Events
The Reducing Avoidable Readmissions Effectively (RARE) program will host a webinar at
noon, Feb. 28, on how to get patients and families involved in establishing programs that assist
in reducing hospital readmissions.
Register online by Feb. 23.
Attendees will learn:
- what works to ensure patients follow up with their primary care provider;
- how to ensure patients understand their medications and other discharge instructions; and
- how to teach patients self-care, empowerment and self-efficacy post-discharge.
The speaker will be Marlene Fondrick, MSN, BSN, R.N., an independent consultant for the
Institute for Patient and Family-Centered Care.
For more information about this free webinar, contact Georgette Susla at (952) 814-7064.
This networking collaborative is part of a series of monthly RARE webinars highlighting
strategies that can be used to prevent avoidable hospital readmissions. The Minnesota Hospital
Association is a partner in the RARE campaign.
RARE webinar discussions, available as podcasts, can be found after each event at
www.RAREreadmissions.org.
Hospital News
Allina Hospitals & Clinics announced Thursday it will add an emergency department to its
WestHealth medical complex in Plymouth. It comprises medical clinics and outpatient services.
The ED will be staffed around the clock with physicians affiliated with Abbott Northwestern
Hospital.
The move is part of a planned multi-year development that was launched in the mid-’90s. Future
service expansion will include a transitional care unit to serve patients in the community in lower-
cost settings than a traditional hospital. The project will position WestHealth to meet the full
continuum of patient needs with the goal of avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations, an Allina
news release said. That goal is part of Allina’s strategy to provide care closer to home and at
lower cost.
“This will be the outpatient health-care campus of the future and another step toward Allina’s
commitment to achieving the Triple Aim of lower costs, higher quality and improved patient
experience,” Ben Bache-Wiig, M.D., president of Abbott Northwestern Hospital, said in the
release.
The emergency department will be an 18,000-square-foot building adjacent and attached to the
180,000-square-foot campus. Allina officials expect to break ground in February and complete
the project before the end of 2012.
In 1992, Abbott Northwestern Hospital and North Memorial Medical Center formed a
partnership to develop the health and wellness campus. In June 2011, Allina became the sole
owner.
CentraCare Health System - Melrose is seeking a chief financial officer.
Qualifications desired are: a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business or a related field.
Also, the hospital prefers:
- a certified public accountant or a candidate with a master's degree; and
- five years of progressive experience in financial management at a hospital or an integrated
medical center.
Apply at www.centracare.com and select "career opportunities."
Patient Safety
Minnesota Hospital Association has issued a statement from President and Chief Executive Officer Lawrence Massa concerning the Adverse Health Events report, issued Jan. 19, 2012 by MDH:
View video on YouTube
See accompanying statement: [DOC].
Hospitals' perspectives included in messages
Media coverage of Minnesota's 2011 adverse health events report highlighted Minnesota
hospitals' numerous initiatives to reduce adverse events.
And stories reflected the fact that although the number of adverse events increased since 2010,
those events led to fewer serious injuries or illnesses and fewer deaths. In fact, harm to patients
was at a four-year low.
Nevertheless, hospitals realize they must continue to aggressively combat adverse events, MHA
President and Chief Executive Officer Lawrence Massa told reporters.
"While we were pleased that the overall level of harm was down, we know we have more work
ahead to continue to reduce patient harm and adverse events," he said.
Thirty-seven of the 43 articles that were published about the Minnesota Department of Health's
annual report, issued Jan. 19, reflected information in MHA's key messages about the study. For
example, the articles discussed the fact that hospitals are using what they learn from reporting to
find new ways to make care better and safer, and that that approach is working.
Several articles covered specific hospital initiatives. For example, the Associated Press piece
described an initiative at Regions Hospital in St. Paul to especially target pressure ulcers. The
Albert Lea Tribune story featured details about how Mayo Clinic Health System hospitals,
including the one in Albert Lea, are working to ensure that surgical objects are not inadvertently
left behind in patients. And the Willmar West Central Tribune mentioned how Rice Memorial
Hospital in Willmar has used MHA's patient safety campaign to prevent retained objects in
mothers during childbirth.
Of the 43 adverse event stories, 22 were original articles, and 21 were versions of or the original
Associated Press piece. Twenty-seven stories either mentioned the Minnesota Hospital
Association or quoted its president and CEO. Another seven articles quoted representatives of
Minnesota hospitals.
The tone of the articles was positive in 28 articles; neutral in 13 articles and negative in two
articles and in one headline. As of Wednesday, more than 2 million people may have seen a
related article, heard something on the radio or in a podcast, watched something on television or
read something on a Web page or blog. In addition, MHA's social media news release about the
report garnered about 900 full-page reads within a week after the report was issued.
Key quotes from the coverage:
- Recent success in preventing falls probably explains the lower level of patient harm, said
Lawrence Massa, president of the Minnesota Hospital Association. - St. Paul Pioneer
Press
- "We've got a lot of work to do," Massa said. "While we have made progress in a number
of areas, we haven't made progress in others." - Pioneer Press
- Massa said the increase (in pressure ulcers) could stem from a growing awareness of how
easily pressure ulcers can form around devices such as cervical collars and oxygen masks. - Pioneer Press
- Massa said the mistakes (wrong procedures) can occur because of miscommunication
between clinics and hospitals during the scheduling of surgeries and other invasive
procedures. - Associated Press
- "We were very pleased to see that the overall level of harm that was reported ... was
down, even though the total number of events was up," said Lawrence Massa. - Associated Press
Also, following is a sampling of headlines on the issue:
- "Minnesota medical mistakes increase, but harm to patients at four-year low"- Pioneer Press
- "Hospital mistakes causing serious injury or death lowest since 2007" - Minnesota Public
Radio News
- "Minnesota medical mistakes up, but fewer cases of harm" - Associated Press
- "Wrong surgery cases hit a high" -Minneapolis StarTribune
For more information about the adverse health events report, contact Tania Daniels, MHA patient
safety vice president, at (651) 603-3517 or Julie Apold, MHA patient safety director, at (651)
603-3538. For information about coverage of the report, contact Wendy Burt, MHA
communications and public relations vice president, at (651) 603-3549.
However, overall number of events increased, showing more work is needed
The Minnesota Department of Health on Thursday released its eighth annual Adverse Health
Events Report [PDF], which found an increase in the number of adverse events reported by Minnesota
hospitals over last year, from 305 events in 2010 to 316 events in 2011, but the report also
showed the lowest level of harm to patients since 2007, when the categories of what hospitals
report expanded.
The report also shows five patients died in connection with medical errors, down from nine the
year before.
MDH Commissioner Ed Ehlinger said in the Pioneer Press that "We're making some incredibly
good progress in most areas. And we're identifying some areas where we need to continue to
focus some of our attention."
Minnesota hospitals have made great strides in patient safety since reporting began in 2003. The
lessons learned have helped hospitals prevent adverse events and make patient care safer. As a
result, Minnesota hospitals in 2011 reported fewer deaths, fewer falls, fewer wrong-site surgeries
and no sponges inadvertently left behind in mothers during childbirth.
Each year, we push further to use adverse event reporting as a tool for improving patient care.
Nearly all of the increased events this year are from two categories: pressure ulcers and wrong
procedures. Specifically, this year's higher number of pressure ulcers stems from an increased
awareness of how easily pressure ulcers can form around devices such as oxygen tubes and
masks. In fact, roughly one-third of reported pressure ulcers are device-related. That realization
has led us to new approaches for inspecting skin beneath devices, and new preventive techniques
such as using special padding around oxygen tubes to relieve pressure.
The number of wrong procedures - such as the incorrect power of lens implants to correct eye
cataracts - went from 16 to 26. Hospitals and clinics now work together to improve the
accuracy of patient records and surgery plans, from the time the patient first visits a clinic to the
day the patient undergoes a hospital procedure.
Minnesota was the first state to publicly report adverse health events by hospital in 2003. Today,
the state's hospitals remain committed to this high level of transparency because it improves
patient care.
We are proud of our hard work, but know that we must continue to do more to prevent mistakes
and ensure patient safety.
The Minnesota Hospital Association will be working throughout the year to proactively and
publicly share details and stories about hospitals' work to improve the safety and quality of care
Minnesota hospitals provide to their patients.
Media coverage
Most of the media coverage on the issue was balanced and accurate. The majority of stories
accurately reflected a two-part key message that while the overall number of adverse health
events was up, overall harm to patients and patient deaths were down.
MHA's SAFE COUNT and time-out initiatives were highlighted in the St. Cloud and Willmar
newspapers. The Minneapolis Star Tribune focused on wrong procedures and the increase over
last year in the total number of adverse events. However, overall that paper's article was balanced
with the fact that more work is needed to reduce adverse events.
Effort disseminates communication tools to help convey work to prevent wrong procedures
The Minnesota Safe Surgery Coalition (MSSC) Time Out Campaign will launch June 15 to help
prevent wrong-site, wrong-procedure and wrong-patient adverse health events from occurring
during invasive procedures.
Under the campaign, participants pledge to ensure that the 5 Key Steps of the Minnesota Time
Out are conducted for every patient, every procedure, every time. With a tagline of "Take 60
seconds to get it right (or left)," the kick-off coincides with National Time Out Day.
A time out is a dedicated period in which surgical staff members must cease all activity before
beginning any invasive procedure to verify that the patient they are about to operate upon is who
the staff members believe him or her to be, and that staff members are about to perform the
appropriate procedure on that patient.
The initiative is a component of the Minnesota Hospital Association's (MHA's) SAFE SITE
patient safety campaign, and it asks hospitals to engage staff in the time-out process and
communicate time-out expectations across their organization. The year-long time-out program
seeks to eliminate these types of adverse events within three years. MHA was a founding partner
of MSSC.
"We cannot be successful without the commitment of every Minnesota health-care organization
that conducts surgical and other invasive procedures," MHA President and CEO Lawrence
Massa has said of the work. "This is clearly an aggressive goal, but we believe it is a necessary
one to support our long-held position that even one preventable adverse event is too many. The
campaign presents a tremendous opportunity to improve care for Minnesota patients and to
continue to demonstrate our leadership in putting patients first."
Under the launch, the following types of tools will be available to help participants communicate
their efforts internally and externally: a poster for staff to pledge their support and receive an "I
pledged" sticker; a DVD video showing surgeon testimonials in support of the time out; a
template employee newsletter article; a template news release; and tips on how to host a staff
pledging event. All are available on the Time Out website.
Participating MHA hospitals are also asked to send information and photos about their hospital's
time-out activities to Martha Parsons, MHA communication specialist/writer, for sharing with
others via a future newsletter article and via MHA's website. Please send the materials to Parsons
by Tuesday, June 21.
Nearly 80 Minnesota hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers are already taking part. Those that
have joined will be listed as a "time out provider organization" on the Safe Surgery Coalition
website.
Find the Minnesota Time Out pledge form [DOC] and an overview of the Minnesota Safe
Surgery Coalition and the campaign here: [DOC].
For more information, contact Jan Hennings, MHA communications director, at (651) 603-3594;
or Julie Apold, MHA director of patient safety, at (651) 603-3538.
MHA News
Nominations due Friday, March 2
The Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) seeks nominations for its 28th annual awards
program that celebrates outstanding work by Minnesota hospitals and health systems.
Entries are due by Friday, March 2; find the entry form here: [DOC].
MHA award categories recognize excellence involving community health, workforce issues,
patient care and career promotion, for example. Honors for individuals recognize trustees,
volunteers, hospital executives, caregivers and public officials.
MHA will notify all entrants whether they have won in mid-April. A reception and dinner for
winners will take place Friday, May 18 at the Metropolitan Ballroom in suburban Minneapolis.
For more information, contact Sarah Bohnet, MHA visual communication specialist and division
assistant, at (651) 603-3494.
Wendy Burt brings 25 years of PR experience, including positions in health care
The Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) welcomes Wendy Burt as its new vice president of
communications and public relations.
Burt is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America and brings 25 years of public
affairs, media relations, strategic and crisis communications experience. Burt also comes to the
association with health care experience, most recently with the communications team at
HealthPartners and as director of public affairs and community relations at the University of
Minnesota's Academic Health Center. Burt has also been on her own and with Himle Horner as a
PR consultant, and she has spent considerable time in the federal and state government, having
been an appointee in the Clinton Administration.
"Wendy's background will help take MHA to the next level of communications with members,
policymakers and hospitals' communities," said Lawrence Massa, MHA president and chief
executive officer. "Her experience in health care means she can hit the ground running, and her experience in government will be beneficial in telling our story to opinion leaders and
lawmakers."
To learn more about Burt's experience, visit her LinkedIn profile. Reach Burt at (651) 603-3549
or via email.
Federal Policy
Mark your calendars for AHA's Feb. 15 advocacy day, May 6-9 annual meeting
Over the next few months, federal lawmakers are once again under pressure to identify offsets to
finance the Social Security payroll tax holiday, emergency unemployment insurance benefits
extension and the physician payment fix. Making cuts in payments for hospital services is on the
table.
Last week, Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) staff traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet
with Minnesota congressional delegation health-care staff members on key issues of concern to
hospitals. (See key messages, PDF). MHA members are urged to reinforce these messages at the
American Hospital Association's (AHA's) special advocacy day Feb. 15.
Political stakes remain high for hospitals. MHA members' help also is needed to deliver a unified
message during the AHA annual meeting in Washington D.C., set for May 6-9.
AHA will host a strong lineup of speakers at its annual conference. Presenters will address the
most pressing issues facing hospitals, and more than 1,500 attendees are expected. The gathering,
then, is a unique opportunity for hospital leaders to network with their peers across the country.
In addition, MHA staff will schedule congressional office visits and will help prepare members
for those visits during a special briefing.
To register for the AHA annual meeting, visit the AHA website. A couple of weeks prior to the meeting, MHA staff will send participants a packet
with additional information on special "Minnesota-only" events.
For more information contact MHA's vice president of federal relations/workforce, Ann Gibson, at (651) 603-3527.
Financial
Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) member hospitals will have access to a discounted ICD-10 coding simulator program that is designed to help guide hospital coders through the transition
to the International Classification of Disease, 10th Edition, Modification/Procedure Coding
System (ICD-10-CM/PCS), it was announced recently by MHA. The program will provide the
education and hands-on training needed to give coders experience in ICD-10 coding in advance
of the Oct. 1, 2013 implementation date.
The preparation and transition to ICD-10 will be complex. To help hospitals meet the challenge,
MHA has partnered with QuadraMed, an experienced industry leader in ICD-10 solutions, to
offer the ICD-10 Coding Simulator Program. All HIPAA-covered entities must implement the
new code set with dates of service, or date of discharge for inpatients, that occur on or after
Oct.1, 2013.
The transition to ICD-10 is anticipated to improve the capture of health care information.
Because of the federal mandate, physicians and their staff will need to obtain critical training on
how to replace the current 4010 claims transmission standard with the new 5010 claims data set.
The ICD-10 Coding Simulator Program is administered by MHA and available to all Minnesota
hospitals. For more details on the program and to learn how to participate, click here: [DOC].
People News
Recognition calls out David Groves' TCAB work
Hennepin County Medical Center nurse David Groves won a Diseases Attacking the Immune
System (DAISY) Award recently for contributions he has made under the hospital's
implementation of the Transforming Care at the Bedside (TCAB) program.
The DAISY Foundation's national awards program recognizes "extraordinary nurses" and the
"super-human work nurses do every day at the bedside."
As part of the hospital's TCAB team, Groves helped implement, for example, clearer protocols
for the use of insulin at patients' bedtimes. The new protocols include additional safeguards from
the pharmacy department and from information in the patient's electronic health record. Groves
and the team also moved supplies for drawing blood closer to the areas where they are needed,
thereby increasing the time nurses have to care directly for patients.
TCAB works to empower nurses and other bedside caregivers to suggest, test, and implement
potential solutions to problems. TCAB is an Aligning Forces for Quality initiative coordinated
through the Minnesota Hospital Association. Aligning Forces for Quality is a Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation effort to improve health-care quality.
More than 50 Minnesota hospital units have participated in TCAB training - the most of any
state in the country.
Read more at daisyfoundation.org.
State Policy
Ensure MDH's provider peer grouping report is reliable, usable and fair
Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) representatives were asked to testify on the first day of
the legislative session regarding the Minnesota Department of Health's (MDH's) plan to release
the provider peer grouping (PPG) report in early 2012.
The 2008 state health-care reform law required public reporting of health-care provider
performance on cost and quality through PPG reports. MDH acknowledges that the data in the
report is old and incomplete, and hospitals with trauma, medical education and neonatal intensive
care units, for example, create differences in the comparison that make the report data unusable
to patients and consumers. In addition, compared to other states, Minnesota hospitals deliver
high-quality care at low cost. However, the comparison of Minnesota hospitals to each other in
the PPG reports doesn't show overall quality and value.
Along with the Minnesota Medical Association, MHA testified that the statute should be
amended to allow providers to:
- verify the accuracy of the data used to measure hospitals' cost and quality;
- obtain more current data;
- see that displayed differences in quality are relevant and statistically significant.
For more information, contact Mary Krinkie, MHA vice president of government relations, at
(651) 659-1465.
MHA encourages outreach to your local legislators
As discussed with members on our regional conference calls this week, MHA members have been
doing a great job of communicating with their local legislators on the need to repeal a 2011
special session provision that would require hospitals to submit community benefit plans to the
Minnesota Department of Health for "review and approval."
A member fact sheet is being distributed to you.
In addition, please send examples of how you are already working with your community partners
to improve public health to Wendy Burt, MHA vice president of communications and public
relations, for use in legislator meetings and communications materials.
State law changes proposed
The Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) Regulatory Relief Work Group is recommending
state law changes for reducing the administrative and reporting burdens on Minnesota hospitals
and health systems.
The report is available here: [PDF].
The group recommends laws be changed to:
- adopt more flexible health-care professional licensing standards, such as recognizing licenses from other states that have suitable oversight processes;
- streamline reporting requirements, especially those pertaining to financial data collected
through the Hospital Annual Report and those that are similar to federal requirements;
- modify provider peer grouping measures so that consumers are given accurate information
and providers have accurate quality scores.
The MHA Board of Directors adopted the group's report recommendations Jan. 20 pending
further consideration by MHA's Policy and Advocacy Committee Jan. 27.
The MHA Regulatory Relief Work Group was chaired by Jeffry Stampohar, CEO of Deer River
HealthCare Center and an MHA Board member, and it comprised 11 members. The body chose
to focus its discussion and recommendations on state issues, where MHA has the greatest
influence.
The MHA Board convened the work group in November. The group's recommendations were
aimed at regulatory and administrative burdens that do not negatively affect patient safety or
care quality.
For more information contact Matt Anderson, MHA vice president of regulatory and strategic
affairs, at (651) 659-1421, or Jen McNertney, MHA policy analyst, at (651) 659-1405.
Hospitals will be affected by provisions involving HCDS demonstrations, PPG
Hospitals will be directly affected by two projects covered in the Medicaid Reform Waiver
Report, or Medical Assistance Reform Report, (PDF), delivered to the Legislature this week.
Those projects are the provider peer grouping (PPG) initiative as it relates to the state's Medicaid
programs and the health-care delivery system (HCDS) demonstration project.
Issued by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), the report discusses DHS'
progress in redesigning Medical Assistance (MA), Minnesota's Medicaid program. A 2011 law
directed DHS to reform MA to achieve better outcomes for people with disabilities, for seniors
and for other enrollees. The report contains information on 12 initiatives, including improved
health, reduced reliance on institutional care and reduced use of services that are less effective.
Under the law, DHS must submit to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) a
new, "global" waiver to replace Minnesota's current home- and community-based services
waivers (HCBS). DHS must also request permission via the waiver to change eligibility
requirements and services offered to enrollees of MA and MinnesotaCare health-care programs.
Minnesota has a number of Medicaid waivers that allow the state to provide health care services
for low-income Minnesotans outside the basic Medicaid package of services and in flexible ways.
Some of Minnesota's waivers are for home- and community-based services, which allow states to
offer service options to persons with disabilities that are not available under regular Medical
Assistance.
Under PPG, hospitals are publicly scored on their quality and cost. Government agencies and
health plans must offer products that use the scores to establish incentives for consumers to
choose high-quality, low-cost health-care providers. How Minnesota's Medical Assistance
program will use PPG information, especially for creating consumer incentives, is not yet
determined.
The HCDS demonstration, also known as the "shared savings initiative demonstration project,"
has already been partially implemented. DHS is in contract negotiations with the nine
demonstration project applicants. The department expects to receive permission from CMS by
April to fully implement the projects according to the state's plan. DHS also expects to
implement the first phase of the demonstration then.
The Medicaid Reform Waiver report also covers:
- health homes, or non-primary care-based coordinated support for individuals who have
co-occurring and complex health needs. DHS is looking to a health homes demonstration
program in part to help link persons with mental illness and/or other difficult conditions
with supportive employment and housing.
- elimination of separate home- and community-based services waivers based on age or
diagnosis, replaced with a program of services based on need (physical or mental), regardless of age or disability.
- changes to the nursing home level of care eligibility, raising the bar for individuals to
qualify for a nursing home or home- and community-based services (elderly waiver, and
brain injury or community alternatives for disabled individuals waivers). This change
requires a federal waiver because of a federal maintenance of effort requirement
prohibiting eligibility changes in Medicaid.
- creation of intensive treatment services at residential facilities for individuals with severe
mental illness and other complex needs - this item is on hold for further discussion.
- the fact that the state is seeking federal matching funds for the Anoka Metro Regional
Treatment Center and for Medicaid eligibility for youths who are under age 21 and who
receive care in residential facilities.
For additional information about the report, contact Minnesota Hospital Association policy
analyst Jen McNertney at (651) 659-1405.
The Minnesota Legislature will reconvene Tuesday. Given that this is the second year of the
biennium, budget bills may or may not be introduced, and the focus will be on policy reforms.
Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) staff will be actively engaged in several of those key
policy issues.
A preview:
- legislative redistricting maps will be released by the courts on Feb. 21;
- legislators have said they want to adjourn the 2012 session by April 30;
- there may or may not be any supplemental budget bills because the November state
budget forecast was $876 million, and that money has already been statutorily allocated
to the state's cash-flow account and to the state's budget reserve;
- MHA is hopeful that there will not be any new funding cuts to hospitals; and
- The MHA Board has said that if lawmakers decide to restore any funding from health
and human services budget cuts, medical education and research would be a top priority.
Other legislative issues:
Republican majorities may or may not pass a law calling for Minnesota to create its own health
insurance exchange. If not, the Minnesota Department of Commerce is still implementing a
health insurance exchange for Minnesota, but without legislation, some question whether it will
meet federal approval requirements.
Minnesota hospitals have concerns about the accuracy and methodology used by the state in
creating provider peer grouping (PPG) reports about hospitals. PPG reports, called for under
2008 state health-care reform legislation, publicly score individual hospitals based on the quality
and cost of care they provide. Under current law, government units and health plans are required
to develop at least one product that uses the scores in the reports to establish incentives for
consumers to choose high-quality, low-cost health-care providers.
Minnesota hospitals continue to have concerns about the Minnesota Department of Health's new
regulatory authority to review and approve hospitals' community benefit activities.
For more information, contact Mary Krinkie, MHA vice president of government relations, at
(651) 659-1465.
Association calls for ‘comprehensive, robust' coverage
The Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) this week submitted comments to the Minnesota
departments of Commerce, Human Services and Health regarding a recently-released federal
bulletin on what minimum, or "essential," benefits states should include in health insurance plans,
beginning in 2014.
States are required to create such health plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). MHA's
letter is available here: [PDF].
The bulletin describes the 10 mandatory benefit categories required by the ACA but leaves
specific determinations up to the states. Also left to states is the type of health plan states may
use as the benchmark plan for the benefits states offer to small groups and individuals.
MHA's comments emphasize the need for the mandatory benefit categories to retain the robust,
comprehensive coverage Minnesota's plans have typically offered. Such coverage helps reduce
the need for hospitals to provide uncompensated care to patients. When hospitals must provide
more uncompensated care, the overall cost to others for hospital care rises. MHA's comments
also requested more information regarding the benchmark plan types.
The federal Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) released the
essential health benefits bulletin in December. The bulletin is available here: [PDF].
For more information contact Jen McNertney, MHA policy analyst, at (651) 659-1405.
Both seats retained by Democrats in Tuesday's contests
Two special elections took place Tuesday to fill vacant seats in the Minnesota Senate and House.
In Minneapolis, Kari Dziedzic (DFL) will fill the seat left open when DFL Sen. Larry Pogemiller
resigned from the Senate to head the Office of Higher Education. The district includes the east
part of Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota.
And Attorney Susan Allen (DFL) will become the Legislature's first American Indian female
member. Allen replaces Rep. Jeff Hayden (DFL), who was elected to the Senate. This district
encompasses South Minneapolis.
Group to move forward with "citizen-driven" health-care reform initiative
The Health Care Reform Task Force appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton approved a proposal to
work with the Citizens League on creating "citizen-driven" health care reform. The proposal
envisions multiple community meetings around the state in which citizens can gather and discuss
health-care reform.
Handouts from the meeting are available here.
The next meeting of the task force will be Thursday, Feb. 6 in St. Paul. More information on
Dayton's health-care reform initiative and the task force can be found on the Health Reform in
Minnesota website.
Emergency Preparedness
Recording of program now online
A recent Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)/Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA)
webinar about the FluSafe program drew 68 participants, and the session is now available on
MDH's website here.
FluSafe works to help Minnesota hospitals and nursing homes encourage employees to obtain
seasonal and H1N1 influenza vaccinations. MDH's project publicly recognizes organizations with
high employee influenza vaccination rates. In 2010, the year FluSafe began, 137 organizations
joined the program. Twenty-seven of those entities reached vaccination rates among employees
of 90 percent or greater. This year, MHA aims to have all Minnesota hospitals signed up.
The webinar covered:
- why it is important for health-care practitioners to become vaccinated;
- the foundation and rationale for the program;
- registration and participation details;
- changes to the program since its inception last year; and
- a step-by-step demonstration of a data upload.
Hospitals can join the initiative at this Web page. Communication and implementation tool kits
are available on MHA's website here. Also, visit the FluSafe homepage here.
In 2010, the year FluSafe began, 137 organizations joined the program. Twenty-seven of those
entities reached vaccination rates among employees of 90 percent or greater.
For more information contact Jennifer Heath, R.N., MDH immunization outreach nurse
specialist, at (651) 201-5504, or Tania Daniels, MHA vice president of patient safety, at (651)
603-3517.
Community Connections
Twenty-seven-percent increase in charity care, double-digit growth in other areas drive nearly 6-percent rise in contributions over 2009
The community contributions made by Minnesota nonprofit and government hospitals and health
systems in 2010 were valued at more than $3.4 billion, an increase of almost 6 percent compared
to 2009, the Minnesota Hospital Association's (MHA) latest community benefit report shows:
[PDF].
Overall, the data provides evidence that general economic challenges bring greater pressure on
health-care providers, yet hospitals and health systems continue to face those challenges with a
spirit of caring and a commitment to improving Minnesotans' health.
As nonprofits, hospitals and health systems go above and beyond to make numerous and
powerful community contributions, and most of those contributions stay local. One of the main
ways hospitals contribute to their community is by providing high-quality health care to our
patients, regardless of their ability to pay, and by leading efforts to improve care and lower costs.
The 2011 community benefit report reflects 2010 financial information - the most recent data
available - self-reported by Minnesota hospitals and health-care systems and supplemented with
data reported to the Minnesota Department of Health.
MHA encourages hospital leaders to tell their local media and local legislators about their
organization's specific contributions to their communities. Community benefit contributions help
keep decisions about hospitals' community benefit activities and priorities at the local level -
with hospitals and their trustees. In addition, under the Affordable Care Act, the Internal
Revenue Service requires hospitals to conduct and report the results of more formal community
health needs assessments, in consultation with local public health agencies and underserved
community groups.
Key points in the report are:
- The overall increase in Minnesota hospitals' community contributions in 2010 was largely
due to dramatic, double-digit growth in the amount of "charity care" hospitals and health
systems provided to patients. Such care, which encompasses care provided to patients
from whom there is no expectation of payment, jumped by 27 percent from 2009 to 2010.
When paired with "bad debt" costs, uncompensated care costs totaled $496.5 million.
Bad debt results when patients cannot or do not pay their share of their hospital bill.
- About $1.17 billion of the $3.4 billion total in community contributions funded
community and health services; education and health-care workforce development;
research; community-building activities and cash/in-kind donations to other local
nonprofits.
- Another significant driver of hospitals' community contributions is the difference
between the actual cost of providing care and the payments hospitals received for caring
for Medicare and Medicaid patients. The report details that state and federal government
payments to Minnesota hospitals and health systems under such programs were more than
$1.3 billion less than what it cost the hospitals to provide the care. In all, such
"government underfunding" accounts for nearly 7 percent of Minnesota hospitals' total
operating expenses.
In addition, hospitals and health systems also play a crucial role in the economic health of
Minnesota communities. As the largest employers in most communities, Minnesota hospitals
generated $27.2 billion in economic activity for the state and supported more than 214,000 jobs
in 2009, according to a study by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic
Development.
He notes that Minnesota's program stands out nationally
American Hospital Association (AHA) President and Chief Executive Officer Richard
Umbdenstock recognized 13 Minnesota hospital trustees who received certification from the
Minnesota Hospital Association at the MHA Trustee Winter Leadership Conference in early
January in Minneapolis.
Umbdenstock joined MHA President and CEO Lawrence Massa in presenting certificates to the
trustees following his keynote address.
By participating in MHA's voluntary certification program, hospital trustees receive training on
current health-care trends; management 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 for grappling
with the often-complicated issues that confront hospitals and health systems today," Massa said.
"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," he added. "And earning this certification demonstrates a trustee's commitment to
the patients and communities the hospital serves."
he high participation in the initiative among Minnesota hospital trustees - 35 trustees have
earned certification since 2008 - calls for extra commendation, Umbdenstock said at the
ceremony.
"Minnesota's trustee certification program is unlike anything that I'm aware of elsewhere," he
said. "You've got such a high percentage of people putting in that extra effort, it deserves extra
special thanks."
Umbdenstock also gave trustees a recap of hospital-related legislative and regulatory events in
2011 and previewed what's expected from Congress and the courts in 2012, including the
Supreme Court hearing scheduled on the Affordable Care Act.
The newly certified trustees are:
- Sandy Alvstad, Prairie Ridge Hospital and Health Services, Elbow Lake
- Ervin Danielowski, New River Medical Center, Monticello
- Brian Doyle, New River Medical Center, Monticello
- Marge Hyppa, Cook Hospital & C&NC
- Chuck Koenigs, Swift County-Benson Hospital
- Norma Krumwiede, Madelia Community Hospital
- Jerry Kunza, Perham Health
- Robert Lewis, Riverwood Healthcare Center, Aitkin
- Terry Marthaler, Perham Health
- Kay Olson, Cook County North Shore Hospital, Grand Marais
- Shirley Sanborn, Cook Hospital & C&NC
- James Schlichting, Northfield Hospital
- Mary Theurer, Lakewood Health System, Staples
For more information about MHA's hospital trustee certification program, visit TrusteePlace at
www.mnhospitals.org/index/trusteeplace. Click on the "Board Education Certification heading on the right.
Minnesota hospital trustees gather after receiving their certifications. They are, from left: MHA President and CEO Lawrence
Massa;
AHA President and CEO Richard Umbdenstock; Sandy Alvstad, Prairie Ridge Hospital and Health Services, Elbow
Lake; Ervin
Danielowski, New River Medical Center, Monticello; Brian Doyle, New River Medical Center, Monticello; Chuck
Koenigs, Swift
County-Benson Hospital, Benson; Mary Theurer, Lakewood Health System, Staples; Norma Krumwiede,
Madelia Community
Hospital; Jerry Kunza, Perham Health; Shirley Sanborn, Cook Hospital & C&NC; Robert Lewis, Riverwood
Healthcare Center, Aitkin;
Marge Hyppa, Cook Hospital & C&NC; Kay Olson, Cook County North Shore Hospital, Grand
Marais; Terry Marthaler, Perham
Health; and James Schlichting, Northfield Hospital.
From left, MHA President and CEO Lawrence Massa, AHA
President and CEO Richard
Umbdenstock and United Hospital
District trustee and MHA Board member Larry Anderson
talk at
the MHA ceremony awarding Minnesota hospital trustees board
certifications.
Quality
Most groups include hospitals
Seven rural Minnesota community groups recently were selected to participate in Stratis Health's
new Rural Palliative Care Community Development Project to establish or strengthen palliative
care programs. Most of the groups include hospitals.
Under the project, more than 40 organizations receive one-on-one support and technical
assistance in this two-year project that receives funding support from UCare.
The teams and their lead organizations are:
- Cloquet/Carlton County: Community Memorial Hospital Association
- Dawson: Johnson Memorial Homecare
- Kenyon: Kenyon Senior Living
- Madelia Community Hospital & Clinic Service Area: Madelia Community Hospital
- Madison: Madison Hospital Home Care Agency
- Moose Lake: Mercy Hospital
- Virginia: Essentia Health East Range Hospice
More information is available here.