In this issue
AHA
honors Winona Health volunteer program
Winona Health’s Community Care Network
(CCN) Health Coaches volunteer program was among four hospital
volunteer programs nationwide honored by the American Hospital
Association (AHA) with its Hospital Awards for Volunteer Excellence (HAVE).
The CCN Health Coaches program was developed to improve individual health
and quality of life, prevent hospitalization and emergency department
visits and avoid unnecessary health care costs. In partnership with
Winona State University, the CCN trains students and other volunteers
to become health coaches. The coaches assist people living with chronic
health conditions by conducting home visits and becoming non-clinical
members of the care team.
When patients are referred to the program, they meet with nurses or
social workers, who assign a volunteer health coach to visit their
homes weekly or biweekly. Coaches support clients in their efforts to
improve their health and strengthen their community connections. In the
first three months of the program, emergency department visits and
hospitalizations for CCN clients declined by more than 85 percent. Some
47 percent of CCN clients have primary diagnoses of mental illness and
20 percent have congestive heart failure. The average client is 60
years old and coping with multiple chronic conditions.
University students enroll in a two-credit course for health coaches
and must volunteer a minimum of two additional semesters as a coach.
Most continue volunteering until they graduate. The program also has
trained community members – primarily retired health professionals – to
become health coaches. These non-student volunteers undergo eight hours
of training before going on home visits.
MHA congratulates Winona Health on this recognition! return to top
Lt.
Gov. Smith, legislators share thanks during National Hospital Week
During National Hospital Week, May
8-14, Lt. Gov. Tina Smith shared a message of thanks with Minnesota’s
hospitals and health systems via Twitter.
Minnesota’s legislators also thanked hospital care teams for their hard
work in a series of photos that were shared on Facebook. return to top
Hospitals,
health systems, MHA promote statewide mental health campaign
Minnesota’s hospitals and health
systems and the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) are continuing a
statewide campaign to show the impact mental health has on families and
communities around the state. Hospitals and health systems believe that
every Minnesotan deserves access to safe, effective and affordable
mental health care, strengthened by a shared community responsibility
to reduce stigma, bolster prevention initiatives and improve overall health.
To help increase awareness of mental health needs in Minnesota, MHA and
members conducted editorial board visits and media briefings around the
state to talk about mental health care issues in our communities. As a
result, the Rochester Post-Bulletin published an editorial highlighting the need for a
statewide investment in mental health support services.
Scheduled media opportunities have concluded for now. If you would like
to schedule an editorial board or media visit in your region with MHA
staff regarding the mental health campaign, please contact Emily Lowther, communications manager, MHA, 651-603-3495. return to top
Legislation
of interest to MHA members moves forward
MHA urges continued support of the
Excellence Act
Last week, MHA launched a series of targeted social media promotions asking
for continued support of the Excellence in Mental Health Act, MHA’s
top legislative priority. There has been bipartisan support for this,
but MHA still needs to make sure this is included in final supplemental
spending bills. View and share the promotions on MHA’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Governor signs bills
into law
Two bills of interest to MHA members were signed into law last week by Governor
Dayton. SF 107/HF 210, authored by Sen. Kent Eken (DFL-Twin Valley) and
Rep. Nick Zerwas (R-Elk River), is legislation sponsored by AARP that
requires hospitals to provide patients with the opportunity to
designate a caregiver and to provide a discharge plan that includes
after-care instructions to the caregiver. MHA worked with the bill’s
authors to address concerns with the original bill. The legislation now
includes liability language protecting hospitals from litigation for
care that is provided by a designated caregiver, as well as an ability
for hospitals to deny the designation should the hospital believe the
designated caregiver is unable to perform the functions called for in
the discharge plan. The final language also omits the burden of getting
a second written consent for sharing information in the individual’s
health record with their designated caregiver. Similar legislation has
been passed by AARP in numerous states. (Chapter 103)
Also signed was this year’s workers’ compensation reform legislation,
SF 2398/HF 2478, authored by Sen. Dan Sparks (DFL-Austin) and Rep. Tony
Albright (R-Prior Lake). Unlike the 2015 workers’ compensation
legislation, which enacted significant reform of the hospital inpatient
payment system, the 2016 legislation is more technical in nature. The
2015 legislation was an agreement with MHA, the Workers’ Compensation
Advisory Committee and the Department of Labor and Industry to address
the inpatient payment system and to allow more research and discussion
before reforming the outpatient payment system. Unfortunately, a
drafting error was made that would have adversely impacted outpatient
workers’ compensation rates for hospitals with a bed capacity between
25 and 100 beds. This year’s bill corrects the language and maintains
usual outpatient workers’ compensation payments for this group of
hospitals. (Chapter 110)
For additional information, contact Mary Krinkie, vice president of government relations, or Kristin Loncorich, director of state government relations, MHA.
Session scheduled to
conclude May 23
The session must adjourn by Monday, May 23. Reaching agreement on a
bonding bill, a tax bill and a transportation bill has delayed
legislative action on the budget bill, which includes health and human
services funding and appropriations improving mental health care
delivery.
Session bill tracker
For a complete list of 2016 legislative bills MHA is tracking, visit
the MHA Member Center. For assistance
accessing the Member Center, contact Ashley Beno, member services and communications specialist, MHA,
651-603-3545. return to top
Reminder:
CHNA meetings begin this week
Register now for upcoming meetings to
discuss partnering during the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA)
process. Sponsored by MHA and the Local Public Health Association
(LPHA), these meetings will identify how local public health and
hospitals are currently collaborating, identify barriers in CHNA work
and clarify areas where additional technical assistance is needed
across the state for both local public health and hospitals. The same
facilitation guide and format will be used at each of the meetings. MHA
members with CHNA responsibility are encouraged to attend one of the
meetings:
- May
20, noon-4 p.m., St. Paul
- May
24, noon-4 p.m., St. Cloud
- June
1, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Mankato
Lunch will be provided. Register online to attend a meeting. For
more information, please contact Kristin Loncorich, director of state government relations,
MHA. return to top
Honoring
Choices annual conference to be held July 21
Honoring Choices Minnesota, an
initiative of the Twin Cities Medical Society, is hosting its
seventh annual Sharing the Experience Conference on July 21 from 8
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Ramada Plaza Conference Center, 1330
Industrial Blvd. NE, Minneapolis. The conference brings together
champions of advance care planning (ACP) from around the state, offering
learning and networking opportunities to health care professionals and
community members interested in promoting ACP to all Minnesotans.
Rahul Koranne, M.D., chief medical officer, MHA, is a featured speaker
at the conference. He will share some of his experiences from across
the health care continuum and reflect on why health organizations
across Minnesota should work to collaborate on ACP in service of their
local communities.
Learn more and register online. return to top
Reimbursement
education programs scheduled for June
MHA will offer two education programs
on reimbursement, coding and billing on June 22 and 23. Both programs
will be held at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West in Plymouth.
The program on June 22, “Chargemaster 101: Starting at the Beginning,”
is an overview program that will provide attendees with the basics
around billing, reimbursement and record maintenance. For more
information, view the brochure or
click here, login and
select program title to register.
The program on June 23, “APCs for 2016: Operational and Financial
Impact on Your Facility,” is an in-depth program that will review the
OPPS Final Rule for 2016, along with the latest CMS program
transmittals. For more information, view the brochure or
click here, login and
select program title to register. return to top