Monday, November 5, 2007
Physician
Assistant Rules Final
Final
rules for the expanded scope of practice of physicians’ assistants (PAs)
were filed last week and became effective Oct. 31. The rules came out of
last session’s Senate Bill 154, sponsored by Sen. Lynn Wachtmann (R
-Napoleon), granting PAs physician-delegated authority to prescribe a
limited number of prescription drugs and see new patients and existing
patients with new conditions, both of which were forbidden by state
law. Beginning in 2008, new PAs wanting to be licensed in Ohio
must obtain a master’s degree. PAs wishing to prescribe medications must
get a separate certificate. Additional detail on
prescriptive authority for PAs is available on the State Medical
Board of Ohio Web site. The
final rules, which do not include the formulary, are available on
the Register of Ohio Web site. (Jean Scholz,
jeans@ohanet.org)
Hospitals’ Heartbeat
A 2007 nominee for the Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award
Martha Harding, EMT-P
EMS Coordinator, Supervisor, Paramedic
Southeastern
Ohio Regional Medical Center
Cambridge
View photo
A look inside
Martha’s nomination
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Martha uses her
dynamic personality and dedication to the lives of this rural
community to continue to create a multi-faceted professional career
working for United Ambulance, advancing from EMT to paramedic, then
dispatcher, and her current position as billing supervisor. In
addition to coordinating training sessions for United, Martha is a
Basic Life Support Instructor. Martha devotes hours upon hours of
her own time to teach local health care workers, community groups
and young adults life saving skills. Martha volunteers as the
advisor for Southeastern Med’s Medical Explorers Program and will
soon be an instructor for the Safe Sitter Program. After being a
stay-at-home mother running a daycare in her home for 20 years, she
feels this comes full circle in making her life complete.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
CMS
Putting Initial Certification Requests on Hold
Under new guidance
from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), new providers
seeking initial Medicare certification should seek to obtain deemed
status by a recognized accrediting organization rather than relying on
an initial CMS certification survey. CMS considers new hospitals,
long-term acute care hospitals, critical access hospitals, hospices and
home health agencies as the lowest priority for certification. According
to CMS, its policy makes complaint investigations, recertifications and
other core work for existing Medicare providers a higher priority
compared with certification of new Medicare providers. The policy change
is driven, according to CMS, by a limited federal budget allocation.
Hospices and home health agencies, which have been increasing in number
in Ohio, will be most affected by the CMS policy change. More
information about the CMS priorities and a list of accrediting
organizations is available in a
CMS memo. OHA will continue to monitor the policy’s impact on Ohio
hospitals. (Rick Sites,
ricks@ohanet.org; Charles Cataline,
charlesc@ohanet.org)
Wednesday, November 7,
2007
Shaken Baby Syndrome Education Program Clears House
The
Ohio House of Representatives today passed
Senate Bill 144, sponsored by
Sen. Steve Stivers (R-Columbus), legislation that would establish
the Shaken Baby Syndrome Education Program within the Ohio Department of
Health (ODH).
Under the
provisions of the bill, ODH would convene a work group of child
abuse prevention advocates, infant care experts, maternity unit
directors that operate maternity units, obstetricians,
pediatricians and others to download the materials from the
department’s Web site and provide it to new parents. The bill
also establishes a tracking system whereby the state can monitor
the effectiveness of the educational program and revise
materials as needed through data reported by public children’s
service agencies. OHA supports the legislation. The bill now
heads back to the Ohio Senate, which must agree with some minor
changes made by the House before it heads to the governor for
his signature. (Jeff Klingler,
jeffk@ohanet.org).
Hospitals Invited to Reform Discussion
All Ohio
hospitals are invited to attend a stakeholders meeting Nov. 15
to discuss Gov. Ted Strickland’s health care coverage reform
initiative to provide health care coverage to 500,000 more
Ohioans by 2011. The meeting is in Columbus Thursday, Nov. 15
from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Ohio Department of Insurance, Lobby
Conference Room, 2100 Stella Court. The department has invited
other stakeholders to separate meetings including consumer
advocates, business leaders, doctors and other providers,
insurers and labor. Contact Suparna Bhaskaran with ODI at
614.719.1513 or
suparna.bhaskaran@ins.state.oh.us with questions or to
attend. (Bridget Gargan,
bridgetg@ohanet.org)
Thursday, November 8, 2007
House Health Hears From Hospitals on Nurse Staffing Bill
Nurse staffing
legislation received its second hearing and support from the hospital
community this week in the
House Health Committee. Linda Stoverock, chief nursing
officer and senior vice president for patient services at
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
in Columbus, testified in support of
House Bill 346 on behalf of the Ohio Hospital
Association (OHA) and the Ohio Organization for Nurse Executives (OONE).
Noting the unprecedented collaboration between OHA, OONE and the Ohio
Nurses Association (ONA), Stoverock told the committee the bill will go
far to ensure that all Ohio hospitals solicit input from direct care
nurses when making staffing decisions while ensuring that hospitals have
flexibility and can consider evidence-based, quality standards when
establishing staffing plans, which meets the goals of both ONA and
common goals of OHA and OONE.
Stoverock’s testimony is available on the OHA Web site.
Friday,
November 9, 2007
Hospital Survey to Help OHA Prevent Waste
In conjunction with an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant
received by OHA and Hospitals for a Healthy Environment, OHA’s
Environmental Leadership Council is assessing electronic waste
management and recycling in Ohio hospitals, the cost to the health
care institution and the environmental responsibility of the
electronic waste management program. The survey will help determine
how the EPA grant will assist Ohio hospitals in managing their
electronic waste stream. Hospitals are invited to complete an
online survey by Dec. 1. The aggregate findings will be shared
with the state and federal EPA and with hospitals completing the
survey. Hospitals will also receive a snapshot of Ohio hospitals
recycling contracts, both in terms of cost and environmental
quality. (Susan Zabo,
susanz@ohanet.org)
Hospitals’ Heartbeat
A 2007 nominee for the
Albert E. Dyckes Health Care
Worker of the Year Award
Sherry Milton
Patient Care Assistant, Surgical Intensive Care Unit
Southwest General Health Center
Middleburg Heights
View photo
A look inside Sherry’s nomination
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Sherry, patient care assistant in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit,
is a uniquely gifted associate in the eyes of her peers and
supervisors at Southwest General Health Center. She exemplifies the
virtuous qualities of a devoted health care worker and her
involvement and love of health care extends well beyond Southwest
General. She is involved with her church, regularly reads to
children undergoing medical therapy and participates in numerous
support groups. She is humorous, yet humble; relaxed, yet
industrious. A dynamo of energy, she makes life better for both the
people she works with and the patients she serves.
