Friday, May 9, 2008
OHA Board Continues Health Care Reform Discussion
At its May meeting, the Board continued its discussion of health care reform, reviewing various reports prepared by the U.S. General Accountability Office as well as a reform template from the Ohio Business Roundtable (OBRT). The Board will receive a full briefing on the OBRT proposal later this month will discuss a draft work plan for reform in June.

The Board also was briefed on the implementation of quality measure reporting requirements enacted in House Bill 197. The Hospital Measures Advisory Council (HMAC) is overseeing development of an expanded set of measures hospitals will report to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) for availability on a public Web site. OHA and the Ohio Children's Hospital Association are working with State Representative Jim Raussen (R-Springdale), who sponsored HB 197, to clarify that all hospitals do not need to report all measures if there are measures that do not pertain them and to encourage HMAC to recommend only those reporting measures that are developed by four national accrediting organizations. 

 

The Board was updated on the status of the Hospital Care Assurance Program (HCAP) for 2008 and potential policy changes for the 2009 program. Many hospitals with increased uncompensated care and Medicaid losses may see a decrease in HCAP distributions in 2008 because of a 16-percent increase in preliminary statewide uncompensated care and Medicaid losses but no additional federal HCAP funds. In June, the Board will examine a preliminary HCAP model for 2008.

 

The Board received updates on OHA’s advocacy efforts on both the state and federal level, and the Board also reviewed the draft statewide hospital community benefit report for 2008, which will be released in a June 10 news conference at the OHA Annual Meeting. (Jim Castle)

 

 

Thursday, May 8, 2008
Senate Health Committee Passes Much-Needed Maternity Licensure Revisions
The Senate Health Committee yesterday passed legislation with much-needed revisions to current maternity licensure regulations. The committee also heard testimony on bills related to nurse staffing and pharmacy technician licensure.

 

Maternity Licensure
The committee passed House Bill 331, sponsored by Sen. Mark Wagoner (R-Toledo), which combines the two current sets of maternity licensure requirements to reduce regulatory burden and confusion, lower costs and enhance maternal and newborn care in Ohio. The bill is the result of collaboration between the Ohio Maternity Licensure Task Force and the Ohio Department of Health, and reflects the needs of large and urban hospitals as well as small and rural facilities. The bill now moves to the Senate floor.

 

Nurse Staffing
Barbara Nash, president of the Ohio Nurses Association (ONA), shared with the committee her support of House Bill 346, the “common sense” nurse staffing legislation support by OHA, ONA and the Ohio Organization for Nurse Executives. No opponent testimony was offered, however today the California Nurses Association did sponsor full-page ads in newspapers around the state urging readers to contact legislators in support of a soon-to-be-introduced nurse-to-patient ratio bill, which OHA will oppose.

 

Pharmacy Tech Licensure
The committee also heard testimony on Senate Bill 203, which would license pharmacy technicians working in Ohio. OHA submitted a letter opposing the bill, as little evidence exists to suggest that licensure of pharmacy techs enhances quality care and patient safety. OHA also opposes provisions in the bill mandating ratios of pharmacists to pharmacy technicians. (Bridget Gargan; Jeff Klingler)
 

Wednesday, May 7, 2008
OHA Files "Friend of Court" Brief with Ohio Supreme Court
OHA and the Ohio Osteopathic Hospital Association filed an amici curiae brief yesterday in a case pending before the Ohio Supreme Court. The case involves negligent credentialing lawsuits and is an appeal from the Williams County appellate court, which ruled that a plaintiff may sue a hospital for negligent credentialing even when the allegedly negligent physician is not a party to the lawsuit and has not previously been found responsible for injuries due to substandard care.  Oral argument in the case will be held later this year and a decision can be expected early next year. View the brief on the OHA Web site. (Rick Sites)
 

Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Registration Open for OHA Recognition Dinner June 9
OHA will celebrate recipients of OHA’s 2008 Health Care Leadership Awards and the 75 nominees for the 2008 Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award as part of the OHA Annual Meeting June 9, 10 and 11. All nominees for Health Care Worker of the Year will be celebrated June 9 at the OHA Recognition Dinner. OHA last week sent a congratulations letter from OHA President & CEO James R. Castle to each nominee, along with registration information and recognition materials. Hospital public relations contacts, the nominator and hospital and health system CEOs were copied on the letter. Hospitals are encouraged to review the list of nominees for accuracy of their names, titles, credentials and hospital.

Hospitals are encouraged to cover the cost of the dinner – $65 per person – for nominees. Reserved seating is available for groups of eight (8) or more for registrations received before MAY 27. Tables are set in rounds of 10 and can be reserved by hospital or health system. View a dinner overview, frequently asked questions, the registration form and recognition tips at www.ohanet.org/annualmeeting/Awards/. Hospitals can also register online. (Tiffany Himmelreich)
 

Monday, May 5, 2008
Joint Commission to Use Target Measures to Rate Hospitals on Quality Check Web site
The Joint Commission has announced it will use “target” measure ranges instead of national averages to reflect organization performance on National Quality Improvement Goals by January 2009. As hospitals continue to improve their performance on these goals, the bar continues to rise higher. Each target measure will have an upper and lower limit, the lower limit set at the national average unless the national average is greater than 95 percent, in which case the lower limit will be 95 percent.

The Joint Commission will calculate the performance confidence intervals for each hospitals measures and compare them to the target measures to determine hospitals’ rating on the public Quality Check Web site. On the Quality Check site, performance will continue to be illustrated by a star, plus, check or minus signs. A star equals 100 percent, a plus being above the upper limit, a minus being below the lower limit and a check being between the upper and lower limits. (Rosalie Weakland)