Minnesota Hospital Association

Newsroom

February 01, 2016

MHA Newsline: Feb. 1, 2016

In this issue 

Mental Health Community Partners Network launches

A networking opportunity for hospitals, clinics and community partners serving patients with mental illnesses launched Jan. 27 with an event that brought together stakeholders from across Minnesota. The Mental Health Community Partners Network, made possible by the Minnesota Hospital Association’s Partnership for Patients Hospital Engagement Network and the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI), provides an opportunity to plan for optimal care transitions for patients with mental illnesses.    

At the network’s inaugural meeting, Mental Health Crisis Alliance project director Roger Meyer provided an overview of services provided and lessons learned since the organization’s inception in 2002. The Mental Health Crisis Alliance is a coalition of mental health leaders and providers working to transform the crisis service system for adults in the eastern metropolitan area of the Twin Cities. Its goal is to ensure that adults experiencing mental health crises receive timely, high-quality integrated services in the least restrictive setting.   

A panel of certified peer specialists shared their stories of living with mental illnesses and helping others navigate the mental health system. Certified peer specialists are care team members who have a primary diagnosis of a mental illness and are current or former consumers of mental health services. They use a non-clinical approach to assist individuals experiencing mental illnesses to discover their strengths and develop their own unique recovery goals. Peer specialists model wellness, personal responsibility, self-advocacy and hopefulness through appropriate sharing of their stories.   

The Mental Health Community Partners Network will continue to offer events and subject-specific webinars through August 2016 on the topic of care transitions for the following patient population groups: 

  • Patients admitted to an inpatient psychiatric hospital unit 
  • Those with acute conditions and known mental health diagnoses 
  • Patients with chronic disease who develop mental health conditions  
  • Those who are newly diagnosed with serious mental illnesses 

The next networking event will take place on Tuesday, April 12, from 1-4 p.m. at the Maple Grove Community Center. Learn more about the event and sign up; registration closes on Tuesday, April 5. For more information, contact Jill Kemper, ICSI, 952-858-8991. return to top   

Nominate your hospital or program for a 2016 MHA Award

Nominations due Friday, Feb. 26  
Is your hospital a best Minnesota workplace? Do you have an innovative patient safety program or exemplary caregiver who deserves recognition? If so, consider submitting a nomination for MHA’s annual awards program. For more than 30 years, the MHA Awards have celebrated outstanding work by Minnesota hospitals and health systems – and we want to honor you.     

MHA award categories recognize excellence including community health, best workplace and patient care. Honors for individuals recognize trustees, volunteers, hospital executives, caregivers and public officials. Additional information on the categories and judging criteria can be found on the MHA website.     

Entries are due by Friday, Feb. 26; find the entry form here: Nomination Form.    

MHA will notify all entrants whether they have won in mid-April. A reception and dinner will take place Friday, May 20, at the Metropolitan Ballroom in suburban Minneapolis. All MHA members and associate members are invited and encouraged to attend the awards ceremony. Mark your calendars and plan to join us for this celebration of excellence in Minnesota health care.     

For more information, contact Sarah Bohnet, MHA visual communications specialist, 651-603-3494. return to top   

Workplace violence prevention training module now available

An online training module on workplace violence prevention is now available on the MHA website. The approximately 35-minute training module provides education on violence identification, prevention and de-escalation to all staff at any health care organization. The module was created by MDH and Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA).   

In 2015, the Minnesota Legislature passed a law that hospitals must design and implement preparedness and incident response plans for action of violence that occur on their premises, and provide training for employees. Hospitals must have preparedness and incident response plans in place by Jan. 15, 2016.    

Training must be underway by Jan. 15, 2016, and completed by Aug. 1, 2016. Training must also be incorporated into new employee training on an ongoing basis and all health care workers must be retrained annually.   

At a minimum, training must include: 

  • Safety guidelines for response to and de-escalation of an act of violence 
  • Ways to identify potentially violent or abusive situations 
  • The hospital's incident response reaction plan and violence prevention plan.

The training module was designed to help hospitals meet some of the training requirements. The module does not include any facility-specific training on incident response reaction plans or violence prevention plans.   

Additional resources for implementing the workplace violence prevention law are available on the MHA website as well as the MDH website

For more information on workplace violence prevention, contact Tania Daniels, vice president of quality and patient safety, MHA, 651-603-3517. return to top   

Hospitals with swing beds reminded to provide updated Resident Bill of Rights

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has posted updated versions of the Resident Bill of Rights on the MDH website. Hospitals with swing beds are required to provide the Federal Resident Bill of Rights to patients because these beds are considered skilled nursing facilities, and are thus covered by the requirement to provide this information. Patients in swing beds must also receive the Hospital Patient Bill of Rights.   

Hospitals with swing beds may choose to provide the State and Federal Combined Bill of Rights instead of the Federal Resident Bill of Rights. However, all patients must receive the Hospital Patient Bill of Rights as well.   

Please note, only the Resident Bill of Rights has been updated. You may continue using the current Hospital Patient Bill of Rights dated 2007.   

For additional information and to find bills of rights in languages other than English, visit the MDH website.   

For questions, please contact Pam Kerssen or Mary Absolon, MDH. return to top   

2016 Preparedness Practicum to take place Feb. 24

The 14th annual Preparedness Practicum, sponsored by Metro Region Healthcare System Preparedness Program and Hennepin County Medical Center, will take place Wednesday, Feb. 24, at the Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center.   

The practicum is designed to enhance and improve the preparedness of Minnesota hospitals and health care facilities by providing education from lessons learned to providers and other members of the preparedness team. Sessions include: 

  • Preparedness and Incident Response for Rail Transport of Oil 
  • Katrina/Rita – 10 Years Later 
  • Tragedy on the Track: Lessons Learned from Amtrak 188 
  • Local updates 

Following this activity, participants should be able to: 

  • Apply lessons learned in communication and multi-agency coordination during recent disasters and incidents. 
  • Identify critical aspects of staff and patient protection during disaster/special incident response. 
  • Integrate best practices and lessons learned from recent incidents and exercises into facility response planning. 

View the practicum brochure to see a full event schedule, registration fee information and registration deadlines. Register onlinereturn to top   

2016 federal poverty guidelines released

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released the 2016 poverty guidelines. The annual income qualifying as 100 percent of the poverty level is as follows: 

  • $11,880 for one person 
  • $16,020 for 2 people 
  • $20,160 for 3 people 
  • $24,300 for 4 people 

Increase the annual amount by $4,160 for each additional person.   

The full table is available onlinereturn to top