In
this issue
Abbott
Northwestern Hospital care team member receives MHA’s Good Catch for Patient
Safety Award
An Abbott Northwestern Hospital care team member has received the award that
recognizes hospital professionals who demonstrate their commitment to keeping
patients safe by speaking up to prevent a potential patient safety issue.
Kara Boyko Frandson, Pharm.D., accepted the quarterly Minnesota Hospital
Association (MHA) Good Catch for Patient Safety Award at a presentation on Nov.
12.
While staffing the emergency department (ED), Boyko Frandson overheard an
emergency medical technician tell a patient that the ED provider had said they
could take their own home medication. She immediately intervened and explained
to the patient and provider that taking their own medication in this situation
could lead to unknown drug interactions or duplicate therapy because prescribed
medications were already administered in the ED. Due to these risks, taking
home medications without documentation or pharmacist review is against system
policy.
Because Boyko Frandson spoke up, she prevented a potential narcotic overdose
and other potential interactions with medications the patient had received in
the hospital.
“It is because of actions taken every day by dedicated professionals like Kara
that Minnesota hospitals continue to be front-runners in patient safety,” said
MHA Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety Tania Daniels. “Kara’s efforts
remind us what a difference each person can make to keep patients safe.”
The Good Catch for Patient Safety program recognizes hospital professionals for
actions that protect patients. All Good Catch for Patient Safety Award winners
are entered into the running to receive the quarterly Good Catch for Patient
Safety Award. Quarterly winners are eligible to be honored with the annual Good
Catch for Patient Safety Award presented at the MHA Annual Awards banquet.
Visit the MHA website to
complete nominate an employee or team for the award. To learn more,
contact Tania Daniels, 651-603-3517, or Dr. Rahul Koranne, MHA’s chief medical officer, 651-659-1445. return to top
MHA
honored with Strengthening Healthy Communities campaign award
MHA recently received recognition from Modern Healthcare for “The Whole Community,” a Minnesota’s Hospitals: Strengthening Healthy Communities
campaign featuring opioid abuse prevention and treatment efforts at CHI St.
Gabriel’s Health.
The Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
are designed to recognize health care’s best advertising, marketing, promotion
and communication campaigns on and across all media platforms. MHA was honored
with a gold award in the Digital Campaign of the Year category.
MHA is pleased to share this award with CHI St. Gabriel’s Health and all
hospital and health system members supporting the Minnesota’s Hospitals:
Strengthening Healthy Communities campaign. return to top
MHA
Board of Directors affirms position in support of provider tax
The MHA Board of Directors last week voted to reaffirm MHA’s
support of the MinnesotaCare provider tax.
Minnesota levies a 2 percent tax on non-Medicare health care services. This
provider tax applies to inpatient, outpatient, physician, chiropractor, dentist,
mental health and similar services. The provider tax produces approximately
$700 million per year and was designed in 1992 to fund health care coverage for
low-income Minnesotans, initially through MinnesotaCare.
Current law sunsets the provider tax on Dec. 31, 2019. MHA supports the repeal
of the provider tax sunset.
Historically, the provider tax generates more revenues than the state needs to
pay its share of MinnesotaCare and Medicaid expansion costs. MHA supports
decreasing the rate of the tax to more closely align with the state’s costs for
these programs without generating ongoing surpluses, as well as adding
statutory provisions to assure that provider tax revenues are used only for
their current health care purposes. return to top
2019
advocacy resources available for legislator meetings
MHA has developed a new 2019 legislative toolkit to help MHA
members connect with their representatives in advance of the legislative
session, which begins Jan. 8, 2019. Elected officials appreciate hearing from
local hospital stakeholders with personal expertise about health care issues
and issues affecting their community's hospitals and clinics.
The resources, which include fact sheets, sample communications and grassroots
matching information, are available on the MHA Member Center. MHA board members, chief
executive officers, trustees, chief nursing executives, government relations
officers and primary communicators received a link last week via email.
For assistance accessing the Member Center, contact Ashley Beno,
member services and communications specialist, MHA, 651-603-3545.
With legislative questions, contact Mary Krinkie, vice president of government
relations, MHA, 651-659-1465. return to top
State
Trauma Advisory Council to address Level IV guidelines
Dec. 6
The State Trauma Advisory Council (STAC) plans to review and
approve the proposed Level IV trauma guidelines at its Dec. 6 meeting. For more
details, visit the STAC website.
The current proposal represents significant revisions to the admissions
criteria from the initial proposal presented at STAC’s June 5 meeting, which drew
significant negative feedback from Level IV trauma-designated hospitals. MHA’s
Small, Rural Hospital Committee reviewed the revised criteria and were
satisfied with the revised proposal.
With questions, contact Joe Schindler, vice president of finance, MHA,
651-659-1415. return to top
State
Trauma Advisory Council applications due Dec. 7
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) commissioner is looking
to fill several State Trauma Advisory Council (STAC) medical advisory positions
with applications due by Dec. 7.
STAC advises the commissioner of health on a variety of matters related to
trauma care across the state. The group influences public policy and plays an
important role in helping improve trauma care in Minnesota. Members of the
multidisciplinary council serve four-year terms and meet as a full council four
times each year in person. Travel expenses are reimbursed.
Seven STAC offices will be filled with new members in January 2019 including
rehabilitation specialist, Level III or IV rural family medicine emergency
physician, Level I or II trauma program manager, orthopedic surgeon, rural EMS
attendant or ambulance director, emergency medicine physician, and
pediatrician.
For more information and application instructions, visit the Statewide Trauma System website. return to top
2019
Rural Hospital Capital Improvement Grant Program applications due Jan. 11
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is
soliciting grant proposals from Minnesota rural hospitals to update, remodel or
replace aging hospital facilities and equipment. Applications are due Jan.
11.
Eligible hospitals are nonfederal, 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.
To learn more, view the request for proposals and application instructions on
the Office of Rural Health and Primary Care website.
For information and assistance, contact Lina Jau, Office of Rural Health and Primary
Care, MDH, 651-201-3809. return to top