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Monday, September 29, 2003
Specialty Hospital Building Boom Proposals Tracked
Within days of House passage of legislation for a timeout in the construction of new for-profit specialty hospitals, dozens of them are being proposed statewide. The legislation passed by the House on September 18 would prohibit construction of new for-profit specialty hospitals unless they had filed a notice of intent with the Ohio Department of Health by September 15, and met other criteria. OHA is tracking the notices of intent for new inpatient facilities as part of its advocacy for House Bill 71. Counties for which new specialty hospitals have been proposed include Butler, Cuyahoga, Fairfield, Franklin, Hamilton, Lake, Licking, Lorain, Lucas, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Summit, Trumbull and Warren. As the legislation moves into the Senate, some entities backing new specialty hospitals may seek a later “grandfather” date to allow more of those proposals to proceed. OHA is advocating for the September 15, or earlier, grandfather date. For the latest proposed inpatient facilities, see www.ohanet.org/advocacy/state/issues/resources/notices.pdf. (Jeff Klingler, jeffk@ohanet.org)

Tuesday, September 30, 2003
2004 Supreme Court Races Garner Attention
Though more than a year away, the election for four open seats on the Ohio Supreme Court is already heating up. Three justices are up for re-election in 2004 and one seat will open up with the retirement of Justice Francis Sweeney. Voters will determine the balance of the court by electing four candidates - the majority of the seven total justices - next fall.

In recent news, the Republican Party announced endorsement of Judge Lady Lanzinger, currently serving on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, for the open seat. The Republican Party has also endorsed three incumbent justices: Chief Justice Thomas Moyer, Justice Paul Pfeifer and Justice Terrence O’Donnell, who replaced Justice Deborah Cook when she moved to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in May.

Over the next year, OHA’s political action committee, Friends of Ohio Hospitals, will work to educate hospital members as well as the general public about the importance of voting in the Ohio Supreme Court races. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org)

Second HCAP Payments Reduced
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) has informed OHA that a single hospital has failed to pay its assessment for the 2003 Hospital Care Assurance Program (HCAP). Subsequently, ODJFS cannot draw down the maximum funding for this year's program.

Hospitals must pay the second installment of the HCAP assessment by tomorrow, Oct. 1, but will receive a slightly reduced payment on Oct. 15. Each hospital will receive a distribution .0886 percent less than in OHA's Final HCAP model, amounting to a total reduction of $422,872 statewide in the $480 million program. The penalty for delinquent assessment payments is $1,000 per day. If the hospital that has yet to pay eventually contributes, a supplemental distribution will occur to maximize the federal funds and make up any shortfalls created by this incident. For any updates, please log on to www.ohanet.org/hcap (Ryan Biles, ryanb@ohanet.org).

Wednesday, October 1, 2003
Hospitals May Receive Blackout Funds
Local and state government entities and qualified non-profit organizations in Cuyahoga County, including hospitals, may be eligible to apply for funding to offset costs due to the August blackout. The Ohio Emergency Management Agency (OEMA) estimated that the total cost of emergency protective measures from Aug. 14-17 was $3.6 million and eligible organizations may be reimbursed up to 75 percent of their costs.

Hospitals in Cuyahoga County that incurred costs during the blackout should attend one of two applicant briefing meetings on Oct. 9 at the Brecksville Community Center, located at 1 Community Drive in Brecksville. Hospitals east of the Cuyahoga River should attend the 9 a.m. session and those west of the river should attend the 2 p.m. session to learn more about eligibility and the application process.

For more information, contact Carol Jacobson at OHA at 614.221.7614 or the Center for Health Affairs at 216.696.6900.

BWC Responds to OHA Concerns
The Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) last week responded to the OHA Finance Committee’s concerns regarding changes to the inpatient and outpatient hospitals payment methodologies under the Health Partnership Program (HPP).

BWC agreed to keep inpatient payments at 75 percent of billed charges until January 2005 while it works with OHA to model a long-term inpatient reimbursement strategy. BWC stated it is still considering its outpatient options, but appears ready to link at least part of hospitals outpatient payments to the HPP physician's fee schedule, a move OHA strongly opposes. BWC states it will reach a final decision on outpatient hospital pricing by mid-October. (Charles Cataline, charlesc@ohanet.org)

Thursday, October 2, 2003
OHA Tracking Health Care Bills
With the Ohio House of Representatives and Senate back from summer recess, OHA continues to advocate on legislation impacting Ohio hospitals. Following are just a few of the bills that will be active over the next few months:

Senate Bill 86, sponsored by Sen. Steve Stivers (R-Columbus), would extend immunity from liability for services provided by volunteer health care professionals. OHA supports the bill, which has passed the Senate.

House Bill 105, sponsored by Rep. Thom Collier (R-Mt. Vernon), would require licensure of home medical equipment services providers by the Ohio Respiratory Care Board. OHA opposes the bill, which is in the Senate Health, Human Services and Aging Committee.

House Bill 212, sponsored by Rep. Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati), would change the rate of interest on certain contracts and judgments and the computation period for which prejudgment interest is due in certain civil actions, among other things. OHA supports the legislation, which is in the House Civil and Commercial Law Committee.

House Bill 248, sponsored by Rep. Mike Gilb (R-Findlay), would require not-for-profit hospitals to provide a certain amount of charity care each year. OHA opposes the bill, which is in the House Health Committee.

To receive regular legislative updates via e-mail, join the OHA Advocacy Network, which assists hospital supporters in sending unified industry messages to elected officials. Visit www.ohanet.org/advocacy/state/network/ to sign up. For a complete list of bills OHA is tracking, visit OHA’s State Advocacy Center at www.ohanet.org/advocacy/state/ and look under “Currently Tracked Legislation.” (Stacey Walton, staceyw@ohanet.org)

Quality Data Online Next Week
An online directory of hospital performance data --The Quality Initiative: A Public Resource on Hospital Performance -- will be available Oct. 9. The collaborative effort of the American Hospital Association, American Association of Medical Colleges and Federation of American Hospitals will initially post data for about 460 hospitals participating in the voluntary effort on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid’s Web site at www.cms.hhs.gov. All data has been reviewed by participating hospitals prior to posting. The next posting of data for the remaining participating hospitals is expected to take place in February 2004. For more, visit www.aha.org. (Rosalie Weakland, rosaliew@ohanet.org)

Friday, October 3, 2003
Public Health Council Accepts Rule Revisions
At its October meeting the Public Health Council (PHC) considered revisions to radiologic licensure rules. The revisions, proposed by the Ohio Department of Health, include a slight fee increase for radiographers and general x-ray machine operators, new definitions of mobile and portable imaging, clarification of requirements for late renewal of licenses, and other changes. The rules will be filed with the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review and will receive a hearing before PHC on Nov. 13. They will soon be posted online at www.odh.state.oh.us/Rules/rulemain.html as “pending.”

PHC also adopted revisions to the regulation of inspecting and licensing radiation-generating equipment. An earlier draft proposal to mandate that hospital senior hospital executives attend quarterly radiation quality assurance committee meetings was replaced with a requirement that a member of hospital administration or a qualified alternate attend the meetings. Other revisions include increased licensing fees for certified radiation experts and reductions in the number of health care workers who must receive radiation safety training related to fluoroscopy procedures. The regulations should take effect later this month. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)

Hospitals Lead the Way
Ohio’s hospitals continue to receive recognition for the many ways in which they are leaders in their communities, in the state and throughout the country.

Shriner’s Hospital for Children’s Transport Team received an Award of Excellence from the American Association of Medical Services recognizing the fixed wing team’s contribution to patient care and safety. The Cincinnati hospital team, bringing critically burned children from the Midwest and Southeastern U.S. to Shriners, is the only pediatric transport team devoted to transporting burn children in the country.

Northeast Ohio’s largest employer association, The Employers Resource Council, honored several hospitals and health organizations in its Northcoast 99 Best Places to Work in Northeast Ohio. Those recognized include EMH Regional Healthcare System, Elyria; Parma Community General Hospital; Euclid Hospital; Lake Hospital System, Painesville; Akron General Medical Center; The Center for Health Affairs, Cleveland; UHHS Geauga Regional Hospital, Cleveland; Lutheran Hospital, Cleveland; MetroHealth System, Cleveland; Robinson Memorial Hospital, Ravenna; South Pointe Hospital, Warrensville Heights; St. John West Shore Hospital, Westlake. Also recognizing superior work environments, AARP recently honored The Ohio State University Medical Center as one of the best places nationwide to work for employees over 50. Only 25 employers in 17 states made the list.

Solucient Institute, a national organization studying health care quality, recently released its 100 Top Hospitals list. Ohio hospitals included on this list include: Summa Health System, Akron; The Ohio State University Hospitals, Columbus; Akron General Medical Center; Mercy Medical Center, Canton; Hillcrest Hospital, Cleveland; Mount Carmel West, Columbus; Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus; Parma Community General Hospital; Mercy Medical Center, Springfield; Lake Hospital System, Painesville; EMH Regional Medical Center, Elyria; Mercy Hospital Anderson, Cincinnati; Brown County General Hospital, Georgetown; Licking Memorial Hospital, Newark; Mercy Hospital Clermont, Batavia; Dunlap Memorial Hospital, Orrville; and Memorial Hospital of Union County, Marysville. (Mary Yost, maryy@ohanet.org)

Don’t Get Tricked, Register Soon!
Individuals planning to attend the Ohio Network of Physician Recruiters Fall Conference, No Tricks Just Treats, should register soon. Sleeping rooms are almost gone for the two-day conference, planned for Oct. 28-29 at Deer Creek State Park Lodge in Mount Sterling. Contact Diane Conley at OHA, dianec@ohanet.org or 614.221.7614 or visit www.ohanet.org/education/education_programs.asp to register.

OHA Welcomes New Associate
OHA would like to welcome Jim McCann to its education department as education manager. Jim fills the position of 30-year OHA employee Terry Meade who recently retired. Jim oversees education program development and continuing education activities and will take the lead on the Corporate Partner Program, exhibit sales and the corporate sponsor program. He can be reached at jimm@ohanet.org or 614.221.7614.