• Abbott Northwestern Hospital care team member receives MHA’s Good Catch for Patient Safety Award 
• MHA honored with Strengthening Healthy Communities campaign award  
• MHA Board of Directors affirms position in support of provider tax  
• 2019 advocacy resources available for legislator meetings  
• State Trauma Advisory Council to address Level IV guidelines Dec. 6  
• State Trauma Advisory Council applications due Dec. 7 
• 2019 Rural Hospital Capital Improvement Grant Program applications due Jan. 11   

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