Tag: Ewa Panetta

MHA and Partners Host Section 1557 Webinar Addressing Language Services

Member News

The MHA hosted the Section 1557 Readiness Workshop Dec. 10 with MHA Endorsed Business Partner (EBP) AMN Language Services as part of the ongoing effort to advance the health of individuals and communities. This session was the first of a three-part series designed to provide essential tools and insights to ensure compliance with the Affordable Care Act’s Section 1557.

Guest speakers Carla Fogaren, RN, national operations, equity and language access consultant, and Drew Stevens, Esq., legal counsel at Parker Hudson Rainer & Dobbs, guided participants through:

  • Key responsibilities of the newly required role of a Section 1557 Coordinator.
  • Posting of compliant nondiscrimination notices.
  • Implementing grievance procedures and document retention policies.
  • Legal implications and best practices.

“We must be explicit and intentional in removing barriers to care,” said Ewa Panetta, director, Community Health Impact and Engagement at the MHA. “The healthcare community plays a critical role. Evolving standards and regulatory requirements are calling for more action to address health outcomes and language access.”

Workshop attendees also received exclusive take-home resources, including a Section 1557 Coordinator requirements guide, Notice of Nondiscrimination example with fillable templates and samples of compliant written procedures.

With nearly 40 years of industry expertise, AMN provides a customized and tailored approach to meet organizations’ holistic workforce goals. Learn more about the MHA’s partnership with AMN Language Services from Eric Glaser, regional sales director.

Members with questions about additional resources and upcoming webinars may contact Rob Wood at the MHA.

MDHHS Shares 2022 Maternal and Infant Health Statistics

Member News

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Section recently led a webinar on 2022 maternal and infant health statistics for the state.

Infant mortality refers to the death of an infant before their first birthday and is usually measured as a rate per 1,000 births. In 2022, the overall infant mortality rate in Michigan was 6.4 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Infant mortality rates during this time showed significant variation by race and ethnicity. In 2022, the infant mortality rate for Black non-Hispanic infants was the highest for all groups and 7.9 deaths more than the next group. This racial disparity has persisted over time, with data from 2013-2021 consistently showing a difference in infant mortality rates between Black and White infants. Below are the infant mortality rates for all racial and ethnic groups.

  1. Black non-Hispanic: 13.3 deaths per 1,000 live births
  2. Asian/Pacific Islander Non-Hispanic: 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births
  3. White non-Hispanic: 4.8 deaths per 1,000 live births
  4. Hispanic: 4.0 deaths per 1,000 live births

Other data reported on infant mortality included stratification by maternal age and insurance type. Infants born to mothers under 20 years of age had the highest infant mortality rate at 6.1 deaths per 1,000 live births more than the next highest age group. Below are the infant mortality rates by maternal age.

  1. Less than 20 years of age: 13.0 per 1,000 live births
  2. Ages 20 – 29: 6.9 deaths per 1,000 live births
  3. Ages 30 and older: 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births

Infants covered by Medicaid had a 5.3 higher infant mortality rate (9.5 per 1,000 live births) compared to infants with private insurance (4.2).

The data also highlight common causes of infant death in 2022. Perinatal conditions were the leading cause, responsible for 49.5% of infant deaths. Sleep-related causes accounted for 17.2% and congenital anomalies made up 16.8% of infant deaths.

Members with questions may contact Ewa Panetta at the MHA.

Three Key Takeaways from the MHA Webinar Featuring Health Equity Regulatory Requirements

Member News, MHA Rounds

Written by Ewa Panetta, Director, Community Health Impact and Engagement

Earlier this month, the MHA, in partnership with the MHA Keystone Center, hosted a member webinar highlighting the current and future state of health equity priorities and requirements from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and The Joint Commission (TJC) that impact acute care settings.

Accrediting and regulatory bodies are sending a clear message with the evolving requirements – health equity must be central to all quality improvement efforts. Simply put, high quality care is not attainable if care isn’t equitable.

Levering quality improvement as a tool for advancing health equity is a critical first step that helps hospitals meet the new regulatory standards, but we must move toward intentional actions that foster a culture of equity across healthcare systems.

The MHA Keystone Center created the Guide and Action Plan to Integrating CMS and TJC Health Equity and Health Disparities Requirements to provide guidance for implementing compliant health equity programming that goes above and beyond checking a box.

We collaborated with Julia Finken, senior vice president for accreditation and regulatory compliance, Patton Healthcare Consulting and Barrins & Associates, to facilitate the webinar. The purpose of the virtual meeting was to provide members with tools and resources needed to not only comply with the new quality improvement health equity requirements, but also implement robust health equity programming across their systems.

Here were the top three takeaways from the discussion:

  1. The MHA Keystone Center Health Equity Guide and Action Plan, along with supplemental modules, are valuable tools for implementing CMS/TJC compliant health equity programs. The action plan also provides hospitals with the tools necessary to track progress and document compliance across the regulatory and accrediting standards.
  2. Achieving the new health equity requirements requires embedding equity as a cornerstone of quality improvement efforts – from planning to goal development, design, interventions and measurement. Webinar participants expressed that demographic and social needs data collection and use are persistent challenges. We’ve created data resources to support members.
  3. As accreditation and regulatory requirements evolve, operationalizing the principles of health equity will require integrating equity into every aspect of care delivery and hospital operations.

I encourage members interested in learning more to watch the webinar recording.

MHA Monday Report June 24, 2024

Monday Report

Help Protect 340B in Michigan: MHA Action Alert Available

Hospitals throughout Michigan rely on savings from the 340B Prescription Drug Pricing Program every day to spread scarce resources and care for those with limited or no access to healthcare. As manufacturers and other players at …

Registration Open for Workplace Violence Prevention Safe TableMHA Events

The MHA Keystone Center Patient Safety Organization (PSO) is hosting a Workplace Violence Prevention Safe Table from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Thursday, July 25 at the MHA Headquarters …

Update: Rural Cybersecurity Program

The White House held a briefing on June 14 with representatives from Google and Microsoft to elaborate on the cybersecurity program being offered to rural communities. These initiatives are designed to improve cybersecurity measures for rural hospitals across the United States …

Latest AHA Trustee Insights: Leadership at the System and Community Level

The June edition of Trustee Insights, the monthly digital package from the American Hospital Association, includes insights from four governing board chairs who respond to questions about the opportunities and challenges for the current and future state of health care and what inspires them as they chart the course ahead …

MHA Podcast Explores the Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare

The MHA released a new episode of the MiCare Champion Cast exploring AI ‘s role in healthcare today and what it will look like in the future. The episode features Bruce Brandes, president of Care.ai and Monica Holmes, a PhD candidate in bioinformatics at the University of Michigan and a current member of the MHA AI Task Force …

The Keckley Report

The Healthcare Economy: Three Key Takeaways that Frame Public and Private Sector Response

“The health economy is expanding above the overall rates of population growth, overall inflation and the U.S. economy’s GDP.  Its long-term sustainability is in question unless monetary policies enable other industries to grow proportionately and/or taxpayers agree to pay more for its services. These data confirm its unit costs and prices are problematic.

As Campaign 2024 heats up with the economy as its key issue, promises to contain health spending, impose price controls, limit consolidation and increase competition will be prominent. Public sector actions will likely feature state initiatives to lower cost and spend taxpayer money more effectively. Private sector actions will center on employer and insurer initiatives to increase out of pocket payments for enrollees and reduce their choices of providers.

Thus, these reports paint a cautionary picture for the health economy going forward. Each sector will feel cost-containment pressure and each will claim it is responding appropriately. Some actually will. …”

Paul Keckley, June 17, 2024

News to Know

  • The MHA is hosting office hours virtually from 2 to 3 p.m. every Thursday through June 27 to assist hospitals in completing an application for The Joint Commission’s Maternal Levels of Care Verification. Members with questions about office hours should contact Ewa Panetta.
  • MHA Endorsed Business Partner CorroHealth will host a free webinar for members on June 26.

New to Know – June 24, 2024

Member News

The MHA is hosting office hours virtually from 2 to 3 p.m. every Thursday through June 27 to assist hospitals in completing an application for The Joint Commission’s (TJC’s) Maternal Levels of Care (MLC) Verification. Registration is required and members are asked to register by end of business the Wednesday prior to a week’s session. These sessions provide an opportunity for hospitals to collaborate across the membership, as well as to address general MLC Verification application and program/process questions. Members with questions about the MLC Verification application process are encouraged to attend the sessions. Members with questions about office hours should contact Ewa Panetta.

 

MHA Endorsed Business Partner CorroHealth will host a free webinar for members on June 26. Master Revenue Integrity with VISION: Unveiling Advanced CDI Technology for Hospitals. VISION is a cutting-edge DRG revenue integrity technology developed by physicians with deep clinical knowledge, advanced data analytics, and the latest coding guidelines. VISION instantly scores and prioritizes clinical cases for review and optimization to maximize compliant revenue capture. Members with questions may contact Laura Penton at CorroHealth or Rob Wood at the MHA.

MHA Monday Report June 17, 2024

Monday Report

Cybersecurity Resources Available to Assist Rural Hospitals

The White House announced collaborative efforts June 10 aimed at strengthening cybersecurity for rural hospitals across the United States. Through this collaboration, Microsoft and Google announced a series of initiatives to provide free or discounted …

New Drug Linked to Overdose Deaths Across Michigan

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is warning Michigan residents and healthcare providers about medetomidine, a new drug identified in overdose deaths across the state. Medetomidine is a veterinary tranquilizer, similar to …

New Endorsed Business Partner Vault Verify Provides HR Data Solutions

The MHA’s Endorsed Business Partner (EBP) program promotes industry-leading firms. The EBP program connects member hospitals to solutions that alleviate pain points. The MHA recently endorsed Vault Verify, which is a leader in automated employment …

COMPACT Act Expands Emergent Suicide Care to Veterans

Effective January 2023, section 201 of the Veterans Comprehensive Prevention, Access to Care and Treatment (COMPACT) Act of 2020 allows eligible veterans to receive emergent suicide care in any Veterans Affairs (VA) or non-VA facility …

Protecting Community-based Care Through 340BMHA Rounds graphic, indicating thought leadership blog style post. Featuring Elizabeth Kutter pictured, woman with blonde hair smiling on the right.

Right now, a low-income patient in Northern Michigan is picking up a drug at a discounted price that they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. In another corner of the state, a cancer patient is receiving lifesaving treatment …

The Keckley Report

Can Medical Schools be Part of the Physician Discontent Solution?

“Friday, the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association began their Annual Meeting in Chicago where payment reforms will headline the meeting and resolutions to strengthen the profession voted on by the 1000 attendees. This meeting falls on the heels of welcome attention from Congress which seems sympathetic to physician pay issues as documented most recently in the Senate Finance Committee’s White Paper on Physician payment reforms. …

Modernizing medical school training to better prepare physicians for practice in the 21 century is needed in medical schools. As Deans are reducing lectures, implementing collaborative instructional methods, incorporating technology-enabled clinical decision support tools, expanding team-based learning experiences and expanding student exposure to non-hospital-based practice environments, resources should also be invested to prepare students to operate effectively as leaders and managers. …”

Paul Keckley, June 10, 2024

News to Know

  • MHA offices will be closed and no formal meetings will be scheduled June 19 in honor of Juneteenth.
  • The MHA is hosting office hours virtually from 2 to 3 p.m. every Thursday through June 27 to assist hospitals in completing an application for The Joint Commission’s Maternal Levels of Care  Verification.
  • MHA Endorsed Business Partner CorroHealth will host two free webinars for members to register.

MHA Monday Report June 10, 2024

Monday Report

House Insurance Committee Hears Testimony on Bill to Protect 340B

The House Insurance and Financial Services Committee convened June 5 to hear testimony on House Bill 5350, introduced by Rep. Alabas Farhat (D-Dearborn), which would protect access to affordable prescription drugs and healthcare services …

Governor Signs Telehealth Parity & Behavioral Health Licensing Clarification Bills

Gov. Whitmer signed several MHA-supported bills during the week of June 3 related to telehealth services and behavioral health licensing. House Bills 4131, 4213, 4579 and 4580 (now referred to as Public Acts 51 – 53 of 2024) establish …

Maternal Levels of Care Toolkit Created to Assist with TJC Verification

A toolkit of resources is now available to assist hospitals with the application process for The Joint Commission’s (TJC’s) Maternal Levels of Care Verification. The toolkit contains resources from TJC and the Florida Perinatal …

MDHHS Distributes Funding to Michigan Universities to Support Behavioral Health Workforce

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recently allocated $5 million to 12 Michigan universities to provide stipends to students pursuing a Bachelor of Social Work to Master of Social Work …

Expanded AMN Healthcare Partnership Offers Greater Member Solutions

The MHA’s Endorsed Business Partner program promotes industry-leading firms that can meet the most pressing needs of our member hospitals and health systems. The MHA recently endorsed a national leader in workforce solutions. The …

Health Facility State License Renewals Due July 31

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs announced the start of the 2024-2025 renewal cycle for health facilities operating under state licenses. This renewal applies to hospitals, psychiatric units, hospices, outpatient surgical facilities …

The Keckley Report

Handicapping the Players in the Quest for Healthcare Affordability

“As campaigns for November elections gear up for early voting and Congress considers bipartisan reforms to limit consolidation and enhance competition in U.S. healthcare, prospective voters are sending a cleat message to would-be office holders:

Healthcare Affordability must be addressed directly, transparently and now. …

Getting consensus to address affordability head on is hard, so not much is done by the sectors themselves. And none is approaching the solution in its necessary context—the financial security of a households facing unprecedented pressures to make ends meet. In all likelihood, the bigger, more prominent organizations in their ranks of these sectors will deliver affordability solutions well-above the lowest common denominators that are comfortable for most Thus, health care affordability will be associated with organizational brands and differentiated services, not the sectors from which their trace their origins. And it will be based on specified utilization, costs, outcome and spending guarantees to consumers and employers that are reasonable and transparent.”

Paul Keckley, June 3, 2024

MHA in the News

The MHA received media coverage the week of June 3 that includes coverage on the 340B drug pricing program and from the Mackinac Policy Conference on the healthcare workforce. Michigan Advance published an article June …