In this issue
Hospital
spotlight: Michael Mahoney recognized for advocacy on behalf of hospitals
Minnesota hospitals were once again represented with a unified
voice during the 2014 legislative session. Having a strong hospital presence at
the state legislature and before Congress is deeply dependent on strong
participation and advocacy by members. That is what earned Michael Mahoney,
vice president of public policy at Essentia Health, the MHA Spirit of Advocacy
Award. Michael is deeply dedicated to his work promoting health care issues and
ensures that Essentia has a strong voice at both the state and our nation's
Capitol. He is an outspoken advocate for rural health care in particular —
supporting funding for small community hospitals and for training the next
generation of health care professionals. Mike demonstrates his commitment to
MHA by actively participating in committees including Policy and Advocacy,
Small Rural, Finance, Nurse Staffing, In-House Legal Committee, and the
Minnesota Hospital Political Action Committee Board. He brings a wealth of
experience and has put forth considerable effort to help shape a health care
system in Minnesota that will provide high quality care long into the future.
Read more about the Spirit of Advocacy Award and the other 2014 award winners here. return to top
MN
uninsured rate at all-time low
Minnesota’s uninsured rate has fallen to 4.9 percent of the
population, according to a new report from the State Health Access Data
Assistance Center (SHADAC). This is the lowest uninsured rate Minnesota has
ever recorded. The rate was previously 8.2 percent of the population. This
change represents a 40 percent drop in the number of people without health
insurance in Minnesota. The drop in the uninsured rate was measured from Sept.
30, 2013 to May 1, 2014, or the same time as the MNsure open enrollment period.
The report is available here.
In coming months, MHA will review and analyze data to determine the extent of
the additional covered population on hospitals and health systems. return to top
DHS
launches hospital presumptive eligibility website, will include addendum and
training
The Department of Human Services (DHS) has launched its hospital presumptive eligibility (HPE) website.
This website provides information about the program and will have the Minnesota
Health Care Program (MHCP) contract addendum for hospitals wishing to
participate in HPE as well as training for staff to become certified to make
HPE determinations.
Two important updates have also been announced. The MHCP contract addendum is
expected to be posted online Monday, June 16. Training for staff to become
certified to make HPE determinations is expected to begin by Thursday, June
19. DHS hopes hospital staff will be able to register online beginning June 16
to ensure their place for training.
Hospital presumptive eligibility implementation will begin Tuesday, July 1.
For more information contact Jen McNertney, MHA policy analyst,
651-659-1405 or Matt Anderson, MHA vice president of
regulatory and strategic affairs, 651-659-1421. return to top
Member
news: Essentia Health CEO Peter Person to retire
Essentia Health CEO Peter Person, MD, MBA, announced plans to
retire in 2015. Dr. Person has experienced 33 years in medicine, 20 of them in
executive leadership roles. Dr. Person has served as Essentia Health’s CEO
since its inception in 2004. Under his leadership, Essentia Health has grown
into a fully integrated health system that reaches from northwestern Wisconsin
to Idaho. Its 12,500 physicians and employees serve more than 400,000 patients
annually in 66 clinics and 18 hospitals, many of them in underserved rural
areas.
“Essentia Health exists today because of Peter’s vision and leadership,” says
Richard Blair, Essentia Health board chairman. “You really can’t overstate the
role Peter played in building this health system. The average tenure of a CEO
is about four and a half years. Peter’s tenure has been 20 years. That’s a real
testament to the value he has brought to this organization.”
Essentia Health’s Board of Directors will begin a national search for Dr.
Person’s replacement. The search, which is expected to take several months,
will focus on finding a physician with extensive administrative leadership
experience. return to top
MHA
Partnership for Patients seeks proposals to help spread patient and family
centered care statewide
The MHA Partnership for Patients has issued a
request for proposals (RFP) to help advance the work of hospitals to further
engage patients and families and to create a culture of patient and family
centered care across Minnesota. Over the years, many best practices, tools and
resources have been developed to foster patient and family engagement. MHA aims
to find innovative ways to expand the use of these established patient and
family engagement processes in hospitals across Minnesota to help hospitals
steadily increase their engagement of patients and families in a purposeful way
that centers on the patient.
To learn more or to receive a copy of the RFP, contact Karen Olson,
MHA patient safety and quality coordinator, 651-603-3521. A letter of intent
must be submitted by Monday, June 30 and proposals are due by 5 p.m. on
Tuesday, July 15. return to top