Minnesota Hospital Association

Newsroom

December 02, 2013

MHA Newsline

In this issue

Benedictine Health System names new president/CEO

Rocklon B. “Rocky” Chapin, FACHE, has been named as the new president and CEO of Benedictine Health System, effective Jan. 1, 2014. Chapin joined the Benedictine Health System in January 2013 and currently serves as senior vice president of business development and strategic planning. He has been a leader in the management and health care industry for more than 35 years with experience in operations improvement, board and physician relations, managed care negotiations, strategic planning and business development. During his time at BHS, he has led system growth and partnership efforts with a specific emphasis on post-acute care initiatives and relationships with major hospitals and health systems.

Chapin has extensive governance experience having served on many health care and not-for-profit organization boards and is active in the American College of Healthcare Executives both nationally and in Minnesota. return to top

Upcoming Rural Palliative Care Networking Group to focus on anxiety, delirium and depression

One of the key pillars of palliative care is the ability to manage pain and other symptoms. The Rural Palliative Care Networking Group is presenting a three-part educational series focused on the non-pain symptoms that people experience at end of life. Part II of this series will be presented Jan. 28 from 10 a.m. to noon at Lakewood Health System in Staples. The session will feature Laura Scherer, RN, director, Unity Family Home Care and Hospice in Little Falls. Session objectives include:

  • Define anxiety, delirium/agitation and depression present at the end of life.
  • Identify possible etiologies of anxiety, delirium/agitation and depression at end of life.
  • Assess for physical and psychological aspects of anxiety, delirium/agitation and depression that can be included in the plan of care at end of life.
  • Describe the patient and family instructions needed at the end of life.

Participation is available in person or via conference call. To register for in-person attendance or conference call, contact Matt Ellis at Stratis Health by Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014, 952-853-8539. Part III of the series will take place in May 2014 and will cover the symptoms of dyspnea, noisy respiration, fatigue and pressure ulcers. return to top  

Provide opportunities for flu vaccination during National Influenza Vaccination Week, Dec. 8-14

National Influenza Vaccination Week runs Dec. 8-14 and is the ideal time to get your staff and community vaccinated against the flu. Influenza is just getting underway in Minnesota, so it’s not too late to get vaccinated. The Minnesota Department of Health is participating in this national campaign by partnering with local public health agencies and other health care providers to provide Minnesotans with opportunities to get their annual influenza vaccination. Your facility may wish to plan flu vaccination clinics during the week. Last year, more than 3,000 people in Minnesota were hospitalized with influenza. Since those with weakened immune systems are especially susceptible, it is important that health care workers get vaccinated. To learn more about influenza vaccination in Minnesota, visit the MDH flu website or MHA’s preventing flu webpage. return to top  

Program focuses on building collaborations for local community health

MHA is partnering with the Local Public Health Association of Minnesota (LPHA) to provide a dynamic and interactive program on building collaborations to improve community health. Hospitals, health systems and public health agencies are increasingly faced with similar challenges and new opportunities as communities look to population health improvement as an increasingly important element in community development, health care and economic policy. Through collaboration, public health and health care providers can avoid duplication or dilution of efforts and resources and more importantly, increase the impact of their efforts to advance community health in their shared service areas.  

The program is designed for LPHA members, local health department staff, hospital community health needs assessment staff and community benefits and outreach staff. It will include a discussion of successful collaborations between local public health agencies and hospitals in Minnesota, and opportunities to explore community health needs assessments and strategies for leveraging local resources to improve population health.

“Building Collaborations for Local Community Health” will take place Feb. 20, 2014 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Dakota Lodge in West St. Paul. Further details and registration information will be available soon. For questions, contact Kristin Loncorich, MHA director of government relations, 651-603-3526. return to top