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Tuesday, September 27, 2005 Nearly all hospitals reported having emergency
terrorism response plans that had been revised since Sept. 11, 2001.
Among other findings: roughly nine in 10 hospitals were members of a
regional inter-agency disaster preparedness task force and
three-fourths had key personnel trained to implement a formal
incident command system. For more information, view the report at
CDC Urges Flu Vaccine
for High-Priority Groups
High-priority
groups include:
Overall
immunization rates among high-risk groups have not increased over
the last several years, prompting this call from health experts. To
view a related news release, visit
www.connectlive.com/events/infectiousdiseases/presskit2005.html.
To access up-to-date information on influenza and pneumococcal in
Ohio, visit
www.ohanet.org/flu/. (Carol Jacobson,
carolj@ohanet.org)
Wednesday,
September 28, 2005 Applications for the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations’ (JCAHO) 2006 Ernest Amory Codman Award are now available to interested health care organizations. In 2006, JCAHO celebrates the 10th anniversary of the award. In that decade, 42 organizations and individuals have received the Codman Award for excellence in performance measurement. Ohio’s own Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association received the award in 2002 for its collaborative effort with local hospitals that resulted in a 36 percent drop over three years in the mortality rate among patients with acute myocardial infarction. In 2003, Cleveland Clinic Health System received the award for a physician-led health system initiative that enhanced care of stroke patients. Additional information and application materials are available online at www.jcaho.org/accredited+organizations/codman+award/index.htm. Applications must be received by JCAHO by Feb. 17, 2006. Winners will be recognized at JCAHO’s national conference Nov. 16-18, 2006.
Thursday, September 29, 2005 A year ago, Ohio physicians were changing practices, moving out of state and planning early retirement because of rising insurance premiums. According to OHA’s Medical Malpractice Insurance Crisis Task Force, the situation for doctors in Ohio remains difficult but shows signs of improvement. Medical malpractice insurance premium increases slowed to single digits in 2005, down from the double-digit increase during each of the previous five years. Changes made over the past several years, including tort reform, changes in the composition of the Ohio Supreme Court and increased options for liability insurance, may be bringing positive change to the medical liability insurance environment in Ohio but high insurance premiums continue to plague the state’s physicians.
Some hospitals and health systems are looking to other unique solutions, participating in public awareness campaigns or developing creative insurance strategies. Hospitals continue to look at unique ways to prevent the predicted 40 percent drop in the number of physicians in Ohio over the next three years.
To further combat the medical liability crisis, the task force recommended the Ohio Patient Safety Institute (www.ohiopatientsafety.org/) seek certification as a patient safety center under President Bush’s July legislation on the confidential reporting of medical errors. According to OHA general counsel Rick Sites, the task force continues to believe that improving patient safety is one of the most important ways to solve the malpractice problem. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)
OHA Offers Vital Programming OHA continues to accept registration for several upcoming educational programs.
►Ensuring EC Readiness for the 2006 Unscheduled JCAHO Surveys on Oct. 3 in Columbus will provide information for those needing a thorough understanding of the 2006 Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations’ “Environment of Care” survey methodologies and standards. It will help hospitals implement a practical, continuously-compliant program and prepare for each of the four EC vulnerabilities.
►Disaster Preparedness: Lessons Learned on Oct. 4 in Columbus will feature speakers from JCAHOthe Ohio Emergency Management Agency as well as speakers from Florida, New York and Mississippi who will share what they learned as a result of 9/11 and the hurricanes in Florida and on the gulf coast. A panel of Ohio hospital personnel will complete the session, reporting on their experience with local disasters. To learn more about who should attend, faculty, continuing education offerings or to register for either conference, visit www.ohanet.org/education/education_programs.asp.
Friday, September 30, 2005 The Ohio Hospital Association and Genesis HealthCare System, Zanesville, sued the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) today on claims the state did not follow required legal processes for a $50 million cut in payments for care provided to injured workers. The suit asks the Franklin County Common Please Court to issue a temporary restraining order to block the payment cuts, which are scheduled to take effect tomorrow, Oct. 1. The judge declined to issue the temporary restraining order but suggested the matter merited a hearing.
“The Taft administration’s plan to cut $50 million in hospital payments for care to injured workers through 2006 is an inappropriate response to political problems at the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation,” said James R. Castle, OHA president and CEO.
Before abruptly backing away from an existing payment plan, BWC had worked with various stakeholders—including representatives of business, labor and manufacturing as well as the health care provider community—to cap fee increases to hospitals through 2006. Labor union claims in July that alleged Ohio hospitals are overpaid for care to injured workers disregarded steps already taken to tighten reimbursement and demonstrated acute ignorance of the health care financing chaos hospitals must navigate.
With this suit, OHA aims to ensure BWC will follow the prescribed process and allow for sufficient input from all affected parties as it begins working on a long-term plan for medical care to injured workers.
These cuts follow the Taft administration’s plans to drain another $310 million from hospitals’ Medicaid reimbursement through June 2007, a Medicaid payment freeze that will cost hospitals $142 million and a $168 million cut resulting from the recalibration of rates paid for certain services. To learn more or view related news releases, visit www.ohanet.org/advocacy/state/issues/bwc_cuts.htm. (Mary Yost, maryy@ohanet.org)
NCQHC Seeks 2006 Quality Award Winner
NCQHC, based in Washington, D.C., is made up of senior leaders from all sectors of the health care industry who share a common interest in quality as the foundation of health care delivery. NCQHC addresses issues such as ensuring patient safety, improving quality and efficiency through the use of advanced health information technology, promoting safe and effective use of drugs and devices, and other quality-related measures.
The National Quality Health Care Award program recognizes outstanding provider efforts to ensure quality health care delivery to consumers and the community. The award provides an opportunity for national health care leaders to recognize the performance of a provider who has improved health care delivery. The award winner must demonstrate outstanding practices in innovative leadership, patient-oriented practices, long- and short-term strategic planning, an integrated informatics system and an organized system that values staff.
All applications must be received no later than Jan. 3, 2006. Application forms can be obtained by contacting NCQHC at 202.331.7535 or by visiting www.ncqhc.org. © 2001-2008 OHA. Last updated
January 03, 2008. |
