Minnesota Hospital Association

Newsroom

April 02, 2013

MHA Newsline

In this issue:


U of MN School of Public Health course covers mold remediation and response

MHA to serve on advisory committee to select vice president for health sciences and dean of medical school at U of MN MHA President and CEO Lawrence Massa has been asked to serve on the advisory committee to search for a new vice president for health sciences and dean of the medical school at the University of Minnesota. The advisory committee is comprised of a comprehensive representation of health care stakeholders. The advisory committee is charged with advising and assisting the search committee in:

  • The qualifications, experience and leadership characteristics that will be needed in the new vice president and dean;
  • Assisting the search committee in sourcing and recruiting qualified and diverse candidates; and
  • Providing feedback on the final candidates during the public interview process.

As a member of the advisory committee, Massa will share the hospital community perspective and ensure that key stakeholders are included in the process.^top of page

MHA website offers a resource for students seeking job shadowing opportunities

MHA’s website offers a resource list of member facilities that offer job shadowing opportunities. Job shadowing is a career exploration strategy that offers individuals the opportunity to gain realistic insight into health care careers. Unlike interning or working, job shadowing entails mainly observation and is typically for a defined and short timeframe.

Job shadowing creates a lasting impression and is an excellent way to begin recruiting the health care workforce of the future. Students have the opportunity to see up-close and personal what working in a hospital is like and experience the variety of careers that are possible.

To include your facility on the list please email your hospital’s contact information to Nathalie Squire, MHA workforce project manager, or call 651-603-3540. ^top of page

MDH distributes draft Provider Peer Grouping reports to hospitals

MHA asking for a confidential copy of reports

As part of the state health reform law enacted in 2008, the Commissioner of Health is required to compare health care providers on their risk-adjusted quality and cost through the Provider Peer Grouping (PPG) system.

Last week, hospitals received their hospital-specific results from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) for the Provider Peer Grouping (PPG) effort. These results are a re-run of data that were originally distributed in September of 2011, so some of the data are from 2008-9. MDH plans to release a summary-level report — meaning no hospital-specific results — from these data within the next few months. Several improvements have been made to both the scoring of the measures and the information available to hospitals in order to verify the results.

MDH is holding two PPG webinars this week. The first will be for critical access hospitals on Tuesday April 2, from 3-4:30. There will also be an in-person meeting, with a webinar option, at the Wellstone Center from 2:30-4 on Wednesday, April 3. For information on how to access the webinars, visit www.health.state.mn.us/healthreform/peer/hospitaltotalcare.html.

In order to provide the best advocacy on this issue, MHA is asking that hospitals share their report with Mark Sonneborn, MHA vice president of information services. None of the data will be shared with the public or with any other hospital. Please contact Mark with any questions or comments.^top of page

Hospital representatives encouraged to apply to serve on state innovation advisory group

The Minnesota Department of Health will convene a new advisory group and is looking for representation from health care providers. The State Innovation Model Community Advisory Task Force will provide strategic direction and will guide decision-making to advance the goals in Minnesota’s State Innovation Model Testing proposal that recently received $45 million of federal funding. The State Innovation Model will focus on community and patient engagement, integration across the care continuum, and population health improvement. In particular, the state will appoint one hospital representative, one primary care provider representative, one specialty care provider representative, and one mental and behavioral health care provider representative, as well as other representatives from various stakeholder groups.

MHA supported the state’s application for the federal grant and strongly encourages members to consider serving on this new advisory group to help ensure that health care reform initiatives continue to foster high quality, affordable and accessible care for Minnesotans.

For more information, click here. If you have any questions, contact Matt Anderson, MHA vice president for strategic and regulatory affairs, 651-659-1421.^top of page

Upcoming education sessions designed specifically for critical access hospitals

Program will include an introduction to NGS, Minnesota’s new Medicare Parts A and B contractor

MHA will hold its annual “Health Care Delivery Strategies for Critical Access Hospitals,” sessions throughout the state April 30 – May 2.

Topics include state/federal reimbursement, cost report issues, billing/payment updates, recovery audit contractor strategies, reporting requirements, and physician/clinic concerns.

Following each daily general session, separate breakout sessions will be provided for both billing and finance issues. A representative from Noridian Administrative Services will provide updates on billing and the new fiscal intermediary, National Government Service (NGS), will be on hand to introduce participants to the new Parts A and B Medicare contractor.

The programs are co-sponsored by the Minnesota Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. The locations are as follows:

  • Tuesday, April 30, Timberlake Lodge, Grand Rapids
  • Wednesday, May 1, Le St-Germain Suite Hotel, St. Cloud
  • Thursday, May 2, Jackpot Junction, Morton

More information and registration materials are available here. Contact Christy Brager, MHA education specialist, 651-659-1412 with questions.^top of page

Hospitals encouraged to support tobacco tax increase on April 18 at the Capitol

On Thursday, April 18 hundreds of tobacco control advocates will convene on St. Paul for the Raise it for Health Day at the Capitol. Participants will meet one-on-one with their legislators, asking them to raise the price of tobacco this session in an effort to help current smokers quit and prevent youth from ever starting. Raising the tobacco tax will also provide needed revenue to the state’s budget. There is no cost to attend the event, sponsored by ClearWay Minnesota. To register, click here. ^top of page

U of MN School of Public Health course covers mold remediation and response

The University of Minnesota School of Public Health will hold a two-day course, April 23-24 that will train individuals in health care facilities where mold issues are prevalent. Activities in the course include identifying specific molds and associated health hazards, selecting protective equipment, performing advanced control containment or confinement of mold, and implementing the emergency response plan in your facility. To learn more or to register, visit www.hazmat.umn.edu and select "Mold Remediation Course.” ^top of page