Antibiotics have transformed the practice of medicine, making once lethal infections readily treatable and other medical advances possible. Like all medications, antibiotics can have serious unintended consequences, such as causing a patient to have an adverse drug reaction or a patient misusing the antibiotic. Improving the use of antibiotics is an important patient safety and public health issue. The MHA Health Foundation webinar The CMS Hospital Infection Control and Antibiotic Stewardship Program Compliance Requirements will examine:
How to accurately complete Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) infection control worksheets.
Updated procedures for the hand hygiene tracer.
Details surrounding the use of clean needles and syringes.
Vaccine storage and handling, as well as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention procedures for cleaning and disinfecting reusable medical devices.
The webinar is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon ET June 7, and MHA members can register for a $200 connection fee per facility. Members with questions should contact Erica Leyko at the MHA.
COVID-19 has reshaped the healthcare environment. Emerging trends will have implications for years to come and the way hospitals and boards lead through recovery — be it financial, clinical or emotional — will determine the organization’s future.
The MHA Excellence in Governance Fellowship is the best choice to help prepare health organization board members to excel in performing their vital responsibilities as hospitals and health systems navigate an environment where COVID-19 is endemic. Launched 20 years ago, the fellowship isa rigorous and comprehensive program delivering tools and knowledge in four strategic areas: principles of effective governance, improving quality and patient safety, building collaborative medical staff partnerships, and building strong relationships with the community and stakeholders. The sessions are led by experts in governance with a healthcare background.
Fellows meet in person four times a year at the MHA headquarters in Okemos and participate in virtual sessions held in the months when fellows are not meeting in person. This format is designed to give board members the opportunity to fit this valuable learning into their busy schedules.
Graduates of the fellowship have high praise for the fellowship, as demonstrated by a video of graduates’ testimonials. Applications are currently being accepted for the 2022 – 2023 Excellence in Governance Fellowship, which will be held from October 2022 through June 2023. To further explore this one-of-a-kind offering, contact Erin Steward at the MHA.
The MHA welcomes AbilitiCBT by LifeWorks as a new Endorsed Business Partner that can help healthcare organizations support and enhance the mental health of their employees — which is especially critical now, with employee burnout and turnover reaching record heights. AbilitiCBT by LifeWorks is an innovative, internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) solution guided by professional therapists and delivered through a secure, digital platform that’s accessible through any device (smartphone, tablet, computer). AbilitiCBT combines the same clinical efficacy of in-person therapy with the convenience of virtual access. To learn more about opportunities available or to schedule a demo of AbilitiCBT by LifeWorks, contact Carey McKenzie, senior vice president at LifeWorks.
MiPLUS, the Bureau of Professional Licensing (BPL) licensing platform, sends an electronic copy of a provider license via email as soon as it is issued or renewed. Electronic copies of licenses are also stored in individual MiPLUS accounts and can be accessed at any time. Therefore, paper copies of licenses will no longer be automatically mailed upon issuance or renewal beginning Jan. 1. Licensees may choose during the application or renewal process to have a paper copy of their license mailed. Questions may be directed to the BPL at (517) 241-0199 or to Paige Fults at the MHA.
The MHA recently submitted comments to the United States departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury and the Office of Personnel Management regarding the No Surprises Act Part 2 regulations scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. The MHA continues to review how the federal law intersects with the Michigan surprise billing law. Members are encouraged to share these comments with partners and stakeholders and to contact Lauren LaPine at the MHA with any questions.
MHA offices will be closed Nov. 25 and 26 in recognition of Thanksgiving and will reopen Nov. 29. The MHA Monday Report will not be published Nov. 29, but timely news will continue to be posted in the MHA Newsroom prior to publication of the Dec. 6 edition of Monday Report. Best wishes for a safe and healthy holiday!
The MHA will offer a webinar on Unemployment Compensation and Vaccine Mandates at 10 a.m. EST Dec. 9. Attorneys from the MHA Unemployment Compensation Program will discuss the various issues impacting vaccine mandate unemployment claims and provide guidance for employers on how to address such claims. The webinar is free of charge for MHA members and UCP clients, but registration is required. Questions may be directed to Neil MacVicar at the MHA.
The MHA will host a free webinar from noon to 12:45 p.m. EST Dec. 9 to review new requirements from The Joint Commission on workplace violence that take effect in January.MHA Endorsed Business Partner HSS will review the updated areas of the accreditation standards and what hospitals need to do to comply. The webinar is free of charge for MHA members, but registration is required. In addition, HSS offers an online version of its Techniques for Effective Aggression Management (TEAM®) that is fully compliant with government requirements. Members are encouraged to view a demonstration of the online TEAM Essentials eLearning program. Questions on the upcoming webinar or the online program may be directed to Seth Karnes at HSS.
Nearly 137 safety and quality professionals participated in the virtual Michigan Health Equity Summit Nov. 3 hosted by the Michigan Public Health Institute, the Michigan State University Institute for Health Policy and the MHA Keystone Center, with funding provided by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. The event explored how hospitals can continue expanding their work in achieving health equity and eliminating disparities.
The summit featured Kevin Ahmaad Jenkins, PhD, who discussed the need to change culture and rebuild. He challenged members to ensure that the change they implement will lead to the sought-after results and engage the appropriate people. He shared the need to look at the process and not just the outcome to eliminate inequity, as pointing out inequities doesn’t make a change; acting to establish equity through access does.
Additionally, Brenda Jegede, manager, Office of Equity & Minority Health, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), discussed Michigan’s requirements for implicit bias training for healthcare workers. She also shared the MDHHS’ health equity strategies, including a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council; mandatory DEI training; institutionalizing the use of an equity impact assessment tool; and minority health capacity building grants to fund local organizations to address social determinants of health.
Spectrum Health Lakeland and Bronson Healthcare shared goals and information learned since focusing on health equity. Lynn Todman, vice president, health equity, Spectrum Health Lakeland, shared the hospital’s goal is to have at least 75% of race, ethnicity and language data captured during the registration process and to start collecting sexual orientation and gender identity data. Beth Washington, vice president, community health, equity and inclusion, Bronson Healthcare, shared that Bronson’s data reflected a significant increase in the number of area residents who speak the Arabic language and learned the community had recently become identified as a refugee resettlement site.
Jenkins closed out the summit reminding participants to lead with DEI in mind, encouraging them not to speak for someone without first speaking with that person, to avoid “guilt-centered dumps” and not to let the paralysis of inequity win.
The MHA Keystone Center is working alongside the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (CFSEM) through the Michigan Opioid Partnership to provide funding and technical assistance for the emergency department-based medication for opioid use disorder (ED MOUD) program. The program will increase access to medication for OUD statewide and connect patients receiving MOUD with appropriate resources to continue care in the community. An online video provides additional information on the program.
The CFSEM recently released impact stories highlighting successes of the program from previous participants. Andrew King, MD, an emergency room physician at Detroit Medical Center and advisor to the CFSEM, has witnessed the effectiveness of MOUD and reminds practitioners that it is possible to guide those with OUD down a path to recovery.
“I can see the people who are now on medications and feeling much better and doing well. They are happy and putting their lives back together, and that’s a beautiful thing!” King says. “By controlling the disease process, maybe they’re treating their kids or their spouse better or they’re doing a better job at work. That’s the whole point of why we signed up for this job — trying to keep people safe and healthy and in the game for as long as possible.” An article from the CFSEM provides additional information.
The MHA has also been advocating to improve legislation related to ED MOUD by working with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to ensure all hospitals interested in starting an emergency department-based medication assisted treatment program have the funding resources to do so.
Members with questions on the ED MOUD program may contact the MHA Keystone Center.
The MHA Cybersecurity Member Forum with experts from the American Hospital Association and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, originally scheduled for Oct. 19, has been postponed. Members will be notified when the forum has been rescheduled. For more information, contact Erin Steward at the MHA.
The Michigan Legislature took testimony on two bill packages that would impact Michigan hospitals during the week of Sept. 20. In the Senate, another hearing was held on Senate Bills (SBs) 597 and 598, which would require the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to phase-in integration of physical and behavioral health services by 2026. In the House, testimony was taken on House Bills (HBs) 4847, 4848, 4849 and 4850, which would create new regulations and certification for professional guardians in Michigan.
The Senate Government Operations Committee addressed the Senate behavioral health package, which the MHA supports. SBs 597 and 598 would create new specialty integrated plans that would replace the current prepaid inpatient health plans and contract with each community mental health (CMH) services program to deliver physical and behavioral health services to Michigan’s Medicaid population. The bills would also eliminate language requiring CMH entities to coordinate the provision of substance use disorder and school-based behavioral health services and establish a new Behavioral Health Accountability Council at the state level. The MHA provided written testimony to the committee and will continue to work with members to strengthen the bills.
The House Judiciary Committee held its second hearing on the guardianship package, HBs 4847-4850. The MHA has not taken a position on the bills but provided written testimony to the committee to voice some concerns on the potential impact to hospitals. The proposed legislation would significantly increase requirements on professional guardians and limit the number of individuals an uncertified guardian could represent. The MHA supports a strong guardianship program in which qualified individuals are available for incapacitated patients in need of a decision maker, but remains concerned that hospitals will struggle to find guardians for some patients without increased funding. The MHA will continue to discuss the package with bill sponsors and follow its progress.
Any questions or comments on this legislation may be directed to Adam Carlson at the MHA.
The latest edition of Trustee Insights, the monthly digital package from the American Hospital Association (AHA), is now available. This month’s issue includes an article about the board’s role in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). As DEI strategies are developed and ultimately woven into everyday policy and procedure, boards should play a significant role in lending support, driving accountability and inspiring culture in those strategies. Two areas of emphasis arerecognizing the increasing prominence DEI plays in quality and playing an important role as vocal leaders to move DEI forward.
There is also a link to the quantitative and qualitative research done by Johnson & Johnson, the American Nurses Association and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership that evaluate the impacts of the pandemic on the nursing profession. The research providesnext steps and promising practices that will be essential in delivering the full potential of the nursing profession.
The expanded website and enhanced monthly e-newsletter of Trustee Insights are available through the AHA Trustee Services webpage. They are free, do not require AHA membership and include articles, tools and webinars. Those interested in subscribing to AHA Trustee Insights may do so online.
For information about MHA trustee resources, contact Erin Steward at the MHA.
The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Bureau of Community and Health Systems (BCHS) is required to make at least one visit to each licensed nursing home every three years for an evaluation of licensure. The department may waive this required visit if the licensed provider is eligible, requests a waiver and submits evidence that the facility is fully accredited from an acceptable accrediting body by Aug. 27. Eligibility can be looked up on the department’s website. If a facility is not listed, it either means they are not scheduled for a state licensing survey in the coming year or they are a licensed-only program that is not eligible for the waiver.
Instead of performing an unannounced on-site state licensing survey, the department will perform a desk review of documentation submitted through the waiver request. The licensed provider will be contacted by the State Licensing Section with its decision by Sept. 24. The process for nursing homes to submit a request for a state licensing survey waiver must be done online.
Members with questions about the procedure should reach out to the BCHS State Licensing Section at (517) 241-1970, BCHS-StateLicensing@michigan.gov or Paige Fults at the MHA.
