In this issue
Hospital
spotlight: Heart of New Ulm Project and New Ulm Medical Center receive AHA NOVA
Award
Hearts
Beat Back: The Heart of New Ulm Project (HONU) and New Ulm Medical Center, part
of Allina Health, received the 2014 NOVA Award from the American Hospital
Association (AHA) and celebrated the award with a community reception.
The
HONU Project is an innovative 10-year grassroots initiative to significantly
reduce the number of heart attacks among residents of New Ulm and is a
collaborative partnership of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, New
Ulm Medical Center and the community members of New Ulm.
Since
the HONU Project began five years ago, the culture of New Ulm has transformed
to improve health risks such as physical activity, nutrition, obesity and
tobacco use through community education and outreach programs and as a result,
reduce the rates of acute heart attacks and deaths from coronary heart disease.
The
AHA NOVA Awards are given nationwide each year to hospitals and health systems
for their collaborative efforts towards improving community health. For more
information on the AHA NOVA Award, click here. For more information on the Heart of New
Ulm Project, click here. return to top
Minnesota
hospitals recognized for fight against influenza
The
Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) FluSafe program awarded ribbons to 100
Minnesota hospitals that achieved vaccination rates of 70 percent or greater
for the 2013-2014 flu season.
The
FluSafe program aims to get all health care personnel, except those with
medical exemptions, at hospitals and nursing homes in Minnesota vaccinated
against influenza each season. National rates of influenza vaccination of
health care workers are estimated at 72 percent.
Under
the FluSafe program, health care facilities receive guidance and access to
tools and promotional items from MDH and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) to help them increase their vaccination rates. Hospitals
and nursing homes record their vaccination rates through the state’s electronic
immunization information system.
Hospitals
wishing to participate in the FluSafe program can register here. Facilities that
participated in 2013-2014 do not need to re-register for the upcoming season,
but may use the link above to update their contact information, if necessary.
A
list of the 2013-2014 hospitals and care centers earning ribbons can be found here. For questions,
contact the FluSafe program. return to top
AF4Q
highlights Minnesota’s efforts to improve quality, handle cost of care
Aligning
Forces for Quality (AF4Q) is highlighting the work in Minnesota to improve
quality and reduce the total cost of health care in the state. AF4Q is the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) signature effort to lift the overall
quality of health care in targeted communities, reduce disparities and provide
models for national reform.
Minnesota
is one of 16 AF4Q alliances operating nationwide, and includes MHA, Stratis
Health, MN Community Measurement (MNCM), and the Institute for Clinical Systems
Improvement (ICSI).
AF4Q
highlights Minnesota’s patient safety efforts, including the results of the Reducing Avoidable Readmissions Effectively(RARE) Campaign,
which prevented 7,975 avoidable readmissions and allowed patients to spend
31,900 nights at home instead of in the hospital. The RARE Campaign saved an
estimated $70 million in inpatient costs in three years.
Building
on the quality measurement and improvement efforts, the Minnesota alliance is
now working on the task of measuring how much an individual health care episode
costs in an effort to increase transparency for consumers.
For
more information, visit the AF4Q website and access the
article here. return to top
Engage
candidates, get involved in upcoming elections
With
campaigns in full swing, now is the time for Minnesota hospitals, health
systems and their employees to get involved, engage candidates and share the
message face-to-face about your hospital’s patient safety work and
contributions to your community.
Hospitals
are encouraged to invite members of our congressional delegation to visit your hospital
before they return to Washington the week of Sept. 8.
MHA
members should reinforce with our delegation that Minnesota hospitals and
health systems are involved in many reforms to ensure our tradition of
nation-leading care. These efforts are taking place while already facing
billions of dollars of payment reductions as a result of the Affordable Care
Act, sequestration and other regulations. MHA members should encourage our
delegation to continue to support thoughtful policy reforms instead of
across-the-board cuts.
MHA
members are also encouraged to communicate their support for H.R. 3991/S.2037,
the Critical Access Hospital Relief Act of 2014. This legislation removes the
96-hour physician certification requirement as a condition of payment for CAHs.
There is a possibility that this bill language could be attached to moving
legislation after the district work period. A strong show of support is
necessary to make that happen.
To
view a full list of MHA’s priority federal bills click here.
For
more information on election engagement, access the MHA 2014 Election Tool Kit
on the MHA Member Center. The Member Center
is username and password protected. Contact Ashley Gauster, MHA member services
and communications specialist, 651-603-3545.
For
federal election and government relations questions, contact Ann Gibson, MHA vice president of federal
relations and workforce, 651-603-3527. return to top
MDH
rural hospital planning and transition grants available
The Minnesota Department of Health Office of
Rural Health and Primary Care is taking applications for the Rural Hospital
Planning and Transition Grant Program. The program helps small hospitals (50 or
fewer beds) preserve or enhance access to health services through planning or
implementation projects.
The grant program supports small hospitals
in: (1) developing strategic plans for improving access to health services, or
(2) implementing transition projects to modify the type and extent of services
provided, based on an existing plan. Coordination with local community
organizations is a key component of this grant program. Applicants may apply
for grants of up to $50,000, and approximately $300,000 is available in the
program as a whole.
Applications are due Oct. 10, 2014. Application forms and guidance are
available on the Officeof Rural Health & Primary Care (ORHPC) website.
For more information, contact Will Wilson, MDH Office of Rural Health and Primary
Care, 651-201-3842. return to top
DHS
hosts mental health reform 2018 listening sessions
Lucinda
Jesson, commissioner of the Department of Human Services (DHS) invites
hospitals and other health care stakeholders to discuss ideas for improving
mental health services in the community.
DHS
is considering legislative initiatives and is obtaining feedback to help guide
their efforts. MHA encourages members to attend the meeting on Aug. 29 from 10
to 11:30 a.m. at the South Central Community College in North Mankato.
Additional session dates and locations will be announced by DHS.
For
questions, contact Jen McNertney, MHA policy analyst,
651-659-1405. return to top
Minnesota
stroke registry program workshops registration open
The
Minnesota Stroke Registry Program, part of the Minnesota Department of Health, will be hosting a series of regional workshops
around the state. “Breaking Stroke Barriers in Rural Minnesota with Your Partners”
will focus on pre-hospital and hospital care including stroke recognition and
mimics, drop and ship tPA management and pre-hospital to hospital care
transition. The workshops provide an opportunity for EMS professionals and
hospital-based providers to receive stroke education, participate in
facilitated discussions and network.
EMS
professionals, ED nurse managers and directors, ICU managers and directors,
stroke and trauma coordinators and nurse and EMS educators are encouraged to
attend.
The
workshops are scheduled from 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the following locations:
- St. Cloud Hospital – Sept. 23
- Avera Marshall Regional Medical
Center – Oct. 1
- St. Mary’s Medical Center, Duluth
– Oct. 21
- Otter Tail County Government
Services Center, Fergus Fall – Oct. 30
To
view the agenda, click here and to register,
click here. For questions,
contact Mary Jo Mehelich, quality improvement nurse, 651-201-5419 or Megan Hicks, quality improvement coordinator, 651-201-5436, Minnesota Stroke Registry Program. return to top
World
Sepsis Day Sept. 13
World
Sepsis Day will be observed on Sept. 13 and is a single day where events
worldwide focus on creating sepsis know-how and awareness. World Sepsis Day is
organized by the Global Sepsis Alliance, a coalition of organizations with over
one million caregivers in 70 countries working to elevate public, philanthropic
and governmental awareness, understanding and support of sepsis and to
accelerate collaboration among researchers, clinicians, and organizations to
reduce incidence of sepsis by 20 percent by 2020.
Visit
the World Sepsis Day website
for more information on ways your organization can join in the observance and
sign the World Sepsis Declaration form.
There
is still time to participate in the MHA Leading Edge Advanced Practice Topics
(LEAPT) Seeing Sepsis campaign,
which includes a tool kit to facilitate the adoption of severe sepsis early
detection tools and the Surviving Sepsis Campaign three- and six-hour care
bundles by hospitals of all sizes.
To
join Seeing Sepsis, contact Karen Olson, MHA patient
safety/quality coordinator, 651-603-3521. return to top
Integrated
Care in Rural Practice conference registration available
Coordinated
by the Minnesota Psychological Association, the Integrated Care in Rural
Practice conference aims to provide quality continuing education to behavioral
health professionals on the particular practice issues involved in working with
people from rural communities.
Presentation
topics include:
- Integrating primary care and
behavioral health in rural settings
- The integrated behavioral treatment
of anxiety disorders in primary care: extension to rural practice
- Lessons from the front lines of
rural pediatric integrated care
- The challenge of treating
individuals with both mental illness and substance use disorders in
integrated rural settings
The
conference is intended for the full range of behavioral health care professions,
and will provide a knowledge base at the intermediate to advanced level for
implementing rural integrated services.
The
conference will be held by Oct. 24 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The conference will
be held via group webcast sites or individual webcast.
To
register, click here. For questions,
contact Kay Slama, MPA conference
coordinator, 320-905-6051. return to top
Julie
Brunner, executive director of MCHP to retire
Julie
Brunner, executive director of the Minnesota Council of Health Plans (MCHP) has
announced plans to retire at the end of this year after 12 years with the
organization and 40 years in the health care industry.
Under
Brunner’s leadership, MCHP gained national recognition for bringing competing
health plans, physicians and hospital groups together to create a more
efficient health care system and improve the health of Minnesotans. MN
Community Measurement (MNCM), the leading health care quality reporting
organization in Minnesota, is an example of this work. return to top
Newsline
schedule
Newsline
will next be published Tuesday, Sept. 2. return to top