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Monday,
February 19, 2007 OHA to Roll out Statewide Standardization of Wristband Colors As its latest effort to improve the safety of patients in Ohio’s hospitals, OHA’s Ohio Patient Safety Institute (OPSI) is standardizing the wristband colors used by hospitals statewide. Health care workers, including physicians, often practice in multiple settings, and errors are more likely if wristband colors mean different things in different facilities. Blue may signify allergies at one hospital and do not resuscitate (DNR) at a second hospital – a potentially fatal difference. The OHA Board of Trustees last week approved OPSI’s recommendation to standardize the colors: red = allergy; yellow = fall risk; white/clear = patient ID. The recommendation is to eliminate DNR bands, asking that health care workers rely on patient charts to determine DNR status. The standardization of wristband colors is a first step toward improved safety, with a final goal of replacing wristbands with better technology. OPSI will send a toolkit with implementation information to hospital CEOs and quality improvement staff in March. (Rosalie Weakland, rosaliew@ohanet.org) Commitment to Communities SPOTLIGHT The efforts of Ohio’s hospitals – and the 300,000 people working in these facilities – go far beyond providing basic health care services. Below is one example of the many ways Ohio’s hospitals support their communities.
Healthy Connections Network Summa Health System, Akron General Medical Center, Akron Children’s Hospital
These three organizations joined with other local groups to create the Healthy Connections Network in 1995 to give more members of Summit County access to medical care. The network mobilizes volunteer community resources to connect uninsured community members with a regular source of care – linking those with no health insurance with appropriate primary care, specialty care, ancillary services and pharmaceuticals. Since its inception, Healthy Connections Network has served more than 1,000 community members through its Access to Care program. The health system and hospitals continue to provide funding, executive support and material resources to the program. Wednesday, February 21, 2007 State, Federal Proposals Expand Health Insurance Coverage for Children Legislative initiatives at both the state and federal levels look to expand health insurance programs to cover more children. House Bill 6, sponsored by Jimmy Stewart (R-Albany), would increase the income eligibility for the Children’s Health Insurance Program Part II in Ohio from 200 to 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. The bill has been referred to the House Finance & Appropriations Committee. Separately, a new federal proposal would extend health insurance to an additional nine million children. The Healthy Kids Act of 2007 would authorize $50 billion over five years to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Medicaid. It also would provide refundable tax credits to help families that are not eligible for SCHIP but have annual incomes of as much as 350 percent of the federal poverty level to purchase health insurance. The proposal increases federal matching funds for states that revise their SCHIP and Medicaid programs to help ensure eligible families enroll and remain enrolled. OHA supports reauthorizing SCHIP in a fiscally-responsible manner that covers the highest number of Ohio’s children. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org; Jonathan Archey, jonathana@ohanet.org) ODH Updates Hospital Charges for Copying Medical Records The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) this week released the updated amounts hospitals can charge for copying medical records. Ohio Revised Code 3701-742 requires that ODH increase the amounts using the Consumer Price Index—a 3.2 percent increase for 2007. For requests made by patients or their representatives, hospitals may now charge $2.67 per page for the first 10 pages, 55 cents per page for pages 11-50, and 22 cents per page for pages numbering more than 50. With respect to data recorded on something other than paper (e.g. X-rays, CDs), the new maximum charge is $1.82. View details of the 2007 increase at http://www.odh.ohio.gov/ASSETS/156753A88D004792ADFBCC90722C4E84/2007CPI.pdf. Find the controlling statutes—RC 3701.741 and 3701.742—by searching for those sections at http://onlinedocs.andersonpublishing.com. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)
Thursday,
February 22, 2007 The Board was briefed on the highlights of the president’s federal fiscal year 2008 budget proposal and the federal advocacy outlook for 2007 as well as the 2007 state legislative and executive initiatives impacting hospitals and health care. In addition, the Board received a report on OHA membership development activities during 2006.
Finally, Board members received a draft timeline for the 2007 community benefit report and were asked to help OHA obtain 2005 community activity cost data from their hospitals. (Jim Castle, jimc@ohanet.org)
Friday, February 23, 2007 The online registration eliminates the requirement for a notarized report and provides hospitals with immediate confirmation of their submission and immediate confirmation of ODH approval of registration. Hospital CEOs should receive a letter this week from ODH about the new electronic annual hospital registration process. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org) Commitment to Communities
SPOTLIGHT Supporting Local Schools Holzer Consolidated Health Systems, Holzer Clinic For many years, both the city and county school districts in Holzer Medical Center’s community struggled to pass crucial levies and bond issues for new schools. HCHS and Holzer Clinic put their minds and their money toward helping the local schools, pledging $2 million to both the Gallipolis City School District and Gallia County Local School District upon passage of their independent school levies. The commitment to the future of the school districts and the community paid off - both levies passed and the schools now have the resources they need. © 2001-2008 OHA. Last updated
January 03, 2008. |
