MHA Breakthrough - MHA | Michigan Health & Hospital Association

MHA Monday Report Feb. 14, 2022

February 14, 2022August 25, 2023 Monday Report

MHA Board Meeting Focused on Workforce, Other Healthcare Challenges

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 …

Vital Healthcare Workforce Funding Passed by Michigan Legislature

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 …

Governor’s Budget Recommendation Supports Healthcare Workers, Protects Hospitals

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 …

Michigan Legislature Addresses Multiple Healthcare Bills

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 …

Register by Feb. 14 for Virtual MHA Breakthrough

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 …

Virtual Training Offered Feb. 15 for FY 2019 Medicaid DSH Audit

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 …

Housing as Healthcare Webinar to Explore Population Health Improvement

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 …

Responses to Cybersecurity Attacks, Mitigation Strategies Focus of Member Forum

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 …

P SO Annual Meeting to Focus on Well-being and Workplace Violence

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. …

Headline Roundup: Workforce Funding, Executive Budget and More

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. …

The Keckley Report

Two Events this Week Will Shape U.S. Healthcare for 2022

“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.”

Paul Keckley, Feb. 7, 2022

News to Know

Nominations for the 2022 Ludwig Community Benefit Award are due Feb. 18.

MHA Breakthrough Converting to Virtual Format

February 3, 2022April 24, 2023 Member News

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.

The content will be focused on the COVID-19 pandemic situation confronting hospitals, including a prolonged fourth surge, significant workforce burnout, and the declining patient experience and care outcomes due to visitor restrictions.

Keynote speaker, Michael Leonard, MD, will share his near-death experience with COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic and his views of being a patient as opposed to treating a patient. Leonard is featured in the MHA’s MiCare Champion Cast, an easily accessible primer for his keynote presentation. Following Leonard’s keynote, small group conversations led by Michigan healthcare leaders will allow participants to share ideas and strategies for COVID-19 patient care, reinforcing the public health infrastructure, caring for staff and building resilience, and re-engaging patients’ family and relationships essential to decreasing hostility and improving patient outcomes.

The registration fee has been adjusted for the virtual event and the deadline is Feb. 14. For assistance with registration or more information on the virtual format, contact Erica Leyko at the MHA.

Doctor/Breakthrough Speaker Recalls COVID-19 Hospitalization in MHA Podcast

January 26, 2022April 27, 2023 MiCare Champion Cast, Member News

The MHA released another episode of the MiCare Champion Cast, which features interviews with healthcare policy experts in Michigan on key issues that impact healthcare and the health of communities.

On this episode, Michael Leonard, MD, partner at Safe & Reliable Healthcare, shares his personal experience with falling severely ill to COVID-19 in 2020. Leonard, who spent a total of 59 days in the hospital, gives a close-up look at what it was like as a tenured physician who was in great health to become a critically ill COVID-19 patient at a time when information was limited and hospitals across the country were overwhelmed. He also addresses some of the common misconceptions that still exist around COVID-19 and the vaccines and how listeners can best support healthcare workers.

Leonard will serve as a keynote speaker at the MHA’s major membership meeting Breakthrough on Feb. 17 and 18. Attendees will examine the evolution of the pandemic and its impact, how MHA members and partners can address the workforce shortage and drive policy and funding on this critical issue, how to lead critical conversations about health equity and use structures already in place to build capacity for advancing equity, and more. A full agenda, registration and additional details can be found on the education and events page.

Safe & Reliable Healthcare is an organization dedicated to providing guidance for providers to effectively assess and manage risk and minimize adverse events. Leonard has worked with healthcare organizations nationally and internationally to identify clear, effective and sustainable ways to enhance patient- and family-centered care, improve leadership, develop a culture of safety, work collaboratively, become highly reliable, and create an environment of continuous learning and improvement.

This podcast is part of the statewide #MiCareMatters campaign, launched in 2017, which aims to build a network of citizens — “MiCare Champions” — who will be called upon to engage in advocacy efforts to protect access to affordable healthcare services in Michigan. It is currently available via Spotify, iTunes and SoundCloud.

For more information, visit micarematters.org. Members with questions or who would like to submit ideas for future podcasts should contact Lucy Ciaramitaro at the MHA.

MHA Breakthrough Discounts on Registration, Hotel Rates Expire Soon

January 20, 2022October 28, 2022 Member News

The MHA’s major membership meeting Breakthrough will be held Feb. 17 and 18 at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. The early registration discount will expire Jan. 28 and the discounted room rate at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa will expire Jan. 26.

Due to the pandemic, hospital and health system leaders have not gathered in person at an MHA major membership meeting in two years, significantly reducing the ability for leaders to openly discuss significant challenges with colleagues. 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 online under the Code of Conduct policy.

Register now for Breakthrough, where attendees will examine the evolution of the pandemic and its impact, how MHA members and partners can address the workforce shortage and drive policy and funding on this critical issue, how to lead critical conversations about health equity and use structures already in place to build capacity for advancing equity, and more. A preconference session features tactics to optimize the CEO-board relationship by exploring the primary roles and responsibilities and the attributes and actions credited to a high-functioning governing board.

A full agenda, additional details and sponsors are posted online. Contact Erin Steward at the MHA with questions about Breakthrough.

Explore Ways to Advance Health Equity, Workforce and Resilience at Breakthrough

January 12, 2022January 12, 2022 Member News

MHA Breakthrough, which will be held in-person Feb. 17 and 18 at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa near Traverse City, provides a venue for crucial conversations about the healthcare crisis and ways providers can lead recovery using information, tools and shared ideas and best practices. Attendees will examine the evolution of the pandemic and its impact, including lessons learned around treatment and staffing, patient and family expectations, and burnout and resilience; how MHA members and partners can address the workforce shortage and drive policy and funding on this critical issue; and how to lead critical conversations about health equity and use structures already in place to build capacity for advancing equity.

A preconference session will feature tactics to optimize the CEO-board relationship by exploring the primary roles and responsibilities and the attributes and actions credited to a high-functioning governing board. The session includes an assessment and improvement activity that can be adopted or modified for use in participants’ organizations as part of an ongoing effort to strengthen CEO-board dynamics.

Breakthrough will be held in-person, and COVID-19 vaccination will be required. The vaccination verification process is detailed online under the Code of Conduct Policy. Registration is open, and a full agenda, additional details and sponsors are posted online. Contact Erin Steward at the MHA with questions about Breakthrough.

Pandemic and Workforce Challenges Topics at MHA Breakthrough

January 6, 2022October 28, 2022 Member News

At the close of 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic situation confronting Michigan hospitals was dire. A prolonged fourth surge drove intensive care unit occupancy rates to nearly 90 percent. Additionally, significant workforce challenges that predated the pandemic became worse and the increasing rates of violence due to the public’s impatience with longer wait times or visitor restrictions reached a breaking point.

MHA Breakthrough, scheduled for Feb. 17 and 18 at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, is an opportunity for healthcare leaders to openly discuss these significant challenges with colleagues. Through conversations during advisory tables and a town hall, participants will share ideas and strategies for caring for staff who have been seriously wounded by the loss of life and civility; re-engaging patients’ family and relationships essential to decreasing hostility and improving patient outcomes; driving the message that public health is more than infectious diseases and all community stakeholders must be committed to solving health challenges; and allocating funding to assist with healthcare workforce recruitment and retention and with essential partnerships to fill the workforce pipeline.

In conjunction with the conference, an exclusive dinner limited to hospital CEOs has been scheduled to talk to MHA leaders about how the MHA can assist with the challenges facing their organizations. Seating for the dinner is limited and reservations will be secured on a first-come, first-served basis. The dinner will be held the evening prior to the conference, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 16, in the Aerie restaurant at the resort. Reservations should be made by contacting Erica Leyko at the MHA no later than Feb. 4.

Breakthrough will be in-person and vaccination will be required. Details surrounding the vaccination verification process will be available soon. Registration is open, a full agenda is online, and sponsorship is available through Jan. 12. Questions about the event should be directed to Erin Steward at the MHA.

Discuss Approaches to Pandemic, Workforce Challenges at MHA Breakthrough

December 16, 2021October 28, 2022 Member News

In a recent video message, MHA CEO Brian Peters shared his thoughts about the MHA’s commitment to helping hospitals and health systems deal with the effects of the pandemic and the value of convening in person to study challenges, learn from each other and build a greater capacity to evolve.

During MHA Breakthrough, scheduled for Feb. 17 and 18 at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, attendees will openly discuss several topics, including significant and radical changes in healthcare driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders will discuss and share how to care for staff who have been heavily impacted by patient deaths, tactics to re-engage patients’ family and relationships essential to decreasing hostility and improving patient outcomes, and how to drive the message that public health is more than infectious diseases so that state and community leaders recognize why their commitment is critical to solving health challenges.

Breakthrough also focuses on health equity and the disparities resulting from unconscious bias and racism, as well as how to engage managers and teams in every step of the diversity, equity and inclusion journey. Breakthrough speaker Kevin Ahmaad Jenkins, PhD, is one of the most impactful individuals working to eliminate racial disparities in America. At this event, he will share how to practice equity, reduce disparities and lead critical conversations about health equity. Beth Washington, vice president of Community Health, Equity, and Inclusion at Bronson Healthcare Group, will share how the system is using structures already in place to build capacity for advancing equity.

Breakthrough will be in-person and vaccination will be required. Details surrounding the vaccination verification process will be available soon. Registration is open, a full agenda is online and sponsorship is available through Jan. 12. For more information, contact Erin Steward at the MHA.

MHA Monday Report Dec. 6, 2021

December 6, 2021April 24, 2023 Monday Report

Combating the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19): Weeks of Nov. 22 and 29

The state’s coronavirus webpage indicates there were an average of 9,222 new COVID-19 cases per day Dec. 2 and 3, bleakly demonstrating the current surge of the disease in Michigan. However, 55.6% of Michiganders ages 5 and older were fully vaccinated as of Dec. 3, and more than 1.6 million residents had …

Hospital Leaders Provide Testimony Amid Latest COVID Surge

Hospital leaders from around the state testified Dec. 1 before the House Appropriations Committee, chaired by Rep. Thomas Albert (R-Lowell). They discussed the current challenges Michigan’s hospitals face as they near the statewide record for COVID-19 hospitalizations while having more COVID-19 …

Hospital Testimony Supports Community College BSN Degrees

The Michigan Legislature held several hearings on legislation supported by the MHA during the week of Nov. 29. In the House Education Committee, initial testimony was taken on a bill to allow community colleges to offer 4-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees. The Senate Health Policy and Human Services Committee reported to the …

Bill to Codify Licensure Exemptions, Assist in Workforce Shortage Reported to Senate

The Senate Health Policy and Human Services Committee reported Senate Bill 759 to the Senate floor Dec. 2. Introduced by Sen. Curt VanderWall (R-Ludington) and supported by the MHA, SB 759 would codify a provision that has given hospitals flexibility to appropriately respond to …

CMS Offers Forum on No Surprises Act Dec. 8

The Centers for Medicaid & Medicaid Services Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight will host a special Open Door Forum via conference call at 2 p.m. Dec. 8 to review provider requirements under the federal No Surprises Act. …

New MHA Infographic Highlights Michigan’s Midsize Vital Hospitals

The MHA has released a new infographic highlighting Michigan’s 32 midsize vital hospitals. The publication seeks to bring attention to these facilities that ensure access to care for residents in rural and small urban areas that, while they experience similar challenges to critical access hospitals, are not eligible for …

Governance Webinar Outlines Ties Between Trends and Strategic Planning

Hospital and health system boards will face challenges as the world transitions from a multiyear pandemic to an endemic. The industry is experiencing instability and near-constant change: innovation in medicine and service delivery, new competitors, payer upheaval, renewed scrutiny on the social determinants of …

Registration Open for MHA Breakthrough In-person Event in February

Upcoming Webinar to Improve Healthcare for Transgender Population

Transgender and gender nonconforming individuals deal with many common fears that can be debilitating. Healthcare providers need to understand the obstacles that this population faces to improve medical care for their patients. The MHA Health Foundation Transgender Healthcare Dignity Model …

Headline Roundup: Michigan Hospital CMOs Urge Action Against COVID-19

The MHA published a consensus statement Nov. 22 on behalf of chief medical officers of Michigan’s community hospitals urging the public to take action to help slow COVID-19 growth throughout the state. …

The Keckley Report

STAT Investigation on Ascension Private Equity Activity Problematic for Hospitals

“The STAT headline last Tuesday read: ‘How America’s largest Catholic hospital system is moonlighting as a private equity firm’ The news organization’s investigation involved ‘interviews with nearly two dozen academic experts, financial analysts, accountants, and community organizers … ’”

Paul Keckley, Nov. 22, 2021

News to Know

The MHA will host a free webinar from 1 to 2 p.m. ET Dec. 7 to provide an update on price transparency and the No Surprises Act, including what is required for compliance as of Jan. 1.
An Unemployment Compensation and Vaccine Mandates webinar will be offered at 10 a.m. ET Dec. 9.
The MHA welcomes care.ai as a new Endorsed Business Partner providing the first AI-powered autonomous monitoring solutions for care teams and their patients.

Registration Open for MHA Breakthrough In-person Event in February

December 2, 2021October 28, 2022 Member News

The COVID-19 crisis has made clear what American healthcare providers are capable of and their infinite potential, yet challenges remain. COVID-19 variants continue to plague the nation’s health; regular harassment and violence toward caregivers sustains burnout brought about by exhaustion and emotional upheaval; and the essential role of prevention and the politicization of public health are just a few of the obstacles faced.

MHA Breakthrough, which will be held in-person Feb. 17 and 18 at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa near Traverse City, provides a venue for crucial conversations about the healthcare crisis and ways providers can lead recovery using information, tools and shared ideas and best practices. By participating in advisory tables, attendees will examine COVID-19 long-hauler threats and hospitals’ role in advancing a strong public health infrastructure, explore tactics to re-engage patients’ families and the public, and discuss methods to combat burnout and build resilience. A special workforce town hall will bring leaders together to openly discuss how MHA members and partners in the Healthcare Workforce Sustainability Alliance can address the workforce shortage and drive policy and funding on this critical issue.

Breakthrough will be held in-person, and COVID-19 vaccination will be required. Details surrounding the vaccination verification process will be available soon. Registration is open, a full agenda and additional details are posted online, and sponsorship is available through Jan. 12. Contact Erica Leyko regarding sponsorship and Erin Steward at the MHA with questions about Breakthrough.