Minnesota Hospital Association

Newsroom

July 08, 2014

MHA Newsline: July 8, 2014

In this issue 

Hospital spotlight: Fairview Ridges Hospital works to reduce Door-to-Doc time

This past spring, Fairview Ridges Hospital was awarded the MHA Innovation of the Year award, large hospital category, for its development of a series of innovative measures designed to improve its system of patient arrival and triage within the Emergency Department. With the firm belief that patient care, safety and satisfaction are optimized when definitive care is expedited, they focused on improving the time between patient arrival and physician contact time – known as Door-to-Doc time. Innovative measures such as triage at the bedside and double RN triage during peak hours brought the average Door-to-Doc time from 54 minutes in 2011 to 17.4 minutes in 2013. As Door-to-Doc time decreased, the department’s national overall patient satisfaction scores for similar size hospitals increased from the 68th percentile in 2011 to the 92nd percentile in 2013. Read more about Fairview Ridges Hospital and the other MHA award winners herereturn to top  

CMS advisory panel to consider supervision levels of certain outpatient therapeutic services

The Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient Payment, which advises the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the appropriate level of supervision for individual hospital outpatient therapeutic services, will hold its next meeting Aug. 25-26 in Baltimore.   

MHA encourages members to have their chief medical officer, chief nursing officer or other clinical staff identify specific outpatient therapeutic services that require only general supervision and request an opportunity to provide testimony before the panel. Email submissions by July 25.   

As of Jan. 1, 2014, CMS ended the direct supervision enforcement moratorium for critical access hospitals (CAHs) and small, rural hospitals. All hospitals must comply with CMS’s direct supervision requirements. MHA developed a tool for members to better understand and adapt to thevarious elements of the direct supervision requirements.   

The August meeting will be the last opportunity this year to have individual outpatient therapeutic services re-designated as “general supervision” services.   

For questions, contact Ann Gibson, vice president of federal relations and workforce, 651-603-3527. return to top   

Electronic cigarettes banned in hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices effective July 1, 2014

The use of electronic cigarettes is now banned in hospitals, clinics and other health carefacilities as of July 1, 2014. The law does not prohibit the use of electronic cigarettes in licensed residential health care facilities in a designated, separate enclosed area that meets applicable regulations or in a locked psychiatric unit in a separate well-ventilated area as approved by the treating physician. The law does not require new signage or posting of this restriction. 

More information on the Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act can be found here and more information on e-cigarettes can be found herereturn to top   

MN among states with lowest rates of opioid painkiller prescriptions

Minnesota continues leading the nation in high quality, low cost care. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found Minnesota prescribes opioid painkillers at a much lower rate than average, and far below states with the highest rates. In 2012, the state averaged 62 prescriptions for every 100 people. The national average was 82.5 prescriptions per 100 people, and Alabama and Tennessee had the highest rates with 143 prescriptions per 100 people. In one example, nearly 22 times as many prescriptions were written for oxymorphone in Tennessee as were written in Minnesota. Minnesota’s effective programs like the prescription drug monitoring program are models for other states to help decrease their rates of opioid painkiller prescriptions.   

According to the report, 46 people in the US die every day from an overdose of prescription painkillers. Nearly 260 million prescriptions for painkillers were written in 2012. return to top 

MHA’s Matt Anderson promoted to SVP for policy & strategy

Matt Anderson has been promoted to senior vice president for policy and strategy of the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA). Since 2006, he has been vice president for strategic and regulatory affairs at MHA. In this new role, Anderson will oversee MHA policy-related activities including advocacy and government relations at both the state and federal level, information services, finance, workforce and legal affairs.  

“Matt’s organizational and planning skills, along with his ability to collaborate effectively with others, will bring greater coordination and process to our policy development, data analytics and advocacy efforts for our members,” said Lawrence Massa, president & CEO of MHA.   

Prior to joining MHA, Anderson served in legal and policy roles for the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities (MnSCU) system, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office and the Minnesota Attorney General's Office. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School and St. John's University. return to top   

340B Drug Pricing Program overview, benefits and solutions offered at upcoming program

An MHA education program on Aug. 13 will provide an overview of the 340B Drug Pricing Program and discuss benefits to eligible entities. The program will also include a regulatory overview and solutions for hospitals including the contract pharmacy model, things to consider and operationalizing a program.   

Speakers will include representatives from SunRx, an organization that helps health care safety net organizations manage their discount drug program, save money, expand access, ensure adequate compliance protections and offer savings to the uninsured. Brent Thompson, Pharm.D., pharmacy director at First Light Health System in Mora, will also discuss his hospital’s experience with the 340B program.   

MHA has applied for four contact hours through the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy.   

The program will take place at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West in Plymouth on Aug. 13. Click here for a full brochure. Login from MHA’s home page, click “Calendar of Events” and select the program name to register online. return to top   

Mental health conference offers ideas on building community partnerships

Hospitals play a key role in treating people experiencing mental illnesses. However, people living with mental illnesses need support at all levels of care, including before and after hospitalization. MHA’s upcoming mental health conference “Community Partnerships for Community Solutions,” will offer models of community partnerships hospitals can develop with different community stakeholders to help support individuals with mental illnesses. These stakeholders include law enforcement, the criminal justice system, community mental health providers, and health plans, among others.   

Community partnerships offer better care to individuals with mental illnesses, help decrease readmissions to hospitals for mental illness and other conditions, decrease emergency department visits, and lower costs for the entire system.   

This program will be held at the Crowne Plaza, Minneapolis West in Plymouth on Aug. 1. Click here for a full brochure. Login from MHA’s home page, click “Calendar of Events” and select the program name to register online. return to top