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Monday, March 22, 2004
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released clarification on the specialty hospital moratorium enacted as part of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act passed by Congress last November. The moratorium prohibits physicians from referring patients to new specialty hospitals in which they have an ownership interest for 18 months, effective when the law was signed on Dec. 8, 2003, and expiring June 8, 2005. Through the newly released information, CMS seeks to clarify which specialty hospitals are covered by the moratorium and which are not.
According to CMS, the moratorium applies to hospitals primarily or exclusively treating patients with cardiac or orthopedic conditions, patients receiving surgical procedures or other specialized services as designated by CMS. Psychiatric, rehabilitation, children’s, long-term care and cancer hospitals not operating under the inpatient hospital prospective payment system are not included. Facilities in operation or under development as of Nov. 18, 2003, are also excluded from the moratorium. To determine whether a hospital was under development as of that date, request an advisory opinion under existing procedures established by CMS for advisory opinions on the application of the physician self-referral law. OHA will be working with member hospitals on this issue during the moratorium. To view a CMS release, visit www.cms.hhs.gov/media/press/release.asp?Counter=982. (Jonathan Archey, jonathana@ohanet.org)
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Heart disease, cancer and diabetes are among the leading causes of death of women in the U.S.--but in many cases can be prevented or treated with early detection. Ohio hospitals are encouraged to participate in the 2004 National Women’s Health Week, May 9-15, and National Women’s Check-Up Day on May 10, by planning screenings and preventive health services for women in their communities. This initiative supports efforts in Ohio and throughout the country to help all women, including underserved women, gain access to preventive health care services.
Last year thousands of women’s health events took place in every state across the country, receiving significant media coverage. The Ohio Department of Health is now inviting hospitals, local health departments and other agencies to become an event host or a National Women’s Check-Up Day provider for this year’s initiative. Services could include blood pressure checks, pap tests, mammograms, diabetes tests, HIV/AIDS tests and other health care screenings. If a facility opts to host an event during this week, it will be listed on the National Women’s Health Information Center Web site and may order free promotional materials online while supplies last.
To learn more about participating, please visit www.4woman.gov/whw and click “Make It Happen.”
Wednesday,
March 24, 2004
OHA Bond Bill Receives First Hearing
Legislation introduced at OHA’s request to
reduce the costs of issuing revenue bonds today received a hearing in
the House Health Committee. Testifying on behalf of OHA, Ed Moore, a
partner in the Columbus law firm Bricker & Eckler, explained to the
committee that the bill would help lower the cost of delivering health
care in Ohio because it would assist hospitals in complying with very
complicated federal income tax regulations governing the issuance of tax
exempt debt. Moore further testified that House Bill 239, sponsored by
Rep. Anthony Core (R -Rushsylvania), would not create additional
liability for the state since individual hospitals borrowing bond
proceeds will be required to pay the debt service on issued bonds. The
full testimony is online at
www.ohanet.org/advocacy/state/issues/testimony/bond032404moore.pdf.
(Bridget Gargan,
bridgetg@ohanet.org)
Diabetes Prevention Focus of Town Hall Meeting
Members of the diabetes community and other
interested Ohioans are invited to join Tommy Thompson, Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), at a town hall
meeting on Monday, March 29, from 2-5:30 p.m. in Cincinnati to discuss
diabetes prevention. The open forum will cover HHS’s creation of a
National Diabetes Action Plan and other diabetes prevention efforts.
The meeting will be held at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Pavilion, 35 West Fifth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio. The event is free but those interested in attending or making a brief statement on diabetes prevention should RSVP online at http://register.rti.org/hhs or call 866.245.8080.
Former MCO President Dies
Frank McCullough, M.D., former president of
the Medical College of Ohio, died March 15 following a battle with
cancer. McCullough served as the fifth president from 1996 to 2003 after
joining MCO in 1978 as a professor and chief of gastroenterology in the
Department of Medicine.
Final Trustee Dinner Seminar Cancelled
The final session in OHA’s Trustee Dinner Seminar, Building Better
Relationships with Physicians, scheduled for this Thursday in
Chillicothe has been cancelled. The Leadership and Governance track at
the 2004 OHA Annual Meeting June 14-15 will touch on related issues for
those interested in learning more. Information and registration
materials for the Annual Meeting are online at
www.ohanet.org/annualmeeting/default.asp and for more information
about other upcoming educational opportunities through OHA’s Center for
Education, visit
www.ohanet.org/education/.
Thursday,
March 25, 2004
The U.S. Congress, the media and the public have heightened their awareness of hospital billing and collection issues, calling on hospital leaders to respond to the recent scrutiny of hospitals’ charge structures, charity care policies and debt collection practices.
Hospital administrators, along with finance, patient accounts and public relations representatives, should plan to attend the OHA educational seminar, Hospital Billing and Collection Practices: Current Issues and Threats to Tax Exemption, planned for April 27. The seminar will provide an overview of the situation and will also address initiatives from state, federal and even local governments aimed at encouraging and/or requiring hospitals to account for their community benefits and to revise their current practices. Finally, participants will discuss strategies for communicating their policies to the community.
More information, including location and registration information, will soon be available from the OHA Center for Education at www.ohanet.org/education/education_programs.asp or by calling 614.221.7614.
Hospitals Lead the Way
Ohio’s hospitals continue to both give and receive accolades for
outstanding performance, pursuing opportunities to provide and recognize
quality health care to their communities. For more information on the
following, see this week’s OHA News at
www.ohanet.org/OHANews/.
§
The DOVE (Developing Options for Violent Emergencies) Program at Summa Health System, Akron, was honored by the Victim’s Assistance Program.§ Summa Health System also received the 2004 Nurses Choice Award from the Ohio Nurses Association, honoring the system for empowering and valuing its nursing staff.
§ The Canton Advertising Club recognized the advertising campaign promoting the cardiology and women’s services at Mercy Medical Center, Canton.
§ UHHS Geauga Regional Hospital, Chardon, recognized the more than 30 years of service of President and CEO Richard J. Frenchie by naming the hospital’s surgery pavilion in his honor.
§ Terry R. White, former president and CEO of MetroHealth System, Cleveland, will receive the Steve B. Bullock Humanitarian Award from the Greater Cleveland Chapter of the American Red Cross.
§ Richard C. Fox, former medical director of dental services at Children’s Medical Center, Dayton, received the Wallace B. Taggart Award for outstanding service from the hospital.
§ The Ohio State University Hospitals’ Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, Columbus, added a second mobile mammography coach, allowing the hospital to provide service to an additional 3,000 women this year.
§ St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, Toledo, this month announced the Legacy Project, a five-year, $90 million investment that will include projects such as the construction of a freestanding Heart Center Pavilion, renovation of the existing facility and major enhancements in technology, research and facility design.
§ Solucient, a health care research firm, recently recognized 100 hospitals nationwide as leaders in performance improvement. Ohio hospitals making the list include: Akron General Medical Center; Hillcrest Hospital, Mayfield Heights; Mercy Medical Center, Springfield; Marymount Hospital, Garfield Heights; and Barnesville Hospital Association. (Mary Sterenberg, marys@ohanet.org)
CareLearning Broadens Programs, Savings
CareLearning.com, a non-profit eLearning service for hospitals, recently
announced its creation of a consortium approach to the development of
eLearning content. Each hospital participating in the consortium pays an
annual fee to join. By spreading eLearning development costs among many
hospitals and health systems, each consortium member will reduce its
costs by as much as 95 percent, according to CareLearning.
OHA supports CareLearning’s new development, which will improve services for OHA member hospitals. Large hospitals and hospital systems will reap considerable savings by sharing eLearning development costs. Small and mid-size hospitals will gain access to a greater amount of high-quality, inexpensive eLearning titles. As a founding member of CareLearning, OHA supports the development of effective, affordable distance learning activities. For more, visit www.carelearningcc.com/pr-2-9-04.htm. (Joe Ruggles, joer@ohanet.org)
Friday, March 26, 2004
CMS Issues Final Stark II Physician Self-Referral Rule
At long last, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services this week issued the interim final rule addressing physician referrals to entities with which they have a financial relationship. The first phase of regulations was published in January 2001 and this second phase addresses the new 18-month moratorium prohibiting physicians from referring patients to new specialty hospitals in which they have an ownership interest among other issues. OHA will examine the new rule, which appears in today’s Federal Register and takes effect July 24, 2004, and will provide additional information and analysis for members. To see the CMS press release with a summary of the regulations, visit www.cms.hhs.gov/media/press/release.asp?Counter=985. (Mary Gallagher, maryg@ohanet.org)
Board Endorsed Surgical Protocol; Med Mal Studies
At its last meeting, the OHA Board of Trustees endorsed a statewide
protocol on surgical and procedural verification to reduce and eliminate
errors. The Ohio Patient Safety Institute (www.ohiopatientsafety.org)
developed the Ohio Surgical/Verification Protocol in collaboration with
over 20 partnering organizations. Ohio is the first state to adopt a
statewide protocol.
Focusing on the advocacy campaign, the Board approved two resolutions to assist hospitals in demonstrating physicians’ support of the campaign, and assist OHA in enlisting support of outside organizations. The Board was updated on preliminary observations of focus groups conducted to gauge voters’ reactions to potential campaign messages. (www.ohanet.org/CareCampaign.org)
In other action, the Board approved OHA’s Medical Malpractice Task Force’s request that OHA evaluate the current market, the implications of lower liability insurance limits and reporting issues.
The Board also approved the appointment of Gifford Eckhout, M.D., staff anesthesiologist, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, to OHA’s Research and Educational Foundation Board of Trustees.
The Board heard updates on the creation of a Government Relations Committee; the Hospital Care Assurance Program (www.ohanet.org/hcap/); OHA Insurance Solutions (www.ohainsurance.com); Friends of Ohio Hospitals’ 2004 goals (www.ohanet.org/advocacy/pac.htm); and the heightened awareness of hospitals’ billing, collections and charity care policies, which will be outlined in detail at an OHA educational seminar April 27. (Jim Castle, jimc@ohanet.org)