In this issue
Minnesota
hospitals identify strategy for Ebola care
On Friday, Oct. 24, Minnesota hospitals and health systems
announced a coordinated strategy to care for Ebola
patients in the state. Under the plan, all hospitals in the state will continue
to be prepared to detect, isolate and initially care for suspected Ebola
patients. Should a case of Ebola be identified, the patient will be treated at
one of four designated hospitals:
- University of Minnesota Medical
Center, West Bank Campus, Minneapolis
- Mayo Clinic Hospital –
Rochester, Saint Marys Campus
- Allina Health’s Unity Hospital
in Fridley
- Children’s Hospitals and
Clinics of Minnesota - St. Paul campus
MHA will continue to work with all Minnesota hospitals to ensure
they are prepared and have the resources necessary should a case of Ebola
arrive in Minnesota.
Also, new over the weekend the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
released guidance to help emergency departments evaluate and manage patients
who present with symptoms that could indicate Ebola. The guidance and
accompanying algorithm are available on the CDC website. CDC also issued updated Interim Guidance for Emergency Medical Services Systems and 9-1-1- Public Safety Answering Points for Management of Patients with Known or Suspected Ebola Virus Diseases.
For additional state and federal Ebola resources, visit:
www.cdc.gov/ebola
http://www.health.state.mn.us/ebola
In addition, MHA has posted a number of resources for members on our website:
www.mnhospitals.org/ebola
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.
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Member
news: Essentia Health-Fosston trustee appointed to chair AHA committee
Barbara Muesing, trustee at Essentia Health-Fosston, has been
appointed to serve as the chair of the American Hospital Association (AHA)
Committee of Volunteers beginning Jan. 1, 2015. The Committee of Volunteers
supports the AHA mission and policy agenda through its activities in public
policy development, participating in AHA grassroots advocacy, and by providing
the association with the benefit of its community perspective on issues related
to health care. The committee also serves as the selection committee for the
AHA Hospital Awards for Volunteer Excellence. Muesing will serve a one-year
term. return to top
Youth
ACT teams available regionally
Hospitals in the metro, north central, and southeastern areas of
the state have a new community mental health resource for adolescents with
intensive mental and behavioral health needs. Youth Assertive Community
Treatment (ACT) teams serve youth ages 16 to 20 and are covered by Minnesota’s
Medicaid program, Medical Assistance. Youth ACT teams are rehabilitative
services for young people with diagnosed (or diagnosable) mental illnesses,
sometimes with a co-occurring substance use disorder, a level of care determination
for “intensive integrated intervention without 24-hour medical monitoring” and
a need for extensive collaboration among multiple partners, among other
requirements. Many services are offered by Youth ACT teams, including:
individual, family, and group psychotherapy and skills training; crisis
assistance; medication management; and mental health case management.
Youth ACT teams can serve as an alternative to inpatient hospitalization or
help prevent additional hospitalizations by helping young people maintain
stability in their homes and community. There are currently four Youth ACT
providers in the state. Click here for contact information. Referrals
can be made directly to the provider.
For more information on Youth ACT teams, including eligibility and services
provided, click here. return to top
2015
Rural Hospital Capital Improvement Grant Program RFP announced
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has announced grants to
eligible hospitals under the Rural Hospital Capital Improvement Grant Program.
The program helps small (50 or fewer beds) undertake needed modernization
projects to update, remodel or replace aging hospital facilities and equipment
necessary to maintain the operations of the hospital. Eligible hospitals are
non-federal, not-for-profit, general acute care hospitals with 50 or fewer beds
located in a rural area or in a community with a population of less than 15,000
and outside the seven-county metropolitan area. Applicants may apply for grants
of up to $125,000 and approximately $1.7 million is available. Pre-applications
are due Dec. 12, 2014. The RFP and application instructions are available on
the Office of Rural Health & Primary Care (ORHPC)website.
For the first time, MDH will solicit, award and manage this grant
electronically. More information is available on the WebGrants @ MDH main page.
For information and assistance, contact Will Wilson, Minnesota Department of Health,
Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, 651-201-3842. return to top
HEARRT
sustainability forum registration still available
There is still space available for the HEARRT
(the Healthcare Environmental Awareness and Resource Reduction Team) forum “The
Affordable Care Act: How Sustainability Hits the Triple Aim” on Oct. 31 from 12:30 - 4:30 p.m.
at HealthPartners headquarters in Bloomington. This free forum will focus on
vibrant communities, strong profitability, and a healthy environment. MHA members
will present their experiences incorporating sustainability initiatives into
their business models to lower health care costs and improve population health
for their communities.
HEARRT is a public/private group including MHA members and MHA staff working to
connect health care professionals to encourage and support sustainability
actions that improve environmental and community health and reduce costs.
Click here to register and for more information.
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