Monday, April 28, 2008
Collaboration Trumps Competition: Hospital Partnerships Saved 746 Lives in 2006
Competition can be good – driving better performance and even lowering costs. But sometimes collaboration bears even more fruit than competition, and more than 80 hospitals throughout Ohio are joining together, sharing data and seeing life-saving results.

In 1999, the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) worked with the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association (GDAHA) to create the first collaborative hospital project in the state. Two years later, the initiative had reduced heart attack mortality by 36 percent, earning GDAHA the Joint Commission’s prestigious Ernest A. Codman Award. Since then, the seven hospitals in the Dayton area group have moved on to look at improvements in care for pneumonia, deep-vein thrombosis and MRSA,¹ and four other hospital collaboratives have taken root: the Greater Cincinnati Hospital Quality Improvement Project, the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association Quality Improvement Collaborative, the Central Ohio Quality Collaborative and the Northeast Ohio Quality Collaborative.

The number of hospitals partnering continues to grow and so does the number of lives saved. Data from just two of OHA’s hospital collaboratives show they saved the lives of 746 Ohioans in 2006, the equivalent of about 15 busloads.

The five quality collaboratives in Ohio are all built on an OHA model to bring key personnel from different hospitals together, including medical directors, to share how they care for patients with specific conditions. With their in-depth understanding of the medicine and processes involved, these scientists look at which practices achieve the best results among the different facilities. They combine the most effective methods into an optimum process that is then tweaked to fit each participating hospital.

View OHA’s April HealthBeat article to learn more about the life-saving work currently in progress through each of the five hospital quality improvement collaboratives. OHA commends participating hospitals for their spirit of partnership and commitment to quality improvement.
 

Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program Recruiting Volunteers
National Volunteer Week began Monday April 27 and runs through May 3, and the Ohio Department of Insurance is seeking volunteers for its Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP). The OSHIIP program is an education and advocacy program funded both by the state and by a grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Located in counties across the state, OSHIIP’s volunteers conduct individual health insurance counseling sessions and assist with health insurance claims filing, and educate consumers about Medicare, Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plan options, Medicare supplement coverage, certain Medicaid coverage issues, long-term care insurance and other health insurance matters. OSHIIP is especially in need of more volunteers in Ashtabula, Brown, Carroll, Columbiana, Coshocton, Crawford, Darke, Fayette, Gallia, Holmes, Huron, Madison, Meigs, Mercer, Monroe, Morgan, Morrow, Noble, Paulding, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Richland, Seneca, Vinton, and Wyandot counties. Each volunteer will receive a free, comprehensive training course and informative materials, including a monthly newsletter and update training sessions.

Learn more about available volunteer positions and access applications on the Ohio Department of Insurance Web site or call the OSHIIP volunteer hotline at 1.888.686.8657 and ask for Bill Friend.

New PT and Delegation Rules Language Take Effect May 1
Substantial revisions to current physical therapy (PT) rules, including language regarding supervision, delegation and the role of physical therapy assistants, will take effect Thursday, May 1. View the revised rules.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008
OHA Annual Meeting June 9-11 Welcomes Hospital Leaders, Caregivers
Registration is now open for OHA’s Annual Meeting June 9-11 at the Hilton Columbus at Easton. The 2008 Annual Meeting, Under the Microscope: Hospitals in the 21^st Century, gives hospital leaders and caregivers from around the state and opportunity to come together and share their experiences on topics ranging from community benefit to patient safety to finance – issues that will continue to receive the attention of legislators, the media and the public.  In addition to three days of educational programming, other highlights of the 2008 Annual Meeting include:

• Richard Umbdenstock, American Hospital Association president and CEO, will share how hospitals and community stakeholders can really make an impact on Ohio’s future.
• The OHA Recognition Dinner Monday, June 9, will honor the recipients of OHA’s Health Care Leadership Awards and the 75 nominees for the Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award.
• OHA will release its 2008 statewide hospital community benefit report at a news conference Tuesday, June 10.

Visit OHA’s Annual Meeting Web site to register. The site also provides information on programming, continuing education credits, exhibitors and hotel reservations. Print registration materials were sent to hospitals last week.
 

Thursday, May 1, 2008
New Report Examines Ohio Health Care Market
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services released a 2008 report on health care employment in Ohio, including labor market trends and challenges. The report gives hospital leaders and other stakeholders a thorough analysis of the current health care workforce as well as projections to aid in ongoing workforce planning. It shows employment in health care industries continues to rise, with little reaction to economic recession. In fact, four health care occupations are projected to be among the fastest-growing of all occupations: home health aides, physician assistants, medical assistants and diagnostic medical sonographers.

The report includes:

• Growth trends in the health care sector compared with total employment growth
• The number of new jobs and new establishments/organizations created by the health care industry
• Comparisons in the supply and demand for key health care occupations
• Regional comparisons of the health care industry, key occupations and vital training programs

View the report. (Jean Scholz)

Friday, May 2, 2008
Hospitals Lead the Way
Ohio hospitals and their employees continue to receive recognition for their impact on their communities. The Cincinnati Business Courier published a list of the Largest Tri-State Employers, with four Ohio hospitals appearing in the top 25: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; TriHealth Inc.; Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati; and Mercy Health Partners.

Columbus Business First honored Mount Carmel Health System, Columbus, with a Corporate Caring Award in the education category, in part for its partnership with COSI to share with more than 35,000 students in 32 states the message of how to reduce heart disease through the Electronic Education program.

The American Hospital Association presented OHA President & CEO Jim Castle with its 2008 Board of Trustees Award, and Tim Jakacki, president of Fostoria Community Hospital and Defiance Regional Medical Center, with the Partnership for Action Grassroots Champion Award.

Modern Healthcare magazine named Cynthia Moore-Hardy, president and CEO of Lake Hospital System, Painesville, and David Jimenez, COO of Catholic Healthcare Partners, Cincinnati, among its top 25 minority health care executives.

The American Organization of Nurse Executives Institute for Patient Care Research and Education recognized Cheryl Hoying, senior vice president of patient services at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, with its Prism Award. The award honors her leadership in recruiting and retaining men in nursing. (Mary Sterenberg)

OHA, Bricker & Eckler Offer Energy Bill Webinar May 14
OHA and Bricker & Eckler, LLP, will offer a Webinar about the newly-enacted energy bill May 14 from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.  View a flyer with more information on contents of the Webinar as well as registration information. All questions about the webinar should be directed to Megan Heiser at Bricker & Eckler.