In
this issue
Dr.
Kurt DeVine honored with MHA Bruce and Denise Rueben Courage Award
MHA on June 1 honored innovative programs and outstanding
leaders in health care at its 34th annual awards ceremony.
Dr. Kurt DeVine of CHI St. Gabriel’s Health in Little Falls received the Bruce
and Denise Rueben Courage Award, which recognizes an individual who
demonstrates leadership and courage in the development of ground-breaking
activities to increase patient safety, has proactively led efforts to increase transparency
and openness in sharing health care information and has shown exceptional
attention to issues that focus on improving patient care through advocacy and
compassion.
DeVine, a family practice physician, has led the implementation of a clinic-based
model that is demonstrating success in solving the opioid epidemic in his
community. With funding, he led a care coordination team that developed a
program to monitor patients using narcotics for pain.
DeVine enlisted the assistance of community partners, such as law enforcement,
to substantiate the problem of diversion among some patients. He demonstrated
leadership not by mandating and setting new policies, but by encouraging
reduced prescribing among his colleagues through the use of CDC guidelines. By
offering suboxone treatment to over 70 patients within the first year, he has
literally saved lives and allowed patients to participate fully in their
community without addiction.
Additional award winners will be profiled in upcoming issues of Newsline. To
learn more about the award winners, visit the MHA website. return to top
MHA
engaging 2018 candidates
The MHA Board of
Directors engaged Rep. Tim Walz in a robust health care discussion at its
meeting June 22. Walz said that Minnesota’s economic security depends on
education and health care and that if we do not have a healthy, educated
workforce, we will not be competitive. He also cited his experience with
improving the Veterans Administration health system and the need for more
mental health investment, the use of telemedicine and advanced directives. MHA
will continue to engage our membership with the candidates between now and
primary election day on August 14. With questions about the election and
campaigns, contact Mary Krinkie, vice president of government
relations, MHA, 651-659-1465. return to top
House
approves legislation to address opioid abuse
The House on June 22 voted 396-14 to approve bipartisan
legislation to combat opioid abuse. The Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that
Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (HR 6),
which compiles multiple bills, would provide resources for hospitals to develop
protocols on discharging patients who have presented with an opioid overdose;
establish a demonstration program to test alternative pain management protocols
to limit opioid use in hospital emergency departments; direct the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to evaluate coverage of abuse-deterrent
opioids in Medicare plans; include opioid use and pain management resources in
the “Medicare & You” handbook; and expand the use of telehealth services
for substance use disorder.
MHA is pleased that HR 6 includes provisions that would improve
information-sharing among providers with regard to substance use disorder
treatment by aligning 42 CFR Part 2 regulations with the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA); allow states to receive federal
matching funds for up to 30 days per year for services provided to adult
Medicaid beneficiaries with an opioid or cocaine use disorder in an Institution
for Mental Disease (IMD); and preserve the ability for nurse practitioners and
physician assistants to provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and for
physicians to prescribe buprenorphine to up to 100 patients immediately after
they obtain a waiver. MHA will continue to advocate for Congress to provide
appropriate resources to expand MAT training and to incentivize clinicians to
obtain training and to continue to scale back the IMD exclusion.
In the Senate, the Finance Committee approved the Helping to End Addiction and
Lessen (HEAL) Substance Use Disorders Act, which would require Medicare and
Medicaid to provide beneficiaries better education, prevention, management and
treatment options for pain and addiction and improve tracking of opioid
prescriptions under Medicare Part D. The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
(HELP) Committee approved the Opioid Crisis Response Act, which would improve
access to MAT by expanding the types of providers able to prescribe MAT,
allowing physicians to prescribe MAT to up to 275 patients and authorizing
federal grants to medical schools and teaching hospitals to support MAT
training. The bill would provide grants for communities to set up comprehensive
opioid recovery centers and provide new authorities to the FDA and NIH to
develop opioid-related research. The Senate is expected to consider opioid
legislation as early as mid-July.
The White House has expressed support for the House and Senate legislation. return to top
Updated
resources for sexual assault patients
In response to 2014 legislation, the Minnesota Department of
Public Safety Office of Justice Programs (OJP) partnered with the Minnesota
Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA), the Minnesota Chapter of the
International Association of Forensic Nurses, the Minnesota Hospital
Association and others to develop a resource brochure for hospitals to provide
sexual assault patients. The brochure contains information about crime victim
rights, payment obligation for forensic sexual assault exams, civil protective
order options and important supportive resources.
Legislation passed in 2018 requires that this brochure include additional
information about a sexual assault patient’s right to request information from
the law enforcement agency about the status of the sexual assault examination
kit, including the date it was submitted to a forensic lab for testing, the
date results were received and whether a DNA profile was obtained.
An updated version of the brochure in English is available on the OJP website. Updated brochures in Spanish, Somali
and Hmong are scheduled to be available by the end of July.
With questions or to request a design file to customize the brochure, contact Suzanne Elwell, director, Crime Victim Justice Unit, OJP, 651-201-7312.
MHA partnered with MNCASA to develop webinars on providing medical forensic
exams for sexual assault patients. Two webinars provide overview information
for chief nursing officers and finance staff. A three-part webinar series
provides sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) training using medical forensic
exam curriculum that was developed for emergency department nurses.
MHA members can earn a total of four nursing contact hour CEUs from the webinars,
which are available on 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
MHA
offers cybersecurity tactical simulation webinars
MHA in August will offer a series of three cybersecurity
tactical simulation webinars with cybersecurity firm Sensato Cybersecurity
Solutions.
These dynamic webinars give authentic landscape simulations so key staff can
test and tweak their cybersecurity incident response plans without ever leaving
their physical location. Hospitals that participate in these webinars will
receive a cybersecurity tactical simulation certificate of participation. All
materials used (PowerPoints, workbooks, etc.) will be available to
participating organizations.
Dates, times and topics for the three webinars are:
- Aug. 1, 1-2 p.m.: Webinar 1 –
Tactical Simulation Preparation: This webinar reviews what health care
organizations should currently have in place to combat a cybersecurity
attack.
- Aug. 22, 12-2 p.m.: Webinar 2 –
Cybersecurity Tactical Simulation: During this two-hour webinar, each
group will participate in a comprehensive cybersecurity simulated attack.
- Aug. 29, 1-2 p.m.: Webinar 3 –
Tactical Simulation Recap and Lessons Learned: This final webinar will
review strategies and lessons learned provided anonymously by simulation
participants and provide an opportunity for questions and answers.
Fees have been discounted and the cost for
attending will be $1,100 per acute care hospital, $2,400 per health system and
$650 for post-acute, critical access hospitals and other long-term care
provider organizations.
Do not miss out on this unique opportunity to protect your hospital from
cybersecurity attacks. Register online. return to top