Minnesota Hospital Association

Newsroom

October 20, 2014

MHA Newsline: Oct. 20, 2014

In this issue 

CDC issues updated Ebola guidance for health care workers

Over the weekend, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posted updated guidance for health care workers when caring for suspect or confirmed patients with Ebola. The guidelines outline what should be done for a patient under investigation for Ebola, including: 

  1. Activate the hospital preparedness plan for Ebola.
  2. Isolate the patient in a separate room with a private bathroom.
  3. Ensure a standardized protocol is in place for how and where to remove and dispose of personal protective equipment (PPE) properly and that this information is posted in the patient care area.
  4. Interview the patient for symptoms, contacts and travel history.
  5. Consider and evaluate for all potential alternative diagnoses (e.g. malaria, typhoid fever).
  6. Reassure patient and family that appropriate care will be provided.
  7. Ensure patient has the ability to communicate with family. 

The complete guidelines can be found here. Additional resources, including recordings of CDC conference calls, are available on the MHA website and on the AHA website. Guidance on disposing of medical waste is available at www.phmsa.dot.gov. The CDC and National Institutes of Health (NIH) officials have said new guidelines for personal protective equipment (PPE) are forthcoming. It is expected the updated guidance will provide detailed instructions for health care workers. 

With the updated guidance, the requirement that all hospitals be able to evaluate and isolate a suspected Ebola patient has not changed. Every hospital in the state needs to continue its education and training to be prepared should a patient present with Ebola symptoms. The situation is rapidly changing and MHA will continue to communicate new information as it is available.    

Twin Cities Medical Society to host Ebola education forum 

The Twin Cities Medical Society is hosting a free educational forum for physicians, medical students, health administrators and health care workers on Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The forum features experts from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) as well as Allina Health and Hennepin County Medical Center. The forum aims to inform attendees of how health systems are preparing for potential Ebola cases in Minnesota, understand the resources available from MDH and learn more about the epidemiology of Ebola. There is no charge for the event but registration is requested at www.metrodoctors.com or call 612-623-2885.  return to top   

Member news: North Memorial Health Care names new leader

North Memorial Health Care in Robbinsdale has named Dr. Kevin Croston its new CEO. Croston replaces Loren Taylor who will retire in April 2015. 

Croston is currently the chief medical officer and president of the Physician Organization for North Memorial. During his tenure he has been instrumental in developing an integrated population health model for the hospital. He joined North Memorial in 1993 and served on its Board of Trustees from 2007 through 2010.  return to top   

Trustee Regional Meetings being held in Marshall and Duluth

Trustee Regional Meetings will be held on Oct. 29 in Marshall and Oct. 30 in Duluth. During the meetings, MHA Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategy Matt Anderson will present information on policy changes that will affect Minnesota health care providers.

As hospitals’ and health care systems’ financial incentives and regulatory requirements transform, providers are strained to fulfill significantly different expectations between individualized, optimal care delivery on one hand and population level and community health accountability on the other. Anderson will draw upon comparisons with other scientific fields, including economics, psychology and physics to demonstrate the need for health care systems to adapt their organizations and care models to seemingly divergent pressures during these times of shifting expectations. 

Click here for more information or to register.  return to top  

Community benefit survey issued to members

MHA requests hospitals to submit data by Friday, Nov. 7 

MHA has initiated the community benefit data collection for fiscal year 2013. The data is presented in MHA’s Community Benefit Report, which quantifies the contributions hospitals make to improve the health of their communities as well as to ensure access to care. 

For systems that have multiple facilities in different geographic regions of the state, please provide site-specific details so data can be parsed in our statewide report by region. If all of your facilities are in one geographic region, you may report consolidated figures. We understand that you may file only one 990 Schedule H for your system; however, for community benefits reporting it is vital we be able to aggregate by region. 

Chief executive officers, chief financial officers and communications point people should have received emails with instructions and a link to the survey system used to collect the data. Participation by all member hospitals is requested; the more hospitals that participate, the more representative and accurate the final report will be. The deadline for submitting data is Friday, Nov. 7.  

If your hospital did not receive emails regarding the survey, please contact Bonnie Terveer, MHA data operations assistant, 651-641-1121.  return to top   

MDH Office of Rural Health and Primary Care introduces new grant process

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Office of Rural Health and Primary Care (ORHPC) has launched a new electronic grant management system, WebGrants @ MDH. For most grants the eligibility, application requirements, and funding amounts will not change, but the grant management process will be improved.  

When applying for a grant using WebGrants @ MDH, users will see an easy-to use, online interface. Users can fill out forms, attach documents, ask questions, make changes, and sign forms electronically before submitting a grant application. WebGrants @ MDH will be used for the entire lifecycle of a grant – RFP, application, review and selection, contracting, invoices, and grant reporting. Questions about WebGrants @ MDH should be directed to the ORHPC grant manager listed on the individual RFP.  return to top