiguous townships to form a joint township district hospital, and specifies various conditions that must be met in order to operate such a facility.

James Isaac, CEO of Mercer County Joint Township Community Hospital, testified this month in support of House Bill 67, sponsored by Rep. Keith Faber (R-Celina). “The legislation is necessary because the $500,000 letter of credit limitation can force a joint township district hospital into very complicated and costly legal and financial arrangements,” he said. OHA supports the bill, advocating that joint township hospitals should be treated like other hospitals, with the ability to obtain credit based on the financial stability of the facility as determined by the lending institution. (Jeff Klingler, jeffk@ohanet.org)

Tuesday, July 1, 2003
JCAHO Issues Surgical Fire Alert
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) issued an alert to hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers last week about the risk of serious and deadly fires in operating rooms.

Surgical fires are preventable, yet they occur an estimated 100 times a year, resulting in up to 20 serious injuries and one or two patient deaths nationally, according to the Food and Drug Administration and the independent health research agency, ECRI.

The “fire triangle,” consisting of heat, oxygen and fuel, is in abundance in operating rooms. Surgical lasers, electrosurgical equipment and high-intensity fiberoptic light sources can ignite flammable materials such as alcohol prepping agents, surgical gowns and masks.

JCAHO’s alert stresses the importance of educating staff members about controlling heat sources by following laser and electrosurgical unit safety practices. Allowing adequate time for patient prep and minimizing oxygen concentration can also prevent surgical fires. For more information visit www.jcaho.org/accredited+organizations/hospitals/sentinel+events/sentinel+event+alert/index.htm. (Rosalie Weakland, rosaliew@ohanet.org)

Casting Call for Nurses
To continue promoting health care in Ohio and deal with the impending nursing shortage, the Ohio Board of Nursing is organizing a statewide media campaign to raise awareness on the benefits and opportunities of a career in nursing. The campaign, Nursing - It’s About…You, is holding a casting call for male and female nurses with active lifestyles who live or work in Ohio.

The chosen “faces” of the campaign will appear in a variety of media including: television, radio, newspaper, theatre slides, posters and billboards. The casting call ends on July 18. For more information visit www.NursingRewards.org. (Jean Scholz, jeans@ohanet.org)

Wednesday, July 2, 2003
Hospital Licensure Under Debate
Rep. Michelle Schneider (R-Cincinnati) is asking state House members to co-sponsor legislation to license hospitals in Ohio. OHA advocates that the number of state, federal and independent agencies which oversee hospitals - along with the 15 state regulatory boards which oversee the practices of most hospital workers - ensures that Ohio’s patients are cared for in quality, safe environments by highly trained health care professionals.

OHA sent a letter to members of the House of Representatives asking them to consider the various agencies that already have regulatory authority over hospital operations, including the Ohio Department of Health, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. To view the letter online, visit www.ohanet.org/advocacy/state/issues/letters/licensure_062003.pdf. (Jeff Klingler, jeffk@ohanet.org)

ODH Requests Grant for Bioterrorism
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) submitted Ohio’s grant application for more than $52.5 million in federal funds to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) earlier this week to help local health departments, hospitals and the state prepare for bioterrorism, infectious disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies. ODH has allotted approximately $18 million for health care systems in Ohio.

The grant is a continuation of the $34.9 million bioterrorism grant received last year. ODH expects a reply from HHS about the grant in late August. (Carol Jacobson, carolj@ohanet.org)

Grants Distributed to Rural Hospitals
The Ohio Hospital Association’s Foundation for Healthy Communities, the Ohio Department of Health and the State Office of Rural Health partnered to distribute 37 grants to 26 Ohio hospitals in rural areas. The grants will help communities and hospitals improve access to quality of health care services and emergency medical services.

Twenty hospitals that take part in the Critical Access Hospitals Program, which qualifies hospitals for cost-based reimbursement for Medicare and Medicaid funds, will each receive a $25,591 grant for quality improvement, network development, and EMS. In addition, 17 hospitals will each receive a $9,945 grant through the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program, which provides rural hospitals funds for quality improvement, operations initiatives and assistance with compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. (Lynne Ayres, lynnea@ohanet.org)

Save the Date - Grants Workshop
OHA’s Foundation for Healthy Communities is holding a grants and development workshop Aug. 14. The program is geared to hospital foundation, development and community relations’ staffs, new and veteran grant writers and health care fundraisers.

Strategies shared at the workshop will include: the state of grant making and its impact on health care, foundation grants and other funding sources, roundtable with peers and advice from fundraising and grant writing experts.

The workshop will be held at the Dublin Wyndham Hotel in Columbus from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration information is being mailed this week to grant application recipients. For more information, contact OHA’s Center for Education at 614.221.7614. More information about the Foundation is available at www.ohanet.org/HealthyCommunities. (Lynne Ayres, lynnea@ohanet.org)

Thursday, July 3, 2003
EDITOR’S NOTE: Health e-news will not be published tomorrow, July 4, as OHA offices are closed for Independence Day.

Hospitals Lead the Way
Ohio’s hospitals continue to serve as leaders in their communities, providing superior work environments, innovative collaboration and a focus on the future of the state’s health care system.

The Cleveland Clinic was awarded Magnet Status for Nursing Excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, an arm of the American Nurses Association. Only 72 hospitals nationwide have achieved this designation, recognizing the hospitals’ excellence in nursing and making them employers of choice among nurses. The Clinic is also hosting a Medical Innovation Summit Oct. 7-9, bringing together medical technology experts to address changes underway in medical science.

Mercy Health Partners-Southwest Ohio offered financial support to 35 Cincinnati-area students starting their college careers through the Mercy Education Scholarship Program. Mercy Health Partners-Western Ohio is also supporting their community by teaming with a coalition of Champaign and Clark county organizations to provide free health screenings and social services for area migrant workers and their families this month. In addition, the organization was honored with two Aster Awards from Creative Images, Inc., this spring for excellence in health care marketing.

CMH Regional Health System, Wilmington, also received praise for superior marketing with a television commercial recognized by the Telly Awards. These awards showcase outstanding non-network and cable commercials and attract entries nationwide.

Michael D. Connelly, president and CEO of Catholic Healthcare Partners in Cincinnati, received the Sr. Mary Concilia Moran, RSM, Award for visionary leaders from the Catholic Health Association of the United States. The award recognizes exceptional leaders for their innovative ideas, unique projects or outstanding achievements in Catholic health care.

Akron General Health System, Summa Health System and Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Akron have collaborated on Healthcare in Progress, a program to expose minority children to careers in health care. Each hospital hosted 50 local eighth grade students one day a month for three months to teach them about health care occupations and the students also spent three days at local colleges learning about the academic requirements for these jobs. (Mary Yost, maryy@ohanet.org)

AHA Requests Nominations for Quest for Quality Prize
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is requesting nominations for the Quest for Quality Prize, which honors leadership and innovation in quality, safety and commitment in patient care by hospitals and multi-hospital health systems.

AHA will award the prize in July 2004 to honor organizations that have implemented and sustained a culture of safety and improved overall patient care through leadership, strategic planning, information and analysis, human resources, process management and patient and family involvement. The award winner will receive $75,000 and two finalists will receive $12,500 each.

The deadline for nominations is Oct. 18. To download the application visit www.aha.org/questforquality.

Friday, July 4, 2003
OHA offices are closed in celebration of Independence Day.