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Monday,
June 4, 2007 In a unanimous decision announced in late May, the Supreme Court of Ohio held that an administrative rule barring anesthesiologist assistants from performing epidural and spinal procedures is invalid because it conflicts with a state statute the allows assistants to perform such procedures under the supervision of an anesthesiologist. The Court concluded that in this setting, the term “assist” means “to carry out procedures as requested by the supervising anesthesiologist.” The case involved a suit filed by a licensed anesthesiologist assistant who sought a declaratory judgment and injunction to bar the State Medical Board of Ohio from enforcing a regulation adopted by the board in May 2003. The rule in question, O.A.C. 4731-24-04(A), specifically prohibits anesthesiologist assistants from performing “epidural and spinal anesthetic procedures and invasive medically accepted monitoring techniques.” The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas held that the contested rule was unenforceable because it conflicted with state statute. The 10th District Court of Appeals reversed the trial court’s judgment but after review, the Supreme Court agreed with the ruling of the trial court. Justice Judith Ann Lanzinger wrote the decision for the court. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org; Jean Scholz, jeans@ohanet.org) Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award
Karis
Glassco
A look
inside Karis’ nomination –
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
The six Hospital Wellness Partnership Grants are the latest from the foundation endowed by Ohio hospitals in 1994 to improve the health of Ohioans. Since its inception, the foundation, an arm of the Ohio Hospital Association, has awarded more than $1.3 million in grants to 116 Ohio hospital community health improvement projects.
Hospital
grant recipients include:
For more information, and to learn about the specific hospital programs being funded by the grants, visit www.healthycommunitiesohio.org/newsreleases/2007/060507.htm. (Mary Yost, maryy@ohanet.org; Maggie Williams, maggiew@ohanet.org)
Wednesday, June 6, 2007 Ohio Supreme Court Affirms Real Property Tax Exemption for a Nonprofit Charitable Organization Last week the Ohio Supreme Court in Community Health Professionals, Inc. v. Levin affirmed the Board of Tax Appeals’ decision holding that property used in furtherance of a nonprofit corporation’s charitable purpose and without a view to profit is exempt from real estate taxation. The Supreme Court considered that Community Health Professionals and its related nonprofit corporations provide services without regard to a patient’s ability to pay and that no patients had been denied services due to their inability to pay. The Ohio Hospital Association filed an amicus curiae brief and argued in support of Community Health Professionals’ position that the tax exemption should be affirmed. A copy of the Supreme Court’s decision is available at www.ohanet.org/labor/attachments/supremecourt0507.pdf. (Nancy Falk, nancyf@ohanet.org)
Thursday,
June 7, 2007 Space also remains for several special events and meal functions at OHA’s Annual Meeting but participants are encouraged to register early to ensure a seat. Gov. Ted Strickland will speak at an Advocacy Luncheon Monday, June 18, and Director of Health Alvin Jackson, M.D., will speak and present the inaugural David Hendershot Rural Health Promotion Award at the Leadership Luncheon Wednesday, June 20. View other meal functions at www.ohanet.org/annualmeeting/program/meals.pdf and register at www.ohanet.org/annualmeeting/default.asp. As a special offering for hospital leaders, OHA will host an ACHE Category 1 Seminar preceding the Annual Meeting Sunday, June 17. The program, Pay-For-Performance: Where It Came From and Where It’s Going, will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hilton Columbus at Easton. OHA members and ACHE affiliates can register for the one-day seminar for $575 per person. View a brochure with more information or register for the session at www.ohanet.org/education/ACHEP4Pbrochure.pdf. (Joe Ruggles, joer@ohanet.org)
Hospitals’
Heartbeat
Susan Marie Ciarlariello, MBA, RRT-NPS, RCP
A look
inside Susan’s nomination –
Friday, June 8, 2007 Last week the Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) proposed to update the Ohio Administrative Code and formally establish the current, cost-based outpatient hospital payment methodology in public rule. The adoption of proposed OAC 4123-6-37.2 would effectively stop the clock on any payback required as a result of OHA's successful legal challenge of BWC's October 2005 unilateral hospital payment rate change. BWC is moving to do exactly that, giving it the necessary time to design and implement a new hospital outpatient payment methodology without the ongoing financial burden of the lawsuit hanging over its head. The proposed rule can not affect any transactions that have occurred prior to its effective date, and OHA will continue to pursue outpatient underpayments to affected hospitals from Oct. 1, 2005, to that date, as well as any underpayments due back to affected hospitals on inpatient bills paid between Oct. 1, 2005, and Dec. 31, 2006. A special OHA Finance Subcommittee will consider OHA's response to the proposed rule next week. (Charles Cataline, charlesc@ohanet.org)
Hospitals’
Heartbeat
Betty
Scott-Williams, RN, OCN
A look
inside Betty’s nomination –
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January 03, 2008. |
