News Stories
Nov/14 - Former Minnesota hospital leader Richard H. Peterson dies : Nov 14, 2008
Before retiring in 2007, he led Seattle hospital
Richard H. Peterson, a former Minnesota hospital executive who went on to lead a Seattle hospital, died unexpectedly in his sleep Nov. 7 in Seattle. He was 66.
Peterson had served at North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale as well as at what is now University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview in Minneapolis.
A Minnesota native, Peterson inherited his interest in medical care from his father -- internationally known neuroradiologist Harold Peterson, according to a Seattle Times obituary.
Richard Peterson was a member of North Memorial's executive management team, and he was president and CEO of what was then Fairview Riverside Medical Center. While president and CEO of Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, Peterson is "credited with improving Swedish's finances and quality of care amid a turbulent decade of growth, acquisitions, unsuccessful merger attempts and a near revolt by the medical staff," the newspaper said.
Peterson retired from his position at Swedish last year after a dozen years at the helm, a Swedish news release said.
Nov/14 - Magazine names HealthPartners among top 100 best places to work in health care : Nov 14, 2008
SISU Medical Solutions also on list
Modern Heathcare magazine recently named HealthPartners Inc. of Bloomington one of the top 100 "Best Places to Work in Healthcare." HealthPartners was ranked No. 63.
The magazine also recognized SISU Medical Solutions of Duluth, a Minnesota Hospital Association associate member. SISU was No. 16.
A Nov. 7 Newsline article reported only that HealthEast Care System of St. Paul was listed. The system was No. 37.
Almost 240 health care companies participated in this first-ever health care workplace program by the magazine. To qualify, applicants completed a survey detailing organization policies, practices, benefits and demographics. Employees were also surveyed.
The Oct. 27 issue also included separate lists on providers, suppliers and payers. Details are available at www.ModernHealthcare.com/bestplacestowork.
Nov/14 - Second round of hospital quarterly DSH payments to be distributed Nov. 25 : Nov 14, 2008
Minnesota hospitals will receive their second round of the delayed quarterly disproportionate-share hospital (DSH) payments Nov. 25.
The Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) has been working with the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) in the last few weeks and has advocated for more timely processing and distribution of the scheduled quarterly payments. MHA has successfully advocated for the preservation of DSH funding mechanisms for years.
Two sources of funding will be used to leverage the amount of federal DSH revenue remaining available to Minnesota hospitals. One source is a federal match on General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) fee-for-service inpatient and outpatient services. That type of match involves a continuous claims process that extends throughout the year.
The second funding source is a federal match on certified public expenditure (CPE) monies, done in coordination with Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC). That kind of match is based on the filing of the HCMC annual Medicare cost report.
These payments will be recomputed each quarter because of certain federal limits. The first quarterly GAMC-related portion (for the July 2007-September 2007 quarter) was made to Minnesota hospitals via hospital Medicaid remittances in September. The next three quarters (October-December 2007; January-March 2008; and April-June 2008) are now calculated and will be distributed with the hospital MA remittances Nov. 25.
The quarterly payments related to the CPE monies are still being computed and DHS officials said they hope to have some of them ready before the end of the year.
For more information contact Gregg Redfield, MHA vice president of finance, at (651) 603-3536. MHA welcomes feedback from members.
Nov/14 - Minnesota receives waiver to cover low-income adults through Medicaid : Nov 14, 2008
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last week granted Minnesota a waiver to continue covering health insurance for 18,000 low-income parents through MinnesotaCare.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty made the announcement about the state's subsidized health insurance program Nov. 5.
Insurance for parents with incomes between 100 percent and 200 percent of the federal poverty level will now be funded through Medicaid, rather than the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The program extends through June 2011.
In exchange, the state will access SCHIP funding for some MinnesotaCare children who are younger than 19, a Nov. 7 American Hospital Association News Now story said.
Read details here.
Nov/14 - MAPS names 2008 patient safety award winners : Nov 14, 2008
Three hospitals, one individual honored for far-reaching contributions
Three Minnesota hospitals and one hospital professional were honored Thursday for their contributions and leadership in advancing patient safety in the state.
The Minnesota Alliance for Patient Safety (MAPS) named its 2008 Patient Safety Award winners at its annual conference. MAPS is a partnership among the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA), Minnesota Medical Association, Minnesota Department of Health, and more than 50 public and private health care organizations.
More than 300 health care providers, leaders and patient advocates attended "Road Maps to Patient Safety: Accelerating for Change" in Brooklyn Center.
The 2008 winners are:
Steven Kleinglass, medical center director, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis: Individual Leadership in Patient Safety Award
Kleinglass was recognized for his years of outstanding work to advance the culture of safety at the VA Medical Center. Kleinglass is committed to teamwork, and his personal dedication to patient safety has evolved to change a hospital culture. He is a well-respected and effective leader for patient safety throughout the state as evidenced by his service as chair of the MHA Patient Safety Committee.
North Memorial Medical Center, Robbinsdale: Process/System Innovation Award
North Memorial was recognized for improving organization-wide hygiene compliance from 38 percent to 90 percent. After an initial pilot identified a major patient safety risk for hospital-acquired infections because of hand hygiene non-compliance, North Memorial quickly moved to implement phase two of the pilot where the hospital's senior leadership designated hand hygiene as one of its top priorities in 2007. The second phase resulted in further development of a rigorous hand hygiene accountability system and the project was implemented throughout the hospital. Performance measures are now in place to maintain high levels of compliance.
Lake Region Healthcare Corporation, Fergus Falls: Dissemination/Spread Innovation Award
In May 2007, Lake Region joined the MHA's SAFE from FALLS Call-to-Action program. They used the opportunity to enhance their falls prevention program to improve patient safety, decrease length of stays and improve patient satisfaction. Through interdisciplinary process improvements, Lake Region's falls prevention program now goes beyond the inpatient and outpatient setting to incorporate the community setting.
University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview and University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, Fairview, Minneapolis: Patient/Family Engagement Award
The University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview and University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, Fairview, reduced infections in the neonatal intensive care unit. Parents were engaged to assist in the unit-wide initiatives, and the combination of prevention efforts resulted in a 30 percent reduction in late onset infections in infants with very low birth weights over the past two years. The multi-faceted approach included implementation of clinical best practices, improved hand washing among staff and parents, and the creation of a "sacred space" -- a clean, clutter-free area -- around the infants. Parents of former infant patients were engaged to create compelling parent education materials.
The MAPS meeting was the fourth such statewide conference designed to help the health care industry focus on practical applications, tools and solutions for patient safety. It included presentations by national and local experts on partnering with patients for increased safety; developing a culture of safety; creating rapid-response teams and numerous other key topics.
For more information Tania Daniels, MHA vice president of patient safety, at (651) 603-3517.
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