Minnesota Hospital Association

Newsroom

July 20, 2015

MHA Newsline: July 20, 2015

In this issue 

Member spotlight: Mary Theurer named MHA Trustee of the Year for 2015

Mary Theurer serves as chair of Lakewood's district board and as secretary of the governing board for Lakewood Health System in Staples. Mary does an exemplary job focusing on appropriate oversight and continuity between the two boards. She represents the board on numerous committees and councils and is a certified trustee. After attending an MHA event where she learned about the importance of patient and family engagement, Mary encouraged the hospital to develop a Patient and Family Advisory Council, which the hospital is proudly developing.   

Mary is a community and civic leader, often bridging the gap that can occur between various organizations and agencies. She is detail-oriented and holds others accountable to high standards of conduct, training and excellence in the hospital board room, council chamber and in her personal life. Mary's direction and leadership have helped sustain Lakewood Health System as a strong regional health care leader to ensure it can continue to serve and respond to the needs of its patients and community. Learn more about the MHA awards on MHA’s website. return to top   

Local hospital leaders recognized by MHA

Eleven hospital trustees from across Minnesota were recognized for earning certification through the Minnesota Hospital Association’s trustee certification program. The comprehensive certification process prepares hospital trustees to effectively meet the growing demands of serving on a hospital board and to be strong health care and community leaders.   

By participating in MHA’s voluntary certification program, hospital trustees receive training on current health care trends, governance best practices, ethics, government regulations, patient safety and quality. Participants undergo 35 hours of coursework, making Minnesota’s initiative the most comprehensive in the nation.   

“In Minnesota, more and more hospital trustees are formally preparing themselves to address the often complicated issues facing hospitals and health systems today,” said Lawrence Massa, MHA president and CEO. “Our trustee certification program proactively ensures that hospital leaders are well-prepared to make good decisions.”  

“With so many changes in health care policy and practice — especially under federal and state health care reform — hospital trustees want this kind of support to be strong leaders in their organizations,” Massa said. “Earning this certification demonstrates a trustee’s commitment to the patients and communities the hospital serves.”   

Following are the newly certified trustees:   

CentraCare Health – Paynesville    
Marlys Houk   

Community Memorial Center, Cloquet    
Pam Grover   

Cuyuna Regional Medical Center, Crosby    
Nancy Marie Moritz   

Granite Falls Municipal Hospital and Manor    
Mitch Ayers   

Johnson Memorial Health Services, Dawson    
Carla Johnson   

Mercy Hospital, Moose Lake    
Laurie Jean Tomczak   

Northfield Hospital    
Steve O’Neill   

Ortonville Area Health Services    
Ronald Thomas   

RiverView Health, Crookston    
Robin Brekken    
Trent Fischer   

Sanford Bemidji Medical Center    
James A. Russ 

Learn more on the MHA websitereturn to top   

IHP RFP deadline extended

The Department of Human Services has extended the request for proposal (RFP) deadline for the Integrated Health Partnerships (IHP) demonstration to Aug. 24, 2015. This innovative demonstration project provides alternative payment arrangements for delivering care through Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare. There are currently 16 IHP delivery systems around the state. For more information about the IHP demonstration and the RFP, please see the DHS websitereturn to top   

Patient safety alert: Ensuring patients are not discharged from ED without test result review

MHA and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently issued a safety alert regarding a pattern of events occurring in the Emergency Department (ED) in which a patient death or serious injury occurred due to: 1) patients being discharged from the ED without review and appropriate action taken on available critical test results; or 2) patients being discharged from the ED with pending results, such as urine culture results, without timely follow-up action based on the results.   

MHA and MDH recommend that facilities revisit their ED test result management process to ensure that: 1) all ordered patient test results expected to be available during the ED visit are reviewed and acted on prior to patient discharge; and 2) a process is in place to communicate any pending test results to the appropriate provider for follow-up review and action.   

Please review the complete safety alertreturn to top   

Workshop: De-escalating potentially violent situations

For those who work in an environment where there is potential for violence, it is important to develop the skills needed to defuse dangerous situations. This workshop is designed to teach people to de-escalate potentially violent situations through assertiveness and interpersonal communication. Participants will develop a clear understanding of how to assess the potential for violence and respond with a diverse set of interpersonal tools and strategies designed to defuse potentially violent situations. 

When:         Dec. 8 (early rate deadline Nov. 17)
Where:        Sheraton MidTown
2901 Chicago Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55407
Cost:           Early rate $157; Regular rate $175 - register online
Register:    Online
Sponsor:    Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute Inc. 

Unable to attend? This workshop is being offered as a live webinar Sept. 2 from 1-2 p.m.   

Need this training sooner? Purchase the pre-recorded webinar or resource manualreturn to top

AHA seeks nominations for Quest for Quality Prize

The American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize was created to raise awareness of an organizational commitment to quality improvement and safety; to recognize hospitals that are achieving this goal; and to use their example as an inspiration to others. The award is supported by a grant from the McKesson Corporation.   

The AHA is currently accepting nominations for the 2016 award. The 2016 award will: 

  • raise awareness of the value of a hospital-wide commitment to better health and better care at a lower cost that can be achieved through the relentless pursuit of highly reliable, exceptional quality, safe, patient- and family-centered care 
  • reward successful efforts to develop and promote a systems-based approach toward improvements in quality of care 
  • inspire hospitals to be leaders in improving the health of their communities while enhancing outcomes and the experience of care for patients and reducing costs of care 
  • provide models of successful programs and strategies for the hospital field to use in addressing challenging issues, including reducing disparities in care 

For more information on the award, including the 2016 call for nominations and award application, visit the Quest for Quality websitereturn to top   

Make It OK ambassador training available

MHA has been working to amplify the Make It OK campaign throughout the state. The Make It OK campaign aims to reduce the stigma of mental illness by encouraging open conversations and education on the topic. 

The Make It OK campaign will hold an ambassador training where you can learn more about mental illnesses from experts and learn how to talk about mental illness and stigma. The training is Aug. 26 from 1:30-3 p.m. at Regions Hospital in St. Paul. Click here for more information and to register

The Make It OK website has resources to support conversations surrounding mental illness such as posters, flyers and PowerPoints. The recently launched Make It OK Interactive Tool has activities to help you feel more knowledgeable and better equipped to make it ok for the people in your life who may be touched by a mental illness.   For more information, contact Ashley Gauster, MHA member services and communications specialist, 651-603-3545. return to top