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Monday, July 14, 2003
Navigating the Accreditation Maze
On Aug. 21, the OHA Center for Education will sponsor a session on medical staff engagement in the standards of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) at the Wyndham Dublin Hotel in Columbus.

This one-day session will focus on the JCAHO standards for medical staff as revised as part of New Visions, Shared Pathways, the accreditation process for 2004. It will also address Ohio law as it affects hospital credentialing practices. Other discussion topics include: medical staff involvement in the accreditation process, changes in medical staff standards, differentiating the role of the hospital board from that of the organized medical staff in the context of peer review and credentialing practitioners, vicarious liability and legal challenges with respect to board oversight and peer review/credentialing.

The registration fee for this program is $205 per registrant for OHA member institutions and $275 for all others. For more information and/or to register please visit www.ohanet.org/education/education_programs.asp, or contact the Center for Education at 614.221.7614.

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Hospital Recognized for Palliative, End-of-Life Care
Mercy Health Partners-Southwest Ohio has been awarded a Circle of Life Citation of Honor for its holistic Palliative Care Program in Cincinnati. It was recognized for being centered on the community and focused on patients and their families. This year’s award recipients were chosen from more than 80 nominations to serve as models for other communities.

The Circle of Life’s awards are presented annually and serve to recognize those programs that demonstrate innovation in the realm of palliative and end-of-life care. Supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the awards are sponsored by the American Hospital Association in conjunction with the American Medical Association, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. For more information, visit www.aha.org/circleoflife.

Tuesday, July 15, 2003
Charity Care Bill Introduced
Legislation was introduced yesterday that would require not-for-profit hospitals to contribute four percent of their care to charity as it relates to their total gross patient receipts. Rep. Mike Gilb (R-Findlay) is sponsoring House Bill 248. OHA will continue to work with lawmakers to provide a complete picture of the many ways in which Ohio hospitals are fulfilling their charitable missions. The OHA Board will discuss a position on the bill at its meeting in August. Currently the legislature is in recess, and the bill will be assigned to a committee in September. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org).

Salary Surveys Due Soon
Hospitals participating in the 2003 OHA Salary Survey have until July 25 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. These surveys represent the only comprehensive statewide hospital compensation information available in Ohio. They are invaluable tools for human resources and organizational planning and management. Questions can be directed to Kelly Taylor, at 816.795.1947 or Kelly.Taylor@mgmtscience.com.

Wednesday, July 16, 2003
OHA Weighs in on Patient Confidentiality Issue
OHA last week requested permission to make a friend of the court appearance on behalf of an Ohio hospital’s appeal in a patient confidentiality case. Firelands Community Hospital in Sandusky is appealing the decision of a lower court to require the hospital to provide to a Sandusky-based law firm a list of patients deemed by the law firm as potential benefactors in its class action suit against Firelands. The initial lawsuit alleges the hospital mishandled fetal tissues from miscarriages.

At issue in the appeal is whether a hospital can be required to disclose medical records without the patient’s consent, which would be permitted if the lower court’s decision stands. Patients’ medical records are protected and the unauthorized release of patient information is generally prohibited under both Ohio and federal law. The Court of Appeals Sixth Appellate District has not yet ruled on OHA's motion to make an amicus appearance on behalf of Firelands and in opposition to the release of patient information without consent. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

Thursday, July 17, 2003
Advance Directives Campaign Kickoff in August
The Ohio State Bar Foundation and its 2002 Fellows Class will kick off its advance directives campaign in August. Partnering with OHA and other service providers across Ohio, the Foundation’s Light the Way campaign will provide advance directive forms, facts and other resources at www.osbf.net to help families begin this important conversation. Hospitals are encouraged to take part in the campaign.

After discovering that less than 25 percent of adults actually plan for such health crises, volunteers from the Ohio State Bar Association created the Light the Way Campaign. Surveys have concluded that a majority of families have no advance directive forms, leaving families or guardians guessing at the types of medical treatment the patient would desire.

For more information about the Light the Way Campaign, or to download campaign tools, visit www.osbf.net/advancedirectives. (Tiffany Himmelreich, tiffanyh@ohanet.org)

Friday, July 18, 2003
Ohio Hospitals Remain Forerunners in Health Care Technology
Ohio’s hospitals are taking the lead in their communities and throughout the country in using technology to improve their services and provide better treatment and care to their patients.

New treatments, such as drug-coated stents and minimally invasive surgery, may reduce the need for extensive open-heart surgery and decrease the risks and recovery periods for patients. Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, participated in national clinical trials comparing uncoated and drug-coated stents in treating the clogged arteries of cardiac patients. The improved treatment comes at a high price, though, forcing hospitals to withstand a substantial financial blow to provide innovative methods.

As it continues to take hold, technology in the form of Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) may increase the level of patient safety and quality in hospitals throughout the state and nation. Ohio State University Health System is one of a small percentage of hospitals nationwide that have successfully computerized their patient records. In addition, other hospitals throughout the state continue to develop and improve their Web sites and weave technology into their ongoing practices.

Technology has the potential to make many procedures safer and less invasive and to save hospitals and their employees valuable resources in time and money. With hospitals on the cutting edge of breakthrough research and information systems, and continual progress with technology in day-to-day operation, Ohio’s leadership in health care continues to shine. For more, see OHA's July’s Healthbeat at www.ohanet.org/healthbeat/.