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Strickland Speaks to Hospital Execs at OHA Advocacy Luncheon Gov. Ted Strickland spoke to hospital executives at an Advocacy Luncheon today as part of OHA’s Annual Meeting, outlining his efforts in the state budget, describing his ongoing health care goals and recognizing the importance of Ohio hospitals. Strickland praised the legislature for retaining budget language that will expand children’s health insurance to families up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) and a buy-in for Ohioans with disabilities. Though the legislature cut a proposed expansion of Medicaid to working families up to 100 percent FPL, the governor stated he will explore ways to widen access to health care coverage for Ohioans and said he looks forward to working with OHA to improve the health of Ohioans. The governor described education, the economy and health care as a three-legged stool. “They powerfully affect each other and if we only fix two, we’ll surely remain in a wobbly position,” he said. The governor voiced concern with the “unhealthy competition” created by the proliferation of specialty hospitals, saying he would like to see the issue shaped through a policy that levels the playing field both financially for hospitals and medically for the community. He recognized Sen. David Goodman (R-Bexley), the sponsor of legislation that would require all hospitals to operate 24/7 emergency departments, for his work on the issue. Gov. Strickland lauded Ohio hospitals as large employers and a vital part of the economy as well as an ultimate safety net for citizens. “Each is a treasured asset to its community,” he said. Thanking OHA’s Foundation for Healthy Communities for its prevention efforts, Gov. Strickland also said he seeks to increase funding for prevention, specifically to diminish risky behaviors, childhood diabetes and obesity. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org) Electric Utility Legal Guidance
Available
OHA presented Ryan Neville, OTR/L, MBA, CRDS, director of the rehabilitation center at Marietta Memorial Hospital, with the Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award yesterday at its annual recognition dinner. Ryan ignited the hospital with a vision that led it to become the second hospital in the state to be stroke accredited. Ryan also has been instrumental in developing several new services to benefit patients including a driver’s rehab program and Alive at 25 programs for young drivers. His commitment to the community extends beyond the hospital.
All 86 nominees were recognized and the four finalists were also announced: v Diane Simon, RN, CEN, nurse and trauma coordinator at Defiance Regional Medical Center v Marilyn Gesing, director of community outreach at Fairview Hospital in Cleveland v Jean Morgan, RN, BSN, FNE, forensic nurse examiner coordinator at Mercy Medical Center in Canton v Sherry Milton, patient care assistant for the surgical intensive care unit at Southwest General Hospital in Middleburg Heights
Several OHA Leadership Awards were also presented yesterday. For more information, view an OHA news release at www.ohanet.org/media/news_release/2007/awards061807.htm. (Tiffany Himmelreich, tiffanyh@ohanet.org)
CORRECTION: Electric Utility Legal Guidance Available Hospital representatives met at OHA offices on May 30 to discuss recent adverse actions taken by some of Ohio’s utility companies regarding such issues as back-up electric feeds and substation upgrades. The committee made several recommendations including that OHA provide basic legal guidance to hospitals regarding adverse electric utility actions. Such basic guidance in the technical area of utility law will give hospitals a better sense of their options when facing adverse electric utility actions. Pursuant to the committee’s recommendation, Tom O’Brien, an attorney with the firm of Bricker & Eckler, LLP, prepared a legal memorandum available on OHA’s Energy Issues Page at www.ohanet.org/energy/. (Rick Sites, ricks@ohanet.org)
Conference Committee Makes Final Decisions on State Budget The Ohio Senate last week passed its version of the biennial budget, and a House/Senate conference committee is now hammering out details as the budget is finalized. Both the House and Senate versions of the 2008-09 state budget support the governor’s intention to provide all hospitals with a 3.3 percent Medicaid update starting Jan. 1, 2008, and a 2.9 percent update in 2009. They both also expand Medicaid eligibility, providing health care benefits to pregnant women earning up to 200 percent of the federal poverty line (covering an additional 3,800 women who currently lack coverage) and children in families earning up to 300 percent of the federal poverty line (covering an additional 26,000 children who currently lack coverage). Word of a $200 million state revenue shortfall hampered new spending, including the supplemental Medicaid payments for trauma centers, rural obstetrics and critical access hospitals OHA advocated for in both the House and Senate. Customarily the conference committee only can consider issues already included in the budget, but some Medicaid issues may be under discussion pending new revenue projections expected next week. The Senate version of the budget also includes funding for the Ohio Department of Health to create a Web site to post hospital quality data, which hospitals are now required to report as a result of the passage of House Bill 197 last year. OHA will follow conference committee discussions, which are scheduled throughout this and next week. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org) Hospital Honored for Rural Health
Promotion The award was presented to Laura Ritzler, director of the hospital’s Positive Lifestyles wellness department, by Dr. Alvin D. Jackson, director of the Ohio Department of Health. The award presented to Fostoria is named for David Hendershot, a field director for the Ohio Hospital Association more than 26 years before his death in October 2006. Hendershot was a passionate supporter of Ohio’s small and rural hospitals and often worked with OHA’s Foundation for Healthy Communities to help provide support and resources to help those hospitals better serve their communities. Tim Jakacki, president and CEO of Fostoria, noted, “It is an honor to have known and worked with David Hendershot and an even greater honor to receive the first award in his honor.” Fostoria Community Hospital is a critical access hospital serving Seneca, Hancock and Wood counties. The hospital’s Positive Lifestyles department has been providing a comprehensive wellness program to hospital employees, local companies and the community for more than 17 years – long before such efforts gained current popularity. For more information and to view all hospitals nominated for the award, visit www.healthycommunitiesohio.org/newsreleases/2007/062007.htm. Hospitals’ HeartbeatA 2007 nominee for the Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award
Shawn R.
Thomas, LPT
A look
inside Shawn’s nomination
– Thursday, June 21, 2007 Hospital Rep Testifies on Physician Credentialing, Managed Care Contracting Bill The House Civil and Commercial Law Committee heard proponent testimony from the hospital community this week on legislation to simplify the physician credentialing process used by health plans and provide relief from burdensome and sometimes unfair contracting practices used by some insurers. Michele Napier, vice president of payor relations for The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, noted that House Bill 125, sponsored by Rep. Matt Huffman (R-Lima), would go far in simplifying the cumbersome and overly complex credentialing and managed-care contracting process for physicians and physician practices.
Napier also spoke in support of amending the bill to prohibit health plans from using most favored nation clauses in their contracts with hospitals. At times, most favored nation clauses have been inserted into contracts at the insistence of a dominant health insurer, and they have been used to prohibit a provider from agreeing to a lower price with any other insurer without also giving a better or equal price to the dominant insurer. “MFN clauses are just as patently unfair, highly discriminatory and anti-competitive to hospitals as they are to physicians and physician practices. Hospitals would welcome the relief,” Napier said. View Napier’s complete testimony.
OHA also is working to include hospitals in other provisions, including requiring more rigorous time frames from insurers to complete the credentialing process; prohibiting an insurer from selling, renting, or giving its provider network information to any other person; and requiring an insurer to make available on the Internet eligibility and coverage information concerning enrollees. Committee Chairman Scott Oelslager (R-Canton) indicated the bill will not receive a committee vote before recess, as originally planned, but should be ready for a vote when the legislature returns in September. (Jeff Klingler, jeffk@ohanet.org)
Hospitals’
Heartbeat
Ann Erdani Coughlin, RN Community Wellness Coordinator Euclid Hospital Euclid
A look inside Ann’s nomination – Ann's leadership skills were evident early on when she started the first cardiac rehabilitation center on Cleveland’s East Side. Since then she has been involved as a site-project coordinator in Heart Risk, a nurse manager on a Cardiac Step-Down Unit, and a paramedic instructor. Ann found her niche as the Community Wellness Coordinator, promoting health and wellness throughout the community and working with the American Red Cross to increase blood donations. She has been a board member of Euclid Bridges, North Shores Development Corporation, Euclid and Mentor Chambers of Commerce and a graduate of Leadership Euclid and Lake County. Ann has been involved in many leadership roles at the hospital, working on special projects including co-chair for the Geriatric Conference.
Court Rules Hospital Can Include HCAP Days in DSH Calculations In the case of Adena Regional Medical Center, et al. v. Leavitt, Civil Action No. 05-2422, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that Ohio hospitals are entitled to include Ohio Hospital Care Assurance Program (HCAP) days in the calculation of Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments. The Secretary of Health and Human Services has until mid-August to appeal. The district court decision arises out of appeals filed by several groups of Ohio hospitals that sought to include HCAP days in the DSH calculation. The appeals were originally filed before the Provider Reimbursement Review Board (PRRB). Following a trial in which Charles Cataline, OHA senior director, served as an expert witness, the PRRB ruled in favor of the hospitals and ruled that Ohio HCAP days should be included in the DSH calculation. The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services reversed that determination, and the matter was appealed to the federal district court. In its decision, the court determined HCAP days must be included in the DSH calculation because the Ohio HCAP program is part of Ohio’s state plan approved under Title XIX. The court noted that the DSH calculation must include all days “eligible for medical assistance under a state plan approved under subchapter 19 of this chapter.” The court further rejected the secretary’s argument that the DSH calculation should include only those days for patients eligible for Medicaid, because such argument is “inconsistent with the plain language of the statute and cannot be upheld.” Access a copy of the decision at www.ohanet.org/finance/061507courtcase.pdf. Direct questions about this decision to attorney Al Lucas at Calfee, Halter and Griswold at 614.621.7002. (Charles Cataline, charlesc@ohanet.org) National Health Care Quality Reports
Released The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that aims to promote a high-performing health care system, also released its first-ever scorecard ranking of states on measures of health care performance Wednesday. The scorecard is based on 32 measures of access, quality, avoidable hospital use and costs, equity and healthy lives. The results from the state scorecard are available on The Commonwealth Fund’s Web site or search for scores by state. (Rosalie Weakland, rosaliew@ohanet.org) © 2001-2008 OHA. Last updated
January 03, 2008. |
