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 website. return 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 website. return 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 alert. return 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 manual. return 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 website. return 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