In
this issue
Sanford
Canby Medical Center care team member receives MHA Good Catch for Patient
Safety Award
A Sanford Canby Medical Center 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.
Registered nurse Tammy Greenman accepted the quarterly MHA Good Catch for
Patient Safety Award at a presentation on May 23.
A patient presented to the emergency department (ED) with a low magnesium level
and was prescribed magnesium sulfate. When Greenman went to the pharmacy to
obtain the medication to administer it, she noticed that the individual doses
were smaller than the quantity that had been prescribed to the patient.
Greenman contacted the pharmacist on-call to question the dosing and was
informed that the smaller quantity was indeed the correct dose. The larger dose
that had been prescribed could have caused side effects for the patient.
Greenman then contacted the provider to discuss the recommended dosing and the
dose was changed, providing effective management of the patient's low magnesium
level.
“It is because of actions taken every day by dedicated professionals like Tammy
that Minnesota hospitals continue to be front-runners in patient safety,” said
MHA Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety Tania Daniels. “Tammy’s
efforts remind us what a difference each person can make to keep patients
safe.”
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, chief medical officer, MHA, 651-659-1445. return to top
Legislature
reaches budget deal
When the regular legislative session concluded on May 20,
legislative leaders had made progress toward budget deals but had not reached a
global agreement. Work continued during the week and Governor Tim Walz convened
a 24-hour special session on May 24 that resulted in the approval of a $48
billion budget for the next biennium. Walz is expected to sign the budget bills
this week.
One of MHA’s top priorities this session was maintaining the provider tax as a
funding source for health care coverage for low-income Minnesotans. In a
successful resolution, the tax was slightly decreased to 1.8% and the sunset
was eliminated.
In the priority area of mental health, successes included funding to sustain
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs), funding for Intensive
Children’s Mental Health Treatment and 150 new Psychiatric Residential
Treatment Facility (PRTFs) beds, increased funding for school-linked mental
health services and adopting NAMI policy language to better enforce mental
health parity.
Additional results of the legislative session will be shared in the coming
weeks.
With questions, contact Mary Krinkie, vice president of government
relations, MHA, 651-659-1465, or Kristen McHenry, director of state government
relations, MHA, 651-603-3526. return to top
Health
care consumerism thought leader Ryan Donohue to speak at Summer Trustee
Conference
Corporate director of program development with National Research
Corporation and health care consumerism thought leader Ryan Donohue will
present on price transparency and quality during two sessions at the MHA Summer
Trustee Conference, held July 12-14 at the Arrowwood Resort and Conference
Center in Alexandria.
During his first presentation, “Understanding the Call for More Price
Transparency,” Donohue will explore breakthrough industry examples of price
transparency, the effect on consumers when pricing becomes more understandable
and the ultimate impact on patients when pricing remains elusive.
Donohue’s second presentation, “The Quality Quandary: Exploring the Most
Misunderstood Metric in Health Care,” will reveal the simple, surprising
factors that influence patients on quality.
For more information or to register, view the conference brochure. Accommodations at
Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center can be booked at the group rate online. return to top
Review
upcoming pharmaceutical waste regulatory changes
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
recently published a new final rule regarding pharmaceutical waste management
effective Aug. 21. After reviewing the federal regulations, the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency (MPCA) has published a summary of pharmaceutical waste
regulatory changes that will be implemented in Minnesota. While some of the
changes are effective immediately, others will be phased in over the next three
years.
View a summary of the changes effective in Minnesota,
additional guidance regarding specific wastes
and pharmaceutical-related waste management issues, and detailed hazardous waste compliance
guidance.
The MPCA is scheduled to present on changes in pharmaceutical waste management June 25 in Bloomington. Contact the host
organization to register for a training.
The MPCA can provide a speaker for in-person or web-based trainings if the
training is open to the public and publicized and the host provides the venue,
ensures that at least half the attendees are not its own employees or customers
and does not profit from the training. The host may charge reasonable
attendance fees to defray costs. To host a training, contact Joshua Burman,
pollution control specialist, MPCA, 507-344-5243. return to top