Minnesota Hospital Association

Newsroom

June 05, 2017

MHA Newsline: June 5, 2017

In this issue:

Minnesota hospital programs, leaders honored

MHA’s annual awards recognize patient safety, volunteerism, innovations in patient care, hospital excellence

The Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) on June 2 honored innovative programs and outstanding leaders in health care at its 33rd annual awards ceremony.

Seventeen awards were given for extraordinary achievement in categories ranging from advocacy on behalf of hospitals and volunteerism to innovation and improvement in patient care and patient safety.

“Each day, all across the state, Minnesota’s hospitals and health systems are working to strengthen the health of our communities,” said MHA President and CEO Lawrence Massa. “Our exceptional care teams set the bar high for patient care and for meeting the needs of their communities. Thanks to their expertise, diligence and commitment to excellence, Minnesota’s hospitals continue to be among the best in the nation.”

The awards and recipients are:

American Hospital Association Grassroots Champion: Carl Vaagenes, CEO, Douglas County Hospital, Alexandria

Best Minnesota Hospital Workplace: Regions Hospital, Saint Paul; River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic, Saint Peter

Bruce and Denise Rueben Courage: Lawrence Massa, president and CEO, Minnesota Hospital Association

Caregiver of the Year: Toni Strand, RN, Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center

Community Benefit: Regions Hospital, Saint Paul; Bigfork Valley Hospital

Good Catch for Patient Safety: Sonam Serpolamatsang, Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital, Saint Louis Park

Innovation of the Year in Patient Care: Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis; CHI St. Gabriel’s Health, Little Falls

Quality and Patient Safety Improvement: Children’s Minnesota, Minneapolis; Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center

Spirit of Advocacy: Paul Goering, M.D., Allina Health, Minneapolis

Stephen Rogness Distinguished Service Award: Rachelle Schultz, president and CEO, Winona Health

Trustee of the Year: Jim McDonough, Regions Hospital, Saint Paul

Volunteer of the Year Award: Marcie Lindgren, Bigfork Valley Hospital

Associate Member of the Year: Life Link III, Minneapolis

Thanks to all those who nominated their colleagues. Award winners will be profiled in upcoming issues of Newsline. return to top

Highlights of the HHS omnibus budget bill

Governor Dayton on May 30 signed the health and human services (HHS) omnibus budget bill. In addition to the MHA priorities reported last week in Newsline, the legislation also included an MHA policy priority to restrict the Minnesota Department of Health from expanding licensure requirements beyond supplemental nurse staffing agencies to physician locum agencies. 

The omnibus HHS appropriations bill funded several mental health priorities, including:

  • $22.858 million to increase staffing at the Minnesota Security Hospital with $35.353 million in the following biennium. 
  • $2.171 million dollars for adult mental health innovation grants with $2.162 million in the next biennium. These grants are used for programs like Intensive Residential Treatment Services (IRTS) facilities or crisis residential services to provide an alternative to hospital-level care. 
  • $400,000 in one-time money for Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams.
  • $800,000 in one-time money for mental health crisis services.
  • $1 million in one-time money for additional first episode psychosis programs.
  • $1.052 million for clinical training for mental health professionals, APRNs and PAs.
  • $1.028 million for opioid prevention grants.

The bonding bill provided $100.364 million in total funding to the Department of Human Services, including:

  • $70.255 million to Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter to complete the second phase of the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center.
  • $7.53 million to Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Services to build a new 16-bed psychiatric hospital facility for children and adolescents near Willmar.
  • $2.250 million to the Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center for safety and security renovations.
  • $1.25 million to Carver County to construct a 12-bed Regional Residential Crisis Stabilization Clinic in the city of Chaska.

The omnibus higher education appropriations bill included funding for health care training and mentoring programs, residency programs and other areas of interest to the hospital community, including:

  • $501,000 in each of 2018 and 2019 for the United Family Medicine Residency Program for up to 21 physician residencies each year.
  • $645,000 in each of 2018 and 2019 for the Hennepin County Medical Center graduate family medical education programs.
  • $7.8 million in each of 2018 and 2019 to the University of Minnesota for health training restoration, supporting faculty physicians who teach at eight residency program sites, including medical resident and student training programs in the Department of Family Medicine, the Mobile Dental Clinic, and expansion of geriatric education and family programs.
  • $2.157 million in each of 2018 and 2019 for the University of Minnesota Primary Care Education Initiatives.
  • $9.204 million in each of 2018 and 2019 for additional University of Minnesota Health Sciences spending. This includes $346,000 each year to support up to 12 resident physicians in the St. Cloud Hospital family practice residency program. The remainder of the funding supports the rural physician associates program, the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, health sciences research, dental care, the Biomedical Engineering Center and the collaborative partnership between the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic. 

A more detailed session wrap-up report will be available to members in two to three weeks. With questions, contact Mary Krinkie, vice president of government relations, MHA, 651-659-1465, or Kristin Loncorich, director of state government relations, MHA, 651-603-3526.

Session bill tracker
For a complete list of 2017 legislative bills tracked by MHA, visit the MHA Member Center. For assistance accessing the Member Center, contact Ashley Beno, member services and communications specialist, 651-603-3545.  return to top

Workforce planning tool statewide summary available

Since 2008, Minnesota hospitals and health systems have been submitting demographic data to MHA. The project collects data on 38 job types across 14 demographic attributes. With this data, MHA is able to produce an annual statewide workforce summary.

The 2017 summary is now available to MHA members. This year, MHA collected demographic data on workers from 111 member hospitals. These workers represent over 60 percent of all people our members employ. Following are findings from this year’s summary:

  • Our workforce continues to get younger. Millennials are now the largest group of employees.
  • The ethnic diversity of our workforce continues to increase and to better match the community we serve.
  • We can expect these trends to continue when looking at the new hires’ data: 62 percent were under 34 and 17 percent were nonwhite.
  • In 2016, 13 percent of all FTEs were new to their organization and 12.3 percent FTEs exited their position.
  • The majority of exits were among employees with less than 2 years of service, reaffirming the need for effective onboarding programs and pointing toward a strong and competitive industry.

Participating members can now access their unique data, compare it to the statewide benchmark and create customized reports using the MHA online workforce tool through MHA’s secure data portal. This month, MHA will share regional summaries at our region meetings.

With questions about the summary and online tool or to join the workforce planning project, contact Nathalie Squire, workforce project manager, MHA, 651-603-3540. return to top

Matt Anderson returns to MHA as SVP of policy, chief strategy officer

MHA welcomes back Matt Anderson on June 26 as senior vice president of policy and chief strategy officer. Matt was with MHA for 10 years before leaving last year for a role as principal and intellectual capital leader in Mercer’s Government Human Services Consulting sector. Matt will return to a similar role leading strategy for the association, development of MHA’s policy positions and helping advance MHA’s advocacy agenda on state and federal issues. As Matt has done previously, he will continue to offer strategic planning expertise, speaking and leadership services to MHA members and their boards.

“In-depth research and analysis on health care policy issues including Medicaid and the American Health Care Act was meaningful and challenging, but I greatly missed the advocacy and policy development services MHA provides, and the ability to influence public policy,” Anderson said. “I look forward to re-engaging with MHA’s members and staff.”

“We are fortunate that the opportunity presented itself for Matt to return to MHA,” said Lorry Massa, MHA president and CEO. “MHA has missed his expertise, ability to quickly research and analyze health care issues and his drive to put MHA in a strategic, influential and persuasive position when it comes to advancing public policy that supports our members’ efforts to serve their patients and communities.” return to top

Register for June 7 class action settlement assistance webinar

MHA has entered into a strategic agreement with Managed Care Advisory Group, LLC (MCAG), to offer MHA members a class action settlement recovery service. MCAG will assist interested MHA members in identifying and recovering significant funds from current and future class action settlements.

MCAG has worked closely with thousands of physician practices and hundreds of hospitals to assist in the management of class action opportunities. Health care organizations are frequently eligible for participating in class action settlements and MCAG has distributed over $300 million to thousands of customers as a result of this service.

Through this agreement, MCAG will track relevant settlements on behalf of MHA members, identify opportunities that are meaningful and assist in filing claims for payment. MCAG is also available to help you review settlement notices that are sent directly to your organizations. The service is provided on a contingency fee basis. MHA members will not receive any invoices or bills and MCAG only receives payment when an organization recovers settlement funds.

A webinar providing additional information about the service, as well as upcoming settlements applicable to Minnesota hospitals and health systems, will be offered on June 7 at 10 a.m. Register online to attend the webinar.

Learn more on MCAG’s website for MHA members. With questions, contact Ben Peltier, vice president of legal and federal affairs, MHA, 651-603-3513. return to top

Register for June 15 patient and family engagement webinar

MHA will present a webinar on June 15 from 11 a.m. – noon featuring presentations from two Minnesota hospitals on the teamwork they use to provide excellent patient-centered care. Participants will learn about the team effort of patient and family engagement and be inspired to find ways to engage more of their staff with patients.

This networking webinar of the MHA Community of Patient Partners is open to all leaders, staff and patient partners who are interested in PFAC implementation and management. Participants need to register in advance. To learn more, contact Joy Benn, quality and patient safety specialist, MHA, 651-659-1441. return to top

Register for June 15 web conference on blockchain

A web conference on blockchain, poised to be the next disruptive technology in health care, will be held June 15 from 12:30-2 p.m. To register for the conference, download the web conference brochure.

The blockchain is a permanent record of online transactions or exchanges. First used in finance, blockchain in health care is related to data and information technology efficiencies, inventory management and improvement of patient care and hospital efficiency. Its greatest potential may be in enabling the interoperability of electronic medical records (EMRs), replacing the role of the Health Level Seven standards and allowing different EMR systems to communicate in real time via its trusted shared ledger technology.   

Speaker Ron Galloway, researcher and chief executive officer of Atlanta-based Method Research LLC, is noted for taking complex subjects and presenting them in a manner that is clear, understandable and to the point. return to top

PAC golf tournament scheduled for July 31

Registration is now open for the Minnesota Hospital Political Action Committee (PAC) golf tournament. The tournament will be held on July 31 at Territory Golf Club in St. Cloud. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., shotgun start at 12:30 p.m., with a dinner buffet and awards to follow at 5 p.m. Please contact Andrea Wombacher, division assistant, MHA, 651-603-3539, for information and to register. return to top

MAPS, Stratis Health launch new strategic partnership

The Minnesota Alliance for Patient Safety (MAPS) and Stratis Health have launched a new strategic partnership to drive their common vision to advance safe care everywhere. The new partnership will strengthen each organization’s capacity to advance safety across the care continuum, with special emphasis on elevating the voice of the patients for safety in all settings of care.

The boards of MAPS and Stratis Health have ratified MAPS as a subsidiary of Stratis Health, effective Aug. 1. MAPS will remain a nonprofit membership organization that promotes safety by encouraging collaboration between Minnesota health care leaders, organizations and patients. Stratis Health is an independent nonprofit organization that leads collaboration and innovation in health care quality and safety, and serves as a trusted expert in facilitating improvement for people and communities.

MAPS was established in 2000 by current strategic partners MHA, the Minnesota Department of Health, and the Minnesota Medical Association. As one of MAPS’ five founding partners, Stratis Health has acted in a leadership capacity since the inception of the safety coalition. Stratis Health’s long history of leading improvement efforts for providers across the health care continuum, the state and the nation will propel MAPS’ ability to connect more broadly.

To learn more, visit the MAPS website. return to top

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