In
this issue
Saint
Elizabeth’s Medical Center recognized for innovative approach to reshaping
health care
Saint Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Wabasha was honored with the Carolyn Boone
Lewis Living the Vision Award from the American Hospital Association (AHA) in a
ceremony on Oct. 6.
Established in 1996, the award recognizes organizations and individuals for
their work in improving the health of their communities through actions that go
beyond traditional hospital care. An award recipient cannot be nominated
by the hospital or its affiliates; award recipients must be recognized as a
leader and nominated by others in the health care field.
“Hospitals like Saint Elizabeth’s Medical Center are health care role models
because of the many ways in which they are working to build healthier
communities,” said Rick Pollack, AHA president and CEO. “The Carolyn Boone
Lewis Living the Vision Award recognizes all it does to instill a culture of
better health and wellness throughout the community it serves.”
“Our efforts to instill a culture of wellness in our community is a way for us
to fulfill our mission and live our values,” said Tom Crowley, Saint
Elizabeth’s Medical Center president. “It has been that way since the sisters
founded our hospital in 1898. Receiving the AHA Living the Vision Award will
inspire us to do more along our journey to wellness. It is important to note
that Saint Elizabeth’s does not do this work in isolation. We have built strong
community collaborations and partnerships that are making a difference and improving
the health of children, adults, families and seniors across many community
settings.”
A small snapshot of community-based and hospital programs that help individuals
reach their full potential include:
- Fall prevention and chronic
disease management programs, including Matter of Balance, Tai Ji Quan,
Living Well with Chronic Conditions and Fit City Seniors. Other programs
offer education and support for people with chronic diseases, such as
diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and osteoporosis, and also for those
making healthful lifestyle changes.
- Fresh Start, an exercise and
lifestyle change program that is offered within the Wellness Center at
Saint Elizabeth’s.
- ACHIEVE, a comprehensive
healthy lifestyle and weight management program that focuses on long-term
lifestyle change facilitated by registered dietitians from Saint
Elizabeth’s Medical Center. ACHIEVE teaches key healthy living and weight
management principles and helps program participants develop
individualized strategies and techniques for applying these principles to
daily living. The acronym stands for accountability, coaching, healthy
eating, intuitiveness, education and resources, vitality and exercise.
- 5-2-1-0 wellness program in
schools, childcare providers, worksites, primary care clinics and other
community settings, including farmers markets, grocery stores, restaurants
and the library. The program emphasizes eating five servings of fruits and
vegetables, getting two hours or less of recreational TV or computer
screen time, one hour of physical exercise and no sugary drinks. A
farm-to-school program delivers local fruits and vegetables from a local
farmers market to the schools.
- Make It OK anti-stigma program
and mental illness crisis intervention programs throughout the county.
- WorkWell Works, a
business-based wellness program that targets employers and their
workforce, providing a broad scope of health screenings, education and
programming tailored to the priority health needs of workplaces in the
region.
Up to four Carolyn Boone Lewis Living the Vision Award may be
presented each year and nominations are accepted at any time from all who are
part of the health care or association field. Since its inception, only 15
organizations have received the award. Saint Elizabeth’s is the only
organization to be honored this year. return to top
Updated
deadline: MDH seeks input on cost of complying with Minnesota’s patient consent
In the Sept. 19 issue of Newsline, MHA shared that
the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) released a Request for Information
(RFI) regarding the cost of complying with the Minnesota Health Records Act.
The deadline for responses has been changed, with responses now due by Oct. 24.
The RFI includes a series of questions that serve as a template for each
organization to calculate their own costs. The complete RFI and instructions
for responding are available here.
This issue has been identified by MHA as one of the barriers to better
coordination of care. Documenting the cost of complying with this law is an
important piece of information for both MHA and the state to have and members
are strongly encouraged to respond to the RFI.
With questions, contact Mark Sonneborn, vice president of health
information and analytics, MHA, 651-659-1423. return to top
Reminder: Legislation
regarding discharge planning, caregiver designation becomes effective Jan. 1,
2017
A new law passed during the 2016 legislative session that
requires hospitals to provide patients with the opportunity to designate a
caregiver and to provide a discharge plan that includes aftercare instructions
to the caregiver becomes effective Jan. 1, 2017.
The new law requires that the patient’s medical record notes the designation of
a caregiver and describes any discharge plan and a description of instructions
that are provided to the patient or caregiver at the time of discharge. The law
specifies certain elements that must be contained in a discharge plan,
including aftercare instructions and contact information for health care and
community resources that may be available to support the patient after
discharge.
Hospitals and health systems should work in advance of the Jan. 1
implementation date to ensure that they will meet the requirements of the new
law.
The new law language can be found in 2016 Minnesota Session Laws Chapter 103. return to top
MNHPC
Fall Forum to take place Nov. 4
Registration is now open for the Minnesota Network of Hospice
and Palliative Care’s (MNHPC) Fall Forum, to be held on Nov. 4 from 8:30 a.m. –
3:30 p.m. at Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center.
The forum is entitled “The Delicate Balancing Act of Medication Management in
Serious Illness and End-of-Life Care: The Art of Precision Pharmacopalliation.”
At the conclusion of the seminar, participants will be able to:
- Define the term “deprescribing”
and how a systematic process can be used to assess and adjust the
medication regimen for patients with serious illness.
- Describe strategies for
managing complex pain syndromes, including the rational use of combination
analgesic therapy, and the use of ketamine including dosing strategies and
precautionary interventions.
- Describe strategies for the
management of patients receiving opioid agonist therapy (OAT, such as
methadone, buprenorphine) or patients who may be abusing or diverting
controlled substances.
- Explain how to convert a
patient from one opioid formulation to a different opioid formulation,
from one route of administration to another route of administration, and
between opioids.
- Discuss best practices for
dosing methadone in opioid-naïve and opioid-tolerant patients, monitoring
therapy and adjusting therapy based on patient response.
To learn more and register, visit the MNHPC website. return to top
Bright
Futures Begin at Birth event to be held Nov. 1
Eighty percent of a child’s brain develops in
the first three years of life. HealthPartners and Greater Twin Cities United
Way present Bright Futures Begin at Birth, an event bringing together health
care and public service providers, educators and parents to learn about giving
children the best start possible. The event will be held Tuesday, Nov. 1, from
7:30-10:30 a.m. at the Saint Paul RiverCentre.
Learn more and register online. return to top