The registration deadline for the MHA Annual Membership Meeting is May 27. The in-person event will take place June 29, 30 and July 1 on Mackinac Island.
The mobile meeting app for the MHA Annual Membership Meeting features an updated list of attendees and sponsors and offers other essential information about the event. Members can take advantage of this timesaving and convenient tool by downloading it on a mobile device. The app can be downloaded by accessing a dedicated link with the desired device. The app is sponsored by the Michigan Association of Nurse Anesthetists.
Registration is open for the Links Fore Health golf outing, whichsupports health improvement initiatives led by hospitals and health systems. The outing is a nine-hole scramble, and golfers may register individually or in pairs. Prizes are given in a variety of categories. The Links Fore Health outing sponsor partner is Kitch Drutchas Wagner Valitutti & Sherbrook.
COVID-19 vaccination is required for attendees 12 years of age and older; details surrounding the vaccination verification process are outlined in the Code of Conduct section of the annual meeting webpage. Members with questions should email the MHA or call (888) 413-2118.
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Michigan have been rising in recent weeks, with 875 adults hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases on May 11; 77 of that number were in intensive care units. In addition, 36 children were in the hospital with confirmed or suspected cases on that date. A daily average of over 2,700 cases …
Legislation enhancing hospital flexibility for anesthesia care went into full effect May 10 following official confirmation from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that it had received the letter of attestation sent by the governor. This was the final step needed for the provisions in House Bill …
Several bills impacting hospitals were acted upon during the week of May 9. Bills to plan for new funding from the national opioid settlement and to allow for certain out-of-state prescriptions were sent to the governor. In the Senate, testimony was taken on a bill to create a new license for …
The registration deadline is May 27 for the MHA Annual Membership Meeting June 29, 30 and July 1 on Mackinac Island. COVID-19 vaccination is required for attendees 12 years of age and older; details surrounding the vaccination verification process are outlined on the Code of Conduct …
Strategic thinking is a critical skill for all healthcare leaders, and the future belongs to organizations whose governing boards, working in strategic partnership with management, help envision the future and assist in discerning and framing questions the organization should ask of itself to prepare for the future. …
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 …
The Keckley Report
Overturning Roe v. Wade Creates Immediate Challenges for Healthcare
“Politico broke its story at 8:32 pm last Monday: ‘Supreme Court has voted to overturn abortion rights, draft opinion shows.’ …
“Their reporting was based on a leaked copy of the February 10, 98-page draft of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion on behalf of the court’s 5 conservative justices …
“The final ruling is expected next month but the immediate implications for the healthcare industry are significant.”
The MHA received media coverage the week of May 9 on an upcoming implicit bias training requirement and extending Medicaid coverage to 12 months postpartum.
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Michigan have been rising in recent weeks, with 875 adults hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases on May 11; 77 of that number were in intensive care units. In addition, 36 children were in the hospital with confirmed or suspected cases on that date. A daily average of over 2,700 cases were confirmed from May 5 through 11.
The MHA continues to keep members apprised of pandemic-related developments affecting hospitals through email updates and the MHA Coronavirus webpage. Important updates are outlined below.
MDHHS Shares Updated FDA Guidelines for Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has reminded providers of updated guidelines from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. The new guidelines essentially limit use to individuals 18 and older who cannot or will not take one of the other approved vaccines. The risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) warrants limiting the authorized use of the vaccine. TTS is a syndrome of rare and potentially life-threatening blood clots in combination with low levels of blood platelets. Members are encouraged to review the provider guidelines. For more information regarding vaccines, contact Ruthanne Sudderth at the MHA.
The Michigan House Appropriations Committee reported out April 26 their budget recommendation for the fiscal year 2023 budget beginning Oct. 1. House Bill 5784 protects hospital priorities, including maintaining …
The MHA Unemployment Compensation Program (UCP) was recognized by the National Association of State Workforce Agencies April 27 for the MHA UCP’s commitment to utilizing the NASWA’s nationwide …
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recently released a proposed policy for Medicaid coverage of doula services effective Oct. 1, 2022, contingent upon approval by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The MHA supports this proposal and agrees with …
The 2022 MHA Annual Membership Meeting will return to an in-person meeting June 29, 30 and July 1 on Mackinac Island. COVID-19 vaccination is required for attendees 12 years of age and older, and details surrounding the vaccination verification …
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 …
The Keckley Report
The Long-term Consequence of Physician Employment in U.S. Healthcare
“The short-term impact of physician employment is closely monitored. But the long-term consequence of employed physicians is somewhat unclear. Currently, four major players are prominent in the mix; physician employment plays a critical role in each.”
The MHA will host a lunch and learn webinar from noon to 12:45 p.m. ET May 11 with MHA Endorsed Business Partner NextJob to provide an update on the latest labor market trends and leading practices to attract and keep valuable employees.
Rural Innovation eXchange interviewed MHA CEO Brian Peters for a story published April 28 that examines the challenges facing rural hospitals in Michigan.
Peters discussed staffing shortages and efforts to improve workforce sustainability, the impact of COVID-19 on hospital finances and cybersecurity threats.
“The [workforce] pipeline is going to be so important,” said Peters. “The pipeline as it exists today is not adequate, particularly in rural areas, which are significantly older than non-rural areas and have older and sicker patients. This also means that the phenomenon of folks leaving the field is felt more acutely in rural communities.”
Other healthcare executives appearing in the story include John T. Foss, vice president of operations, Mercy Health Lakeshore Campus; Steve Barnett, president and CEO, McKenzie Health; and JJ Hodshire, president and CEO, Hillsdale Hospital.
The MHA also provided comment to Michigan Radio for a story published April 27 on increasing COVID hospitalizations due to the omicron BA.2 variant.
“…[B]ut there are clear indications that the severity of illness is down and so we hope there will not be a surge of COVID hospitalizations like the state has experienced previously,” said John Karasinski, director, communications, MHA.
COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations have continued to climb in Michigan, with 1,356 adults and 17 children hospitalized Sept. 17 with confirmed cases. The total number of confirmed cases in the state since the pandemic began is nearing 1 million, reaching 988,725 cases that had caused 20,665 deaths as of Sept. 17. Meanwhile, by Sept. 16, just 66.7% of Michigan residents ages 16 and over had received at least one dose of a vaccine to combat the illness.
The MHA continues to keep members apprised of pandemic-related developments affecting hospitals through email updates and the MHA Coronavirus webpage. Important updates are outlined below.
Hospitals May Verify Employee Vaccination Status Through MCIR
The MHA has been working with the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) Division of Immunizations on changes that will allow hospitals to use the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR) to verify the COVID-19 vaccination status of employees to comply with state and federal data reporting rules. Hospitals may now use MCIR for this purpose; however, they must submit an additional form. The original MCIR provider agreement was meant for the establishment of a MCIR site for provider/patient relationships and does not cover providers as employers.
Hospitals and health systems that would like to use their existing MCIR site to do employee status checks need to complete the new MCIR Agreement “Provider as Employer” Addendum and send it to the Division of Immunizations Lansing Office as instructed on the Addendum. Before accessing MCIR to verify employee vaccination status, the employer must obtain written employee consent and retain it indefinitely to make available to the MDHHS upon request.
Organizations may also consider setting up a new MCIR site to effectively separate patient vaccination status checks from those for employees. To do so, they will need to complete a new MCIR Provider Agreement to establish the site and obtain a MCIR ID, and then complete the Addendum.
Additional functions for the MCIR system are being explored, and hospitals and health systems will receive additional information when they are in production. Members with questions may contact Ruthanne Sudderth at the MHA.
No Expansion of Expiration Date for Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that expiration dates of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine have not been given an additional extension. Many unused doses will expire soon, and providers are urged to check their inventory to ensure no expired doses are administered. Expiration dates can be found by scanning the QR code located on the outer carton, checking the Janssen Expiration Lookup website or calling (800) 565-4008. Providers should use this vaccine only until the expiration date and then follow requirements for disposal and report wastage into MCIR.
Questions regarding vaccines may be directed to Ruthanne Sudderth at the MHA.