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Monday,
May 8, 2006 The state plans to appeal the ruling, and under Ohio common law the state can apply for an automatic stay from the court of appeals to maintain all current practices throughout the appeal process. But the permanent injunction will likely improve the hospital community’s ability to recoup lost reimbursement with interest if the court of appeals ultimately rules in favor of OHA. View court filings in this case online at www.ohanet.org/advocacy/state/issues/bwc_cuts.htm. (Mary Gallagher, maryg@ohanet.org) Ohio hospitals continue to be recognized for their high quality of care. The Children’s Medical Center, Dayton, received a Race for Results award from the Child Health Corporation of America for collaborating with peer hospitals to pursue an improved care system for children requiring treatment involving central venous catheters. The following hospitals were recognized for service excellence by J.D. Power and Associates: Aultman Hospital, Canton; Kettering Medical Center; St. Anne Mercy Hospital, Toledo; St. Charles Mercy Hospital, Oregon; St. Rita’s Medical Center, Lima; St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, Toledo; and Kettering Medical Center - Sycamore, Miamisburg. Clinton Memorial Hospital, Wilmington, is the first recipient of the Greater Cincinnati Health Council’s Innovative Solutions Award, created to celebrate unique approaches to clinical or non-clinical hospital process improvements, patient care initiatives or creative change projects. The SleepCare Center at Licking Memorial Hospital, Newark, received accreditation by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine as a full-service sleep laboratory. Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, received the Governor’s Award of Excellence from the Ohio Partnership for Excellence, recognizing the facility as a role model for other Ohio organizations. University Hospitals of Cleveland earned the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s prestigious Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Services, the highest acclamation for nursing care. Nurses at The University of Akron in the College of Nursing Graduate Anesthesia Program selected Robinson Memorial Hospital, Ravenna, for the “Outstanding Clinical Care and Teaching Facility” award. The Commission of Cancer of American College of Surgeons also granted the hospital’s cancer program three-year approval with commendation. Marion General Hospital received grants totaling $24,448 from Komen Columbus for community breast cancer education and screening. The American Association of Respiratory Care honored Lake Hospital System, Painesville, with Quality Respiratory Care Recognition. The hospital’s Diabetes Care Center also received an American Diabetes Association Education Recognition Certificate for providing a quality self-management education program. (Mary Sterenberg, marys@ohanet.org)
Tuesday, May 9, 2006
Hospital Reps Testify on Circulating Nurse, Transparency Bills Both the House Health and Family Services Committee and the Senate Health, Human Services and Aging Committee heard testimony from OHA today on legislation with significant impact on hospitals. Lynda Petty, R.N., director of perioperative services at The Ohio State University Hospital, testified as an opponent to House Bill 522, sponsored by Rep. Jon Peterson (R-Delaware), which would require hospitals and other facilities where surgeries are performed to have a circulating nurse on hand for each surgical procedure. She explained the bill’s redundancy to requirements already in place through national governing bodies such as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. She also noted the legislation’s troubling precedent of imposing mandatory staffing requirement in statute when the complex elements involved in ensuring safe staffing do not fit a one-size-fits-all approach. To view the full testimony, visit www.ohanet.org/advocacy/state/issues/testimony/circulatingnurse051006.pdf. In the Senate, Richard Shonk, M.D., Ph.D, medical director of the Quality Institute at the Cleveland Clinic Health System, testified on House Bill 197, sponsored by Rep. Jim Raussen (R-Cincinnati). Shonk noted that despite OHA’s opposition of the bill, the association supports the legislation’s goal to provide meaningful information to consumers to help them make informed decisions. He explained why OHA opposes the bill’s requirement that hospitals report the more than 500 performance measures established by the National Quality Forum: The scope of this reporting would pull nurses away from patients to report data. He reiterated OHA’s proposal to instead make publicly available the 136 quality measures hospitals have been reporting to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) since 1998. Shonk also noted OHA’s proposed amendments to make hospital reporting dependent on ODH’s ability to make the information public, and to require that ambulatory surgical facilities also report charge and price disclosure to ODH. To view the full testimony, visit www.ohanet.org/advocacy/state/issues/testimony/publicdisclosure051006.pdf. (Jeff Klingler, jeffk@ohanet.org; Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org)
Thursday,
May 11, 2006 Two OHA Corporate Partners Rank Among
America’s Top Companies Two OHA corporate partners were recognized nationally for their top achievements. Fortune magazine ranked Plante & Moran’s Hospital Practice Group 12th on its 100 Best Companies to Work for list. Plante & Moran is a certified public accounting and business advisory firm that assists organizations with financial services and takes great pride in being a leader in the health care industry. Gilbaine Building Company was ranked 45th in Training magazine’s listing of the top 100 organizations that excel at human capital development. Gilbaine is a full-service construction and real estate development company serving the health care market nationwide. Learn more about OHA’s Corporate Partner Program and see a full list of current corporate partners at www.ohanet.org/partners/. (Joe Ruggles, joer@ohanet.org) Ohio Hospitals Continue Leading the
Way
Friday, May 12, 2006 Distinguished Keynoters to Speak at OHA Annual Meeting OHA’s 2006 Annual Meeting, June 12-13 at the Hilton Columbus at Easton, will feature several prominent speakers. Senatorial candidates Rep. Sherrod Brown and Sen. Mike Dewine will speak at a Health Policy Luncheon on Monday, expressing their views on the Ohio economic climate, education, workforce and health care. Though previously scheduled to speak at the luncheon, Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Mark McClellan will be unable to attend. OHA invited both of Ohio’s gubernatorial candidates to speak Monday afternoon following the Health Policy Luncheon and Ken Blackwell has confirmed his attendance.
Tuesday’s keynote speaker is Joseph S. Bujak, M.D., FACP, vice president of medical affairs for the Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d’Alene, ID. Bujak is also a speaker, consultant and facilitator working with physician groups and health care organizations. Learn more about OHA’s Annual Meeting and register for the event at www.ohanet.org/annualmeeting/. (Joe Ruggles, joer@ohanet.org) © 2001-2008 OHA. Last updated
January 03, 2008. |
