MHA to host hazardous-waste management training programs : Apr 25, 2008
Events will take place in mid-May in Baxter, Morton
Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) will host two training sessions on hazardous waste management regulations in May.
The programs will be held in conjunction with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). The first will take place May 20 at the Lodge at Brainerd Lakes in Baxter, and the second will be May 21 at Jackpot Junction Casino and Hotel in Morton.
The MPCA is scheduled to inspect every hospital in the state. The programs are designed to help MHA members prepare for their inspection, and the meetings will provide updates on regulations applicable to their facilities. The training will include a general session and break-out sessions geared toward lab and pharmacy personnel.
For more information, visit MHA's Events Web page. A user name and password is required; members may contact MHA Education Specialist Christy Brager at (651) 659-1412 to be assigned that information.
Meetings approach for foundation directors : Apr 25, 2008
May gatherings to take place in Detroit Lakes, St. Paul, Madelia, Virginia
There is still time for members to plan to attend Minnesota Hospital Association's (MHA's) upcoming meetings for foundation directors. The May gatherings will take place at hospitals in Detroit Lakes, St. Paul, Madelia and Virginia.
Capital campaigns and donor recognition are among the topics to be discussed.
Schedule
- Tuesday, May 13, Detroit Lakes
- Wednesday, May 14, St. Paul
- Thursday, May 15, Madelia
- Monday, May 19, Virginia
Register and obtain details at MHA's Events Web page. A user name and password is required - members may contact MHA Education Specialist Christy Brager at (651) 659-1412 to be assigned that information.
IHI group to host MRSA-prevention conference call for rural hospitals : Apr 18, 2008
Free event slated for 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 14
An Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) group will host a conference call next month aimed at helping rural hospitals combat Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
The Wednesday, May 14 free event is being organized by a division of the IHI's 5 Million Lives campaign. It is open to all small and rural hospitals, including those not enrolled in that campaign.
The call will feature IHI Director Fran Griffin and a campaign "mentor" hospital. Attendees may also want to view the IHI's MRSA infection-reduction "tool kit" at www.ihi.org/IHI/Programs/Campaign/MRSAInfection.htm.
The one-hour event will begin at 1 p.m. To register, dial (866) 450-8367 and use the personal identification number 4544685.
Additional resources related to to MRSA prevention and control can be found on the Minnesota Department of Health's Web site here.
For more information, contact Tania Daniels, MHA vice president of patient safety, at (651) 603-3517.
MHA/Joint Commission program to cover accreditation issues for hospitals : Apr 11, 2008
Session set for Wednesday, June 4
Minnesota Hospital Association will host a Joint Commission-sponsored education program on hospital accreditation issues Wednesday, June 4. The Bloomington event will provide a one-day overview of the changes to Joint Commission accreditation requirements that will soon affect facilities.
Joint Commission presenters will review new and revised standards and elements of performance, including the National Patient Safety Goals. They will also share suggestions on ways to successfully implement strategies for complying with the newest requirements.
Lastly, Joint Commission representatives will prepare attendees for the 2009 updates on the progress of the Standards Improvement Project, as well as scoring changes for 2009.
For more information, visit the MHA Events page and log-in to register.
County government group visits Twin Cities hospitals : May 09, 2008
Regions, HCMC hosted presentations
A National Association of Counties (NACo) group visited the Twin Cities this week to learn first-hand about the governance, financial and service structures of county hospitals and hospitals affiliated with counties.
St. Paul's Regions Hospital was among those that hosted the association's hospital task force from May 7-9. Activities also included visits to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis and presentations on policy and other issues. One talk covered the public-hospital response to the Interstate 35W bridge collapse last summer, for example.
RiverView Health launches women's health resource program : Apr 25, 2008
RiverView Health in Crookston is kicking off a new program designed to connect women with information about health and health-care services and programs.
My New View - A Health Connection for Women will collect information from females on their unique health interests, personal health concerns and history, as well as their personal demographic information, a hospital news release said.
"Based on information collected from My New View membership, RiverView will help women gets answers to their health and wellness questions and meet their individual medical needs," it said. "My New View will provide features that take advantage of the convenience of the Internet, but will also offer opportunities for those less technology-savvy."
Those interested in becoming members are asked to call (218) 281-9405.
Nominate a Minnesota rural health hero or team : Apr 18, 2008
Entries due Friday, May 2
Each year the Minnesota Rural Health Conference honors one outstanding individual and one team in the field of rural health. Nominations this year are due Friday, May 2.
Details are online at www.health.state.mn.us/divs/orhpc/conf/2008/award.html.
Awards will be presented June 23-24 in Duluth at the Minnesota Critical Access Hospital and Rural Health Conference: Engaging Communities & Transforming Health Care.
The agenda, lodging information, exhibit and sponsorship details are at www.health.state.mn.us/divs/orhpc/conf/2008/index.html. Prospective attendees may also obtain information from the Rural Health Resource Center at (218) 727-9390 or via e-mail.
Minnesota health-care communications group accepting entries to annual awards competition : Apr 04, 2008
MHSCN contest entries due June 1
A Minnesota health-care communications group is accepting entries through June 1 to its annual awards competition.
The Minnesota Health Strategy & Communications Network (MHSCN) contest recognizes excellence in research, planning, marketing, communications, public relations and community relations. Many members of the professional-development organization are Minnesota Hospital Association members.
"The Beacon Awards are a great opportunity for Minnesota health communications professionals to gain industry recognition for the outstanding work they've done," said MHSCN President Susan Mau Larson, who is public affairs director for LifeSource, an organ and tissue donation organization based in St. Paul. "These awards showcase the many individuals who have implemented innovative and successful programs which have positively impacted the mission of their organizations."
Project categories range from crisis communications to integrated marketing campaigns. Winning entries will be recognized at the organization's July conference, and judges' feedback will be provided to all entrants.
The program is open to both MHSCN members and non-members. Non-members must pay an additional $25 membership fee, beyond the regular $25 entry fee. Projects completed on behalf of a member -- such as by an ad agency -- qualify as member entries.
To apply, contestants fill out a one-page form and write a two-page narrative describing their project. Projects must have been completed within the last two years. The application form and other details are available at http://mhscn.com/?page_id=13.
For other information, contact Martha Parsons, MHSCN awards chairwoman and MHA communication specialist/writer, at (651) 603-3495.
Cherokee Uniforms' awards program approaches : Feb 29, 2008
Nominations for outstanding health-care professionals
accepted March 1 - May 31
From March 1-May 31, Cherokee Uniforms will accept nominations for its 2008 national contest honoring health-care professionals.
Under the uniform company's "Inspired Comfort Awards" recognizing exceptional "service, sacrifice and innovation":
Winners will be announced in September. Obtain nomination forms at www.CherokeeUniforms.com. Candidates may be nominated in two of the following categories but can only win in one: Registered Nurses (RNs); Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs); Licensed Practical Nurses/Licensed Vocational Nurses (LPNs/LVNs); students enrolled in schools of nursing; and other non-physician health-care professionals.
For every nominee, Cherokee will donate to Nurses House, a national fund that provides financial assistance to registered nurses facing serious hardship, a company news release said.
Reduced-rate European trips offered to members : Feb 11, 2008
Following are reduced-rate European trips that Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) and Go Next will provide members this year:
Optional excursions are offered for all programs. All members and their employees, board members, volunteers, family and friends are eligible to receive the lower rates. Visit www.gonext.com for more information, and click on the "Brochure Request" link to order brochures.
All spring rates are per-person, double occupancy, plus taxes, and include air transportation from Minneapolis/St. Paul. The fall September/October prices are for the land program only - airfare from Minneapolis/St. Paul is extra.
Exhibit tells stories of 150 years of Minneapolis hospital care : May 09, 2008
HCMC exhibit, opened May 6, honors Minnesota's 150th birthday, nurses
A newly opened hospital exhibit tells the stories of 150 years of health care in Minneapolis.
Created in honor of Minnesota's 150th birthday and National Nurses Week (May 6-12), the Hennepin County Medical Center History Museum displays include old photos, medical instruments, nurses uniforms and maps of former hospital sites. All together, the artifacts help show how health care has evolved in the last century and a half, Collections Manager Suzanne Fischer said.
"I think people can take away some lessons on what forced hospitals to change and what they can do in the future," she said. "We hope to spark some questions and discussions in peoples' minds."
For example, documents discuss the effect on hospital care in the 1970s, when all of the nursing schools in Minneapolis closed.
A $1,000 grant from the Minnesota Sesquicentennial Commission supported the project, which the Metropolitan Medical Center Historical Library also helped develop. The exhibit opened May 6. It will be on view until the end of June.
For more information, contact Fischer at (612) 873-9808 or visit www.hcmc.org/a_z/museums.htm.
Long Prairie receives outpatient bariatric surgery accreditation : May 05, 2008
Long Prairie Memorial Hospital has been approved as an accredited outpatient bariatric surgery center by a program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
Such accredited centers perform the laparascopic adjustable gastric band procedure, also known as gastric bands or lap bands, to address obesity. To achieve the designation, the hospital met criteria of the ACS's Bariatric Surgery Center Network (BSCN) Accreditation Program, the hospital announced April 21.
Mankato hospital wins one of five Minnesota 'psychologically healthy workplace' awards : May 05, 2008
Immanuel St. Joseph's lauded for programs promoting "respectful" communication, employee health
Immanuel St. Joseph's - Mayo Health System of Mankato was one of five Minnesota organizations to win a "psychologically healthy workplace award" from the Minnesota Psychological Association.
The hospital was recognized April 25 in Minneapolis partly because of its training program that fosters employee involvement and employee growth and development, a hospital news release said. "Crucial Conversations" encourages every employee to complete an intensive 12-hour course on "respectful communication that invites dialogue."
About 600 employees have completed the training, which appears to have helped in many ways, Chief Communications Officer Kevin J. Burns said in an interview.
First of all, 60 percent of the hospital's adverse health events occur at least partly because of a communication breakdown, he said. Therefore, it's likely that improving communications bolsters AHE prevention efforts, though data gauging that theory hasn't been gathered.
The initiative also has made "hand-offs" of patient care information more efficient, Burns said, and it's helping employees learn ways to hold one another more accountable.
Immanuel St. Joseph's also was recognized for its employee health assistance program and other initiatives, he said.
Other recipients of the psychologically healthy workplace awards were Orion Associates, Beehive PR, Loft Literary Center and the Women in Construction Training Program.
Detroit Lakes hospital, clinic announce affiliation : Apr 18, 2008
Organizations adopt new name -- St. Mary's Innovis Health
Detroit Lakes' hospital and an adjoining clinic announced this week they have formed an affiliation that will mean operating under a single, integrated management system.
St. Mary's Regional Health Center and Innovis Health Detroit Lakes -- formerly Dakota Clinic -- will now be known together as St. Mary's Innovis Health.
A change does not seem surprising given that in January the clinic's parent company, Fargo, N.D-based Innovis Health, became integrated with the hospital's parent company, Duluth-based Essentia Health. Essentia is now the parent of St. Mary's Innovis Health. Five additional organizations, such as a skilled nursing facility, will remain under the Essentia umbrella and will also be part of the new entity.
"As we combine various departments and services together, it will create both efficiencies and opportunities for growth ..." said Tom Thompson, who had been CEO of the hospital and will now serve as CEO of St. Mary's Innovis Health. "Our integration enables us to ... expand the scope of services provided locally and more effectively develop and deploy quality initiatives throughout our organization."
Until January, the hospital had been owned by Duluth-based Benedictine Health System (BHS). At that time, BHS split its nursing home services off from its hospitals and clinics. BHS' acute-care operations then became part of the newly formed Essentia Community Hospitals and Clinics (ECHC). ECHC is part of Essentia Health.
BHS' long-term-care facilities are sponsored by the Benedictine Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery and the Detroit Lakes hospital will remain sponsored by Benedictine, Thompson said.
Under another part of the change, Dr. Abigail K. Ring will join Thompson in a peer relationship as chief medical officer. That type of leadership structure, also used at Mayo Clinic and SMDC Health System, is designed to ensure that a physician leader and an administration leader work closely together for the overall good of the organization and its patients, Thompson said.
The new St. Mary's Innovis Health will be represented by a new green-and-blue globe-shaped logo designed to serve as a reminder to take care of the planet. A corresponding new Web site has been launched at www.trustedcareforlife.org.
The affiliation, announced Thursday, April 3, will be finalized legally by this summer, Thompson said.
System tracks Twin Cities health-care job vacancy picture : Feb 02, 2007
Hospitals are urged to take part in free program
A system that tracks the health-care job vacancy picture in the Twin Cities is helping tailor educational offerings to employers' needs. The Minnesota Hospital Association encourages members to get involved.
The system, managed by Minneapolis nonprofit Project for Pride in Living through a city of Minneapolis grant, provides a quarterly snapshot of where the health-care jobs are in the metro area alone. That information isn't available elsewhere, organizers say. The "matrix" also indirectly links job seekers with employers.
And it's free.
It works like this: Participating hospitals, nursing homes and other health-care organizations send Project for Pride in Living details about their vacancies, including duration of vacancies and job qualifications. Composite information is then compiled and shared with the health-care providers and participating local colleges via spreadsheet.
"Employers report the level of difficulty they have in filling the jobs," said Cindy Bloom, PPL health careers partnership project coordinator. "If they list a four or a five, my ears perk up because it means there aren't enough [qualified] people out there.
"The colleges can get a sense of which employer does the most hiring on that job title," she added. "They use the information to tweak their curriculum right away. That addresses the employer need in a relatively short period of time."
For example, at one point findings showed persistent openings for central service technicians and electro neural diagnostic technicians. That knowledge spurred the Minneapolis Community and Technical College to begin offering courses in those fields.
Job counselors surveyed about the value of the 2 1/2-year-old initiative reported that between January 2006 and last fall, 33 people were referred for open positions at participating employers. Eight were referred to specific schools.
Organizations beyond city limits may take part if they are accessible to Minneapolis by public transit. About 20 health-care providers and 20 colleges participate now.
Overall, the matrix data confirm the conventional wisdom that nurses are in shortest supply. Others in high demand: nurses with master's degrees, lab workers and radiology specialists. The data also show that many metro job seekers need remedial reading and math education.
For more information, contact Bloom at (612) 455-5312 or Cindy Bloom.
MHA board approves six new associate members : May 05, 2008
The Minnesota Hospital Association Board of Directors on Friday, April 25 approved the following six companies for associate membership:
Associate members are given the first opportunity to sponsor educational events for MHA members throughout the year. Through partnering with MHA and its members, associate members help promote high-quality health care in Minnesota.
CAH rural health conference set for June 23-24 : Jan 02, 2008
The 2008 Minnesota Critical Access Hospital and Rural Health Conference will take place June 23-24 in Duluth.
The gathering, with the theme "Engaging Communities and Transforming Health Care," will be at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center. For more information visit www.health.state.mn.us/divs/orhpc/conf/.
U.S. House votes to delay Medicaid cuts another year : Apr 25, 2008
In a bipartisan move, Minnesota's entire House delegation votes in favor
The U.S. House voted Wednesday, April 23 to extend by another year a moratorium on proposed significant cuts to Medicaid. In a bipartisan effort, Minnesota's entire House delegation supported the measure.
Gaining support for the Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008 was a top priority of Minnesota Hospital Association member and staff visits with the Minnesota congressional delegation earlier this month in Washington D.C.
The legislation, H.R. 5613, would delay Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regulations to cut funding to certified public expenditures, intergovernmental transfers and the graduate medical education program. The vote was 349-62.
Without final congressional action, the current one-year moratorium on the CMS rules will expire May 25.
Minnesota Reps. Michelle Bachmann (R), Keith Ellison (D), John Kline (R), Betty McCollum (D), Jim Oberstar (D), Collin Peterson (D), Jim Ramstad (R), and Tim Walz (D) all voted in favor of the bill.
Minnesota Sens. Norm Coleman (R) and Amy Klobuchar (D) also have supported extending the moratorium. The next step is for the Senate to take action on the measure.
For more information contact Ann Gibson, MHA director of federal relations, at (651) 603-3527. MHA welcomes feedback from members.
Proposed rule for inpatient rehabilitation facilities released : Apr 25, 2008
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rule for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRF) was released Monday, April 21.
The proposal would implement several key provisions of the Medicare, Medicaid, and S-CHIP Extension Act, which provided relief from the 75-Percent Rule, an American Hospital Association (AHA) bulletin said. The rule is for fiscal year 2009.
Following are some of the main provisions of the measure:
75-Percent Rule:
2009 Standard Payment:
Comments on the proposed rule are due to CMS by Friday, June 20. A copy of the display version of the proposed rule is available here.
For more information, contact Gregg Redfield, MHA vice president of finance, at (651) 603-3536. MHA welcomes feedback from members.
U.S. House committee passes bill extending Medicaid moratorium : Apr 18, 2008
A U.S. House committee this week approved a bill that would extend by one year a moratorium on federal plans to significantly cut Medicaid. A current moratorium on such cuts expires next month.
The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee approved H.R. 5613 on Wednesday, April 16. The Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008 would stall cuts to certified public expenditures, intergovernmental transfers and the graduate medical education program.
Gaining support for the moratorium legislation was a top priority of Minnesota Hospital Association members and staff during their visits with Minnesota's congressional delegation last week in Washington D.C. Minnesota Reps. Keith Ellison (D), Betty McCollum (D), Jim Oberstar (D), Jim Ramstad (R) and Tim Walz (D) have all co-sponsored the bill.
The measure could go to the House floor for a vote as early as next week. Without congressional action, the current moratorium will expire May 25.
The planned reductions are part of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations.
For more information contact Ann Gibson, MHA director of federal relations, at (651) 603-3527.
Proposed IPPS rule would raise payments 3 percent for hospitals reporting additional quality measures : Apr 18, 2008
CMS proposal, released this week, would apply in fiscal year 2009
The 2009 hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) proposed rule calls for a 3-percent marketbasket update for hospitals that report data for 30 selected quality measures.
The proposal, issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Monday, April 14, would apply to fiscal year 2009. Hospitals that do not submit that information would instead receive a 1-percent update.
View the document at http://tinyurl.com/6fzkzj.
In the rule, CMS also calls for expanding to 72 the number of quality measures hospitals must report on in fiscal year 2010. Many of those quality measures have not been endorsed by the National Quality Forum nor adopted by the Hospital Quality Alliance, according to an April 14 American Hospital Association "News Now" article.
Other points in the rule call for:
Comments on the proposed rule will be accepted until Friday, June 13. The final rule will be released by Friday, Aug. 1. Its policies and payment rates will take effect Wednesday, Oct. 1.
For more information, contact Gregg Redfield, MHA vice president of finance, at (651) 603-3536. (651) 603-3536.
Fact sheets on MHA federal policy priorities now online : Apr 18, 2008
Documents outline positions on patient safety and quality,
Medicare and Medicaid financing and more
Fact sheets on Minnesota Hospital Association's (MHA's) federal policy priorities are now online. The documents can be found on www.mnhospitals.org here.
The documents were prepared for face-to-face meetings with Minnesota's congressional delegation during last week's American Hospital Association annual meeting in Washington D.C.
The briefs outline the association's position on the following issues: community benefits; critical-access hospitals; health-care reform; Medicare and Medicaid; mental health; patient safety and quality; the Recovery Audit Contractor program; and work force issues. A one-page summary of Minnesota's transparency initiatives is also included.
For more information contact Ann Gibson, MHA director of federal relations, at (651) 603-3527.
Permanent recovery audit contractors to be assigned nationwide by late May or early June : May 09, 2008
Implementation to be staggered
Permanent recovery audit contractors (RACs) will be assigned across the country by late May or early June, federal officials said recently.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) auditing program is designed to identify improper Medicare overpayments and underpayments to hospitals. The initiative, which began as a demonstration project in three states, will be rolled out nationwide incrementally across its four regions. A permanent contractor will be named for each region.
If any permanent contractors were involved earlier in the demonstration project, training and outreach to the health-care provider community will begin four to six weeks post announcement, CMS said.
If permanent contractors did not participate in the RAC demonstration project, training and outreach to providers will begin six to 12 weeks post announcement. Actual audits of hospitals would begin four to six weeks after the training and outreach has been completed.
An evaluation report of the RAC demonstration project must be released before CMS will name the permanent contractors. The report is to be released in mid-May.
Minnesota Hospital Association will continue to keep members updated on the issue.
For more information about federal advocacy issues, contact Ann Gibson, MHA director of federal relations, at (651) 603-3527. For information about the RAC program, contact Gregg Redfield, MHA vice president of finance, at (651) 603-3536.
Legislative update: Week of May 5-9 : May 09, 2008
Budget news
On Monday, May 5 the budget conference committee introduced a compromise bill. The proposal included good and bad news for hospitals.
The good news is the proposal preserves the inpatient hospital supplemental payments, or disproportionate share (DSH) payments. Every hospital in Minnesota will receive new DSH payments, the amount of which depends on the volume of each hospital's Medicaid business.
In disappointing news, conferees opted to include a rate reduction for inpatient and outpatient fee-for-service Medicaid care. (The inpatient rate reduction was once part of the Senate bill, but it was not in the Senate bill when it went into conference committee.)
The inpatient rate reduction, affecting fee-for-service care for Medical Assistance (MA) and General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC), will be 3.46 percent in fiscal year 2009. In fiscal year 2010, the cut will drop to 1.9 percent. In fiscal year 2011, the rate cut will change again to 1.79 percent and will permanently remain at that level. Due to lost federal matching dollars, the total loss to Minnesota hospitals over those three years will be an estimated $48 million.
In addition, the bill proposes a permanent 3-percent rate reduction for outpatient MA and GAMC fee-for-service care, starting in fiscal year 2009. For fiscal years 2008-2011, the estimated loss to hospitals from that cut would be $2.3 million.
Lastly, the bill also includes a 14-month delay in Medical Assistance rate rebasing, which would take effect in March 2010 instead of January 2009. This delay will cost hospitals $85 million.
Work is complete on the bill, but it remains in conference committee. Once a final vote is taken in conference committee, the bill will be sent to the House and Senate floor for a vote.
Health-care reform
At their Monday, May 5 meeting, the health-care reform conference committee voted to pay for the new public-health initiative with money from the Health Care Access Fund (HCAF), instead of through a new tax on hospitals and health plans. MHA has strongly opposed the new tax.
Members also voted to use HCAF to expand MinnesotaCare program eligibility. Under one change, for example, MinnesotaCare's four-month waiting period for applicants will be eliminated. Also, income guidelines were eased so that families whose incomes are 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines would qualify (currently, the threshold for adults with children is 275 percent). Similarly, the income threshold for participation for adults who do not have children will increase from 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines to 300 percent.
Regrettably, the eligibility expansions do not include raising the $10,000 inpatient hospital benefit.
Funding for coverage expansion and new public health initiatives were two examples of spending decisions agreed upon by the committee during the May 5 meeting. The group, however, did not address policy language differences.
The conference committee continues to meet privately and to negotiate with Gov. Tim Pawlenty's staff.
Because a policy language compromise has not yet been reached, there is still opportunity for hospital leaders to express policy concerns they may have to their local legislators who can, in turn, share those opinions with committee conferees.
An important point to reinforce with legislators is that a new hospital tax is unacceptable. The conference committee's decision to pay for public-health initiatives through HCAF dollars, instead of with a new hospital tax, is the right approach.
House passes the Prairie St. John's moratorium request
The Prairie St. John's request to build a new psychiatric hospital in Woodbury was approved by the Minnesota House on Wednesday, May 7.
H.F. 3539 (Rep. Marsha Swails, DFL-Woodbury) seeks an exemption from the state's moratorium on new hospital construction. The exemption would allow the Fargo, N.D.-based mental-health care provider to build a 66-bed facility to serve patients age 21 and younger. The scaled-back approach - in both facility size and patient population - is different from the original proposal, which called for a 144-bed psychiatric hospital to serve all ages.
After the bill passed the House, it was referred to the Senate floor. Senate members chose to send it to the Senate Health, Housing and Family Security Committee. It is unclear how the measure will progress this session without a Senate companion bill.
Pawlenty vetoes patient debt bill
On Thursday, May 8 Gov. Tim Pawlenty vetoed a bill that would have prohibited health-care providers from seeking a patient's financial information prior to services being offered.
The bill would have kept providers from obtaining or using a patient's financial or debt information until after services were provided. The bill only applied to medically necessary services, products or devices and did not apply to solely cosmetic procedures.
For more information contact MHA government relations staff Mary Krinkie at (651) 659-1465 or Susan Stout at (651) 603-3526.
Legislative update: Week of April 28-May 2 : May 05, 2008
On Thursday, April 24 Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed into law the following two health-care related bills:
On issues of budget and health-care reform, conference committees held limited meetings this week. Capitol discussions indicate a health-care reform bill might be finished as early as next week. An April 11 article detailed many of the provisions of the two reform bills passed separately by the House and Senate.
For more information contact MHA government relations staff Mary Krinkie at (651) 659-1465 or Susan Stout at (651) 603-3526. MHA welcomes feedback from members.
Legislative update: Week of April 21-25 : Apr 25, 2008
Nurse staffing bill
On Tuesday, April 22 the Minnesota House Health and Human Services Committee held an informational hearing on a bill to establish mandatory nurse-to-patient staffing ratios (H.F. 3042, Rep. Erin Murphy). However, because the bill did not meet committee deadlines, the measure will not advance this session.
The same issue had been proposed earlier in the session but failed to progress. The bill on the matter was heard this week for informational purposes only, so that Rep. Erin Murphy (DFL) would have an opportunity to present the bill to the committee and to allow committee members the opportunity to ask questions.
During the hearing, two Minnesota hospital leaders testified against mandated ratios. Mayo Clinic Nurse Administrator Diane Twedell and Christine Milbrath, Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare vice president of nursing and patient services, spoke before the committee.
Later in the hearing, committee chairman Rep. Paul Thissen (DFL-Minneapolis) set clear expectations that nurses and hospitals should work together on the issue over the summer, and that the committee will listen to proposals on the matter again next session.
Revised Prairie St. John's measure passes finance division
On Tuesday, April 22, the House Health and Human Services Finance Division passed a revised proposal put forward by Prairie St. John's to build a mental-health hospital in Woodbury.
Under H.F. 3539, the psychiatric health-care organization would build a 66-bed mental-health hospital for patients under age 21. An earlier proposal sought approval for a 144-bed facility for all ages.
The Fargo, N.D.-based health-care provider seeks an exemption to the state's moratorium on construction of new hospital facilities.
During Tuesday's hearing, chaired by Rep. Tom Huntley (DFL-Duluth), the scope of the proposed project was changed through passage of a successful amendment.
The next stop for the request is the House floor. The Senate companion bill is not progressing, so it is unclear how or whether the issue will advance this session.
Budget and reform conference committees
Both the health-care reform and budget conference committees continued their work this week. On the budget issues, Gov. Tim Pawlenty said this week that he would consider using $125 million, instead of the $250 million he had originally proposed, from Health Care Access Fund dollars to patch the state budget shortfall. Pawlenty also stated, however, that other off-setting cuts would need to be found to make up the difference.
Legislative update: Week of April 14-18 : Apr 18, 2008
Health-Care Reform Conference Committee
Members have been named to the conference committee charged with reconciling differences between the Minnesota House and Minnesota Senate health-care reform bills.
Members are:
Sen. Linda Berglin (DFL-Minneapolis)
Sen. Tony Lourey (DFL-Kerrick)
Sen. Ann Lynch (DFL-Rochester)
Sen. Julie Rosen (R-Fairmont)
Sen. Kathy Sheron (DFL-Mankato)
Rep. Thomas Huntley (DFL-Duluth)
Rep. Paul Thissen (DFL-Minneapolis)
Rep. Jim Abeler (R-Anoka)
Rep. Kim Norton (DFL-Rochester)
Rep. Diane Loeffler (DFL-Minneapolis)
The first meeting of the conference committee will be Monday, April 21.
House passes extension to moratorium on
construction of new radiation therapy facilities
On a 103-26 floor vote taken Monday, April 14, the House passed a bill to extend until 2011 a moratorium on the construction of new radiation therapy facilities. The moratorium had been set to expire in 2009.
Previously, the bill called for a permanent moratorium.
Working off Senate bill S.F. 2667, the House amended the bill. The moratorium would apply to a 14-county area.
During the committee process, Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) submitted a letter supporting a two-year extension instead of a permanent moratorium. The Senate can either accept the House changes or send the bill to conference committee.
Auto insurance ethical practices bill
MHA staff worked with legislators to successfully amend H.F. 2721, a bill that would prevent unethical solicitation practices by medical providers seeking to provide care to auto accident victims. Hospitals had been concerned that the earlier version of the bill would have inadvertently limited patients' access to emergency-department care or to medical providers who had had a history of treating them.
Under the amendment, authored by Rep. Terry Morrow (DFL-St. Peter), hospitals and other health-care providers who had previously established professional relationships with auto-accident victims may continue to care for them after accidents without violating the new ethical code.
H.F. 2721 was approved 118-14 by the full House. MHA will now work with the corresponding Senate bill authors to accept the same modifications.
Minnesota Department of Health-sponsored bill on administrative simplification
A Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)-sponsored bill includes a provision to allow the commissioner of health to grant exemptions to the 2007 Administrative Simplification Law.
The 2007 law requires all health-care providers and insurance carriers doing business in Minnesota to electronically exchange health-care claims and other billing transactions using a standard form and coding.
The discussion to allow certain groups to have exemptions from the law stemmed from concerns raised by carriers of workers' compensation, property and casualty and auto insurance. Such groups said they need to exchange more information about claims eligibility than the state form requires or allows.
Therefore, H.F. 3372 allows the commissioner to grant exemptions. The measure passed the House floor Monday, April 14.
MHA will monitor MDH's use of exemptions.
McCollum praises Twin Cities hospitals' emergency preparedness as RNC approaches : May 09, 2008
The congresswoman also said proposed Medicaid cuts would harm ERs
U.S. Rep Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) this week said Twin Cities hospitals are well prepared to handle a large-scale emergency - an issue prominent as St. Paul prepares to host September's Republican National Convention.
At the same time, the congresswoman said, proposed Medicaid funding cuts would seriously harm all hospitals' emergency departments.
McCollum was testifying Wednesday, May 7 before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. She did so in part to clarify several points raised by a recently released committee survey on U.S. hospital emergency preparedness.
On March 25, the committee surveyed 34 Level 1 trauma hospitals in seven cities, including Minneapolis. The "snapshot" study was designed to determine whether the hospitals, on that day, would have been able to handle a public-health emergency on the scale of the 2004 terrorist bombing in Madrid. There, 270 victims were transported to one hospital in the attack that killed 191 and injured more than 1,800.
The study alleged that the amount of treatment space in the emergency room of Hennepin County Medical Center, for example, was insufficient to respond to such a disaster. HCMC's response to the study drew a distinction between day-to-day operating capacity and its ability to meet sudden increased demands for care.
During her testimony, McCollum said the survey gave an incomplete picture of Twin Cities' hospitals' preparedness.
She pointed out that emergency response capabilities will be significantly enhanced during the Republican convention thanks in part to a special $50 million appropriation from Congress. She also clarified that the convention will occur in St. Paul.
In addition, McCollum reminded the committee that Twin Cities hospitals earned extremely high marks for their response to the Interstate 35W bridge collapse last summer. The hospitals treated more than 100 victims.
HCMC, Regions Hospital, the St. Paul Police Department and the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) also submitted statements to the committee.
"Minnesota hospitals are ready," said the statement from MHA President Bruce Rueben. "While hospitals can't predict the scope and scale of a disaster, they can have thorough preparedness plans in place."
McCollum's full statement is available here: [PDF].
For more information contact Ann Gibson, MHA director of federal relations, at (651) 603-3527.
Patient ratings added to Minnesota hospital-quality Web site : May 05, 2008
Minnesota scores above national average
Results from a survey reporting patients' perspectives on their hospital care were recently added to a Minnesota hospital-quality Web site, providing one additional piece of information consumers may use when making health-care choices.
Unlike other quality assessments that measure clinical aspects of care, the survey asked patients how well doctors and nurses listened to them and how clean and quiet their surroundings were, for example. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey marks the first time such information has been available in a standardized, comparable format for the public.
Hospitals voluntarily implemented the survey with support from the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA), a public/private partnership that includes hospital associations, consumer groups, government organizations and others. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services oversees HQA.
Patients were surveyed after they had returned home. Hospitals are individually identified in the results.
Minnesota's results are available on the Minnesota Hospital Quality Report (MHQR) Web site at www.mnhospitalquality.org. Nationally, results from more than 2,500 hospitals made their debut March 28 on the HQA's Web site, www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.
A Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) analysis showed that Minnesota's participating hospitals ranked 10th nationwide. Minnesota's Bigfork Valley Hospital garnered among the top national rankings from patients who said they would "definitely" recommend the hospital to friends and family. Fully 94 percent of Bigfork respondents said "yes" to that question.
The following MHA chart reflects Minnesota's average scores in the 10 categories of questions:
Minnesota, national average scores in
Hospital Consumer Assessment
Source: Minnesota Hospital Association, April 2008 |