Monday, March 24, 2008
Bill Makes Changes to Ohio Corporation, Property Tax Exemption Laws
Friday March 21, Gov. Ted Strickland signed House Bill 160, supported by OHA and sponsored by Rep. Danny Bubp (R-West Union). The act makes several technical, but significant, changes to Ohio's corporation and property tax exemption laws.

The act changes Ohio law to specifically allow limited liability companies (LLCs) to be formed for nonprofit purposes. A recent interpretation by the Ohio Secretary of State questioned the permissible purposes of LLCs and resulted in the rejection of nonprofit articles for new LLCs. In addition, changes were made to clarify the requirement that a county treasurer's certificate accompany all property tax exemption applications. The act allows the Ohio Department of Taxation to give applicants notice and opportunity to correct deficient applications and allows lessees and others to file property exemption applications. Finally, the language acknowledges transfers of tax-exempt property between a single member nonprofit LLC and its nonprofit member. The changes apply retroactively to applications pending or on appeal.

OHA worked with the Ohio State Bar Association and the Ohio Department of Taxation, which supported amendments to assist hospitals with the property tax issues. View OHA’s letter of support and view the act. (Mary Gallagher; Jeff Klingler)

Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Board of Nursing Rolls out Online LPN Licensure Renewal
Beginning with the 2008 licensed practice nurse (LPN) renewal, the Ohio Board of Nursing will utilize a new licensure renewal process. The new process promotes the use of online renewal and increases efficiency by reducing costs and potential errors and expediting the processing of renewal applications. All LPNs who are eligible to renew their licenses this year will receive notification by mail in April along with instructions on how to renew their licenses online. LPNs who do not want to renew their licenses online must submit a request for a paper application via fax, mail or e-mail. By using the online renewal process, an LPN can verify the renewal of a license through the Board’s Web site at http://www.nursing.ohio.gov/ in as little as three days after completing the online application. (Jean Scholz)

EPA issues emissions standards for hospital sterilizers
The Environmental Protection Agency recently implemented national emissions standards for ethylene oxide sterilizers, used by some hospitals to sterilize medical devices. The standards generally require hospital ethylene oxide sterilization facilities to sterilize full loads of items to reduce hazardous emissions. Exceptions include when central service staff, a hospital administrator or physician on duty determine that less than full load is medically necessary, or the sterilizer has an acceptable air pollution control devise. Find the rules at www.epa.gov/EPA-AIR/2007/December/Day-28/a25233.htm. (Rick Sites)

Wednesday, March 26, 2008
OHA Rep Testifies on Health Information Technology
The Ohio House Healthcare Access & Affordability Committee continues to invite testimony on House Bill 456, sponsored by Rep. Jim Raussen (R-Springdale), and OHA senior director Dan Paoletti testified before the committee today on health information technology. Paoletti testified that Ohio hospitals and other providers currently invest millions of dollars in the development of electronic medical records (EMRs) and the ability to exchange health information, but that the process is ongoing and presents certain challenges. He noted the large price tag involved in developing this capability statewide, the need to address compatibility between different technologies and the importance of assisting small and rural providers with the financial impact of meeting new electronic requirements. Paoletti voiced support for certain provisions of HB 456, including the creation of a Health Information Technology Advisory Board. But he questioned the bill’s mandate that all counties have the ability to submit EMRs for Medicaid recipients by 2015, citing the financial implications to both providers and the public. View the complete testimony.

Also testifying at today’s hearing were Brian Keaton, MD, Summa Health System and Northeast Ohio Regional Health Information Organization; Trudi Matthews, HealthBridge; Fred Richards, HTP, Inc.; and Jeff Smith, Ohio State Medical Association.

Seminars on Tobacco Cessation for Clinicians Offered in Columbus
OhioHealth is offering two half-day seminars for clinicians on tobacco cessation April 5 and May 3 at the McConnell Heart Health Center in Columbus. The seminar is designed to deliver practical skills to help motivate tobacco users to quite, use the best approaches to pharmacologic treatment of nicotine dependence and organize the office to deliver effective tobacco treatment services. The registration fee is $20 and nursing CME credits are available. View more information and learn how to register at http://rmhcme.com/MHHC_Nicotine_Dep_Invite.pdf.

Thursday, March 27, 2008
Governor Signs Health Care Simplification Act
Gov. Ted Strickland this week signed House Bill 125, the Health Care Simplification Act, which is supported by OHA. Sponsored by Rep. Matt Huffman (R- Lima), the bill contains a number of managed care contracting reforms and brings more uniformity to the contracting process.

Significant provisions include a two-year moratorium on the use of most favored rate clauses in new hospital contracts while a joint legislative study commission considers the effects of such clauses on the health care system. In addition, provisions were included to protect against unlawful silent preferred provider organizations and to prevent unilateral material amendments by health plans. Third party payers must provide a summary disclosure form with each contract and must make available certain information about the reimbursement methodology and payment terms. The bill was heavily negotiated with participation by legislators and interested parties, including OHA, physicians, health plans and employer groups and went through many versions between its introduction last year and enactment.

OHA is preparing a detailed analysis of the act for members. View a copy of the Health Care Simplification Act. (Jeff Klingler, Mary Gallagher)

Ohio Hospital Admissions: Caring for New Moms, Mending the Hearts of Older Ohioans
Ohio’s hospitals have more than 33,000 beds – but who is filling these beds and what challenges must hospitals overcome to ensure beds are available for the patients who need them? Ohio’s hospitals helped new moms welcome 156,952 babies in 2006, making childbirth the number one reason Ohioans were admitted to the hospital.Heart-related conditions, joint problems, pneumonia and rehabilitation needs also brought a large number of Ohioans to the hospital for an inpatient stay. These five conditions topped the list among patients who were directly admitted to hospitals in 2006.

For many other patients, an overnight stay at the hospital began with a trip to the emergency room. A large number of these patients also suffered from heart-related symptoms or issues such as chest pain, heart failure and other heart diseases, making this the number one reason emergency department (ED) patients were admitted in 2006. But among the 45% of patients who are admitted through the ED, pneumonia and chronic bronchitis were also major reasons for longer hospital stays. These conditions point to an aging demographic, with more than 42 percent of patients admitted through the ED at age 66 or older and nearly 78 percent at age 41 or older.

Hospitals are beginning to see the impact of the aging baby boomer generation as well as the growing obesity epidemic as the number of patients admitted for heart problems, joint issues and chronic disease grows. The number of patients admitted through the ED with chest pain increased 18 percent between 2004 and 2006. It surpassed pneumonia as the top reason for admission for the first time in 2006. The number of patients admitted directly to the hospital for degenerative joint disease jumped 26 percent in the same timeframe. For more information, read OHA’s complete March HealthBeat article.

Friday, March 28, 2008
Board Updated on BWC Settlement
At is March meeting the OHA Board of Trustees was updated on repayment due to hospitals as a result of litigation OHA brought against the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation (BWC) in 2005 for its faulty reimbursement methodology. BWC is behind on its planned time schedule, which will delay repayments to hospitals until late May or mid-June.

The Board was also briefed the Ohio Business Roundtable’s health care reform agenda, which is divided into five main objectives: life and health, economic efficiency, fairness and equity, citizen satisfaction and business climate. The Roundtable has identified 18 recommended opportunities to impact change, such as reducing obesity.

On the federal level, OHA staff encouraged Board members to share with their members of Congress hospitals’ three main goals to 1) enact a ban on physician self-referral, 2) protect Medicaid graduate medical education payments and 3) oppose legislation that would affect the Federal False Claims Act.

On the state level, the Board was briefed on OHA’s continued work on Senate Bill 120, which would require all hospitals to operate 24/7 emergency departments, and the recent passage of maternity licensure (House Bill 355) and nurse staffing bills (House Bill 346) through the House of Representatives.

The Board received an overview of the importance of this year’s Friends of Ohio Hospitals campaign, and of discussions and actions taken at the spring meeting of the American Hospital Association’s Regional Policy Board 5 meeting held March 13-14. The Board was updated on two of OHA’s seven strategic initiatives – Leadership and Quality and Patient Safety – and the 59 hospitals and five health systems that have committed to be a fit-friendly workplace. (Jim Castle)