Monday, November 28,
2005
Cincinnati Collaborative Honored with Codman
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
recently awarded the Greater Cincinnati Patent Safety ICU
Collaborative with a 2005 Ernest Amory Codman Award, recognizing
excellence in the use of evidence-based practices to achieve
improvements in the quality and safety of health care. The
collaborative received the award in the multiple organization
category for its efforts to reduce health care-acquired infections
for patients in the operating room and intensive care units. The
work of the 10-hospital collaborative resulted in a 50 percent
decrease in central-line infections and increased adherence to
evidence-based practices from 30 percent to 95 percent.
“At an estimated cost of between $300 million and $2 billion, reduction
in infections would not only reduce patient injury, but also result in
considerable savings to our hospitals,” said Marta Render, M.D., the
collaborative’s primary investigator and director of the Cincinnati
Department of Veterans Affairs GAPS Center. “This project demonstrates
the collaboration among hospitals in Cincinnati to improve outcomes for
their patients.”
The 10 participating hospitals include: Bethesda North Hospital, The
Christ Hospital, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center,
Cincinnati Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, The Fort
Hamilton Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital, The Jewish Hospital, Mercy
Hospital Mt. Airy, St. Elizabeth Medical Center and The University
Hospital.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Medical Telemetry Deadline Approaches
Hospitals should be aware that after Dec. 31, any wireless medical
telemetry system operating in the 460-470 MHz frequency band is at
increased risk for interference, which could compromise patient
safety. On June 15 and July 23, 2005, the American Hospital
Association and American Society for Healthcare Engineering issued
regulatory advisories urging hospitals to assess their risks of
interference to wireless medical telemetry systems operating in the
460-470 MHz band and to migrate out of the band by the end of the
year. The Food and Drug Administration recently issued a public
health notification enforcing these advisories. The notice is
available at
www.fda.gov/cdrh/safety/111605-wmts.html. (Rick Sites,
ricks@ohanet.org)
OHA Recognizes Caregivers as Hospitals’
Heartbeat
Ohio’s 230,000 health care workers are the pulse of life in hospitals,
devoting themselves to their communities both within and beyond the
walls of the hospital. Each year, OHA honors one Ohio caregiver who
stands out as a leader in going beyond the call of duty in his or her
dedication to patients and the community. Though OHA bestows the Health
Care Worker of the Year Award to only one recipient, all nominees for
the award exemplify the outstanding efforts of caregivers statewide. To
recognize these nominees, HEALTH e-NEWS Plus will acknowledge
several nominees each week until a 2006 winner is announced at the OHA
Recognition Dinner as part of the OHA Annual Meeting June 12-13.
Look for information on submitting a nominee for the 2006 Health Care
Worker of the Year Award after the first of the year. Each hospital may
nominate one exemplary caregiver for the honor. (Mary Sterenberg,
marys@ohanet.org)
Taft Taps Hospital Reps for Medicaid Study Council
Gov. Bob Taft this month announced members of the Medicaid
Administrative Study Council, which was created by the biennial
budget bill to study the administration of Ohio’s Medicaid program
and issue a report on the scope and structure of a new Medicaid
department. Taft tapped several current and former hospital
associates to serve on the eight-member council:
The council will issue a final written report to the governor, president
of the Senate and speaker of the House by Dec. 31, 2006. The General
Assembly will then enact a law establishing the new department by July
1, 2007. (Bridget Gargan,
bridgetg@ohanet.org)
H2E Accepting Environmental Award Applications
Hospitals working to recycle, eliminate mercury and implement other
environmental programs can apply for a Hospitals for a Healthy
Environment (H2E) Award through Feb. 15, 2006. The annual awards program
recognizes environmental excellence in health care and OHA encourages
hospitals to participate. To apply or learn more, visit
www.h2e-online.org/awards/.
H2E, a national initiative to improve environmental performance in
health care, is a joint program of the American Hospital Association,
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the American Nurses
Association and Health Care Without Harm. OHA is also a Champion for
Change and many Ohio hospitals are Partners for Change through H2E. To
view a list of these hospitals are learn more about becoming a partner,
visit
www.h2e-online.org/programs/partner/p_mbrst.cfm?parmStateCode=oh.
(Rick Sites,
ricks@ohanet.org; Susan Zabo,
susanz@ohanet.org)
Hospitals’ Heartbeat
A 2005 nominee for the
Albert
E. Dyckes Health Care
Worker of the Year Award
Annabelle Wilson
Environmental
Services Aide
Community Mercy Health Partners – Mercy Memorial Hospital, Urbana
Photo
A look inside
Annabelle’s nomination –
“Annabelle is a top-notch individual with compassion, a sense of humor,
and a strong work ethic. She sees the need of others and helps in any
way she can. It doesn’t matter what department it is. Plus, she does
the job she was hired for as an Environmental Aide to meet a high
standard of cleanliness. She has been a great asset to Mercy Memorial
Hospital for the last 6 years!”
Thursday,
December 1, 2005
Hospital Help Needed
for Federal Budget’s Final Stages
As Congress completes the federal fiscal year (FFY) 2006 budget in
conference committee, many provisions with potential impact on Ohio
health care providers remain on the table. OHA urges hospitals to
contact their legislators, asking them to:
-
Retain
the proposed two-year extension of the 50 percent threshold for
inpatient rehabilitation hospitals to qualify as such for Medicare
payments.
-
Retain
the proposed prohibition on physician self-referrals to new
limited-service facilities.
-
Ensure
Medicaid and Medicare provisions do not adversely impact hospitals
or beneficiaries, and that the improvements for providers are
retained.
-
Retain
the proposed protections of rural health funding.
-
Remove
harmful provisions on emergency department care for Medicaid
patients.
An OHA
member bulletin with more information and side-by-side comparisons of
the Senate and House versions of the budget currently in conference
committee is available at
www.ohanet.org/Bulletins/. View the letter OHA sent to all members
of Ohio’s Congressional delegation and find contact information for
Ohio’s federal legislators at
www.ohanet.org/advocacy/federal/.
Hospital
advocates should contact their federal legislators by phone, fax, or in
person no later than Thursday, Dec. 8. Even if a legislator is not a
member of the conference committee, he or she should be asked to
influence colleagues who are on the committee.
In
addition, the American Hospital Association will hold a Budget Advocacy
Day next Wednesday, Dec. 7, in Washington D.C., and more information on
this effort is online at
www.aha.org/aha/advocacy-grassroots/advocacy/resources/051121actionalert.html.
(Jonathan Archey,
jonathana@ohanet.org)
ODH, Hospitals Team on New Birth Certificate Process
Over the last several months, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH)
has worked with Ohio’s hospitals to implement a new process for
tracking and maintaining records on the approximately 150,000 births
in Ohio each year. Prompted by federal legislation requiring all
states to adopt new birth certificates with additional information,
the new Integrated Perinatal Health Information System will give the
ODH Office of Vital Statistics access to more accurate and timely
data.
Starting
Jan. 1, all hospitals will use the new electronic birth certificate
process, which integrates data requirements for birth certification, the
new universal newborn hearing screening, immunization registry and
congenital disorders diagnosed at birth into the single system.
Infectious diseases diagnosed at birth may be added as early as next
spring.
ODH communicated
directly with hospitals in preparation for the launch of the new process
and provided frequently-asked-question (FAQ) sheets for hospital staff,
hospital executives and physicians. Hospitals with additional questions
should contact Herman Butler at ODH at
herman.butler@odh.ohio.gov. The FAQ sheets are also available
online at
www.ohanet.org/advocacy/state/issues/birth_certificate.htm. (Jean
Scholz,
jeans@ohanet.org; Rick Sites,
ricks@ohanet.org)
Friday, December 2, 2005
Health Care Advocates Seek
Funding for Flu Vaccine
With the cost
of flu shots hitting four times 2000 prices, health care
representatives continue advocating that legislators provide
necessary additional funding. The Ohio Department of Health (ODH)
ordered 320,000 vaccine doses in 2000 at a cost of $1.85 each,
270,000 doses in 2004 at $8.07 each and 240,000 doses this year at
$10.40 each. The decreasing level of vaccine restricts who can be
inoculated and which health organizations receive flu vaccines for
their patients. Lawmakers are being asked to add funding to House
Bill 257, sponsored by Rep. John Hagan (R-Alliance), to provide
additional vaccine for this flu season.
ODH also has
informed OHA it will receive additional vaccine from the Chiron
Corporation for distribution to hospitals free of charge. OHA sent a
survey to hospitals this week requesting information on their need
for vaccine. Hospitals that did not receive the survey, but need
vaccine, should contact Carol Jacobson, OHA’s director of emergency
management, at 614.221.7614 or
carolj@ohanet.org. For up-to-date information on the
current flu season in Ohio, visit
www.ohanet.org/flu/. (Carol Jacobson,
carolj@ohanet.org)
© 2001-2008 OHA. Last updated
January 03, 2008.
Please direct comments, corrections or additions to: oha@ohanet.org
614.221.7614.
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