Registration is now open for the Michigan Health Equity Summit that will take place in-person at Lansing Community College West Campus and virtually from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 3.
This summit aims to provide an update of state healthcare disparity data, explore how Michigan hospitals can continue to expand upon their work in eliminating disparities and highlight the work select hospitals are doing to advance health equity for all Michiganders.
The program – provided in partnership by the MHA Keystone Center, the Michigan Public Health Institute, Michigan State University’s Institute for Health Policy and the Michigan Health Endowment Fund – is designed for patient safety officers, quality improvement personnel, directors of patient experience or compliance, executive and clinical leaders and health equity staff members.
Included in the agenda is keynote speaker Dr. Kevin Ahmaad Jenkins, a renowned advocate against racism and its impact on public health, who will lead the summit discussion in his keynote address.
In preparation for the state’s anticipated grant program to implement an Emergency Department Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (ED MOUD) program, the MHA is asking all members to fill out a short survey by Sept. 23 to provide contact information for those within each member organization who support OUD work.
The Michigan Senate and House recently both passed Senate Bill 597, which requires all Michigan emergency departments who do not otherwise opt-out to implement an ED MOUD program. The governor has not yet signed the bill into law, but the MHA anticipates Gov. Whitmer will sign the bill in the coming months.
While ED MOUD programming currently exists and many Michigan hospitals are already implementing it, the bill will require the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to create a grant program to provide financial support to emergency departments to implement ED MOUD programs. This funding will be available only to those with more than 50 overdose encounters a year. Hospitals will be required to either opt-out or complete an application for funding. As such, the MHA Keystone Center – which has been working closely with Michigan hospitals currently implementing the ED MOUD program – is preparing to support members once the bill is signed. Given the anticipated tight turnaround to complete paperwork, it is imperative for the MHA Keystone Center to have the appropriate contacts to aid in the registration or opt-out process.
Members with questions about the requirements can reach out to the MHA Keystone Center.
The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) revised Public Health Code Rules requiring implicit bias training for all professions licensed or registered under the Public Health Code took effect in June. Implicit Bias trainings are still available for those needing to meet the requirement.
Building Toward Belonging: Implicit Bias Training is being offered for $150 per participant.
The following groups qualify for a $50 per person discount:
University of Michigan alumni and retirees
Non-profit workers
K-12 workers
Groups of 10+ (must be registered together)
If you fall within one of these categories, send an email to OHEI-training@med.umich.edu and request a promo code for the category you qualify for.
Community Group Session Rates: If your team has 50 or more participants, you can request a virtual session outside of our currently posted schedule. This session would be scheduled for a time that works for your team and requests must be submitted in this form at least 6-8 weeks in advance.
The Michigan Health Councilis also offering implicit bias trainings in two formats, hybrid or live guest lecture, over the next several months.
In a hybrid delivery model, learners will watch a one-hour video on demand and attend a one-hour webinar to engage in a robust discussion and group exercises with the instructor and other learners. This training is available for $50 per person. Register here.
With a guest presentation, organizations can offer the training to their staff on-site at their convenience. The presentation will include an introduction to implicit bias and targeted exercises, discussion, and evaluation questions. Members may contact Kristin Sewell via emailor at 517-908-8243 for pricing and availability.
The Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) Keystone Center presented Courtney Meagher, RN at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, July 12 with the quarterly MHA Keystone Center Speak-up! Award.
The MHA Keystone Center Speak-up! Award celebrates individuals or teams in Michigan hospitals demonstrating a commitment to the prevention of patient or staff harm.
Meagher is being honored for her diligence in caring for a patient who accidently removed their tracheostomy tube. While the patient’s oxygen saturation was 100%, Meagher was still concerned with the patient’s breathing after a difficult tracheostomy tube replacement and sought counsel from another nurse. After confirming the patient was breathing from their mouth rather than the tracheostomy tube, the team was able to place a new one in the appropriate position. Meagher’s actions prevented potential harm and any further complications.
“It’s an honor to be recognized as a patient advocate,” said Meagher. “I am grateful to work in a system where I feel confident to question, validate and verify to ensure our patients are receiving the best care possible.”
Launched in March 2016, the MHA Keystone Center Speak-up! Award promotes a culture within healthcare organizations empowering staff to speak up about the quality or safety of patient care to foster continuous improvement and minimize institutional risk for both patients and providers.
“Team members like Courtney allow us to lead the way in providing comprehensive, specialized health care for children,” said Luanne Thomas Ewald, MHA, FACHE, chief operating officer, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. “We are grateful to see her recognized for displaying the high safety standards we set to ensure we are providing the highest quality of care.”
Additional award finalists for the second quarter of 2022 include:
Claire LaPlaunt, MyMichigan Medical Center Sault, Sault Ste. Marie
Areej Kattan, Beaumont Hospital, Dearborn
“It’s the steadfast approach of healthcare workers like Courtney that advances the safety and quality of Michigan hospitals,” said MHA CEO Brian Peters. “She is incredibly deserving of this recognition for her courage to speak up and seek validation for her patient.”
More information about the MHA Keystone Center Speak-up! Award, including criteria and a nomination form, are available online.
MHA CEO Brian Peters; Beth Bedra, RN, patient safety officer, ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital, and Sarah Scranton, MPA, vice president, safety and quality, MHA and MHA Keystone executive director.
The Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) Keystone Center honored Beth Bedra, patient safety officer at ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital, June 9 with the quarterly MHA Keystone Center Speak-up! Award.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, changes were made to the main entrance at ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital to accommodate infection control requirements for patient visitors. However, the revised entrance utilized a revolving door that was not suitable for all visitors and posed a safety risk. Beth personally examined the door, reviewed video footage of how patients and their care partners enter and exit the facility and engaged other staff in identifying solutions. As a result, she led efforts to revise the entrance that accommodates the needs of all visitors at the hospital and ensures the safest walkway possible.
“I’m honored to be a recipient of this award and to know that as a team, we’ve been able to improve the patient and visitor experience at ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital,” said Bedra. “I’m thankful we have a culture where I could speak up and suggest a change that is in the best interest of safety at the hospital.”
Launched in March 2016, the MHA Keystone Center Speak-up! Award acknowledges individuals or teams within MHA Keystone Center Patient Safety Organization hospitals who speak up to prevent potential harm to patients or other staff members. The award fosters a culture within healthcare organizations that empowers staff to speak up about the quality or safety of patient care.
“We are incredibly grateful to have Beth as part of our team,” said Darrin Arquette, president, ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital. “Her years of safety experience, in addition to her perceptive observation skills and attention to detail help improve the safety and quality of care for our staff, patients and their care partners on a daily basis.”
Additional award finalists for the first quarter of 2022 include:
Jennifer Helman, NP, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital
“The pandemic has created incredible challenges for hospitals and in many instances, drastically changed the visitor experience,” said MHA CEO Brian Peters. “Beth is a great example that despite the increased stress on healthcare workers, they still display an unwavering commitment to improving safety for all who enter their facilities.”
Specifics on the MHA Keystone Center Speak-up! Award, including criteria and a nomination form, are available online. For more information, contact the MHA Keystone Center PSO.
The MHA Keystone Center is partnering with MHA Endorsed Business Partner HSS to offer in-person security risk assessments for its members. This assessment aims to provide an objective evaluation of threats to patients and staff and develop a corrective action plan.
To be selected for an in-person security risk assessment, hospitals are required to consistently submit Occupational Safety and Health Administration data into KeyMetrics and fill out an online application. In-person security risk assessment spots are limited. Hospitals incurring the greatest costs, highest incident rates and severest outcomes associated with staff harm will be prioritized for selection. Applications are due May 23at 5 p.m. MHA members may contact the MHA Keystone Center with questions about the assessment or application.
Healthcare workers across the country are experiencing a growing rate of incidents of violence against front-line caregivers, including workers in Michigan. In fact, healthcare workers are nearly four times more likely to experience violence than individuals in other industries, according to the Occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA). In conjunction with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s declaration of April as Workplace Violence Awareness Month, the MHA is highlighting related resources that are available to its members.
The American Hospital Association has a dedicated webpage providing several workforce and workplace violence prevention tools for hospitals. Additionally, an OSHA publication titled Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers provides healthcare workers with tips to identify and assess workplace violence hazards and detailed information for developing violence prevention programs.
The MHA, the MHA Keystone Center and Michigan hospitals are partnering to address violence against healthcare workers through de-escalation and resiliency trainings and through the work of the MHA Workplace Safety Collaborative. The collaborative launched in March 2019 with the goal to reduce injuries and increase safety awareness through educational events, webinar series and insights from subject matter experts.
The MHA has also developed workplace safety posters for members to display throughout their facilities, communicating the consequences of committing physical harm toward healthcare workers or hospital property. The informational posters are geared toward patients, families and visitors, with various creative options available in two sizes. Complimentary copies of the materials are available to MHA members by request through an online order form. Nonmembers may purchase materials at cost.
The MHA Keystone Center collects member data on workplace safety that is used to determine areas in which their efforts should be focused, especially for workplace violence. Additionally, members can view the Workplace Safety dashboard to recognize trends in their reportable data. Members are encouraged to submit their OSHA recordable incident rate; lost time case rate; and days away, restricted or transfer rate each month in the MHA Keystone Center’s data reporting platform, KeyMetrics. Those with questions may contact the MHA Keystone Center.
To help raise awareness around Emergency Department (ED) Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), the MHA will host a Twitter chat from noon to 1 p.m. April 4. During the event, the MHA will post questions from @MIHospitalAssoc, with commentary from the MHA Keystone Center, the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan (CFSEM) and other members of the Michigan Opioid Partnership. MHA-member hospitals and community organizations are encouraged to share their current initiatives and success stories using the hashtags #MHAHealthChat, #MOUD, and #MAT.
The event follows an announcement of an ED MOUD initiative and funding opportunity for Michigan hospitals launched by the CFSEM in partnership with the MHA Keystone Center, the Michigan Opioid Partnership and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The initiative aims to increase access to evidence-based medication for opioid use disorder and support the transition to long-term, office-based treatment upon discharge. Applications are now being accepted on a rolling basis until April 22. For the most current information, application instructions and grant guidelines, visit the CFSEM website, or contact the MHA Keystone Center to learn more.
Those with Twitter accounts are encouraged to participate in the chat to maximize the spread of information around ED MOUD, as many of these programs help address stigma and increase access to effective treatment for opioid use disorder. Those interested can confirm participation in the chat by contacting Lucy Ciaramitaro at the MHA.
Celebrate Patient Safety Awareness Week March 13 through 19. Patient Safety Awareness Week is an annual recognition intended to encourage all to learn more about healthcare safety. Additionally, it highlights the importance of patient safety, celebrates progress to improve care and focuses on pertinent issues facing healthcare teams.
Since its inception in 2003 as a federally listed Patient Safety Organization (PSO), the MHA Keystone Center has provided hundreds of learning opportunities for its members to share evidence-based practices. It has collected, analyzed and aggregated adverse event data to transform it into sustained clinical improvements and an overall culture shift in Michigan hospitals.
Patient Safety Awareness Week presents an opportunity to focus on the organizational efforts to make care safer for patients and employees. Below are ways hospitals can celebrate:
Nominate an improvement team for the MHA Advancing Safe Care Award by March 25. The award focuses on four key issues – safety culture, quality improvement, transparency and health equity.
Recognize patient safety champions by submitting a nomination for the quarterly MHA Keystone Center PSO Speak-up! Award. The award honors individuals or teams who speak up to prevent potential harm to patients or other staff members.
Participate in the MHA Workplace Safety Collaborative by submitting Occupational and Safety Health Administration data in KeyMetrics, the MHA Keystone Center’s data reporting platform.
Continue to submit data in the PSO’s event reporting platform, which provides real-time surveillance of patient safety trends.
In partnership with the MHA Keystone Center, the Michigan Opioid Partnership and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (CFSEM) has launched an Emergency Department (ED) Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Initiative and funding opportunity for Michigan hospitals. The initiative aims to increase access to evidence-based medication for opioid use disorder and support the transition to long-term, office-based treatment upon discharge. More information about the initiative is available in an online video.
Applications are now being accepted on a rolling basis until April 22. Grant funds are limited and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
All Michigan hospitals are now eligible to apply, regardless of the number of patients treated annually for opioid-related overdoses. If two or more hospitals from the same system are interested in applying, they are encouraged to contact the CFSEM to discuss the possibility of applying as a system. Eligibility for grant funding is outlined as follows:
Hospitals with more than 100 encounters annually are eligible for technical assistance and up to $150,000.
Hospitals with less than 100 encounters annually are eligible for technical assistance and up to $75,000.
For the most current information, application instructions and grant guidelines, visit the CFSEM website. Members may contact the MHA Keystone Center with questions and email CFSEM to learn more or to request a meeting to discuss this opportunity.
