Monday, August 28, 2006
Medical Bylaws Further Revised for New Field Review

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has further revised Standard MS. 1.20 following feedback from a February 2006 field review. The Standard MS 1.20 was created to bring together in one standard all of the requirements relating to medical staff bylaws. 

Concerns were expressed at the February field review that Standard MS. 1.20 was too prescriptive, appeared to challenge the governing body’s ultimate authority and would undermine the role of medical staff and disrupt effectively-functioning organizations.

The Standards and Survey Procedures Committee approved a field review of the further revisions at its July 2006 meeting. Hospitals and critical access hospitals are invited to participate in the field review through Oct. 27 online at www.jointcommission.org/Standards/FieldReviews/fr_ms120.htm. Contact Lynn Berry with the JCAHO Division of Standards and Survey Methods at lberry@jcaho.org with questions. (Rosalie Weakland, rosaliew@ohanet.org)

Tuesday, August 29, 2006
ODH Adds Two Disorders to Mandatory Newborn Screening List 
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) announced Monday it will begin tests for cystic fibrosis and carnitine uptake defect, which have been added to its list of disorders for mandatory newborn screenings. This addition will bring the number of disorders screened in Ohio to 32 per infant. 

 With no known cure but improving treatments, cystic fibrosis entails abnormally thick respiratory secretions that can lead to other problems such as infertility and poor food absorption and affects 2,000 white newborns but is less common in other races. Carnitine uptake defect is a rare disorder that impairs the body’s ability to metabolize fatty acids.

The total newborn screening fee for each newborn screening test kit will increase, because of the additional tests, from $45.16 to $55.16. Hospitals are required to pay the fee for each newborn as well as cover the expense of the health care workers who explain the procedure to mothers and obtain the blood samples to send to ODH’s public health lab. While hospitals object to such unfunded mandates, they strongly support early detection through newborn screening. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org) 

Hospitals’ Heartbeat
A 2006 nominee for the Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award

Pamela Smith, CRT
Respiratory Care Practitioner II, Pulmonary Function Lab
The Christ Hospital
Cincinnati

A look inside Pamela’s nomination –

Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Hospitals Oppose Employee Privacy Breaches in Minimum Wage Amendment
With several controversial issues vying for attention on the November ballot, requests for signatures on petitions were as much a part of Ohio’s summer as heat waves and high humidity. The proposed amendment to Ohio’s constitution to raise the minimum wage generated a large buzz and a plethora of signatures, but if enacted, it would also jeopardize the privacy of nearly all employees, including hospitals’ 300,000 employees.

The less-publicized side of the Government Mandated Wage Constitutional Amendment is the requirement that nearly all public and private employers make available wage and certain personal information to any employee or person acting on behalf of an employee, including labor organizations and disgruntled workers, at no charge. An employee’s home address and salary information would no longer be protected. The majority of current hospital employees—health care workers, administration, food service, custodial staff—already earn more than minimum wage and would not be affected by the proposed increase, but they would be subject to the breaches in privacy.

For employers, including hospitals, the amendment also would impose time-consuming and costly record-keeping requirements. Legal opinions also suggest the amendment would mandate that Ohio’s 27,000 hospital volunteers—including candy stripers and those who volunteer to answer phones or greet patients and visitors—be paid minimum wage and be subject to record-keeping requirements.

The Ohio Hospital Association Board of Trustees voted to oppose the amendment due to serious concerns about infringing on the privacy of hospital employees. For more information, view the full OHA Healthbeat article at www.ohanet.org/healthbeat/2006/0806.htm. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org)

OHA Center for Education: Upcoming Opportunities
OHA’s Center for Education is offering a wide array of upcoming continuing education opportunities for health care workers. Check out several upcoming seminars:

Developing Rapid Response Teams
Sept. 13, Courtyard by Marriott, Columbus

Creating a Violence-Free Workplace for Patients, Visitors and Staff
Sept. 15, Clarion Hotel, Dublin, Ohio

Medicare and Medicaid in 2007
OHA's Annual Review of Medicare and Medicaid Policy, Rules and Reimbursement Initiatives
Sept. 27, The Villa Milano, Columbus, Ohio

Stemming the Crisis in Ohio GME: Uniting to Lead the Way
OHA's Council of Teaching Hospitals Inaugural Statewide Conference
Oct. 5-6, The Hilton Columbus at Easton, Columbus, Ohio

View more information on these and other available seminars at www.ohanet.org/education/education_programs.asp.

Thursday, August 31, 2006
Initial Toxin Test Results for White Powder in Envelopes Negative
Positive Promotions of New York mailed Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York health care providers, hospices, home health organizations and hospitals envelopes containing a substance consistent with corn starch. When powder was discovered in an envelope in Pennsylvania, a test was conducted for botulinum toxin. Initial results for botulinum toxin are negative and confirmatory testing is underway.

 The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) recommends that hospitals receiving these envelopes should not open them and should immediately contact their local health department or local law authorities. For further information please contact ODH Bureau of Infectious Disease Control at 614.466.0265. (Carol Jacobson, carolj@ohanet.org) 

Hospitals’ Heartbeat

A 2006 nominee for the Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award

Kristin A. Englund, M.D.

Associate Staff, Infectious Disease

The Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland

A look inside Kristin’s nomination –

Dr. Englund is a proven leader because of the care, attention, and dedication she devotes to her patients, to her colleagues and students, and to the larger community. Dr. Englund serves as Director of the Cleveland Clinic Outpatient Infectious Disease Clinic and is involved with curriculum development at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at CASE. During her three year tenure at Cleveland Clinic, she has developed several programs that deliver health education and screenings to disenfranchised populations and also volunteers her time at the Free Clinic of Greater Cleveland, including having served as its Medical Director. In this role, she provided direct medical care for the underserved and uninsured, and also served as preceptor for medical residents from the area hospitals, numerous physician assistant students and several Doctor of Osteopathy programs. As a successful physician-teacher-activist, Dr. Englund leads by example from the patient’s room to the classroom to the community at-large.  

Learn more about this one-day seminar, provided by OHA’s Research and Educational Foundation and the Ohio Society for Healthcare Planning and Marketing, at www.ohanet.org/education/PhysHospJtVenturesBrochureSept06.pdf. Scheduled for Sept. 15 in Dublin, the session will explore the array of hospital-physician venture opportunities, outline financial and compliance issues and describe financial mechanisms to create viable joint ventures.
 

Friday, September 1, 2006
HPIO Now Accepting Nominations for Awards for Health Policy Research