Tag: Amy Barkholz

MHA Board of Trustees Holds Final Meeting of Program Year

Member News

The MHA Board of Trustees held its final meeting of the 2024-2025 program year on Mackinac Island June 25 in conjunction with the MHA Annual Membership Meeting. The meeting began with a welcome by the Honorable Margaret Doud, mayor of Mackinac Island. As the longest currently serving mayor in the United States, Mayor Doud thanked the board members for visiting the Island and wished the MHA a successful annual meeting. She also reinforced the importance of protecting health care services and the value rural hospitals have played for the residents of Mackinac Island.

The board recognized James (Chip) Falahee, senior vice president, legal and legislative affairs, Bronson Healthcare, for over 16 years of service as one of two hospital representatives on the statewide bi-partisan Certificate of Need (CON) Commission. During his tenure, spanning three gubernatorial appointments, Chip served as vice-chair of the CON Commission for two years and chair for nine, a testament to his leadership and dedicated support among his fellow commissioners. MHA Board of Trustees member, Karen Cheeseman, president & CEO, Mackinac Straits Health System, St. Ignace, was appointed by Governor Whitmer to replace Chip on the commission.

The board reviewed the MHA’s 2024-2025 Strategic Action Plan, which successfully focused on protecting access, workforce support, strengthening cybercrime and cybersecurity policy, mental and behavioral health, and creating healthy communities. The board also approved many associate members including Eneration, Inc., Gallagher Insurance, Homeward Health and Talkiatry.

Members with questions about the actions of the MHA Board of Trustees may contact Amy Barkholz at the MHA.

 

MHA Board of Trustees Considers Election Impact and Association Priorities

Member News, Top Issues - Healthcare

The MHA Board of Trustees began its Nov. 13 meeting with a review of the results from the federal election and its potential impact on key association priorities, led by Carlos Jackson and Mike Goodman with Washington D.C.-based Cornerstone Government Affairs.

The board also received a state election update and discussed the association’s advocacy strategy during lame duck, which is expected to be active due to the shift in party leadership next year from Democratic to Republican control in the Michigan House of Representatives. Opposition to government-mandated staffing ratios, preservation of Michigan’s medical liability law and protecting the 340B drug pricing program remain strong priorities during the remainder of the current session and for the year ahead.

The board reviewed and discussed the MHA 2024-2025 Strategic Action Plan, which sets the association’s priorities for the year and highlights areas needing long-term focus from the MHA and the hospital community. The plan is organized into five key pillars this year:

  • Workforce support
  • Protecting access
  • Support for mental and behavioral health
  • Creating healthy communities
  • Strengthening cybercrime/cybersecurity policy

Board member David Miller, MD, president, University of Michigan Health, executive vice dean for Clinical Affairs, UM Medical School and professor of Urology, University of Michigan Health, provided a safety story that illustrated the important role leaders play in setting an example and in modeling a culture of safety within an organization.

The board concluded with board task force reports, MHA Keystone Center and MHA Service Corporation reports, regional hospital council reports, an AHA report and an update from MHA CEO Brian Peters.

Members with questions about the actions of the MHA Board of Trustees may contact Amy Barkholz at the MHA.

MHA Board of Trustees Holds Final Meeting of Program Year

Member News

The MHA Board of Trustees held its final meeting of the 2023-2024 program year on Mackinac Island in conjunction with the MHA Annual Membership Meeting. At the meeting, the board recognized the success of the association in achieving the priorities outlined in the Strategic Action Plan, focusing on workforce support and innovation, behavioral health, health equity and viability. These achievements, which are outlined in the MHA’s 2023-2024 Annual Membership Report, included opposition to mandated staffing ratios and support for specific workforce development and innovation programs to strengthen the workforce pipeline and provide hospitals the ability to mange staffing levels based on their needs and patient complement.

On the behavioral health front, efforts to increase access to beds and improve capacity continues, including the collection of real-time data about emergency department boarding; working directly with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to tour inpatient psychiatric facilities; and administering a $50 million grant program to expand access to pediatric inpatient behavioral health services. The board approved the final report of the Health Equity Task Force and MHA teams will begin implementing these recommendations to advance health equity priorities and assist hospitals in meeting Maternal Levels of Care standards.

The board acknowledged the success of the association in protecting the viability of hospitals and access to care for the vulnerable communities they serve by working with the MDHHS and The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to maximize the Medicaid provider tax program to bring Medicaid funding to as close to average commercial rates as possible under federal limits. The board discussed how best to communicate the importance of this vital funding and the many ways it’s being used by health systems to improve care across communities.

Lastly, the board approved many associate members including Fifth Third Bank, i2G Systems, Unitek Learning and Welle Training, Inc.

Members with questions about the actions of the MHA Board of Trustees may contact Amy Barkholz at the MHA.

Favorable Federal Court Ruling Allows Hospitals to Continue to Offer Unaltered Public Websites

Member News

A United States District Court Judge in Texas issued a ruling June 20 on recent Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) bulletins that restrict healthcare providers from using standard third-party web technologies that partially capture IP addresses on public-facing webpages.

This ruling was in favor of the American Hospital Association (AHA), Texas Hospital Association (THA) and hospital plaintiffs. The AHA and THA sued the HHS Office for Civil Rights, claiming that the bulletins did not follow proper rulemaking processes because no notice-and-comment opportunity was provided. Additionally, the prohibited activity would negatively affect providers who use common web technology to communicate reliable, accurate health information to the general public.

This favorable ruling, which the MHA and many other state hospital associations supported with a joint amicus brief, means that hospitals do not need to alter or discontinue their public-facing websites to comply with the rule and subsequent bulletins issued by the HHS-OCR limiting such technologies.

Members with questions may contact Amy Barkholz at the MHA.

MHA Board Uplifts Funding for Birthing Hospitals

Member News

The MHA Board of Trustees continued work on advancement of the 2023-2024 Strategic Action Plan at its April 10 meeting, with focus on its four pillars, which include workforce support and innovation, viability and improved behavioral healthcare. Opposition to government mandated staffing ratios remains a top priority for the association within the workforce pillar, as it has been shown to be a harmful approach to addressing workforce shortages. Instead, the association supports specific measures to address educational barriers, support innovation and grow the talent pipeline.

The board recognized the work within the viability pillar through the MHA and the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health partnership to secure $10 million in state grant funding to assist Michigan’s birthing hospitals to pay for new mandatory state Maternal Level of Care (MLC) verifications. Pending state legislation will require the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to register each birthing hospital’s MLC verification. Under the terms of the grant, the MDHHS will provide funding for birthing hospitals that fully participate in MI-AIM and complete an application to participate in the MLC verification through The Joint Commission (TJC). Funding per hospital will range from $50,000-$400,000 this fiscal year and the MHA Keystone Center will fund TJC fees. More information will be provided in an upcoming member webinar.

The board also received the final report from the Community Access to Health Task Force and endorsed converting the task force into a standing Council on Community Access to Health for the 2024-2025 program year to continue the work of the board to ensure that high quality and safe care is available for everyone. The board recognized the association’s work in furtherance of behavioral health priorities through continued input on behavioral health legislation, Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities and the hosting of its ongoing five-part behavioral health member webinar series.

Lastly, the board approved new member applications from R1 RCM, Origami and Bay Street Orthopedics and Spine.

Members with questions about the MHA Board of Trustees may contact Amy Barkholz at the MHA.

MDHHS Director Hertel Presents at MHA Board Meeting

Member News

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Director Elizabeth Hertel presented an overview of her department’s key priorities to the MHA Board of Trustees at their Feb. 7 meeting. Hertel shared ongoing efforts to provide appropriate behavioral health services to help reduce emergency department visits and suitable care transfers. Hertel also identified child welfare, food insecurity and other social determinants that contribute to a community’s health status as priorities identified in the Governor’s Fiscal Year (FY) , released the same day as the Board’s meeting. 

The Board also continued work on supporting the 2023-2024 MHA Strategic Action Plan, which outlines the association’s priorities for the program year and focuses on workforce support and innovation, viability and behavioral health. Within the viability pillar, the Board discussed Medicaid funding. Opposition to mandated staffing ratios remains a top priority for the association within the workforce pillar, as well as support for programs to strengthen educational access, recruitment, retention and workplace safety to grow and maintain talent.

Building from the discussion with Director Hertel on behavioral health challenges, the Board also reviewed the latest hospital survey data showing increased wait times and volumes for Medicaid patients in emergency departments and how that data may be used working with local Community Mental Health (CMH) services to address ongoing access problems. Finally, the MHA Health Equity Task Force indicated it is releasing its final report and recommendations for next steps at the April Board meeting.

The Board approved membership applications from Envision Physician Services, Scaled Data, LLC and Vault Verify.

Members with questions about the MHA Board of Trustees may contact  Amy Barkholz at the MHA.