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Monday,
May 14, 2007 Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) honored the Ohio Hospital Association with a 2007 Champions for Change Award in recognition of its improvements in environmental performance and leadership in environmentally-responsible health care. OHA works with the state’s hospitals on programs to eliminate products containing mercury, properly maintain and dispose of hazardous wastes, and institute other environmentally-friendly policies. Several Ohio hospitals were also honored by H2E for their outstanding efforts to protect the environment: Barnesville Hospital Association; Fisher-Titus Medical Center, Norwalk; and St. Charles Mercy Hospital, Oregon; received Partners for Change Awards for continuously improving and expanding their mercury elimination, waste reduction and pollution prevention programs. Barnesville Hospital Association; Grady Memorial Hospital, Delaware; and Defiance Regional Medical Center received Making Medicine Mercury-Free Awards. Lake Hospital System, Painesville, received a Partner Recognition Award for making the commitment to environmental improvements. To learn more about Ohio hospital pollution prevention efforts, visit http://www.ohanet.org/p2/. Jointly founded by the American Hospital Association, the Environmental Protection Agency, Health Care Without Harm and the American Nurses Association, H2E is an independent not-for-profit organization focused on improving health care’s environmental performance. H2E envisions a health care system committed to reduced waste volume and toxicity, efficient energy and water use, clean air, safe work practices and safe buildings. To learn more, visit www.h2e-online.org. (Susan Zabo, susanz@ohanet.org; Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)
Tuesday, May 15, 2007 Summa Health System was one of only 10 community oncology practices nationwide to receive honors from the American Society of Clinical Oncology for its efforts to improve the care of people with cancer through clinical research. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center was the first children’s institution in the U.S. to be honored as an American Pain Society Clinical Center of Excellence in Pain Management.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association designated EMH Regional Medical Center a 2007 Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care. EMH also achieved Magnet designation for excellence in nursing services by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program. Fourteen Ohio hospitals appeared on Solucient’s 2006 100 Top Hospitals List.
University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center, Chardon, earned a Gold Seal of Approval for demonstrating compliance with the Joint Commission’s national standards for health care quality and safety. Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, was named a 2007 Alliance Innovation Award winner from the Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers. McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital, Oxford, earned Quality Respiratory Care Recognition from the American Association for Respiratory Care. Fisher-Titus Medical Center, Norwalk, received the American Diabetes Association Education Recognition Certificate for a quality diabetes self-management education program. The hospital’s cardiopulmonary department also was named a quality respiratory care provider by the American Association for Respiratory Care.
Parma
Community General Hospital’s
Child Care Center received a One-Star Step Up To Quality
Award from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services –
Bureau of Child Care and Development. Several Ohio hospitals
were recognized by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce as Best
Employers in Ohio: Southern Ohio Medical Center,
Portsmouth, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
and Catholic Healthcare Partners. Fort
Hamilton Hospital, Hamilton, received the Growth Award
for Butler County from the Cincinnati USA Partnership for
Economic Development in recognition of the $16.2 million
expansion of its intensive care unit in 2006. OhioHealth
received the 2007 Corporate Caring Award from Business
First in recognition of its philanthropy efforts.
Aultman Hospital, Canton, received the Ohio Nurses
Foundation Nurses’ Choice Awards Organizational Award for
2007 for its support of nurses and direct patient care.
(Mary Sterenberg,
marys@ohanet.org) Wednesday,
May 16, 2007 Visit http://www.ohanet.org/annualmeeting/ to view the complete programming for OHA’s 2007 Annual Meeting, find information on meal functions and other special events and to register online. Due to high demand, block rate rooms are no longer available at the Hilton. Up-to-date information on additional overnight accommodations is available at http://www.ohanet.org/annualmeeting/. (Joe Ruggles, joer@ohanet.org)
Ohio BWC
Offers Free Safety Courses to Employers
Thursday,
May 17, 2007 Last year, the Ohio attorney general issued new regulations eliminating hospitals’ exemption from charitable organization registration and requiring tax-exempt hospitals to complete a one-time charitable trust registration form on or before May 26, 2007. In addition, each private tax-exempt hospital must file an annual report certifying it has filed form 990 or its equivalent with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). OHA weighed in extensively on the regulations, encouraging transparency and good governance principles without unduly burdening hospital business operations and compromising governing board responsibilities. OHA has long led efforts to affirm the hospital community’s commitment to accountability, transparency and service. The attorney general’s regulations align with OHA’s commitment and Ohio hospitals’ observance of these requirements will help fortify and validate the community’s historic confidence in Ohio’s hospitals. An OHA member bulletin provides more details on who is required to register as well as information on the registration form, annual report and fee. Hospitals and health systems are advised to consult with their legal counsel for direction regarding the regulations. Contact OHA with questions. (Mary Gallagher, maryg@ohanet.org) OHA Energy Advocacy Meeting
Scheduled
Hospitals’
Heartbeat
Thomas
Stover, M.D.
A look
inside Thomas’ nomination –
Friday, May 18, 2007 The OHA Board of Trustees was updated on a variety of issues facing hospitals at its May meeting, including the 2008-2009 biennial state budget. The House-passed version of the budget maintained the inpatient update for hospitals and many of the Medicaid expansions included in Gov. Ted Strickland’s initial budget proposal. House Bill 119 is currently in the Senate. The Board was updated on legislation expected to be introduced in May requiring pharmacy technicians to be licensed and pass a national exam. Staff also updated the Board on bills to provide new parents education materials on shaken baby syndrome, offer hospitals no-interest loans for safe lifting equipment, and exempt hospitals from security system licensure requirements. The Board also endorsed the Foundation for Healthy Communities’ support of legislation designating May and Nutrition and Physical Fitness Month.
OHA staff encouraged Board members to contact federal legislators asking them to oppose a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rule to reduce hospital payments by $117 million to Ohio hospitals.
After reviewing a draft of the 2007 OHA community benefit report, the Board received an update on the timeline to share the report with member hospitals and the public. The report will be available at the OHA Annual Meeting and publicly released in July.
The Board also discussed development of principles to guide OHA’s advocacy efforts on “never events,” which are rare, but serious medical errors, in addition to the progress of Senate Bill 120, legislation requiring Ohio hospitals to maintain emergency departments 24/7 and participate in Medicare. (Jim Castle, jimc@ohanet.org)
Hospitals’
Heartbeat Joan Gutierrez, LPN Staff Nurse – Skilled Nursing Unit Ashtabula County Medical Center Ashtabula
A look
inside Joan’s nomination –
© 2001-2008 OHA. Last updated
January 03, 2008. |
