|
||
S urgical Care Improvement Project Seeks to Improve Patient CareA new national patient safety initiative—the Surgical Improvement Project (SCIP)—aims to help hospitals improve surgical care for patients. More than 42 million operations are performed each year to protect, enhance and save lives. But post-operative complications can prolong suffering, disrupt families and add to the cost of care for all involved. SCIP involves the entire care team, including doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists and quality improvement staff, in preventing four of the most common surgical complications: surgical site infections, blood clots, heart attacks and ventilator-associated pneumonia. The project’s goal is to reduce complications by 25 percent within five years.
SCIP is being launched now as a quality improvement program, and in 2007 the national Hospital Quality Alliance will ask participants to collect the data for public reporting. For more information or to commit to participating in the program, visit the American Hospital Association’s Web site at www.aha.org and click the SCIP icon. For other questions, call AHA Member Relations at 1.800.424.4301.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Wednesday,
December 14, 2005 The House Health and Family Services Committee today passed a new version of House Bill 197, sponsored by Rep. Jim Raussen (R-Cincinnati), incorporating an alternative proposal sought by OHA over the previous, more onerous version. OHA's version incorporates what many hospitals are already doing and builds on those efforts to make understandable and comparative information available to consumers rather than duplicating and re-inventing accountability efforts. The original bill required hospitals to submit hundreds of millions of lines of data to the state health department, which would use it to determine hospital quality and provide report cards to the public. The substitute bill requires hospitals to submit to the department performance measures already developed by national entities that have also developed risk adjustment models for each of the measures.
Dr. Wayne Wheeler, director of external and government relations for Southern Ohio Medical Center in Portsmouth, testified on behalf of OHA, stating that the substitute bill was consistent with principles adopted by the OHA Board of Trustees earlier this year. "Reporting data to the department in aggregate form is a cost-effective and reliable way to provide information to consumers," Wheeler told the committee.
The bill now heads to the full House of Representatives then on to the Senate for consideration. OHA will seek additional amendments to the bill in the coming weeks. (Jeff Klingler, jeffk@ohanet.org)
Natural Gas Prices Remain High The Natural Gas Futures prices for winter months approached $16 per MMBtu in recent days, setting a record high for any contract in the history of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). In comparison, NYMEX prices one year ago were about $8 per MMBtu, and were only $4 per MMBtu in 2002. The government’s cold weather forecast drove up oil futures, the first widespread storm hit the Midwest and east coast markets, and the government storage report showed a normal draw but slightly lower storage as compared to 2004. Prices also remain high as hurricane recovery in the gas-producing regions of the Gulf of Mexico remains ongoing with significant production still off-line. For more information on OHA work with hospitals regarding energy issues, including energy management strategies, visit www.ohanet.org/energy/. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)
Thursday,
December 15, 2005 Continuing to advocate on behalf of member hospitals to combat increasing medical malpractice insurance premiums, OHA joined with the Ohio State Medical Association and the Ohio Osteopathic Organization in filing an amicus brief with the Ohio Supreme Court this week in the case of Robinson v. Bates. The brief argues that in personal injury cases, the amount of damages should be based on what a medical provider accepts as payment in full and not upon any higher billed amount. The associations are concerned that the decision of the First District Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, which allows only evidence of the initially-billed amount and holds the defendant liable for this amount, could result in the misuse of scarce resources to overcompensate tort plaintiffs while forcing insurance premiums in Ohio to rise. They urged the Ohio Supreme Court to overturn the ruling of the Court of Appeals, allowing the amount accepted as payment in full for a plaintiff’s medical bills to be admissible as evidence and that a plaintiff’s recovery for the reasonable value of medical services be limited to the amount the medical provider accepts as payment in full.
Data from the Ohio Department of Insurance continue to show rate increases for medical liability insurance, although the increases have moderated as compared to recent years. Some obstetricians and neurosurgeons in northeast Ohio are paying more than $200,000 per year. The amicus curiae brief and information regarding the continuing liability insurance crisis are posted on www.ohanet.org/med-mal. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org; Mary Gallagher, maryg@ohanet.org)
Comment Period Extended for Rule on Electronic Claims Attachments The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services granted a 60-day extension on the comment period for the proposed rule “HIPAA Administrative Simplification: Electronic Health Care Claims Attachments.” Comments will now be accepted until Jan. 23. The proposal, appearing in the Sept 23 Federal Register at www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a050923c.html, would apply transaction standards to attachments for electronic health care claims for laboratory results, emergency department services, ambulatory services, medications, clinical claims for laboratory results and nine rehabilitation specialties. Required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), these standards seek to decrease the cost of billing for health care services. (Charles Cataline, charlesc@ohanet.org)
Hospitals’ Heartbeat A 2005 nominee for the Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award
Charlotte Sheneman, RN, TNCC Emergency Department Dunlap Memorial Hospital, Orrville
A look inside Charlotte’s nomination – “Charlotte Sheneman has been a registered nurse at Dunlap Memorial Hospital for the past thirty years. Charlotte consistently finds opportunities in her daily work and personal life to exemplify our motto, Making a Difference. Whether it is through her church, community activities or in our ever-changing hospital environment, she goes out of her way to quietly make sure that an individual’s needs are met. Our staff, patients, and EMS providers enjoy her always pleasant smile and willingness to help. They are comforted and impressed with her caring and able demeanor. She is well known throughout our community, and patients and staff seek Charlotte out by name when they come to Dunlap. I can think of no one more deserving of this award than Charlotte Sheneman.”
Friday, December 16, 2005 With the first year of the legislative session coming to a close, the Board received an update on the political climate in Ohio, including information on the acceptance of OHA’s data disclosure bill, House Bill 197, sponsored by Rep. Jim Raussen (R-Cincinnati). The Board also agreed to support Senate Bill 154/House Bill 305, which would expand the scope of practice for physician assistants (PAs). The bills would take effect in 2008 and would require a master’s degree to practice as a PA in Ohio, as is the case for advance practice nurses.
In addition, the Board received updates on OHA’s labor relations activities and its challenge of the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation recent cut in hospital reimbursement for injured workers as well as the OHA Solutions staffing program. OHA staff also gave a final report on the 2005 political action committee campaign reaching 96 percent of its goal for 2005.
The Board also nominated the following candidates to serve three-year terms as trustees on the REF board:
OHA members can view complete minutes from the December meeting at www.ohanet.org/about_oha/board/minutes/.
Hospitals
Lead the Way
Several Ohio hospitals received 2005 Consumer Choice Award by the National Research Corporation: Akron General Medical Center; The Cleveland Clinic; Aultman Hospital, Canton; The Christ Hospital, Cincinnati; Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus; Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton; St. Elizabeth Health Center, Youngstown. Licking Memorial Hospital earned ISO 9001:2000 certification, which will serve as a basis to improve quality awareness and employees’ understanding of roles and responsibilities. Lima Memorial Health System was reverified as a Level II Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons.
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation and TriHealth were named on Working Mother magazine’s 2005 list of the 100 best companies for working moms. The Greater Cleveland Better Business Bureau honored Parma Community General Hospital with its Torch Award, recognizing the facility as the top business of integrity in the category of companies with 101 employees or more.
The American Association of Critical Care Nurses awarded a Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence to several Ohio hospitals: the Medical Intensive Care Unit of University Hospitals of Cleveland; the Coronary Care Unit, Surgical Intensive Care Unit and Trauma Critical Care Unit of Grant Medical Center, Columbus; and the Coronary Care Unit of Mount Carmel West, Columbus.
St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, Toledo, was among those winning the highest ranking in a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services demonstration project in the area of heart failure. The MetroHealth System, Cleveland, earned a Magnet Recognition award for excellence in nursing services, making it the second public hospital in the country to receive Magnet status.
Modern Healthcare magazine honored Grant Medical Center, Columbus, with a 2005 Spirit of Excellence Award for Community for its Wellness of Wheels program, which has reduced infant mortality rates by visits high schools to offer health care to teenage girls. The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati received honorable mention in the “team” category for its increased hiring of people with disabilities. (Mary Sterenberg, marys@ohanet.org)
The University Hospital, Cincinnati, should have been recognized in the previous Hospitals Lead the Way as appearing on Modern Healthcare magazine’s list of the 100 top cardiovascular hospitals for 2005.
Hospitals’ Heartbeat A 2005 nominee for the Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award
Angela J. Lemley Physical Therapist Assistant, Rehabilitative Services East Liverpool City Hospital, East Liverpool
A look inside Angela’s nomination – “Angela Lemley is a Physical Therapist Assistant at East Liverpool City Hospital. She organized a home health therapy program to maximize patient care and continuity. Often, patients request Angi by name and many have her home phone number – and they don’t hesitate to call at all hours. In turn, she wastes no time responding to their needs. She’s bought and delivered groceries on a snowy day, searched for lost hearing aids, run errands – you name it, she’ll do it. She’s used her money for slippers, canes, food and clothes for patients – even decorations for their rooms. Angi’s work ethic and passion for her job are exceptional. The example she sets for others is as good as it gets.” © 2001-2008 OHA. Last updated
January 03, 2008. |
