In this issue
Hospital spotlight: RARE Campaign prevents 7,030 avoidable readmissions
New MHA member website enhancements coming soon
CMS extends emergency preparedness comment period
New law bans sealcoats
Deadline for CEO, CFO, CNE salary survey is Friday, Feb. 28
Member news: In memory of Mark McNelly
Hospital
spotlight: RARE Campaign prevents 7,030 avoidable readmissions
A broad-based coalition of hospitals, care providers and
community partners participating in the RARE Campaign—Reducing Avoidable
Readmissions Effectively—has prevented 7,030 avoidable readmissions through
third quarter 2013 and allowed patients in Minnesota to spend 28,120 nights of
sleep in their own beds instead of the hospital. Although the campaign has
surpassed its 2013 goal, work continues to achieve a 20 percent decrease in
readmissions and to maintain the noteworthy gains.
These results are attributed to participants in the campaign honing their work
on five key areas that, if not managed well, are known to be main contributors
to avoidable hospital readmissions:
- Comprehensive discharge planning
- Medication management
- Patient and family engagement
- Transition care support
- Transition communications
Thank you to all RARE participants for your dedication and
commitment to reducing avoidable hospital readmissions. Learn more about the RARE Campaign. return to top
New
MHA member website enhancements coming soon
MHA will soon roll out a new, member-only web portal on the
MHA website. As a member of MHA, you will have exclusive access to a number of
member-only benefits. The web portal is your connection to MHA, allowing you to
manage your contact information, register for upcoming events and programs and access
member-only resources and documents.
Look for more information to come. For questions, contact Ashley Gauster, MHA member services and communications specialist,
651-603-3545. return to top
CMS
extends emergency preparedness comment period
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has
extended the comment period for the emergency preparedness proposed rule to
March 31, 2014. The proposed rule establishes emergency preparedness conditions
of participation and conditions for coverage that hospitals, critical access
hospitals and other providers would have to meet to participate in Medicare and
Medicaid. The proposed rule is available here. Members are encouraged to send feedback
on the proposed rule by March
24 to Jen McNertney, MHA policy analyst,
651-659-1405. return to top
New
law bans sealcoats
In 2013, the Minnesota Legislature banned the use and sale of
coal tar-based sealants, also called sealcoats, beginning Jan. 1, 2014 (see Minnesota Statutes section 116.202).
Some Minnesota hospitals and health systems have used sealcoats to maintain or
protect their parking lots or other asphalt pavements. The Minnesota
Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has resources and suggestions for safer
alternatives to the banned sealcoat materials.
To learn more about coal tar-based sealants or the new law, click here. For more about preferred alternatives, click here or contact Al Innes,
MPCA, 651-757-2457. return to top
Deadline
for CEO, CFO, CNE salary survey is Friday, Feb. 28
The deadline for submitting this year’s chief executive officer,
chief financial officer and chief nurse executive online compensation surveys
is Friday, Feb. 28.
Members were e-mailed information on how to confidentially complete the surveys
on Feb. 12, 2014.
If you have questions regarding the survey, contact Jenny Sanislo, MHA division assistant, 651-659-1440 or Jonathan Peters, MHA director of data and finance policy, 651-641-1121. return to top
Member
news: In memory of Mark McNelly
Mark McNelly, a former hospital administrator at
St. Francis Healthcare Campus in Breckenridge, passed away at his home in
Battle Lake Saturday, Feb. 15 after battling multiple sclerosis. Mark spent his
career in health care, both in Minnesota and North Dakota and was actively
involved with various health care and community organizations at the local,
state and national level. During his tenure at St. Francis, Mark was actively
involved in MHA’s Region 3. Click here to read Mark’s obituary. An article
in the Wahpeton Daily News shares some memories of
Mark from his former colleagues at St. Francis Healthcare Campus. return to top