In
this issue
Physicians
can now receive Maintenance of Certification credit for MHA quality
participation
MHA joins ABMS Multi-Specialty Portfolio Program
The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has announced that the
Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) has joined the ABMS Multi-Specialty
Portfolio Program™ (Portfolio Program). Hospitals and health systems
participating in MHA’s continuous quality and patient safety improvement
activities can now support Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Improvement in
Medical Practice (Part IV) credit for physicians who are Board Certified by one
of the 20 of 24 ABMS Member Boards participating in the Portfolio Program.
Through ABMS MOC Improvement in Medical Practice credit, physicians can meet
the requirements for maintaining their certification while meaningfully
participating in quality and patient safety improvement programs in their
organizations. MHA member hospitals and health systems are currently engaged in
improvement efforts across the care continuum on clinical topics such as
surgery and procedural care, healthcare-associated infections, medication
safety, sepsis, delirium, falls, pressure injuries and many other types of
adverse health events and harm across the board. Physicians’ roles in these
improvement initiatives may range from being an engaged team member, to acting
as a physician champion, to actively serving on MHA’s statewide quality
committees.
“Leading and sustaining continuous quality and safety improvement across
Minnesota will take all team members acting in unison in service of our
patients, families and communities,” said Rahul Koranne, MD, MBA, FACP, MHA
Chief Medical Officer. “We are honored to partner with ABMS to facilitate MOC
credit. Closely aligning physicians’ pursuit of their continuing Board Certification
with hospitals’ and health systems’ quality improvement efforts will minimize
duplication, confusion and waste while helping further accelerate Minnesota’s
continuous quality improvement journey.”
Learn more on the MHA website. return to top
Webinar
on opioid guidelines scheduled for Dec. 12
MHA will host a webinar Dec. 12 from 11 a.m. to noon to share
information about new opioid prescribing guidelines designed to
curb the number of unnecessary opioid prescriptions for acute pain and promote
effective alternatives, encourage careful monitoring of prescription opioid use
and encourage compassionate care for chronic opioid users to help them to
decrease opioid use over time. The guidelines were announced in the Dec. 4
issue of Newsline.
The webinar will feature a presentation from Dr. Jeff Schiff, Minnesota
Department of Human Services medical director, and members of his team.
Advance registration is not required to join the webinar. Access the webinar online and by phone at 1-800-791-2345,
passcode 14357. return to top
State
budget forecast projects slight deficit
Minnesota’s Office of Management and Budget on Dec. 5 released
the November forecast, the biannual report that predicts Minnesota’s future
economic performance, state revenues and state expenditures based on current
law. The latest budget forecast predicts a $188 million
shortfall for the current biennium and a deficit that is expected to grow to
$586 million in the 2020-21 biennium.
The $188 million projected shortfall does not take into account, however, the
cost to restore the Legislature’s operational funding, which was vetoed by Gov.
Mark Dayton at the end of the 2017 legislative session. The first bill to be
passed by the Legislature upon its return on Feb. 20, 2018, is expected to be a
bill to restore funding for its own operations. Dayton has indicated that he
will sign a “clean” legislative funding bill, which would increase the
short-term deficit to $302 million.
Despite this negative budget projection, legislative leaders were fairly
cautious in their responses. The budget shortfall includes state funding for
the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP). If Congress reauthorizes the CHIP
funding, as it is expected to do prior to the end of the year, this will infuse
about $178 million in federal money into the health and human services budget and
reduce state spending for that program, narrowing the current projected deficit
down to about $10 million, or $124 million once the Legislature’s funding is
approved. The anticipated shortfall is relatively small considering that state
has a $46 billion two-year state budget and a healthy budget reserve of $1.6
billion.
The governor and the Legislature will use the February 2018 budget forecast to
make any supplemental budget recommendations for the rest of the biennium. The
current biennium ends on June 30, 2019. MHA will continue to be watchful
regarding any budget recommendations proposing to reduce current public health
care eligibility or state Medical Assistance payments to health care
providers. return to top
2018
Rural Hospital Capital Improvement Grant Program accepting applications
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is
soliciting grant proposals from Minnesota rural hospitals to update, remodel or
replace aging hospital facilities and equipment.
Eligible hospitals are non-federal, not-for-profit, general acute care
hospitals with 50 or fewer beds that are located in a rural area or in a
community with a population of less than 15,000 and are outside the
seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area.
Approximately $1.75 million is available. Applicants may apply for grants of up
to $125,000.
Applications are due Jan. 19, 2018. The request for proposals and application
instructions are available on the Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
(ORHPC) website.
For information and assistance, contact Lina Jau, Office of Rural Health and Primary
Care, MDH, 651-201-3809. return to top