In this issue
Hospital
spotlight: Riverwood Healthcare Center wellness programs focus on prevention in
its community
Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin was awarded the MHA
Community Benefit Award for a small hospital this spring. Over the past year,
Riverwood Healthcare Center implemented several new innovative wellness
strategies and partnerships to support prevention and behavioral health.
Riverwood introduced a coaching program and community outreach platform to
Aitkin County and the Garrison area. All programs were free and easily
accessible to the community. The coaching program, designed to support patients
with weight loss, reached more than 300 individuals with an average weight loss
of 10 pounds per person. Community outreach included a Healthy Living
newsletter, health seminars, farmer's market, 5Ks, and resource guides to
encourage patients to access existing community wellness resources as a way to
improve health. These efforts reached several thousand people and engaged them
in better health. Read more about Riverwood Healthcare Center and the other
2014 MHA award winners here. return to top
Hospital
presumptive eligibility to be implemented July 1
The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) continues to
plan for a July 1 implementation of a hospital presumptive eligibility (HPE)
program.
The department expects that hospital staff training will be available online
beginning June 16. Some aspects of the plans for the program have changed,
however.
Most significant, MHA is pleased that DHS is abandoning earlier plans to have
hospital staff submit a partially completed HPE enrollment form to preserve the
date of enrollment while the full HPE form is completed. Instead, the
department is establishing a five-business-day window in which a hospital must
submit a completed HPE enrollment form. This will allow hospitals to treat
patients over weekends and submit the HPE enrollment form during business hours
without losing or delaying the patient’s eligibility from the initial point of
contact.
Another change aimed at simplifying the process for hospitals is the decision
by DHS to eliminate the need for hospitals to submit a statement of interest
form. Instead, the department will post the HPE provider contract as an
addendum to the Minnesota Health Care Program (MHCP) Provider Agreement on a
new hospital presumptive eligibility website.
When completed mid-June, the DHS HPE website will be the primary source of
information for hospitals and will include the following:
- The HPE Addendum to the MHCP
Provider Agreement (HPE provider contract)
- Instructions on how to register
hospital staff for HPE online training courses
- HPE policy manual
- HPE procedures manual
- Training support materials on
how to complete the HPE application
- All HPE forms
- FAQs
For more information about the HPE program, contact Matt Anderson, MHA vice president of regulatory and strategic affairs,
651-659-1421 or Jen McNertney, MHA policy analyst,
651-659-1405. return to top
Safety
issue identified with multi-use injection pens
Last month, the Connecticut Hospital Association issued a safety
alert to its members regarding the use of insulin pens containing a cartridge
and needles — devices intended to make insulin injections more efficient and
accurate. In the Connecticut situation, staff used the cartridges for more than
one patient, although needles were never reused. Despite changing the needles,
there is still a slight risk of blood contamination of the pen reservoir or
cartridge, which could result in the transmission of blood-borne pathogens from
the previous patient. The hospital involved identified approximately 3,000
patients at potential risk for exposure and has stopped using the insulin pens;
other hospitals in the state are expected to do the same.
Last week in Minnesota, the University of Minnesota ended blood sugar
screenings as part of its SHARE outreach program after learning that the
monitoring equipment was being used on multiple patients. The devices were
intended for repeated use by the same patient. As in Connecticut, the needles
that prick the patient were not reused but the reuse of the cartridges still
puts patients at low risk for exposure to infectious diseases. The University
is contacting residents of the apartment complex where the screenings took
place and has suspended blood sugar testing while volunteers are retrained in
proper infection control procedures.
Here are some resources about safe usage of multi-dose and single-dose vials:
Additionally, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices issued
an alert in its May 22 newsletter on this topic. Hospitals are
encouraged to review their policies and procedures to ensure continued safe and
proper use of these devices.
For questions, contact Tania Daniels, MHA vice president for patient
safety, 651-603-3517. return to top
Mental
health workforce shortage summit will form plan
The ideas and recommendations generated by the Mental Health
Workforce Shortage Summit held May 28 will become the basis of a plan to
address the shortage of mental health services. The summit, created by the 2013
legislature, was hosted by Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU)
and HealthForce Minnesota and planned by a steering committee that included
hospitals and other mental health providers, NAMI Minnesota, and the
Departments of Health, Human Services, and Education. The summit included
providers from across the spectrum of mental health services, people living
with a mental illness, education, state and local government, housing and
others.
Common themes from the summit include increasing or restructuring reimbursement
to reflect the important work done by mental health providers, improving
education so it better prepares providers for working with clients with
challenging conditions, and “grow your own” strategies to keep providers in
rural areas.
The plan is due to the legislature Jan. 15, 2015.
For more information contact Jen McNertney, MHA policy analyst,
651-659-1405. return to top
MHA
named to core team for NGA Healthcare Workforce Policy Academy
The Office of Gov. Mark Dayton invited MHA to hold a seat on the
core team that will implement the work of the National Governor’s Association
(NGA) policy academy on Building a Transformed Healthcare Workforce: Moving
from Planning to Implementation.
Minnesota is one of seven states that were selected by the NGA to receive
guidance and expert technical assistance to develop and implement statewide
plans for their health care workforce.
Lauren Gilchrist, special advisor to the governor, will serve as the team
leader along with the following core team members:
- Dr. John Andrews, board of
directors, Metro Minnesota Council on Graduate Medical Education;
- Dr. Barbara Brandt, associate
vice president of education, University of Minnesota Academic Health
Center;
- Dr. Glenace Edwall, director of
adult and children’s mental health, Minnesota Department of Human
Services;
- Ann Gibson, vice president,
federal relations and workforce, Minnesota Hospital Association;
- Connie Ireland, director,
Governor’s Workforce Development Council;
- Nitika Moibi, policy academy
administrative coordinator, Minnesota Department of Health;
- Diane O’Connor, deputy
commissioner, Minnesota Office of Higher Education;
- Mary Rothchild, senior system
director for workforce development, Minnesota State Colleges and
Universities; and
- Mark Schoenbaum, director,
Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Rural Health and Primary Care.
The goals for the project are likely to include: improving
coordination of data collection efforts and analysis; developing strategies to
increase diversity; a focus on the telehealth workforce; and developing
strategies to ensure that supply meets demand. The process will include gathering
input from other key stakeholders interested in health care workforce
development.
Minnesota is joined by Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma
and Wisconsin in the policy academy. The academy runs from May 2014 until Oct.
2015.
For more information contact, Ann Gibson, MHA vice president of federal
relations and workforce, 651-603-3527. return to top
Health
care philanthropy trends featured at foundation education program
MHA is offering a full-day education program for health care
foundation professionals on July 15. The program will feature education
sessions on philanthropy trends, HIPAA changes, employee and physician giving
and the Affordable Care Act, health care reform and community benefit.
The program will be held at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West in Plymouth. Click here for the full program brochure or log-in to register. return to top
March
of Dimes seeks nominations for Nurse of the Year
The Minnesota March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Awards will honor
the contributions of nurses working in our state who have demonstrated an
extraordinary level of patient care, compassion and service. Nominees should
consist of nurses who are perceived as leaders among their peers and are known
for affecting positive change in their profession, workplace, and/or community.
Registered nurses, nurse midwives, nurse practitioners and licensed practical
nurses who work in Minnesota are eligible.
The Nurse of the Year awards will recognize nurses in 16 categories. A new category for 2014 is Innovative
and Non-Traditional Nursing, which honors nurses who work in
holistic/integrative healing and global/humanitarian nursing.
Nominations are due July 1. Learn more or complete a nomination form here. return to top
Douglas
County Hospital seeks director of clinic operations
Douglas County Hospital in Alexandria has a
vacancy for the director of clinic operations at its Alexandria Clinic, a
service of Douglas County Hospital. This position is a member of the senior
management team. The hospital seeks applicants with 10+ years of progressively
responsible operations and management experience in a health care setting,
preferably in a multi-entity clinic with a strong aptitude of physician
compensation models. The ideal candidate will have a passionate commitment to
patient care and a demonstrated ability to define and execute short- and
long-term strategies which support the organizational mission and continue the
history of profitable financial growth.
Click here for a complete job listing or contact LindaRosso at CliftonLarsonAllen, 612-376-4539 for more information. return to top