Minnesota Hospital Association

Newsroom

July 31, 2017

MHA Newsline: July 31, 2017

In this issue 

CHI St. Gabriel’s Health honored with MHA Innovation of the Year in Patient Care Award

MHA on June 2 honored innovative programs and outstanding leaders in health care at its 33rd annual awards ceremony.   

CHI St. Gabriel’s Health in Little Falls received the MHA Innovation of the Year in Patient Care Award in the small hospital category, which recognizes hospitals for developing innovative ways to meet the needs of patients and ensure that they are delivering safe and high-quality care.   

In 2015 CHI St. Gabriel's Health received a State Innovation Model grant to focus on a targeted population of patients using narcotics for chronic pain. Emergency room data showed that the number one reason for emergency department visits at St. Gabriel's Hospital was patients seeking narcotics for pain. A multi-disciplinary care team was created to treat each of these patients face-to-face, focusing on the cause of their pain.   

The Morrison County Prescription Drug Task Force was also formed to enhance community collaboration on this project as significant medication diversion became readily apparent. Together, CHI St. Gabriel's and the task force held a community forum in October 2016 to build awareness, educate and encourage the community to lock medications and properly dispose of unused medications.   

The team at CHI St. Gabriel's Health has reduced prescribing of opioids in the amount of 9,000 pills each month for the first 127 patients overusing opioids. Hospital pharmacy costs have been reduced by $738,000 annually in pharmaceutical savings for just those 127 patients. Less prescribing offers not only a cost savings, but, more importantly, provides a better quality of life for patients and a safer community now and for the future.   

Additional award winners will be profiled in upcoming issues of Newsline. To learn more about the award winners, visit the MHA websitereturn to top   

Minnesota hospitals, health systems honored for using technology to partner with patients

Nine Minnesota hospitals and health systems were among those nationwide named to the 2017 Most Wired list, released by the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Health Forum.   

HealthCare’s Most Wired survey, conducted between Jan. 15 and March 15, 2017, is published annually by Hospitals & Health Networks (H&HN) magazine. The survey examines how organizations are leveraging information technology to improve performance for value-based health care in the areas of infrastructure, business and administrative management; quality and safety; and clinical integration.    

Honorees from Minnesota included: 

  • CentraCare Health, Saint Cloud: Most Wired 
  • HealthPartners, Bloomington: Most Wired 
  • Kittson Memorial Healthcare Center, Hallock: Most Wired 
  • Mahnomen Health Center, Mahnomen: Most Wired 
  • Mayo Clinic Hospital, Rochester: Most Wired 
  • Perham Health, Perham: Most Wired 
  • RiverView Health, Crookston: Most Improved 
  • Windom Area Hospital, Windom: Most Wired 
  • Winona Health Services, Winona: Most Improved 

“The Most Wired hospitals are using every available technology option to create more ways to reach their patients in order to provide access to care,” said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack. “They are transforming care delivery, investing in new delivery models in order to improve quality, provide access and control costs.” 

Detailed results of the survey and study can be found in the July issue of H&HNreturn to top   

MHA Legislative Report now available

New resources to help MHA members understand the most recent changes in state legislation are now available on the MHA Member Center.   

The annual MHA Legislative Report provides a guide to all legislation from the 2016 session impacting hospitals and health care. Electronic copies of the report were already provided to chief executive officers and government relations officers at MHA member hospitals and health systems.   

With questions about the report, contact Mary Krinkie, vice president of government relations, MHA, 651-659-1465, or Kristin Loncorich, director of state government relations, MHA, 651-603-3526.  

The MHA Member Center is username and password protected. For help resetting your username and/or password, contact Ashley Beno, member services and communication specialist, MHA, 651-603-3545. return to top   

Health partnerships start fifth year, continue to grow, improve care, save millions in Medicaid dollars

A 27-year-old woman was morbidly obese and sedentary, with uncontrolled diabetes. She was stressed, anxious and angry. Then she enrolled in the care coordination program at Lake Region Healthcare in Fergus Falls. Just one year later, she is on her way to achieving a healthy weight, has lowered her blood sugar and is feeling good about life.   

The care coordination program is part of Lake Region’s Integrated Health Partnership (IHP) work in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). Minnesota was one of the first states to implement an Accountable Care Organization to improve care for low-income people in its Medicaid program.   

“Health care providers who participate in IHPs work together on innovative ways to ensure that people have access to affordable, high-quality care. Low-income patients across our state are benefiting from this work,” said DHS Commissioner Emily Piper. “These changes have built on Gov. Mark Dayton’s health care reforms, saving nearly $213 million for the state in the program’s first four years.”   

MHA’s President and CEO Lawrence Massa said, “We are demonstrating that with the right set of incentives and appropriate flexibility, DHS and health care providers can work together to lower the cost of care while maintaining high quality.”   

Statewide, IHP savings in calendar year 2016 totaled more than $45 million. The preliminary 2016 savings come on top of savings of $87.5 million in 2015, $65.3 million in 2014 and $14.8 million in 2013, when the IHP began. Minnesota’s IHP now covers more than 462,000 people in publicly funded health care programs and continues to expand, with 21 provider groups now involved.   

Beginning in 2018, DHS will expand and enhance the IHP. Letters of intent to apply must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 18.   

Visit the DHS website to learn more and submit a letter of intentreturn to top

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