In this issue:
The Minnesota Hospital
Association would like to wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving. The MHA
office will be closed on Thursday and Friday in observance of the holiday.
Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait®
Last week, the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) participated in a press
conference at North Memorial Medical Center with the departments of Health and
Human Services, the March of Dimes, and a mother of two premature babies to
launch the Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait education campaign. The campaign
aims to educate physicians, mothers-to-be, and the public on why the last weeks
of pregnancy count. Important organs like the brain, lungs and liver are still
developing and a baby born even a few weeks early can have breathing problems,
and trouble staying warm and feeding. Already, 88 of 95 Minnesota birthing
hospitals have implemented hard-stop policies against medically unnecessary
deliveries before 39 weeks. MHA will continue to work with the remaining seven
to ensure they have policies in place.
The efforts already under way are working. For the fifth year, there has been a
reduction in the number of babies born too soon in Minnesota, earning the state
a B on the March of Dimes’ Premature Birth Report Card, compared to a C for the
nation. Yet one in 10 babies are born premature in Minnesota, evidence that
preterm birth remains a problem.
Ending early elective deliveries is just one area of perinatal safety that
Minnesota hospitals are focused on. On Dec. 4, a road map will be rolled out to
help hospitals develop a comprehensive perinatal safety program that includes
patient education and provider/nurse training on key areas to prevent adverse
perinatal injuries. The evidence-based best practices will be available to all
hospitals with support for implementation. MHA will also send March of Dimes
patient education materials to members to give to parents in birthing classes
and to distribute to your clinics. return to top
Managing medications can be a cumbersome process for patients,
especially those with multiple chronic conditions or who are managing numerous
medications. Understanding dosage, side effects and how medications interact
with one another can be confusing. Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato is
helping improve patient outcomes through its medication therapy management
(MTM) services. Read more.
return to top
MHA plans legislative
response
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has issued a new fact sheet
indicating that new diagnostic imaging accrediting requirements for hospitals
will be effective next year. The new requirement is the result of MDH’s
interpretation of legislation adopted by the Minnesota Legislature during the
2012 legislative session (codified at Minnesota Statute § 144.1225).
According to MDH, hospitals providing MRI, CT, or nuclear medicine services
will need to have their facilities accredited by either the Joint Commission,
the American College of Radiology, or the Intersocietal Accreditation
Commission before Aug. 1, 2013. State government health programs and commercial
payers would be prohibited for paying for diagnostic imaging services provided
by hospitals that have not met the accreditation requirements. These new
accreditation requirements are in addition to MDH’s own licensing and survey
requirements already imposed on hospitals.
MHA believes MDH’s interpretation as it applies to hospitals is contrary to the
legislative history of the new statute and the intent of the legislative
sponsors. Section 144.1225, as intended by the legislature, simply extended a
Medicare accreditation requirement contained in Section 135(a) of the Medicare
Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) which took effect
earlier this year and does not apply to hospitals.
Federal policymakers understood that hospital facilities were already subject
to a variety of accrediting and licensing standards and those additional
accreditation requirements would be unnecessarily duplicative. The federal
accrediting requirements apply only to physicians, non-physician practitioners,
and Independent Diagnostic Testing Facilities (IDTF) which submit Medicare
claims under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
MHA has indicated to MDH leaders that it intends to seek legislative clarification
during the 2013 legislative session in order to ensure that these vital
hospitals services are still available to Minnesota patients. For additional
information on the diagnostic imaging requirements, contact Ben Peltier, MHA vice president of legal affairs,
651-603-3513. return to top
A report from the American Hospital Association
examines hospital progress toward quality improvement and patient safety,
including reductions in health care-associated infections and adherence to
accepted treatment protocols. According to the report, the quality improvement
approaches used by hospitals typically involve five steps: identifying areas
for improvement; determining what process can be modified to improve outcomes;
developing and executing effective improvement strategies; tracking performance
and outcomes; and disseminating results to spur broad quality improvement. Read the report. return to top
The Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement
is hosting a free webinar on Nov. 28 from noon – 1 p.m. entitled “Value-Based
Care: Choosing Wisely and Eliminating Waste.” The webinar will highlight Choosing
Wisely, a multi-year effort by the American Board of Internal Medicine
Foundation to help physicians be better stewards of finite health care
resources. It will focus on five commonly used tests or procedures whose
necessity should be questioned and discussed. Register by Nov. 23 at http://bit.ly/Value112812.
For more information, contact cmyers@icsi.org,
952-814-7076. return to top
The Minnesota House of Representatives and
Senate have named their appointments for their respective Health and Human
Services Committee chairs. In the House, Rep. Tom Huntley (DFL-Duluth) will
chair the Health and Human Services Finance Committee and Rep. Tina Liebling
(DFL-Rochester) will chair the Health and Human Services Policy Committee. The
Senate has chosen Sen. Tony Lourey (DFL-Kerrick) to chair the Health and Human
Services Finance Committee and Sen. Kathy Sheran (DFL-Mankato) to chair the
Health, Human Services & Housing Committee. These are the committee chairs
that the hospital community will interact with most in the upcoming session. If
these legislators represent you, please reach out as soon as possible with
congratulations and an invitation to meet at your hospital.
If you have any questions, please contact Mary Krinkie, MHA vice
president of government relations, 651-659-1465 or Kristin Loncorich,
MHA director of government relations, 651-603-3526. return to top
Program helps keep patients
safe from influenza
The deadline to register your hospital for the Minnesota Department of Health’s
FluSafe program is Dec.
1 — less than two weeks away. As of Nov. 15, 85 hospitals have
registered to participate, but MHA’s goal is 100 percent participation.
F
luSafe is a program to recognize Minnesota health care facilities for
attaining high influenza vaccination rates among employees. It facilitates
friendly competition between health care facilities and supports thorough and
accurate tracking of influenza vaccination. Because of the public recognition
FluSafe participants receive participation is a visible way to assure your patients
that you are actively fighting influenza infection.
Learn more and register to participate here. return to top
In addition to the Minnesota Board of Nursing (see Nov. 12 Newsline),
six other state agencies relevant to health care and employment have posted
openings on their boards. The
Medical Services Review Board, Dept. of Labor and Industry is
specifically seeking hospital representatives. The board is seeking 15 new
members, including one hospital representative, one hospital alternate, one
physician, one chiropractor, and one registered nurse. The board advises the
Dept. of Labor and Industry on medical matters relating to workers'
compensation, makes determinations on inappropriate, unnecessary or excessive
treatment and may issue penalties for violation of rules following a contested
case procedure.
Other agencies seeking appointments include:
- Advisory Council on Workers’
Compensation, Dept. of Labor and Industry
- Rehabilitation Review Panel,
Dept. of Labor and Industry
- Board of Behavioral Health and
Therapy
- Board of Medical Practice
- Minnesota Board on Aging
Additional information
and applications can be found at the Secretary of State’s website. return to top
The Leapfrog Group is set
to release its second ranking of hospital safety scores. It is anticipated that
hospitals will be able to get a confidential preview of their letter grade
scores later this week and the public release will follow approximately one
week later. At this time, we do not have a specific date for the public release
of the letter grade scores. It should also be noted that due to changes in
methodology, hospitals that reported fewer than nine process measures will not
receive a score. This may result in a hospital that received a score in the
spring not receiving a score in this round. MHA is available to answer
questions about the Leapfrog rankings, and will pass along any information we
receive. return to top
Minnesota Hospital PAC contribution deadline
is Dec. 3
Hospital and health system CEOs should already have received a mailing from the
Minnesota Hospital Political Action Committee (PAC) updating you on progress
toward meeting individual goals for 2012 by Dec. 3.
While the 2012 election is behind us, a robust hospital PAC is important to be
able to support federal and state lawmakers. Your participation is critical to
conveying the important role hospitals play in their community.
To make your 2012 PAC contribution, please contact Ann Gibson, MHA vice president, federal relations and
workforce, 651-603-3527.
Minnesota Hospital PAC leaders would like to thank the following indivkiduals
who have contributed at a club level as of Nov. 14, 2012:
Ben Franklin Club —
individuals who gave $1,000 or more
- Kathryn Correia, HealthEast
Care System, St. Paul
- Alan Goldbloom, M.D.,
Children’s Hospitals & Clinics of Minnesota
- Ben Koppelman, St. Joseph's
Area Health Services Inc., Park Rapids
- Mary Maertens, Avera Marshall
Regional Medical Center
- Jennifer Mallard, Mayo Clinic
Rochester
- Ken Paulus, Allina Health,
Minneapolis
- Margaret Perryman, Gillette
Children's Specialty Healthcare, St. Paul
- Terence Pladson, M.D.,
CentraCare Health System, St. Cloud
- Al Schilmoeller, Mayo Clinic
Rochester
- Matthew Anderson, Minnesota
Hospital Association, St. Paul
- Lorry Massa, Minnesota Hospital
Association, St. Paul
- Ben Peltier, Minnesota Hospital
Association, St. Paul
Chairman's Circle — individuals who gave $500
or more
- Michael Baumgartner, St.
Francis Regional Medical Center, Shakopee
- Bradley Beard, Fairview
Southdale Hospital, Edina
- Joel Beiswenger, Tri-County
Health Care, Wadena
- Deb Boardman, Range Regional
Health Services, Hibbing
- Pat Boran, North Memorial
Medical Center, Robbinsdale and Maple Grove Hospital
- Jon Braband, Glencoe Regional
Health Services
- Craig Broman, St. Cloud
Hospital
- Sara Criger, Mercy Hospital,
Coon Rapids
- Bill Fenske, Rice Memorial
Hospital, Willmar
- Paul Hanson, Sanford Health of
Northern Minnesota, Bemidji
- Mary Klimp, Mayo Clinic System
in New Prague
- Frank Lawatsch, Swift
County-Benson Hospital
- Cindy Morrison, Sanford Health
- Sioux Falls
- Bill Nelson, Mille Lacs Health
System, Onamia
- Brock Nelson, Regions Hospital,
St. Paul
- David Nelson, St. Francis
Healthcare Campus, Breckenridge
- Keith Okeson, LifeCare Medical
Center, Roseau
- Jeffrey Peterson, Allina
Health, Minneapolis
- Nathan Peterson, Sanford Health
System, Sioux Falls, SD
- Stephen Pribyl, District One
Hospital, Faribault
- Tom Prusak, Essentia Health St.
Joseph's Medical Center, Brainerd
- Tim Rice, Lakewood Health
System, Staples
- Larry Schulz, Lake Region
Healthcare, Fergus Falls
- Marshall Smith, New River Medical
Center,
Monticello
- Randy Ulseth, FirstLight Health
System, Mora
- Carl Vaagenes, Douglas County
Hospital, Alexandria
- Jani Wiebolt, Essentia Health
St. Joseph's Medical Center, Brainerd
- Kimber Wraalstad, Cook County
North Shore Hospital, Grand Marais
- Tania Daniels, Minnesota
Hospital Association, St. Paul
- Ann Gibson, Minnesota Hospital
Association, St. Paul
- Mary Krinkie, Minnesota
Hospital Association, St. Paul
- Kristin Loncorich, Minnesota
Hospital Association, St. Paul
- Joe Schindler, Minnesota
Hospital Association, St. Paul
- Mark Sonneborn, Minnesota
Hospital Association, St. Paul
- Peggy Westby, Minnesota
Hospital Association, St.
Paul
Capitol Club — individuals who gave $350 or
more
- David Albrecht, Owatonna
Hospital
- Daniel Anderson, Fairview
Health Services, Minneapolis
- Ben Bache-Wiig, Abbott
Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis
- Stacy Barstad, Sanford
Westbrook Medical Center
- David Borgert, CentraCare
Health System, St. Cloud
- Chad Cooper, St. Gabriel’s
Hospital, Little Falls
- Thomas Crowley, Saint
Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Wabasha
- Dennis Doran, Cambridge Medical
Center
- Deb Fischer-Clemens, Avera,
Sioux Falls, SD
- George Gerlach, Granite Falls
Municipal Hospital and Manor
- Roger Green, HealthEast Care
System, St. Paul
- Mark Henke, Northfield Hospital
- John Herman, Fairview Northland
Medical Center, Princeton
- Jo Ann Hoag, St. Luke’s
Hospital, Duluth
- Chuck Hofius, Perham Health
- Dale Hustedt, Rice Memorial
Hospital, Willmar
- Peter Jacobson, Essentia Health
St. Mary’s Hospital – Detroit Lakes
- Beth Krehbiel, Fairview Ridges
Hospital, Burnsville
- Steve Laraway, St. Cloud
Hospital
- Loren Morey, Lakewood Health
System, Staples
- H. Daniel Odegaard, Bigfork
Valley Hospital
- John Porter, Avera, Sioux
Falls, SD
- John Rau, Stevens Community
Medical Center, Morris
- Marie Rose, Lakewood Health
System, Staples
- Mary Ruyter, Sanford Jackson
Medical Center
- Michael Schramm, Rice Memorial
Hospital, Willmar
- Rachelle Schultz, Winona Health
- Erin Sexton, Mayo Clinic
Rochester
- Mark Skubic, Park Nicollet
Health Services, Minneapolis
- Fred Slunecka, Avera, Sioux
Falls, SD
- Jeffry Stampohar, Essentia
Health Deer River
- Loren Taylor, Maple Grove
Hospital and North Memorial Medical Center, Robbinsdale
- Lori Wightman, Unity Hospital,
Fridley
- Michael Youso, Grand Itasca
Clinic and Hospital, Grand Rapids
- Wendy Burt, Minnesota Hospital
Association, St.
Paul
Hospitals that have met their PAC goal
- Avera Marshall Regional Medical
Center
- Cook County North Shore
Hospital, Grand Marais
- Essentia Health Fosston
- Essentia Health St. Joseph's
Medical Center, Brainerd
- FirstLight Health System, Mora
- Gillette Children's Specialty
Healthcare
- Glencoe Regional Health
Services
- Granite Falls Municipal
Hospital and Manor
- Lakewood Health System, Staples
- LifeCare Medical Center, Roseau
- Mayo Clinic Health System in
New Prague
- Mille Lacs Health System,
Onamia
- New River Medical Center,
Monticello
- North Memorial Medical Center,
Robbinsdale
- Northfield Hospital
- Perham Health
- Sanford Health of Northern
Minnesota, Bemidji
- Sanford Jackson Medical Center
- St. Cloud Hospital
- St. Francis Healthcare Campus,
Breckenridge
- St. Joseph's Area Health
Services Inc., Park Rapids
- Swift County-Benson Hospital
- Tri-County Health Care, Wadena
return to top
The Minnesota Hospital
Association (MHA) is on Facebook where we share hospital stories and help
spread the message about the high quality, safe care delivered in Minnesota’s
hospitals. We also keep followers informed of hot issues and conversations
taking place about health care. Like MHA on Facebook.
MHA is also on Twitter. Follow us here for the latest in health care news and
legislative and policy information. return to top