In this issue:
CMS invites suggestions for modifications to physician supervision requirements
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) scheduled another meeting of its Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient Payment (HOP Panel) for Aug. 26 and 27 in Baltimore. The HOP Panel advises CMS with respect to outpatient therapeutic services delivered in a hospital that should have different physician supervision requirements than CMS’s default requirement of direct physician supervision.
For several years, MHA has urged CMS to revise its physician supervision policy. In response to concerns raised by MHA, the American Hospital Association (AHA) and other stakeholders, CMS has refrained from enforcing its direct supervision requirement for hospitals with fewer than 100 beds through 2013, and it created the HOP Panel to address services one-by-one upon request from providers. Although CMS accepted the HOP Panel’s recommendations after its first two hearings, it rejected the panel’s recommendations with respect to several services after its most recent hearing.
MHA encourages members interested in recommending that particular outpatient therapeutic services be required to have a level of supervision other than direct supervision to request to testify at the August hearing and submit a presentation to CMS by July 19. Further details regarding the hearing, how to request to testify and the requirements for presentations are available here.
MHA continues to work with our members of Congress to adopt legislation that would adopt the default standard of “general supervision” and further ease the burden on hospitals. MHA is also seeking a clinical professional who can testify at the Hospital Outpatient Payment Panel Aug. 27-29 in Baltimore. ^top of page
MHA launches ‘On the CUSP: Stop CAUTI’
Approximately 600,000 patients develop hospital-acquired urinary tract infections per year, and these account for 40 percent of all hospital-acquired infections. Last week, MHA kicked off Minnesota hospitals’ participation in a national initiative to reduce hospital-acquired urinary tract infections in hospital units. This Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)-funded initiative is based on the Michigan experience using the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP), developed by Johns Hopkins University. The initiative also incorporates a catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) reduction protocol based on a study done at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan using a nurse-driven evaluation to assess the need for a catheter and daily rounds to encourage discontinuation of unnecessary urinary catheters.
If your hospital would like to join the effort to prevent CAUTI in Minnesota hospitals, contact Karen Olson, 651-603-3521 by Wednesday, June 12. ^top of page
Nominate your outstanding nurses for Nurse of the Year
Minnesota Hospital Association encourages member hospitals to submit nominations for the March of Dimes’ third annual Nurse of the Year Awards. Patients, families, friends and colleagues can nominate nurses in 15 categories, including Distinguished Nurse of the Year:
- Advanced Practice
- Care Management
- Education & Research
- Leadership
- Mental Health
- Neonatal
- Pediatric
- Perioperative
- Public Health/School Nurse
- Rising Star
- Rural Health
- Staff Nurse – General Care
- Staff Nurse – Critical Care
- Women’s Health
Complete category descriptions and nomination forms are available at marchofdimes.com/minnesota. Nominations are due by July 15. For more information, contact the March of Dimes at nurseoftheyearmn@marchofdimes.com or 952-835-3033.^top of page
Time Out campaign making impact on wrong-site surgeries
June 12 is National Time Out Day
Wednesday, June 12 is National Time Out Day, a time to draw awareness to the need for surgical teams to conduct a safe, effective time out for every patient, every time. Time outs are a strategy to help eliminate wrong-site, wrong-procedure and wrong-patient events.
In Minnesota, 116 hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers are making strides in implementing an effective Time Out process. Participating organizations are successfully rolling out the Time Out process throughout their organization wherever invasive procedures are performed, including radiology, endoscopy, the emergency department, the clinic setting and at the bedside. The spread of these practices has had an impact with Minnesota hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers recently achieving more than 12 weeks without a wrong-site procedure.
For questions about the Time Out Campaign, contact Julie Apold, MHA senior director of patient safety, 651-603-3538. For ideas and resources to build awareness of your Time Out efforts, click here. ^top of page
Tool provides snapshot of Minnesota’s health care workforce
Since 2008, Minnesota hospitals and health systems have been submitting information to the Minnesota Hospital Association’s online Workforce Planning Tool. The project collects data on 38 job types across 14 demographic attributes. It allows MHA members to access information about current and future workforce trends. Hospitals that submit data have the benefit of accessing information specific to their organizations.
Each year MHA prepares a statewide summary of the data. The 2013 Workforce Planning Tool statewide summary is now available by request. This year 107 out of 144 member hospitals submitted workforce data. Some highlights from the summary are:
- An increased mobility in Minnesota’s workforce
- A growing ethnic diversity within the state’s workforce
- Eleven jobs at risk of high departure rates due to retirement eligibility and low tenure of staff
- A five-year forecast of projected workforce supply needs
To learn more about the state of Minnesota’s health care workforce or to receive a copy of the 2013 Workforce Planning Tool statewide summary, contact Nathalie Squire, MHA workforce project manager. ^top of page
Course to cover hospital decontamination of hazardous materials exposure
The University of Minnesota School of Public Health is offering a hospital decontamination course for first responders and others dealing with hazardous materials exposures in a health care setting. Topics include: ambulatory/non-ambulatory patient decontamination, appropriate personal protective equipment selection, and use triage response in mass casualty exposure. The program is geared toward emergency receivers, nurses, safety, security, housekeeping and maintenance personnel at hospitals and health care facilities. The course will take place July 31 at Mayo Clinic Health System in Red Wing. For more information or to register call 612-624-2345 or visit http://www.hazmat.umn.edu/.
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