Minnesota Hospital Association

Newsroom

March 12, 2018

MHA Newsline: March 12, 2018

In this issue 

Granite Falls Health addresses health care disparities through community paramedics

Rural Minnesota has numerous health care disparities. Granite Falls Health-Ambulance has stepped up to address many of these disparities by implementing a community paramedic program.      

The goal of the program is to manage and develop treatment techniques for patients in their home, prevent costly and unnecessary emergency room visits, decrease hospitalizations and prevent hospital readmissions. Over the past 11 months, the program has proven itself effective by reducing overall health care cost, increasing patient satisfaction and improving the overall health and well-being of patients.     

Community paramedics operate under the license of the physician medical director and serve as an extension of the primary care physician providing care in patients’ homes. Residents living in and around the community of Granite Falls have limited transportation options, causing great difficulty for patients getting to and from medical appointments. This program provides direct access to health care in the patient’s home from two certified community paramedics who are also registered nurses. Two emergency medical technicians also assist the community paramedics as needed.     

Visit the MHA website to learn more and read the full Community Benefit Reportreturn to top   

Legislative update

Last week, the House of Representatives Health and Human Services Reform Committee passed HF 3312, authored by Rep. Nick Zerwas (R-Elk River), to update the Minnesota Health Records Act to align with HIPAA. MHA is part of the leadership for a larger coalition of 59 organizations supporting this change. The legislation was advanced to the House Civil Law committee where it awaits action. Testifying in support of the legislation were Steve Mulder, M.D., president and CEO, Hutchinson Health; Sarah Karlgaard, senior associate general counsel, Allina Health; Mark Buermann, ALS Association Minnesota/North Dakota/South Dakota Chapter; Rep. Nick Zerwas; Careen Martin, vice president and chief privacy officer, Allina Health; Lucas Nesse, Minnesota Business Partnership; and Bentley Graves, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.   

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 2018 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   

Patient Safety Awareness Week is March 11-17

Patient Safety Awareness Week is March 11-17. Sponsored by the National Patient Safety Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the week provides an opportunity for hospitals and health systems to highlight how they are offering high-quality, safe care for patients. To learn more about the campaign, visit the United for Patient Safety website.  

Minnesota’s hospitals and health systems are committed to providing superior care to patients and families – and we have earned a national reputation for delivering safe, high-quality health care and for meeting the needs of our communities. Learn more about quality and patient safety efforts on MHA’s websitereturn to top   

Streamlined road map resources available

MHA publishes and regularly updates road maps to provide hospitals and health systems with evidence-based recommendations and standards for the development of topic-specific prevention and quality improvement programs. In 2017, MHA’s quality committees streamlined the road maps to delineate fundamental and advanced strategies, as well as provide linked resources to assist in implementation.   

Using the MHA data portal, designated quality and patient safety staff can get a comprehensive view of process measures, review outcomes with statewide comparisons and track actions over time. To access the data portal, contact Bonnie Terveer, data operations assistant, MHA, 651-603-3520. return to top   

AHA survey sent to hospitals

MHA is coordinating the collection of the American Hospital Association survey of services, staffing, finances and EHR implementation. The cover letter, survey, walkthrough and login/password were emailed to chief executive officers on March 2. The due date is May 18.   

We ask for your hospital’s assistance in completing the survey. The AHA Directory of Hospitals is useful for identifying trends and the information is used for analysis in a variety of ways at the national level. Please enter your survey information online at www.ahasurvey.org. If you need your login and password, email Jenny Sanislo, division assistant, MHA. return to top

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