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April
24, 2006
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Michigan Health & Hospital Association 6215 West St. Joseph Highway Lansing, MI 48917 (517) 323-3443 Fax: (517) 323-0946 |
IN THIS ISSUE Attend
Medicaid Advocacy Day to Protect Health Care
The Partnership for Michigan’s Health has scheduled a Medicaid-focused advocacy day for May 17 in Lansing. MHA members are encouraged to attend this event to discuss with their state lawmakers the importance of protecting health care funding in the state’s fiscal year (FY) 2007 Medicaid budget. A breakfast briefing will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the MHA Capitol Advocacy Center and legislative visits for attendees will be scheduled throughout the day. Registrations will be accepted through May 12. Meanwhile, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Michigan Department of Community Health is continuing deliberations on the FY 2007 budget. The subcommittee is expected to pass the budget to the full House Appropriations Committee by May 3. Grassroots advocacy efforts remain critical to carry health care's messages to state lawmakers. MHA members are encouraged to continue meeting with state lawmakers, either at health care facilities or in legislators’ offices, to discuss how additional Medicaid cuts will affect the health care safety net for all Michigan residents. For details on the Medicaid budget, visit the Hospitals-ACT Web site. Members with questions should contact Lori Latham at the MHA. 2006 MHA Annual Membership Meeting: Achieving the Best
Michigan hospitals are progressing toward making health care in this state the nation’s best. But providing the very best health care will call for leaders who take unprecedented steps toward attaining excellence. It will require decision-makers who are willing to move beyond conventional ways of operating to develop innovative methods. The 2006 MHA Annual Membership Meeting, June 28 through 30 on Mackinac Island, is designed to give hospital leaders a new vision for the potential of health care and an agenda for reaching our goal — Achieving the Best! New this year, members will find numerous resources on the official MHA Annual Meeting Web site. The latest information, from online registrations to hotel floor plans, is available through the click of a mouse. As hundreds of health care leaders and decision-makers gather at the MHA Annual Membership Meeting, sponsorship is the perfect way to demonstrate support for Michigan’s nonprofit hospitals. Sponsorship comes with many benefits, including recognition in the Annual Meeting Guide used by all conference attendees, visibility through signage and badge ribbons, and verbal acknowledgement and thanks in the general sessions. Networking opportunities allow sponsors to discuss ways their organizations can help senior hospital leaders meet their business goals. Sponsorship levels to accommodate every budget are available to take advantage of this once-a-year event. Act now — sponsorships for the MHA Annual Meeting are due by May 5. Sponsorship information is available online or by contacting Erin Steward at the MHA. Medical Records and Long-Term-Care Legislation Progressing
Last week, the state Senate Health Policy Committee moved to the Senate floor a package of four bills directed at medical records and genetic testing information. Senate Bills 465-468 would impose new requirements regarding patient notification and the maintenance, retention and disposal of medical records and health information. In addition, new requirements are proposed for patient consent, notice and confidentiality of medical records containing genetic testing information. The MHA has worked with sponsors of the bills and the Michigan Health Information Management Association to ensure the proposed rules are consistent with requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Also last week, the House Senior Health, Security and Retirement Committee moved House Bill 5762 onto the House floor. If passed, this bill would remove most regulatory issues related to long-term care from various sections of the Michigan Public Health Code and place them in a new Long-Term-Care Continuum Act. The MHA has worked with the bill sponsor and other health care associations to prevent this legislation from resulting in additional regulatory burdens for long-term-care facilities. Members with questions should contact Dave Finkbeiner at the MHA. MHA Announces Keystone: HAI Patient Safety Initiative
A new initiative to reduce the number of infections acquired by patients in Michigan hospitals was launched last week by the MHA Keystone Center for Patient Safety & Quality. The first year of the new project, called Keystone: Hospital-Acquired Infections or Keystone: HAI, will be dedicated to determining the data to be collected and engaging hospitals. During its second year, Keystone: HAI will collect data and feedback and will implement solutions, and the first public report will be made in 2008. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has provided significant funding for the new MHA Keystone patient safety initiative. This initiative follows in the footsteps of the tremendously successful and ongoing Keystone: ICU collaborative, believed to be the largest patient safety collaborative of its kind in the world. With the addition of Keystone: HAI, the MHA Keystone Center is now operating four patient safety and health care quality improvement initiatives. The MHA Keystone Center’s success is a product of its ability to provide participating hospitals with evidence-based, “best-practice” interventions aimed at making care safer. Coupled with gathering data and sharing it with hospitals and doctors, this activity supports improving the quality of care, enhancing the culture of safety and staff satisfaction, and eliminating unnecessary or avoidable costs. It translates and expedites research into applicable interventions for patient safety improvements at the bedside. Improving patient safety by reducing medical errors is an increasing priority of health care providers, the business community, and state and federal elected leaders. The MHA recently testified about the MHA Keystone Center’s efforts at a hearing of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations regarding hospital-acquired infection rates. The work of participants involved in Keystone: HAI to voluntarily collaborate on efforts to eliminate HAIs is expected to once again demonstrate that Michigan is a leader in patient safety and quality. For more information, contact Chris Goeschel at the MHA. Register for Health Care Advocacy Events by Friday
Friday is the final day to register for Health Care Advocacy Day, which will take place May 10 at the Lansing Center. This annual event brings together hospital volunteers, CEOs, senior leaders and governing board members to speak with legislators about the importance of protecting affordable health care services for all Michigan residents and safeguarding health care jobs. Register by Friday to attend this advocacy-focused meeting and discuss the important issues facing the health care community with state lawmakers. For more information, contact Courtney Lawson at the MHA. Also on May 10, the MHA Small or Rural Hospital Council is joining the Michigan Rural Health Association and the legislature’s Rural Health Caucus to host a legislative breakfast prior to Health Care Advocacy Day. It will be held at the MHA Capitol Advocacy Center in Lansing from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. The breakfast provides a forum for lawmakers and rural health providers to discuss the important issues facing rural health care today. For more information or to RSVP for the breakfast, contact Jennifer Yockey at the MHA. Revised FD-622 Report Distributed for Review Earlier this month, the Medical Services Administration (MSA) distributed hospital-specific drafts of the revised FD-622 report to hospitals for Medicaid inpatient fee-for-service paid claims, along with the same information in the current report format. A revised report will be available for outpatient services in the near future. The MHA and the MSA encourage hospitals to review the new report format to ensure that it meets their needs and contact Brenda Fezatte at the MSA with questions or comments. Last fall, hospitals provided input to the MHA regarding the revised FD-622 report, which the association summarized and forwarded to the MSA for use in developing the revised report. The MSA intends to discontinue distribution of the current Medicaid proprietary remittance advice (1232) effective June 30, replacing it with the 835 health care claim payment advice that complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Due to a lack of information on the 835 remittance advice, including funding sources such as Title V or XIX and the Children’s Special Health Insurance Program, hospitals will need to rely on the FD-622 report for that information. The MSA intends to distribute the report in both the old and new formats through June 30, at which time the report in its old format will be discontinued. Members are encouraged to convey any questions or comments about the report to the MSA before the June 30 discontinuation. For more information, contact Vickie Seal at the MHA. Final Week to Nominate Board Members for Fellowship
In today’s challenging health care environment, the last thing a hospital needs is a board that creates challenges because they don’t understand their role or simply don’t have the skills to perform optimally. The MHA has developed an exclusive offering to help that has received outstanding reviews from Michigan hospital trustees and CEOs. The MHA Excellence in Governance Fellowship develops board members with innovative skills, up-to-date knowledge and a strategic outlook that makes them valuable organizational assets. This is such a powerful experience that past organizations with graduates of the fellowship are nominating board members to the program every year. The deadline for nominations for the 2006-2007 class of the Excellence in Governance Fellowship is May 1. Contact Marlene Hulteen at the MHA for more information.
Borgess Health, Kalamazoo, has announced that Shahin Motakef will become executive vice president and chief operating officer for Borgess Hospitals and Extended Care Division, effective May 22. Motakef has 16 years of health care leadership experience, most recently as vice president of professional services for East Texas Medical Center in Tyler, the flagship facility of the 15-hospital East Texas Medical Center Health System. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy from The University of Texas, Austin, and a Master of Hospital & Health Care Administration degree from the University of Dallas.
Spectrum Health, Grand Rapids, and Michigan State University, East Lansing, announced last week that they have reached an agreement that will launch a four-year medical school in West Michigan. Spectrum Health plans to invest an estimated $55 million in building support for the medical school facility, plus an additional estimated $30 million over the next decade to enhance research activities. The initial group of students is expected to be enrolled in the West Michigan facility in fall 2008. “We plan to build a cadre of physician/researchers who will also serve as faculty members,” said Richard Breon, president & CEO of Spectrum Health. “The focus will be on clinical research … This means access to more breakthrough therapies and treatments for patients.” Other key partners in the project include St. Mary’s Health Care, Grand Rapids; the Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids; and Grand Valley State University, Allendale. Learn Strategies for Reinventing Business
Innovation is about much more than thinking outside the box or creating new products. It is about reinventing business processes and building new markets that meet untapped customer needs. This challenge is the reason the MHA Health Foundation designed the Innovations series, which brings hospital leaders together to explore new ways of thinking, working and leading. As part of the series, on May 31 the MHA Health Foundation will host A Day at the Innovation Café to showcase an innovation strategy at work. Participants will hear how the team at Memorial Hospital & Health System, South Bend, IN, has grown its business by embracing the WOW! philosophy, forming diverse partnerships and tracking innovation targets and outcomes. The session will provide examples, methodologies and systems that can help start, or jump-start, innovation in health care organizations. Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged. For more information, contact Erin Steward at the MHA Health Foundation at (800) 851-7035. Celebrate National Healthcare Volunteer Week
April 23 through 29 marks this year’s National Healthcare Volunteer Week. The annual event recognizes the support that volunteers provide to hospitals and the patients they serve. The tireless efforts of the members of the Michigan Association of Healthcare Advocates and the Michigan Council of Directors of Volunteer Services allow Michigan’s nonprofit hospitals to give civic-minded citizens the opportunity to give back to their communities through volunteer programs that comfort the needy and truly change lives. During this week, MHA members are encouraged to focus on and acknowledge the many significant contributions hospital volunteers make on a daily basis. Members with questions should contact Lori Latham at the MHA.
Critical decisions about market share, patient care and customer satisfaction are based on the data hospitals control, resulting in significantly more pressure to better manage each facility’s data. The MHA Health Foundation workshop Making Data Work for You! will introduce a simple approach to using statistics as a framework for expanding improvement efforts through simple, efficient data collection. This workshop will examine how to turn appropriate data analysis and displays into useful data that will improve processes and reduce costs; restructure data support systems to improve decision-making; use process-oriented thinking to distinguish between two kinds of variation; and create strategies needed to handle variation. Attendees will receive an Excel macro that will help simplify data analysis, and are encouraged to bring a laptop for the Excel tutorial. Making Data Work for You! is scheduled for June 15 in East Lansing. Contact Leigh Anne Jewison at the MHA Health Foundation for more information.
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