In this issue
Hospital
spotlight: Three MN hospitals earn Magnet status
Three Minnesota hospitals have earned Magnet status from the
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for excellence in nursing. Magnet
status is the highest international recognition for quality patient care,
nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. There are
393 Magnet hospitals in 45 states, the District of Columbia and four countries.
In Minnesota, the three Magnet hospitals are: Abbott Northwestern Hospital in
Minneapolis, Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester and St. Cloud Hospital. The
Magnet program promotes high standards based on 14 Forces of Magnetism,
including:
- Quality of nursing leadership
(strong, visionary leaders)
- Organizational structure
(decentralized with care decisions made at the unit level)
- Management style (staff members
are involved at all levels)
- Personnel policies and programs
(competitive salaries and benefits)
- Professional models of care
(number and type of staff needed to care for patients)
- Quality of care (always
striving for better patient outcomes)
- Quality improvement (always
learning and a non-punitive environment)
- Consultation and resources
(staff have access to experts and evidence)
- Autonomy (staff practice at the
highest level allowed by their education and licensure)
- Community and the hospital
(staff members make a positive impact on the community)
- Nurses as teachers (teaching is
an important nursing role)
- Image of nursing (viewed as
integral to the hospital mission)
- Collegial interdisciplinary
relationships (team members work together for the patients)
- Professional development
(personal growth and development are valued and are a part of the
mission).
Congratulations to each of the Magnet hospitals. To learn more
about Magnet status, visit the ANCC website. return to top
Hospitals
affected by MNsure gaps
The rollout of Minnesota’s health insurance marketplace, MNsure,
has been better than that of the federal exchange used in Minnesota's border
states. However, gaps remain in MNsure's features, and additional patient
education is necessary to help residents make the best health plan decisions.
Two gaps that directly affect hospitals and health systems are health plans'
provider network designs and patients’ understanding of the role of deductibles
in comparing the overall value of different options.
MHA members are strongly encouraged to learn which MNsure plans include their
hospitals and clinics in network and those that do not. The MNsure website does
not allow consumers to see which providers are in- or out-of-network for the
different health plan products offered. Unless consumers leave the MNsure site
and look up providers on the health plans’ own websites, they could unknowingly
choose products that do not include their preferred hospital or clinic in
network, thereby requiring them to travel farther distances or incur much
higher out-of-pocket costs.
MHA members should learn which MNsure plans include or exclude them from their
provider networks and educate patients and families in their communities. In
the absence of this functionality from MNsure, Minnesota Public Radio (MPR)
designed a simple web-based tool for determining whether a provider is in- or
out-of-network in that region's plans. MPR's tool can be found here. Also MHA members can check the Minnesota Department of Health’s website for
more information.
In addition, hospitals are strongly encouraged to educate patients about the
implications of deductibles in assessing the overall value of particular plans.
This is particularly true for patients who might be deciding between
MinnesotaCare and a Bronze plan, because a Bronze plan might appear to be
cheaper due to slightly lower monthly premiums. However, the bronze products
have high deductibles that could leave needed care seeming unaffordable in
practice, whereas MinnesotaCare has no deductible. Patients should be educated
regarding what a high-deductible product covers and how deductibles work so
they can make an informed financial decision as they enroll in health coverage.
MHA will be discussing its members' concerns and questions, especially those
related to the Consumer Assistance Partners program, with MNsure officials
later this week. Watch for more information early next week. In the meantime,
members with issues or topics they would like MHA to raise with MNsure should
send them to Matt Anderson, MHA vice president of regulatory and
strategic affairs, or Jen McNertney, MHA policy analyst, by noon on
Wednesday, Oct. 30. return to top
First
Contact could start Nov. 1
Hospitals should be prepared for the possible
implementation of First Contact on Friday, Nov. 1. The Minnesota Board on
Aging is expected to inform stakeholders by Oct. 29 whether First Contact will
begin on Nov. 1. The program has already been delayed from an Oct. 1 start date
because the state had not received federal approval in time.
First Contact redesigns the preadmission screening process for patients
discharged to a Medicaid-certified nursing home, regardless of payer source. In
addition, the 30-day stay is no longer exempt from the process. A referral form
must be submitted to Senior LinkAge Line and Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act
(OBRA) level 1 and 2 screening completed before a patient can be transferred to
a nursing home.
Many questions remain about the implementation of First Contact, particularly
regarding specifics on how transfers to nursing homes can occur if a referral
is in process. Members are encouraged to check the Minnesota Board on Aging website for the
latest information.