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Monday,
October 16, 2006
Health care providers are joining forces with the legal community to educate Ohioans about advance directives through "Plan Ahead…Health Care Decisions Day '06.” Health care providers and attorneys will be available on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2006, at designated local public libraries across Ohio to answer questions about advance directives – particularly living wills and health care powers of attorney – and to help participants complete these documents. View a list of participating libraries at http://downloads.ohiobar.org/pub/AdvDD/Library_locations.doc.
Health Care Decisions Day is also a good time for hospitals to review the federal Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990, which requires that hospitals serving Medicaid patients provide a "You Have the Right" advance directives brochure to patients upon admission. View a copy of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services’ brochure online at www.odjfs.state.oh.us/forms/file.asp?id=41990. Hospitals can order copies (use form number 8095) at www.odjfs.state.oh.us/forms/orderTrack.asp?fid=42181&loc=INTER. The act also requires hospital staff to ask if the patient has an advance directive.
Find more information about Health Care Decisions Day and
advance directives at
www.ohanet.org/advocacy/state/issues/advance_directives.htm.
(Rick Sites,
ricks@ohanet.org)
Tuesday, October 17, 2006 Hospitals Strive to Meet Needs of Patients with Limited English Proficiency A report released this week by the American Hospital Association’s Health Research & Educational Trust found that 80 percent of the nation’s hospitals frequently care for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) while only 3 percent report receiving any reimbursement for those services. Fifty-two million people – 19 percent of the U.S. population – speak a language other than English at home and hospitals provide language services to meet the needs of LEP patients. More than 80 percent of hospitals use staff interpreters, 77 percent use telephonic services and 77 percent employ bilingual staff to provide language services. Of the hospitals surveyed, 88 percent provide language services 24 hours a day, seven days per week. Hospitals cited lack of reimbursement, as well as tools and training resources, as a major barrier to providing adequate language services. To read the complete report, Hospital Language Services for Patients with Limited English Proficiency: Results from a National Survey, visit www.hret.org/hret/languageservices/. Ohio nurses interested in learning or improving Spanish skills can participate in SHAPES Language Training, a program approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing (OBN) for 19.2 OBN contact hours. The program includes a CD, written text and print flashcards at a cost of $35. For more information, contact Robin Melnick at 937-767-2372 or robin@rmelnick.com.
Hospitals’
Heartbeat
A look inside
Sharon’s nomination – OHA Argues for BWC Repayments Continuing to seek restitution for Ohio hospitals, OHA today made oral arguments before the Court of Appeals, 10th District of Ohio in OHA’s lawsuit against the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC), OHA v. Mabe. At issue is the state’s appeal of a trial court decision in OHA’s favor that BWC improperly bypassed its duty to go through the public rulemaking process when it put into place a new fee plan, effective Oct. 1, 2005. OHA is advocating for the $50 million in losses incurred from Oct. 1, 2005, to Nov. 1, 2006, to be repaid to hospitals. Arguing on behalf of OHA was Dave Wickland with the Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick law firm in Toledo. The three-judge panel, which included William Klatt, Charles Petree and Susan Brown, posed questions favorable to OHA’s position. A decision is not expected for several months. If the trial judge's decision for OHA is upheld, the case will go back to common pleas court to determine repayments to hospitals. (Mary Gallagher, maryg@ohanet.org) OHA Hosts Dinner Conferences for Hospital Leaders OHA’s Research and Educational Foundation will host dinner conferences throughout the state in November on Hospital Tax Exemption: A Gathering Storm. Hospital trustees, CEOs, finance officers, medical staff leaders and hospital legal counsel are invited to attend.
Nov. 1,
6-8 p.m.,
Cambridge Visit www.ohanet.org/education/BrochureDinnerSessions.pdf for more information or to register.
Hospitals’
Heartbeat Pam Dwenger, RN, BSN
Thursday,
October 19, 2006
Hospitals’
Heartbeat Melissa Bailey A look inside Melissa’s nomination – Melissa is always proactive in meeting the needs and the wishes of the clients. Her thoughtfulness and kindness is shown in the care she gives each client. Our agency receives positive reflections from all of the lives that she touches daily. She anticipates what her co-workers needs before they start their shift, so the client care is seamless at shift change. She has planned special events for clients so they experience excitement and joy in their day to day routine. For the past 2 years Melissa has been the primary caregiver for this family. Co-workers enjoy working with Melissa because she is always positive and willing to help out.
Friday, October 20, 2006 This week the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) announced it will install a centralized data "router" starting in spring 2007 to process incoming First Reports of Injury (FROI) and, eventually all provider bills and payments. The bureau's goal is to employ HIPAA-compliant electronic data standards along with new National Provider Identifiers to streamline claims and bill processing and save money. The proposed system will still include managed care organizations (MCOs), but providers will no longer submit FROIs and bills to MCOs. Instead, BWC will use a centralized, commercial intermediary to accept, edit and forward data to MCOs and BWC for processing and payment. BWC also announced a controversial plan to tighten up MCO contract standards, potentially lowering payments to underperforming MCOs starting next year. The 2007 MCO contract will include updated medical management benchmarks that focus on appropriate medical care for the covered injury and include performance incentives for closing industrial cases and returning injured workers to work as quickly as possible. Several MCOs are stating the new standards will cut MCO payments at the same BWC is demanding more and more expensive services, and they warn the proposed plan could cause some MCOs to close shop. (Charles Cataline, charlesc@ohanet.org) © 2001-2008 OHA. Last updated
January 03, 2008. |
