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Monday,
February 27, 2006 Data being collected from hospitals and nursing homes on Clostridium difficile (C. diff) should not be used to compare facilities. That is the message coming out of last week’s meeting of the Ohio Department of Health’s (ODH) Director’s Advisory Committee on Emerging Infections. At its Feb. 21 meeting, the committee came to the consensus that the C. diff data currently being collected has limited value since there is no method of standardization. However, the committee recommended ODH continue to collect the data and move to a system of standardization such as analyzing the data by number of cases per admission, rather than per facility, which does not account for facility size or the volume of patients.
The committee also discussed the likelihood that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will recommend hospitals immediately report cases of influenza as early as next year. Currently, hospital-confirmed flu cases are reported at the end of each week. The expected proposal would require immediate reporting of lab tests positive for flu. OHA will track this possible recommendation and keep members apprised of any progress. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)
NQF Developing Infection Reporting Standards
The National
Quality Forum (NQF) is developing a set of consensus standards
for gathering and reporting data on health care-associated
infections, and may endorse standards by the end of 2006. NQF
has requested the submission of proposed standards by March 17
and more information on the call for measures is available at
www.qualityforum.org/docs/hai/txHAICallforMeasures+Summary.pdf.
A steering committee will select measures for public comment and
NQF’s members and board will approve the proposed final
standards.
OHA Voices Concerns with BWC Proposal Last week OHA met with Rep. Steve Buehrer (R-Delta), chairman of the Ohio House State Government Committee, to voice opposition to a Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) legislative proposal that would allow the bureau to forego public rules to establish payment methodologies. BWC may be looking to amend Senate Bill 7, sponsored by Sen. Gary Cates (R-West Chester), which is now pending in the House State Government Committee. OHA expressed hospitals’ concerns to Rep. Buehrer, pointing out that other government payers, including Medicaid and Medicare, conduct many public hearings when changes are made to reimbursement systems, and they are successful in implementing those changes that are within their statutory authority. OHA advocates that permitting a state agency to forgo a level of oversight is a bad public policy decision.
BWC’s proposal follows OHA’s challenge of the bureau’s recent cuts. OHA filed a lawsuit in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court and in December, the court ruled in OHA’s favor that BWC’s rules were invalid and unenforceable because no public rulemaking occurred. BWC indicated it plans to appeal the decision and continues to pursue its proposal to reduce oversight of its changes to payment methodologies. OHA will continue to follow the proposal, advocating against exempting BWC from public rules requirements. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org; Mary Gallagher, maryg@ohanet.org)
Hospitals’ Heartbeat A 2005 nominee for the Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award
Christine Snow, RN Emergency Department Lodi Community Hospital, Lodi
A look inside Christine’s nomination –
Chris Snow is
a valuable asset to Lodi Community Hospital. She is always
willing to help out in other departments when needed and often
meets our emergency room patients as they are coming in the
door. She has served on the hospital's decorating committee to
contribute ideas to help the hospital be more attractive for our
visitors and patients. She has also served on the committee
established to visit other hospitals and make
recommendations about the design of the new emergency
department, which will be built in 2005-2006. To help local
youth learn more about safety when riding bikes, Chris is
chairing a committee to put on a Bicycle Rodeo in June 2005,
which will provide fun and educational activities. To further
her education, Chris spent a considerable amount of her own time
and effort to successfully complete the exam to become a
Certified Emergency Nurse. Wednesday, March 1, 2006 Flu Vaccine Recommendations for Children Expanded The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) last week voted to recommend the expansion of routine flu vaccination for children. If approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the current recommend flu vaccination age would increase from the current 6-23 months to 6 months to five years. In addition, ACIP recommended expanding routine vaccination for household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children 24-59 months old. Currently, it is only recommended for children 6-23 months old. ACIP and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee also released a report Friday regarding influenza vaccination of health care personnel. The report encourages health care organizations to educate health care personnel on the benefits of flu vaccination, provide vaccine annually at no cost and monitor vaccination and declination. View the report at www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5502a1.htm?s_cid=rr5502a1_e. For more information on the 2005-2006 flu season, which in recent years has peaked in Ohio in late February and early March, visit www.ohanet.org/flu/. (Carol Jacobson, carolj@ohanet.org) OHA Notifies Member Hospitals Under
Lobbying Expenditure Law ODJFS to Seek Electronic Transfers for
HCAP
Hospital Safety Campaign Kicks Off Hospitals don’t want to miss out on the 53rd annual Ohio Hospital Safety Campaign, which awards hospitals for excellent workplace safety. The campaign was begun in 1953 by OHA and the Industrial Commission of Ohio. Hospitals are asked to submit 2005 safety data from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to OHA by March 31. Hospitals with the best safety records will receive awards and all participants will receive certificates. This year’s winners will also be recognized for their outstanding safety records at the OHA Recognition Dinner June 12 at the Columbus Hilton at Easton. More information on the safety awards and recognition dinner are available at www.ohanet.org/annualmeeting/Awards/. (Rhonda Major-Mack, rhondam@ohanet.org) Last Chance for Nominations!
Hospitals’
Heartbeat
Allison Naso,
Pharm.D., R.Ph.
A look inside
Allison’s nomination –
Ohio Leaders Gather to Discuss Future of Health Information Technology The Health Policy Institute of Ohio and eHealth Initiative last week invited Ohio health care and community leaders to come together and discuss the state's health information community (HIT)—where it is, where it needs to be and how it can get there. The session outlined a statewide strategic planning process for the 2006 Ohio Health Information Technology Project, an initiative that plans to lay the groundwork for using technology to increase the efficiency and effective delivery of health services, reduce costs and increase the opportunity for federally funded HIT efforts. Participants’ were asked to offer feedback and indicate support for the initial planning stages of the project. The final product, a state implementation plan report, would be released in early 2007. HIT stakeholders also heard about the state-level work underway in New York, Minnesota and Tennessee, followed by a panel on Ohio health information technology efforts and challenges. Jim Albin, regional vice president and chief information officer for Mercy Health Partners in Toledo, provided the panel’s hospital perspective. Following the conference, the Health Policy Institute of Ohio submitted a grant proposal on behalf of Ohio to secure funding for much of the strategic planning portion of the initiative. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org; Reed Fraley, reedf@ohanet.org) Webcasts Offer Medicare Part D Help for Health Care Workers OSU MedNet21 will present two webcasts on Medicare’s new prescription drug plan aimed at providing information physicians and other health care professionals need to answers the questions of their senior patients and make informed recommendations on the plans best suited for those individuals. The first webcast, March 8 at noon, will cover the role of the physician in, and the impact of, Medicare Part D. To learn more or view the webcast visit http://ccme.osu.edu/cmeactivities/onlineeducation/webcast/program/index.cfm?id=255. The second program will be available Wednesday, March 8 at 7 p.m. and will provide an overview of Medicare Part D and the role of health care. To access additional information or participate in the webcast, visit http://ccme.osu.edu/cmeactivities/onlineeducation/webcast/program/index.cfm?id=256. Both programs will also be available on-demand within 24 hours after the live webcast. Viewing the programs live requires an $18 fee, but viewing then on-demand after the broadcast is free. These programs qualify for continuing education credits. Contact Susan Barton-Nonno at 614.293.7397 with any questions regarding these programs. © 2001-2008 OHA. Last updated
January 03, 2008. |
