|
||
Monday,
April 16, 2007 National Hospital and Healthcare Week, slated for May 6-12, is an opportunity to focus public attention on the many contributions hospitals make to their communities and recognize the exemplary efforts of staff and volunteers. The American Hospital Association offers a free National Hospital Week Planning Guide with ideas for events and activities, a timeline, a sample news release and proclamation and three complete public service announcements ready for radio or TV. Hospitals can also view a Product Guide to purchase giveaways and other items with the National Hospital Week logo. Visit www.imprintmall.com/hospitalweek/index.html to download the Planning Guide and Product Guide. To request a National Hospital Week logo for use on Web sites or other materials, please contact Donna Dugas at OHA at 614.221.7614 or donnad@ohanet.org. OHA Solutions Site Gets Makeover The OHA Solutions Web site has a fresh new face. Visit www.ohasolutions.com to see the updated site, now with dedicated sections for hospitals and vendors. Easier to navigate, the site includes a variety of resources including agreements, forms and helpful tips and links. It also offers easy access to OHHealthJobs.net and ShiftWise. OHA Solutions is a subsidiary of OHA that offers several innovative programs to assist Ohio hospitals. (Amy Bangert, amyb@ohanet.org) Commitment to Communities
SPOTLIGHT
A Different
Source of Care When Anne Gerber left a full-time job to attend nursing school, she lost her health insurance coverage. She turned to North Coast Health Ministry’s free health care and medication assistance program for help. The Cleveland Clinic Health System provides space, free and discounted lab and radiology services and other program support for this program.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week announced the first approval in the U.S. of a vaccine for humans against the H5N1 influenza virus, commonly known as avian or bird flu. The manufacturer, sanofi pasteur, Inc., will not sell the vaccine commercially. The federal government has purchased the vaccine for inclusion in the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile for distribution by public health officials if needed. If an influenza pandemic should emerge, the vaccine could provide early limited protection in the months before a vaccine tailored to the pandemic strain of the virus could be developed and produced. Visit www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01611.html for more information on the new vaccine. Find other influenza resources at www.ohanet.org/flu/index.html. (Carol Jacobson, carolj@ohanet.org) CMS Revises Guidelines for Hospital
Informed-Consent Policies View the CMS memo outlining the updated requirements related to informed consent for hospitals. The revised guidelines are effective immediately. (Rosalie Weakland, rosaliew@ohanet.org)
Thursday,
April 19, 2007 Several hospital representatives testified yesterday on behalf of OHA in support of legislation that would require all Ohio hospitals to operate 24/7 emergency departments. Jim Pancoast, president and CEO of Good Samaritan Hospital and Health Center in Dayton, told the Senate Health, Human Services and Aging Committee that Senate Bill 120, sponsored by Sen. David Goodman (R-Bexley), would help level the competitive playing field between community hospitals and for-profit limited service hospitals. He noted that healthy competition brings higher quality and lower prices to the market – but the danger emerges when limited-service hospitals offer only the more profitable services and community hospitals struggle to continue meeting the community need for lower-margin services. He also voiced concern about the conflict of interest when physician investors have a financial incentive to take less complex and more profitable cases to their own facility. John W. Zeiger, an officer of the OhioHealth Board of Trustees, urged the Health Committee to require that all hospitals share the community burden of uncompensated care by providing emergency room services. He also states that a staffed emergency room in all hospitals is in best interest of patients when routine surgeries become emergency situations.
Bryan Bucklew, president and CEO of the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association, told the committee legislative action would help address hospitals’ concerns because limited-service hospitals would likely strive to meet the new definition of hospital to maintain reimbursement from government programs. For more information on SB 120, or to track its progress, visit www.ohanet.org/advocacy/state/status127.htm. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org; Reed Fraley, reedf@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.
Services for Seniors The MetroHealth System
MetroHealth Advantage is a program that provides free
guidance and services to adults 55 and older. Seniors
receive free transportation to MetroHealth Medical Center,
personal assistance with hospital services and programs,
help with Medicare billing, social work counseling and legal
aid, and discounted parking and cafeteria rates.
Participants also are invited to free screenings and health
education sessions.
Friday, April 20, 2007 Every year on April 22 the nation celebrates Earth Day, which was created to remind people of the importance of taking care of our planet. For Ohio hospitals working to reduce waste streams and bolster recycling, every day is Earth Day. A recent example of hospitals’ environmental efforts was this week’s seminar, “The Proper Management of Pharmaceutical Waste,” designed to help hospitals across the state more properly segregate and dispose of a variety of hazardous pharmaceutical wastes. View an OHA news release on hospitals’ commitment to the environment at www.ohanet.org/media/news_release/2007/earth041807.htm. Learn more about Ohio hospitals’ accomplishments and efforts to protect the environment at www.ohanet.org/p2/. Policy Matters Ohio Invites Health
Policy Stakeholders to Lunchtime Discussion © 2001-2008 OHA. Last updated
January 03, 2008. |
