Minnesota Hospital Association

Newsroom

September 17, 2018

MHA Newsline: Sept. 17, 2018

In this issue 

Mary Grace St. Claire honored with MHA Volunteer of the Year Award

MHA on June 1 honored innovative programs and outstanding leaders in health care at its 34th annual awards ceremony.   

Mary Grace St. Claire of Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital received the Volunteer of the Year Award, which honors hospital volunteers for their important role in supporting a positive patient and family experience at hospitals and health systems.   

St. Claire is a vibrant part of the community of volunteers at Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital. After experiencing a traumatic injury in 2003, she spent time recovering at the hospital. Many volunteers came to check on her progress. She told herself, “If I ever get the chance, I want to be that person for other patients.” Now, she is that person every day.   

After recovering from her brain injury, St. Claire devoted her time to volunteering at the hospital. In the past 10 years, she has organized events, served on executive committees, worked with patients and done data entry and analysis.   

St. Claire says she is grateful for all the opportunities and support that she has received from Methodist, especially in the years after her accident. After transitioning from male to female four years ago, her colleagues in The Park Nicollet Foundation said that they would support her and “have her back” every step of the way. She now shares her story during diversity and inclusion training for new volunteers. Recently, she celebrated 11,000 service hours with Methodist.   

To learn more about the award winners, visit the MHA websitereturn to top   

Election overview with David Schultz to replace Annual Meeting gubernatorial debate

The previously announced gubernatorial debate scheduled for Sept. 21 at the MHA Annual Meeting has been canceled due to candidate scheduling conflicts. In place of this session, MHA and LeadingAge Minnesota will feature Hamline University Professor David Schultz who will share his insight into the campaigns and what to expect in the next seven weeks before the election.   

A frequent commentator in the media, Schultz specializes in American politics, including campaigns and elections; government ethics; public administration; and health, economic and environmental policy. He is also professor at the University of Minnesota and University of St. Thomas schools of law where he teaches election law, state constitutional law, constitutional law, administrative law and legal ethics. return to top   

Minnesota Hospital PAC Silent Auction to be held Sept. 19

MHA Annual Meeting attendees are invited to the Chair’s Reception and Minnesota Hospital PAC Silent Auction on Sept. 19 from 8-10 p.m. at Madden’s in the Town Hall Conference Center, lower level.    

The Minnesota Hospital PAC is a voluntary, bipartisan political action committee (PAC) that raises campaign funds for candidates running for state and federal office in Minnesota. It is the voice for hospital advocates seeking to help candidates who support the goals of hospitals.    

With questions, contact Kristin Loncorich, director of state government relations, MHA, 651-603-3526. return to top   

Register for trustee web conference on health care and 2018 elections

In October, MHA will offer a web conference on the effects of the 2018 elections on health care featuring a presentation by Matthew Anderson, J.D., senior vice president of policy and chief strategy officer, MHA.   

The web conference will be offered on multiple dates and times to accommodate participants’ schedules: 

  • Tuesday, Oct. 2; 5-6 p.m. 
  • Wednesday, Oct. 3; noon – 1 p.m. 
  • Monday, Oct. 8; 6-7 p.m. 

Uncertainty in health care policy and financing at both the state and federal levels creates a significant challenge for hospital and health system trustees. As the 2018 elections approach, candidates’ divergent approaches to health care policy will significantly affect Minnesota's hospitals and health systems. Even before the votes are counted, trustees can examine how election outcomes could impact their organizations and communities and prepare for the adjustments necessary to succeed in 2019 and beyond.   

Trustees who participate in this program will earn one credit toward the Effective Governance (EG) component of MHA’s Board Education Certification program.   

To register, submit the registration form by Oct. 1. There is a $25 registration fee per connection to cover program expenses. Trustees should submit their registration through their hospital.   

Those participating in a group should register the individual setting up the web conference. Following the web conference, MHA will ask for a list of participants to assign credit. return to top   

MDH to hold October rural health listening sessions

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) in October will hold rural health listening sessions to gather information to inform its Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program and other state Office of Rural Health and Primary Care projects. The Flex Program was created to improve health care access and quality, focusing on Minnesota’s critical access hospitals as the hub of rural systems of care.   

MHA members are encouraged to attend the sessions and share their knowledge and experiences related to rural health care.   

Sessions are as follows: 

  • Tuesday, Oct. 2, from 4-6 p.m.
    Beltrami Electric Co–op, 4111 Technology Dr. NW, Bemidji 
  • Wednesday, Oct. 3, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
    Minnesota Discovery Center, 1005 Discovery Dr., Chisholm 
  • Wednesday, Oct. 10, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
    MN Agricultural Interpretive Center (MAIC), 7367 360th Ave., Waseca 
  • Wednesday, Oct. 24, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
    Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center, 300 S. Bruce St., Marshall 
  • Tuesday, Oct. 30, from 4-6 p.m.
    Alomere Health, 111 17th Ave. E., Alexandria 

For more information and to RSVP, contact Emma Distel, Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, MDH, 651-201-3528. return to top   

Danielle Ofri to speak at MAPS Conference

The Minnesota Alliance for Patient Safety (MAPS) Conference is Oct. 25-26 at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest in Brooklyn Park. For more information, download the conference brochure.   

Danielle Ofri, author and clinical professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine, will provide the opening keynote. During her presentation, she will discuss patient safety and the human condition. There is, rightly, a strong emphasis in systems approaches to improving medical care and decreasing error. However, medicine is fundamentally a human endeavor, and in the end, it is people, not systems, who cause medical errors. Ofri will bring attention to the crucial human aspects of the medical enterprise — emotions, respect and relationships.   

With six general sessions and 12 breakout sessions, the conference, themed “Reigniting Our Passion for Safe Care,” will disseminate leading-edge practices, provide knowledge on critical topics in safe care and facilitate creative and solution-oriented dialogue about how to make health care sustainably and measurably safer in Minnesota.  

To register, visit MHA's website, log in, click “Calendar of Events” and select the program title. The cut-off date for the group block at the Marriott is Oct. 3. return to top   

New educational videos for board meetings available on MHA’s website

MHA has added to our series of board education videos designed as short introductions on specific health care topics to be shared during hospitals’ board meetings or for individual use. MHA recently filmed eight new videos. These new videos, as well as previously recorded videos, are available on MHA’s website. Topics and speakers include:    

  • Patient and Family Engagement in Action
    Joy Benn, MBA, CPXP, quality and process improvement specialist, Minnesota Hospital Association, St. Paul, MN   
  • MHA Workforce Planning Tool
    Mark Sonneborn, vice president, health information and analytics, Minnesota Hospital Association, St. Paul, MN   
  • Board Minutes and Documentation Best Practices
    Laura Leitch, attorney, Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman, Milwaukee, WI   
  • MHA’s New Analytics Platform
    Mark Sonneborn, vice president, health information and analytics, Minnesota Hospital Association, St. Paul, MN   
  • Designing Your Facility with Brand Experiences in Mind
    Jon Buggy, principal, RSP Architects, Minneapolis, MN 
  • A 2019 Legislative Session Preview
    Mary Krinkie, vice president, government relations, Minnesota Hospital Association, St. Paul, MN  
  • Addressing the Opioid Epidemic
    Jennifer Schoenecker, senior director, quality and patient safety, Minnesota Hospital Association, St. Paul, MN 
  • The Importance of Strategic Planning for Hospital Trustees
    Kari Larsen, area sr. vice president/consulting practice leader, health & welfare consulting practice, Gallagher, Bloomington, MN 
  • Cyber Risk Management
    Dave Wasson, vice president, cyber liability, Hays Companies, Minneapolis, MN   

If you find other topics that you would like MHA to explore, please contact Peggy Westby, vice president of education and membership services, MHA, 651-603-3518. MHA adds additional videos at least once a year. return to top   

MHA comments on Medicare physician fee schedule proposed rule

MHA opposed CMS’ proposal to collapse Medicare payments for the current five levels of evaluation and management (E/M) services into two payment rates because it would remove providers’ ability to distinguish services for patients who need different levels of resource use, have more complex conditions or require greater intensity of care. The proposal would disproportionately and negatively impact providers who provide specialty services and those that treat more acute or complex patients.   

In addition to several other topics addressed in its comment letter, MHA reiterated its strong objection to CMS policies on “site-neutral” payments, including those reflected in the outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) rule, and urged the agency to reconsider the proposed reduction in payments for certain drugs.   

MHA praised the agency for recognizing that using communication technology for remote provider-patient check-ins and remote evaluation of “store and forward” videos or images will make care more accessible, alleviate burdens on providers and help reduce the growth in health care spending. MHA urged CMS to review and revise how “originating site” and “distant site” are defined to better align with current technology and reduce unnecessary barriers to adopting telemedicine services, such as those that preclude reimbursement for telemedicine based on where the provider or patient is located.   

With questions, contact Joe Schindler, vice president of finance, MHA, 651-659-1415. return to top