Minnesota Hospital Association

Newsroom

May 11, 2015

MHA Newsline: May 11, 2015

In this issue 

Celebrate Minnesota hospitals during National Hospital Week May 10-16

It’s National Hospital Week (#HospitalWeek), the largest national celebration of health care and a time to recognize the hard working professionals in our hospitals who support the health of their communities through compassionate care, constant innovation and unwavering dedication. National Hospital Week is the perfect opportunity for your hospital to promote its good work within your community and celebrate the dedicated women and men who make it all happen. MHA encourages you to share the ways your hospital works to enhance its community by posting on social media using the hashtag #MyHospital. You can find more tips and resources in this digital tool kit created by the American Hospital Association. 

MHA is proud to share this video highlighting the importance of Minnesota hospitals. We salute our 143 member hospitals and health systems for your continued commitment to improving the delivery of health care. return to top   

Hospital leaders visit MN congressional delegation during AHA Annual Meeting

Minnesota hospital leaders, auxilians and Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) staff advocated for Minnesota hospitals and health systems last week in Washington D.C., during the American Hospital Association’s Annual Meeting.   

The group told positive stories of how Minnesota hospitals and health systems are transforming care in their communities; stressed the need for predictability and relief from regulations; and urged the delegation to help protect vulnerable populations by providing stable and predictable reimbursement.

Minnesota hospitals also urged our delegation to reject further cuts to hospital outpatient departments; graduate medical education funding; changes to the 340B program; and reductions to critical access hospitals (CAHs). The group also encouraged the delegation to protect access to care with some specific changes in regulation,  including removing the 96-hour physician certification requirement as a condition of payment for CAHs; adopting a default standard of “general supervision” for outpatient therapeutic services; and establishing equity in the Hospital Readmissions Program. More information on MHA’s federal policy priorities can be found on the MHA website.   

MHA thanks the following members who participated in the visit to Washington D.C.: 

  • Deborah Anderson, Health Care Auxiliary of Minnesota, Brainerd 
  • Jody Bjerke, Health Care Auxiliary of Minnesota, Dawson 
  • David Borgert, director, community and government relations, CentraCare Health, St. Cloud 
  • Lee Boyles, president, CHI St. Gabriel’s Health, Little Falls 
  • Diane Damerow, Health Care Auxiliary of Minnesota, Albert Lea 
  • John Doherty, system executive-partnerships & affiliation, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, Minneapolis 
  • Mary Edwards, vice president, public policy, Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis 
  • Chuck Hofius, chief executive officer, Perham Health 
  • Erin Huppert, government affairs program specialist, Allina Health, Minneapolis 
  • Ben Koppelman, president, CHI St. Joseph’s Health, Park Rapids               
  • Karen Lahn, group facilitator, Fairview Health Services, Eden Prairie 
  • Michael Mahoney, vice president, public policy, Essentia Health, Duluth 
  • Jennifer Mallard, director, federal government relations, Mayo Clinic Rochester 
  • Barbara Muesing, auxilian and trustee, Essentia Health-Fosston 
  • Bill Nelson, chief executive officer, Mille Lacs Health System, Onamia 
  • David Nelson, president & chief executive officer, CHI St. Francis Health, Breckenridge 
  • Timothy Rave, vice president, public policy, Sanford Health, Sioux Falls, S.D. 
  • Jennifer Simmonds, youth grief services program director, Fairview Ridges Hospital, Burnsville 
  • Diane Twedell, RN, chief nursing officer-SE and SW Minnesota Region, Mayo Clinic Health System-Albert Lea and Austin, Austin 
  • Carl Vaagenes, chief executive officer, Douglas County Hospital, Alexandria   

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

Minnesota hospitals earn outstanding achievement award from Commission on Cancer

Essentia Health-St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Brainerd; Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital, St. Louis Park; and St. Francis Regional Medical Center, Shakopee, were recognized with the Outstanding Achievement Award by the Commission on Cancer and the American College of Surgeons. 

Awarded to 75 cancer programs across the country, the Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes cancer programs that demonstrate excellence in the applicable standards for the award and provide quality care to patients with cancer. return to top  

Register now for PAC golf tournament

Registration is now open for the Minnesota Hospital Association Political Action Committee golf tournament. The tournament will be held Monday, Aug. 24 at Territory Golf Club in St. Cloud. Lunch will be served at noon, shotgun start at 1 p.m., with a dinner buffet and awards to follow at 5 p.m. Contact Carol Eshelman, MHA division assistant, 651-603-3539 for information and to register. return to top      

Webinar to detail resources available to hospitals for proper care of sexual assault victims

The Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) and the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA) will hold a webinar on the “Hospital Response to Sexual Assault Patients: Survey Findings and Future Directions.”  The webinar will be on Monday, May 18 from 1-2 p.m. and will review the findings from the recent Hospital Response to Sexual Assault Patients Survey that was sent out to ED nurse managers in February. Presenters from MNCASA will provide an overview of the survey’s Summary Report and highlight resources available to improve hospitals’ response to sexual assault patients. There will be time allotted for questions and feedback.   

To join the webinar, click on the link below to access the webinar.             https://web.telspan.com/go/210mnhospitals/mncasamhawebinar            
Type in your first and last name and then click on enter.   

Conference call information: 1-800-791-2345 Participant code: 88721#     

For more information contact Jen McNertney, MHA policy analyst, 651-659-1405. return to top   

ICD-10 webinar available for Minnesota providers

Sponsored by several Minnesota-based organizations and presented by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), this webinar will provide an overview of ICD-10, its anticipated clinical and business impacts, and provide practical tips on creating an action plan, documentation requirements and an interactive practice plan.      

This complimentary webinar will be on Tuesday, May 19 from 9 -11 a.m. and its target audience is providers, managers, billing and coding personnel. Click here for additional information and to register. return to top