Minnesota Hospital Association

Newsroom

November 23, 2015

MHA Newsline: Nov. 23, 2015

In this issue 

Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving

The board and staff of MHA wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving. Special thanks to hospital staff who sacrifice time away from their families to provide high-quality care to patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. We are thankful for you! return to top  

Flu shot clinics deliver 1,000 free vaccines in Ely

In an effort to prevent a community flu outbreak, Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital provided free flu shots last year. Yes, you read that correctly: completely free flu shots.   

The flu is a serious illness, yet people still opt out of receiving the flu vaccine. Last year, the flu hospitalized 4,202 people in Minnesota. The best way to protect yourself and your family members from contracting or carrying the flu virus is by getting the flu shot.   

With help from the Ely Health and Hospital Foundation, Ely-Bloomenson covered the full cost of the flu shots: insurance was never billed and there were no extra administrative fees. From nurses to pharmacists, the hospital staff worked together to administer 1,000 flu shots in 2014. Shots were delivered at the hospital and through community partners, including the school district and local community college.   

“This truly is a community hospital working like a community hospital,” said Ely-Bloomenson’s Director of Community Benefit and Health Needs Assessment Mary Zupancich.   

To learn more about how Ely-Bloomenson is supporting a stronger, healthier community through flu vaccination, visit the Minnesota's Hospitals: Strengthening Healthy Communities website. Like the Minnesota’s Hospitals Facebook page to get regular updates on how Minnesota’s hospitals work beyond physical walls to strengthen the health of Minnesotans and our communities. return to top   

Pediatric safety conference to be held Dec. 18

MHA and the Minnesota Pediatric Regional Quality Improvement Collaborative are co-sponsoring a pediatric safety conference, “Collaborating to make pediatric health care safer in Minnesota.”   

The conference will be held Friday, Dec. 18, at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota in Minneapolis. It will include lectures and panel discussions with pediatric safety experts centering on two key questions: 

  1. How can we more effectively collaborate to increase the quality and safety of pediatric health care?
  2. What are the obstacles and opportunities? 

Conference presentations will feature topics including the power of collaboration, readmissions, diagnostic errors and working with violent patients/families. The event will also include a panel discussion from regional health care leaders. Learn more and register for the conference onlinereturn to top   

Upcoming trustee conference receives approval for continuing education for nursing home administrators

The content of the Winter Trustee Conference has been approved by the Minnesota Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators for up to 14.5 contact hours.   

The majority of sessions received approval for credit. The following sessions were not approved for credit: 

  • What’s in Store for the 2016 Legislative Session 
  • #5 Developing a Community Health Network 
  • #11 Top Performing Rural Hospitals 
  • #12 Fiduciary Duties and Best Practices in Serving on a Nonprofit Board 

The Winter Trustee Conference is scheduled for Jan. 9-11 at the Marriott Minneapolis Northwest in Brooklyn Park. View the brochure for more information. return to top   

Application open for MDH mental health professional loan forgiveness program

In order to help address the mental health workforce shortage, the 2015 Legislature provided the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) additional funding and an expansion of its loan forgiveness program to include both rural and urban mental health professionals (among others). The approved professions under mental health are licensed independent clinical social workers (LICSW), licensed professional clinical counselors (LPCC), licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT) and psychologists. Psychiatrists and nurses were already eligible.   

Applications are currently being taken and will close Jan. 4, 2016. For the application and additional information on all MDH loan forgiveness programs, please visit the MDH websitereturn to top