Monday, March 3, 2008
Planning, Promotional Materials Available for National Hospital Week, May 11-17
Planning materials are now available to help hospitals prepare for National Hospital Week, May 11-17. This year’s theme, “Where Healing Happens Every Day,” honors the men and women who help make America’s hospitals the best in the world. OHA encourages hospitals to use this opportunity to thank caregivers and note the vital role hospitals play in their communities. The American Hospital Association offers promotional items with the 2008 Hospital Week logo and a planning guide with tips and activities to recognize the week. The top 10 activities include: health fairs, picnics, fun runs, open houses, seminars, golf tournaments, gift baskets, patient tray treats, decoration days and theme events.

National Hospital Week began in 1921 and is now celebrated in every state in the nation. To download a planning guide or to view promotional products online, visit www.imprintmall.com/hospitalweek.
 

Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Check Fine Print on Hospital Salary and Benefit Surveys
OHA warns hospitals that the Ohio Hospital Salary and Benefit Survey currently being circulated among the state’s hospitals is NOT the annual OHA-sponsored survey and is a product offered by an Alabama-based firm, Nicholas, Regan & Ross. OHA conducts a Leadership and Staff Compensation Survey each year, and hospitals will receive information on the OHA survey in June.

OHA’s survey provides the only comprehensive statewide hospital compensation information available in the state. OHA has conducted the survey for several years to gather information on pay rates and practices for CEOs and more than 100 other leadership and staff positions at hospitals statewide. Participating hospitals, for a set fee, receive copies of the report to help them determine statewide demand for positions and identify trends in pay, turnover and retention.
 

Wednesday, March 5, 2008
House Panel Considers Nurse Faculty Salary Proposal
The House Healthcare Access and Affordability Committee today heard testimony on a proposal to raise the salaries of new nursing instructors as a way to entice nurses to enter the profession. The proposal is contained in an omnibus state health care reform bill, House Bill 456, sponsored by Rep. Jim Raussen (R-Springdale).

HB 456 proposes increasing the starting salaries of new nurse facility teaching in public institutions, including:

• A $10,000 increase for individuals who begin teaching nursing classes for the first year of the bill’s effective date; and
• A $5,000 increase for individuals who begin teaching nursing classes in the second, third, fourth, or fifth state fiscal years after the bill's effective date.

In testimony, Mary Duffey, executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Health Council’s Workforce Center, thanked the committee for focusing on an important component of solving Ohio’s nursing shortage – the lack of nursing instructors. Duffey cautioned that the salary increase proposal, while a positive step in recruiting qualified nurse educators, could have negative unintended consequences, such making it more difficult to retain existing nurses, especially those teaching in private institutions, which are not included in the salary increase requirement.

In a related matter, this week Rep. Raussen, who also serves as committee chairman, released an agenda for committee hearings on other provisions in the legislation. Provisions of high importance to the OHA membership include:

• Charity care reporting requirements for tax-exempt hospitals, which is scheduled to be heard April 2 or 3;
• Requirements of hospitals to contract with all Medicaid managed care entities in their region, which is scheduled to be heard on May 14 or 15.

OHA’s Committee on Advocacy and Policy (CAP) categorized elements of the proposed Ohio CARE health care reform legislation into two tiers.

Tier 1 (OPPOSE):

• Tax-exempt hospital charity reporting
• Medicaid managed care contracting
• HCAP Medicaid managed care participation

Tier 2 (SUPPORT):

• Insurance coverage of losses resulting from the use of alcohol or other drugs
• Dental hygienist collaborative agreement with dentist
• Health Insurance Credit Program
• Health information technology pilot program

The committee decided to remain neutral or support but not actively lobby on the remaining issues. OHA will coordinate testimony on key provisions with member hospitals (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org)
 

Thursday, March 6, 2008
OHA Issues Second Request for Community Benefit Data
OHA this week sent a follow-up request for hospitals to submit 2006 community benefit data, including Medicaid losses, charity care, community benefit activities, Medicare losses and bad debt. The request was sent to the designated community benefit contact at each hospital and OHA asks that all data be submitted via a secure online survey by Friday, March 31. The e-mail request is being followed by a postcard request this week. Community benefit contacts who have not received an e-mail request should contact Charles Cataline at charlesc@ohanet.org or 614.221.7614.

The data will be used in OHA’s 2008 aggregated statewide community benefit report, which will be released publicly at a statewide news conference June 10. Hospitals are also encouraged to send community benefit photos and stories to Mary Sterenberg at marys@ohanet.org for possible inclusion in the report.

OHA Seeking Medicaid Managed Care Data from Hospitals

In a request today to CFOs and other hospital financial staff, OHA asked hospitals to complete a simple, monthly online survey on Medicaid managed care plan (MCP) performance through its new Medicaid Managed Care Plan (MCP) accounts receivable (AR) report system. The survey will assist OHA in its advocacy efforts and help OHA quickly respond to bill processing issues with MCPs. Hospitals are asked to complete the survey about accounts receivable for inpatient and outpatient cases at the first of each month, reporting data from the month immediately preceding. Using survey data, OHA expects to have the first report available to members on or about May 15. The survey is housed on OHA’s Medicaid managed care Web page, along with definitions and directions. (Charles Cataline; Berna Bell)

March 14 Union Seminar FULL – Registration Closed

Registration is closed for the March 14 OHA Center for Education program, “Unions & Hospitals in the 21st Century: Where We Stand in 2008.” OHA cannot accept any additional registrants due to space limitations. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. (Joe Ruggles)

Friday, March 7, 2008
CAH 25 Bed Limit Nonnegotiable
Two times this week critical access hospitals (CAH) in Ohio were denied requests for bed waivers to enable the hospitals to exceed their 25 bed limit in emergency situations. One dealt with excess capacity caused by flu. The other dealt with a weather emergency. In its response, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services stated it is not statutorily permitted to grant bed waivers to CAHs unless the Secretary of Health and Human Services declares an emergency. However, CMS intends to look at the issue more closely because it has received multiple requests for waivers because of serious health complications resulting from this flu season.