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.
The Michigan Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services reported out April 20 their budget recommendation for the fiscal year 2023 budget beginning Oct. 1. Senate Bill 828 protects hospital priorities including maintaining funding for the Healthy Michigan Plan …
The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) issued in early April two important utilization review decisions in favor of hospitals related to auto no-fault insurance reimbursement. Under the new system enacted as part of Public Act 21 of 2019, hospitals …
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, except for Veterinary Medicine, effective June 1. …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a proposed rule to update the Medicare fee-for-service hospital inpatient prospective payment system for fiscal year 2023. When all proposed changes are considered, the rule is expected to result in a net decrease …
The MHA will host a cybersecurity member forum from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 2 at the Henry Center for Executive Development. Increasing cybersecurity threats support the need for leaders to identify vulnerabilities of medical devices and supply chains, to select staff who can lead threat mitigation …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently released a proposed rule to update the Medicare fee-for-service long-term care hospital prospective payment system for fiscal year 2023. …
Successful stewardship of an organization is central to the role of governance. In many boardrooms, an inward, short-term operational focus robs governing boards of their attention to external forces and long-term strategic imperatives. It takes discipline and a symbiotic relationship between the board …
New nurses can be overwhelmed with responsibilities, which is why nurse preceptors make a difference. Nurse preceptors help new nurses develop their professional identity, access appropriate clinical research and learn from mistakes. …
“Last week, the Lown Institute issued its latest report card on not-for-profit hospitals finding most undeserving of their tax breaks. …
“In response, the American Hospital Association (AHA) released a statement criticizing the Lown Institute’s ‘faulty methodology’ and defending hospitals’ use of financial resources.”
The MHA will host a cybersecurity member forum from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 2 at the Henry Center for Executive Development. Increasing cybersecurity threats support the need for leaders to identify vulnerabilities of medical devices and supply chains, to select staff who can lead threat mitigation while workforce shortages remain high, as well as a host of other responsibilities.
Representatives from a midsize hospital and a health system will share the steps the leadership teams took to recover from cyberattacks and the processes amplified to identify vulnerabilities and reduce breaches of data systems and cloud-based security services. Cybersecurity experts from the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will also discuss cyber threats investigated and how the AHA is helping the field mitigate threats and exchange information with the FBI and other government agencies. They will also share ways to facilitate cyber resource requests between technical and nontechnical leadership, including chief information, financial and medical officers.
Attendees will also participate in a table-top exercise to test their organizations’ incident response plans. The Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services is generously sponsoring this event.
To create a safe meeting for everyone, the MHA has developed a code of conduct, including COVID-19 vaccination verification. The vaccination verification process and other safety measures are detailed on the Member Forum webpage under the Code of Conduct policy. The forum is open to MHA-member organizations only, who can register for $150 per person. For more information, contact Brenda Carr at the MHA.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a $4.7 billion supplemental appropriations bill into law March 30. Senate Bill 565, introduced by Sen. Jon Bumstead (R-Newaygo), will provide supplemental appropriations to implement a statewide broadband program. …
Healthcare providers have unique opportunities to increase the number of children who are up to date with childhood vaccinations to keep them safe from a multitude of diseases. Motivated by that fact, the I Vaccinate initiative has launched a new provider toolkit website to …
During a time of major workforce shortages and operational challenges, staff who have the expertise to oversee cybersecurity are mostly reacting to threats instead of proactively managing risks from employees, technology, processes and third-party vendors. …
Nursing leaders are continuously thinking about the nursing workforce. Once a nursing student lands on the unit floor, nurse educators must mentor them to handle such patient care challenges as why a patient might be frustrated or barriers he or she will encounter as they are caring for patients. …
“Amidst media attention to Russia’s month-long invasion of the Ukraine, the emergence of the new BA-2 Omicron variant and inflation which has sent consumer sentiment to an 11-year low, attention shifts to the 74-page White House Fiscal Year 2022 Budget …
“What’s also notable about this budget is the importance of healthcare in the federal budget: federal funding for Medicare and Medicaid are forecast to grow faster than overall Federal receipts.”
During a time of major workforce shortages and operational challenges, staff who have the expertise to oversee cybersecurity are mostly reacting to threats instead of proactively managing risks from employees, technology, processes and third-party vendors.
The MHA will host a cybersecurity member forum from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 2 at the Henry Center for Executive Development. Cybersecurity experts from the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will review criminal and national security cyber threats investigated and how the AHA is helping the field mitigate threats and exchange information with the FBI and other government agencies. They will also discuss ways to create an organizational culture of cybersecurity and facilitate cyber resource requests between technical and nontechnical leadership.
Representatives from a midsize hospital and a health system willshare about their cyber or supply chain attack incidents and experiences with cloud-based security services. Attendees will also participate in a table-top exercise to test their organizations’ incident response plans. The Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services (MiHIN) is generously sponsoring this event.
The forum is designed for chief executive, information, financial, operating and medical officers. The forum is open to MHA-member organizations only. Members can register for $150 per person. For more information, contact Brenda Carr at the MHA.
With the number of new cases trending downward, Michigan hospitals continued to have patients with severe cases of COVID-19 in their intensive care units (ICUs). As of March 25, 100 Michiganders with confirmed or suspected …
During the week of March 21, the Michigan Legislature advanced several bills related to MHA priorities, including legislation to change the prior authorization process for commercial insurers, expand the Essential Health Provider Loan Repayment Program, …
The MHA Legislative Policy Panel convened virtually March 23 to develop recommendations for the MHA Board of Trustees on legislative initiatives impacting Michigan hospitals. The meeting was highlighted by separate presentations from Sen. Aric Nesbitt …
Successful stewardship of an organization is central to the role of governance. Accomplishing goals requires action planning and execution, frequent accountability check-ins, and communication and transparency about plans and goal metrics. The webinar You and Your …
To help raise awareness around Emergency Department Medication for Opioid Use Disorder, 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 and other members of the Michigan Opioid Partnership. …
The National Rural Health Association and The Chartis Center for Rural Health are partnering on a new rural health safety net survey exploring staffing shortages at rural hospitals. Hospital input will provide a better understanding …
Participants will gather from June 29 through July 1 for the MHA Annual Membership Meeting on Mackinac Island. This meeting is the most important association event of the year and is attended by more than …
“Self-care is the bridge to healthcare value, but crossing it will be challenging for the U.S. health industry. It’s key to reducing the progression of chronic conditions, avoiding unnecessary hospitalization, improving workforce performance and lowering healthcare costs. But it’s not taken seriously as a solution by policymakers, physicians and others who discount its potential. Is that likely to change? The jury’s out but It’s getting fresh attention.”
As Michigan begins the third year of living with COVID-19, new cases, hospitalizations and deaths are trending downward and hopes are high that a new variant will not emerge to cause another surge of disease. The state reported …
During the week of March 14, the Michigan Legislature acted on a bill to make changes to the prior authorization process for commercial insurers and a bill to increase penalties for assaulting healthcare employees and volunteers. …
Cyberattacks are a clear and present danger to patient care and safety and are becoming a more frequent reality. Most recently, ransomware criminals issued a public statement indicating they stand ready to retaliate against the West in defense of Russia. Reinforcing cybersecurity as part of the organization’s …
The Department of Health and Human Services announced March 9 that nearly $35 million in funding is available nationally to strengthen and expand community mental health services and suicide prevention programs for children and young adults. Grants are available through the …
“The conundrum facing the drugmakers is this: insurers, clinicians, regulators and consumers believe prescription drugs work reasonably well—they trust the safety, efficacy and effectiveness of prescription drugs. But voters (83%) think drug prices are inexplicably too high, suspecting manufacturers of systemic price gauging and greed. And policy proposals tying US prices to international comparisons are gaining momentum … Pricing is opaque and under increased pressure.
“In response, drug manufacturers have escalated their war against price constraints on three fronts as they adjudicate their defense to Congress and state legislatures.”
At its Feb. 9 meeting, the MHA Board of Trustees had robust conversations about key priorities for healthcare and the MHA. Among them were the MHA’s role as healthcare and public policy continue to evolve; workforce development and shortages (including $300 million appropriated by the Michigan …
The Michigan Legislature passed Feb. 9 House Bill 5523, a supplemental spending bill that includes $300 million for healthcare facilities for recruitment and retention of healthcare workers. While this funding will not solve the long-term …
The fiscal year 2023 executive budget recommendation was presented to the Legislature Feb. 9 by State Budget Director Chris Harkins. The governor’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year protects key hospital priorities and includes …
The Michigan Legislature took up several bills impacting hospitals during the week Feb. 7. Some of the covered topics included legislation to expand the essential health provider loan repayment program, make changes to nonopioid directive forms, new regulation for pharmacy benefit managers …
The MHA Breakthrough event will be held virtually from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 17, and registration is encouraged by close of business Feb. 14. For many months, leaders have had limited opportunities to study challenges and learn from each …
Myers and Stauffer LC, Michigan’s contractor for the federally mandated Medicaid disproportionate share hospitals audits, encourages hospital staff to participate in the upcoming virtual training at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 15. Hospital staff will also benefit from viewing …
Homelessness can take many forms, with people living on the streets, in encampments or shelters, or with family and friends. While the federal government reports 1.5 million people a year experience homelessness, other estimates find up to twice this number of people are without …
The healthcare sector remains a target-rich environment for cyberattacks due to a large amount of sensitive data related to patient care and operations. The MHA will host a cybersecurity member forum from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 24 at the Henry Center for Executive Development. The forum is …
The MHA Keystone Center Patient Safety Organization (PSO) Annual Meeting brings together national safety and clinical experts each year to discuss hot topics in healthcare. It will be held virtually from 9 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. March 9. …
The MHA responded to several media requests the week of Feb. 7 on topics including passage Feb. 9 of House Bill 5523 that provides $300 million in healthcare workforce funding, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Feb. 10 executive state budget recommendation and COVID-19 hospitalizations. …
“On the foreign policy front, the potential Russian invasion of the Ukraine has forced talks this week among heads of state …
“And on the domestic front, the Consumer Price Index for January will be released Thursday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and all eyes will be on the inflation rate …
“The U.S. health system is directly impacted by both sets of events though the immediate impact might not be readily obvious.”
The healthcare sector remains a target-rich environment for cyberattacks due to a large amount of sensitive data related to patient care and operations. The MHA will host a cybersecurity member forum from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 24 at the Henry Center for Executive Development. The forum is designed for chief executive, information, financial, operating and medical officers.
Representatives from a midsize hospital and a health system will share the steps the leadership teams took to recover from a cyberattack and the processes amplified to identify vulnerabilities and reduce breaches of data systems and cloud-based security services. Cybersecurity experts from the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will also discuss cyberthreats investigated and how the AHA is helping the field mitigate threats and exchange information with the FBI and other government agencies, as well as ways to facilitate cyber resource requests between technical and nontechnical leadership.
Attendees will also participate in a table-top exercise to test their organizations’ incident response plans. The Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services is generously sponsoring this event.
The forum is open to MHA-member organizations only. Members can register for $150 per person. For more information, contact Brenda Carr at the MHA.
The number of hospitalizations in Michigan due to confirmed and suspected cases of COVID-19 was the lowest since early November during the week of Jan. 31. However, with 2,882 adults and 70 children hospitalized Feb. 4 with confirmed and suspected COVID-19, some facilities in the state continue to be …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is developing an initiative that will provide free access to eight over-the-counter COVID-19 tests per month for Medicare beneficiaries. The initiative will apply to individuals enrolled in both traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans. The new initiative …
The MHA had hoped for an in-person Breakthrough event Feb. 17 and 18 but, based on the current environment, the event will be offered in a virtual format from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 17 on the Zoom platform. …
Access to affordable, safe, stable housing is well documented as a strong factor in health. The critical shortage of affordable housing directly affects communities and patients, contributing to repeat emergency room visits and hospital admissions. These patients also tend to have limited resources for …
The 2021 winners of the MHA’s Ludwig Community Benefit Award showcase the wide range of programs Michigan hospitals provide to benefit those in their local areas and beyond. The award is presented annually to recognize MHA-member healthcare organizations that demonstrate …
The COVID-19 pandemic and the rapidly changing competitive environment are making the consumer digital experience a higher priority for healthcare marketers than ever before. With budgets rebounding and marketers accelerating efforts in personalization, healthcare marketers must invest in new …
“The healthcare industry is resilient—’the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.’ It responds well to immediate problems like the pandemic and health emergencies. It enjoys well-deserved accolades for its selfless workforce and acts of heroism. But long-term solutions to the widely recognized systemic flaws in our system escape its attention …”
Due to weather-related cancellations, the Michigan Legislature did not meet Feb. 2 and 3 and no action was taken on healthcare-related bills.
Myers and Stauffer LC, Michigan’s contractor for the federally mandated Medicaid disproportionate share hospital audits, will host an educational webinar at 10:30 a.m. EST Feb. 15 to assist members with the upcoming 2019 Medicaid DSH audits.
As part of a series from the MHA Endorsed Business Partner program, the webinar Manufacturer Mandates and Claims Capture will be hosted with SUNRx from 2 to 3 p.m. EST Feb. 15.
The MHA responded to several media requests the week of Jan. 31 that focused on the history of hospital mergers and acquisitions in Michigan and the current outlook for hospitals regarding COVID-19.
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