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 Report. return 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 website. return 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