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Monday,
March 19, 2007 Beginning Sept. 15, all Ohio hospitals are required to report children from birth to age five with one of 45 specified birth defects to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). The requirement comes out of Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 3705.30-3705.36, which authorizes ODH to develop a statewide birth defects information system with mandated reporting by hospitals, physicians and freestanding birthing centers. Providers will submit data monthly to ODH through a secure Internet site. The system was developed through an advisory council that includes representatives from OHA and the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association. Ohio is reportedly one of only five states without an active statewide birth defects reporting system. To reduce the burden on hospitals, ODH conducted a pilot project with hospitals in Franklin, Summit, Ross and Hocking counties to develop the birth defects reporting system in 2006. Participating hospitals spent an average of 18 hours on initial set-up and an average of one hour each month to submit data.
Hospital CEOs were sent a letter in February from acting ODH director Anne Harnish encouraging hospitals to designate one staff person, such as the obstetrics nurse manager, to serve as a contact for ODH. The contact will receive monthly updates to assist the hospital in meeting the Sept. 15 reporting deadline. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org) The Quest to Curb Health Care Costs and Improve Quality: Is Technology the Cure? Improving quality and reducing costs – two goals that the hospital community, public and state and federal government all agree are top health care priorities. Technology seems to hold the perfect remedy, so why aren’t all hospitals, legislators and other stakeholders jumping on the high-tech bandwagon? Even with rapid-fire technology and the support of all involved parties, enhancing health care quality and bringing down costs are not quick or simple tasks. New efforts in electronic data sharing hold great potential, but they also carry significant risks without careful consideration and planning on the front end. To begin this process, Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO) are popping up throughout Ohio and across the nation. Currently, no Ohio RHIO has a statewide focus, but groups like the Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO) are bringing stakeholders together and studying the creation of a statewide framework. HPIO’s conversations with the state’s RHIOs, health care organizations such as OHA, the Ohio State Medical Association and the Ohio Osteopathic Association, government, insurers and businesses are a healthy start in this fairly uncharted territory. Individual hospitals, the greater hospital community and OHA will work with legislators, HPIO, RHIOs and others over the next biennium to realistically explore how health information exchange can give Ohioans better health care at better prices. View the complete March HealthBeat article at www.ohanet.org/healthbeat/2007/0307.htm. Joint Commission Report Shows Improved Quality Nationwide A new report released by the Joint Commission this week, Improving America’s Hospitals: A Report on Quality and Safety, shows that hospitals nationwide have significantly improved the quality of care provided for patients suffering from heart attacks, heart failure or pneumonia over the past four years. The report details the performance of accredited hospitals against standardized national performance measures and the Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals. The report measures all Joint Commission accredited Ohio hospitals against the national performance measures, and more than 70 Ohio hospitals against the Joint Commission goals. View the report at www.jointcommissionreport.org/. Ohio and the nation as a whole show growth, but there is still room for improvement. Hospitals in Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus and now Northeast Ohio, as well as the state’s children’s hospitals, are partnering in collaborative projects to tackle this ongoing challenge in their communities. The hospitals share data, examining what efforts and practices lead to better outcomes and then implementing those changes in all facilities. Hospitals interested in joining a collaborative should contact David Engler at davide@ohanet.org or 614.221.7614. (Rosalie Weakland, rosaliew@ohanet.org)
Wednesday, March 21, 2007 A CIO Solutions Gallery health care summit April 4-5 will feature information technology (IT) leaders sharing on topics such as using technology to improve the cost effective delivery of health care, state and federal policies, real-time information flow and supply chain issues. The session will highlight specific industries in transition and will draw parallels to other industries undergoing similar change. The program was designed by senior IT leaders and is organized around Chief Information Officer (CIO) peer learning and the solving of real-life problems collaboratively. Hospital CIOs and senior executives in technology and operations are encouraged to attend. Visit http://fisher.osu.edu/programs/executive-education/current-programs/cio-solutions-gallery/april-full-program/ to learn more. (Kim Keiser, kimk@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.
Dare to C.A.R.E. University Hospitals
Last May, 70-year-old Mary McGill drove to Geauga Medical Center to undergo a free screening of her cardiovascular system. An ultrasound exam showed an enlarged and weakened vessel wall and Mary’s physician was contacted immediately to ensure she received the proper medication and counseling on necessary lifestyle modifications. Joseph Jancsurak signed up for Bedford Medical Center’s free screening in August and was surprised to learn that his left carotid artery was more than 80 percent blocked, putting him at very high risk for strike. He underwent surgery in September and made a full recovery. Through Dare to C.A.R.E., these two hospitals and Richmond Medical Center providing free screening to individuals 60 and older and to others with high risk factors for vascular disease of the carotid arteries, abdominal aortic aneurysms, renal artery disease and extremity artery disease.
Thursday,
March 22, 2007 Two bills with significant impact to the hospital community were introduced in the General Assembly this week: the state budget bill and legislation requiring that all Ohio hospitals operate 24/7 emergency departments. Rep. Matthew Dolan (R-Novelty) introduced House Bill 119, which will establish the budget for the biennium beginning July 1, 2007, and ending June 30, 2009. With an expansion of Medicaid eligibility to vulnerable groups such as working parents, pregnant women and children, and an inpatient update for health care providers, the proposed budget is a healthy investment in Ohio. Hearings on the bill have been scheduled and OHA will provide supporting testimony.
Sen. David Goodman (R-Bexley) introduced Senate Bill 120, which would require all Ohio hospitals to operate 24/7 emergency departments and maintain Medicaid and Medicare provider agreements. The OHA-supported bill has been referred to the Senate Health, Human Services and Aging Committee.
OHA looks forward to working with the legislature to help finalize and enact these two pieces of legislation in the coming months. Stay tuned for further analysis and information on the movement of these bills. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org)
Friends of Ohio Hospitals Honors Hospital MVPs OHA’s political action committee, Friends of Ohio Hospitals, nominated two Ohio hospital CEOs to receive the American Hospital Association’s Most Valuable PAC Player award for their valuable efforts in 2006. Howard Rohleder, administrator and CEO of Salem Community Hospital, and Alan Bleyer, president and CEO of Akron General Health System, were recognized for the tremendous success of their fundraising campaigns. These contributions allow OHA and AHA to advocate on behalf of Ohio’s hospitals and health systems both at the Statehouse and on Capitol Hill. (Stacey Conrad, staceyc@ohanet.org)
Friday, March 16, 2007 At its March 16 meeting, the OHA Board of Trustees discussed the positive implications of the state budget proposal, which includes expansions in Medicaid for working parents, pregnant women, disabled, working adults, and children along with an update in reimbursement for hospitals and other health care providers. OHA yesterday sent a news release to statewide media calling the proposal a healthy investment in Ohio. The Board also reviewed the potential impact on hospitals of the president’s proposed federal fiscal year 2008 budget, which would pull about $100 billion from the Medicare and Medicaid programs over the next five years, which amounts to a $980 million hit to Ohio hospitals on Medicare alone.
OHA staff updated the Board on data collections for the statewide 2007 community benefit report, planned to be released publicly this summer. OHA continues to request that hospitals submit their total 2005 community activity costs to OHA for the 2007 community benefit report and will begin data verification soon on Medicaid losses, Medicare losses, charity care and bad debt.
Staff also updated the Board on the March 1 membership meeting on the Hospital Care Assurance Program (HCAP), attended by more than 60 hospitals and health systems. OHA is planning four additional forums on the 2007 HCAP, Upper Payment Limit and Medicaid for hospital CEOs and trustees. More information will be available to member hospitals soon.
The Board also discussed the American Hospital Association’s Unified Health Care Policy and the Friends of Ohio Hospitals campaign kick-off this week. (Jim Castle, jimc@ohanet.org)
Deadlines Approaching for Infant Hearing and Healthy Lifestyles Grant Proposals A request for proposals for the competitive Regional Infant Hearing Program grant is posted on the Ohio Department of Health Web site at www.odh.ohio.gov under About ODH, ODH Grants, Grants Request for Proposals. Interested organizations should submit the Notice of Intent to Apply for Funding by Monday, March 26, and a bidders’ conference and Grants Management Information System trainings will be held in April. Groups submitting Notices of Intent to Apply will receive final conference and training dates. The final application is due Monday, April 30.
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Public Health and Science, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and the Regional Health Administrators are requesting proposals from community-based organizations and others to evaluate the impact of a unique set of health lifestyles activities in local settings that support the President’s HealthierUS initiative. Funding for these activities will be between $2,000 and $5,000 and a national evaluation of the project will be conducted. The deadline for receipt of proposals is Friday, March 30. For more information, call 1.866.224.3815 or e-mail questions to answers@JSI.com. © 2001-2008 OHA. Last updated
January 03, 2008. |
