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Monday,
April 9, 2007
Hospital
Reps Invited to Free Training on Infection Prevention,
Control Joint Commission Solicits Nominations for Codman Individual Award The Joint Commission is now accepting nominations for the Ernest Armory Codman Individual Award. In its eleventh year, the Codman Awards honor both an individual and health care organizations each year for exemplary accomplishments in the use of performance measures to achieve improvements in the quality of health care services. Individual award candidates are health care professionals who have been substantively engaged in the development and testing of performance measures; those who have made major contributions to science and the art of quality improvement; and those who have played significant leadership roles in promoting the use of performance measures to improve health care services. Download the nomination form at www.jointcommission.org/Codman and fax it to Evelyn Lockett Woods at 630.792.4561 by June 1. 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.
Giving Back Various hospital departments gave back to the community during the holiday season, each choosing a different cause or service project to make the holidays a little brighter for local families. The Department of Radiology adopted four local families, donating 95 food, clothing and toy items as well as $260 in Giant Eagle gift certificates. ACMC’s Spirit Committee also set up a giving tree full of ornaments listing the wishes of employees’ children to allow staff to reach out and help fellow coworkers. Other departments adopted local families, donated non-perishable goods to local food pantries and donated for the Animal Protective League.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will host an April 18 teleconference on contingency plan guidance for health care providers, health plans and others implementing its National Provider Identifier (NPI) rule. CMS recently announced that covered entities that act in good faith to become NPI compliant can continue to accept legacy numbers through May 23, 2008, one year after the rule takes effect. Register at https://jsp.premiereglobal.com/webrsvp/blank.jsp?1176297153742 for the national roundtable teleconference until 1 p.m. EST April 17. HPIO Luncheon to Examine Ohio Health Care Spending, Insurance Coverage The Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO) will host a luncheon, Mapping Health Spending and Insurance Coverage in Ohio, Thursday, May 3, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Columbus. Late last year, HPIO commissioned a study to analyze health care spending and insurance coverage in Ohio. The goal was to estimate what is currently being spent by different sectors and for whom, calculating direct and indirect costs of caring for the uninsured, laying out the major components of the delivery system and identifying unmet needs. At this luncheon, the study’s lead authors will share the study’s major findings and discuss coverage expansion reform options for Ohio. Learn more or register online by Friday, April 27.
Thursday,
April 12, 2007 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has opened a second comment period on revisions to the Medicare notices and processes hospitals must use to notify beneficiaries about their discharge appeal rights. Specifically, CMS seeks comments through May 6 to the Office of Management and Budget on the burden of collecting additional information associated with the notices, effective July 1 for hospitals and Medicare health plans. View the American Hospital Association’s previous comments on the notices and regulation. (Charles Cataline, charlesc@ohanet.org) Medicare Issues Proposed Revisions to Coverage Policy for Clinical Trials The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this week opened a 30-day comment period on proposed changes to the way Medicare pays for certain items and services for beneficiaries involved in clinical trials. The revised policy would pay for investigational clinical services if they are covered by Medicare outside the trial or required under coverage with evidence development. It also would require studies to publish their results and register at the National Institutes of Health’s ClinicalTrials.gov Web site, among other changes. View more on the proposed changes to the Medicare National Clinical Trial Policy. (Charles Cataline, charlesc@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.
Good, Healthy Fun Fairfield Medical Center
Fairfield Medical Center partners with the Mount Carmel
Health System and River Surgery Center to host a Community
Healthfest for Lancaster and the surrounding areas. The
event offers free screenings, including cholesterol, blood
sugar, blood pressure, hearing and vision screenings, to
more than 1,500 participants. More than 60 area agencies
come to help provide information on services and assistance
available locally. Activities and prizes keep participants
and children moving, learning and exploring.
Friday, April 13, 2007 Two representatives from the hospital community provided testimony to the Ohio House Finance Human Services Subcommittee yesterday in support of several provisions in the proposed state budget. John T. Schaeufele, MD, vice president of medical affairs and chief administrative officer of St. Vincent Mercy Children’s Hospital, voiced support for the update for inpatient hospitals as a way to ensure hospitals can continue serving the most vulnerable patients. He also noted the importance of the budget’s proposed Medicaid expansion and Medicaid buy-in option in providing care to Ohio’s children, parents, elderly and disabled. In addition, Schaeufele encouraged incentives for chronic care management that leads to better outcomes, wise drug purchasing and drug utilization strategies and enhanced use of technology as part of the longer-term health care solution for Ohio’s Medicaid program. David Miller, CFO of the Dayton Children’s Medical Center, testified as a representative of the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association. He requested the continuation of the Medicaid supplemental payments to children’s hospitals, funding not currently included in the budget. He stated children’s hospitals are willing to forego the inflationary update they would receive under the current budget language if the supplemental payments are restored.
The full House Finance Committee and the Senate will also hear public testimony in the coming weeks, including additional hospital testimony, but dates for those hearing have not yet been set. OHA encourages all hospitals to voice their support for health care provisions in the budget using the template letter available in the “Take Action” section at www.ohanet.org/advocacy/state/default.htm. Talking points on the 2008-2009 budget are also available to OHA members. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org; Jeff Klingler, jeffk@ohanet.org) © 2001-2008 OHA. Last updated
January 03, 2008. |
