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.
Bridge published Feb. 1 an article that looked at the impact of hospital mergers on consumers in light of the merger between Beaumont Health and Spectrum Health. MHA CEO Brian Peters is quoted in the story discussing the reasons between hospital mergers.
“The real watchword is ‘value,’” said Peters. “We want to create value and that equation of course, is cost and quality and appropriateness,” he said, adding “higher quality care costs less in the long run.”
The Detroit News published Feb. 2 a story that focuses on the future outlook for hospitals now that the COVID-19 surge driven by the omicron variant is declining. MHA Director of Communications John Karasinski discussed the statewide trends for hospitals.
“It’s clear that we’re on the downside of this omicron surge as the numbers this week are better than the prior week, but the status of hospitals does vary depending on region, bed capacity and staffing,” said Karasinski.
Members with questions on COVID-19 efforts and resources should contact Ruthanne Sudderth, and any questions regarding media requests should be directed to John Karasinski at the MHA.
MHA CEO Brian Peters appears on Mid-Michigan NOW on Jan. 13, 2022.
The MHA has been actively fielding and responding to media requests related to the surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on the vaccine mandate from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and violence against healthcare workers.
Below is a collection of headlines from around the state that include statements from the MHA.
Members with questions on COVID-19 efforts and resources should contact Ruthanne Sudderth, and any questions regarding media requests should be directed to John Karasinski at the MHA.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID Data Tracker, the omicron variant of COVID-19 is now the dominant strain across the U.S. The CDC’s model indicates that more than 95% of cases in the nation as of Jan. 1 may be due to omicron.
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.
President Announces Updated Testing and Military Personnel Strategy
President Joe Biden Dec. 21 announced the federal government will make 500 million at-home rapid tests available to Americans and will deploy roughly 1,000 military personnel to hospitals across the U.S. to help ease the stress the current COVID-19 surge has placed on providers.
The rapid tests will be free of charge and available via an online request form, after which they will be delivered to residents’ homes. The plan also includes opening new federal testing sites and sending out hundreds of federal vaccinators. These tactics will begin in January according to the White House fact sheet on this effort.
Members are encouraged to review the entire fact sheet, which discusses other elements of the plan, including the distribution of more ventilators, production increases for supplies, federal testing sites and more.
The MHA will keep members apprised as more information becomes available about what assistance will be directed to Michigan as a result of this announcement. Members with questions about federal actions may contact Laura Appel at the MHA.
Boosters Expanded to 12- to 15-year-olds; Waiting Period Shortened
The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the CDC have announced that children aged 12 to 15 may now receive booster doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.The agencies also approved a shortened waiting period from six months to five months to receive a booster following a primary series of either of the two vaccines. In addition, certain immunocompromised children aged 5 to 11 are eligible for a booster and may receive it 28 days after the completion of their initial series.
The two-month booster interval recommendation for people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has not changed.
The FDA reached its decision after reportedly reviewing data from Israel, which included information on 6,300 people ages 12-15 who received a booster shot at least five months after their initial two-dose series. The data showed no new cases of two possible side effects that had been observed in some young people who received the vaccine — myocarditis and pericarditis.
Urge Senate to Support Healthcare Staffing Funds
The MHA issued an action alert before the holidays, urging all members to contact their state senators and ask that they support critical healthcare staffing funding, which passed the state House with bipartisan support in December. As lawmakers prepare to return to session the week of Jan. 10, it is important to continue advocacy efforts.
House Bill 5523 would appropriate $300 million for healthcare retention and recruitment, which could help hospitals and other providers navigate the serious worker shortages that currently exist amid a pandemic surge. The MHA Legislative Action Center provides key messages on this issue and contact information for senators. Members with questions may contact Adam Carlson at the MHA.
MHA CEO Brian Peters appears on CNN on Jan. 3, 2022.
The MHA has been actively fielding and responding to media requests related to the surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the Omicron variant and increasing rates of violence against healthcare workers.
Below is a collection of headlines from around the state that include statements from the MHA.
Members with questions on COVID-19 efforts and resources should contact Ruthanne Sudderth, and any questions regarding media requests should be directed to John Karasinski at the MHA.
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 received booster shots as of that date.
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.
Collaborative Efforts Urge Public to Take Precautions, Get Vaccinated
As the omicron variant, the latest version of the evolving coronavirus, begins to appear in the United States, the MHA, its members and public health agencies are urging the public to be particularly mindful of precautions they can take to guard against infection.At this time, there is no evidence to indicate omicron is present in Michigan. However, the MHA will remain in close contact with the State Department of Laboratories as it sequences samples and will keep members apprised of any developments.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the MHA issued a joint press release Dec. 2 using a new set of infographics developed by the association. These images show the percentages of vaccinated versus unvaccinated COVID-19 hospitalizations, those in ICUs and those on ventilators. The release urged the public to get vaccinated to not only protect their own health, but the health of healthcare workers and to avoid additional strain on the state’s healthcare systems.
MHA-member health systems provided the data for this effort. The release included the following messages:
Three out of four COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated (76%).
87% of COVID-19 ICU patients are unvaccinated.
88% of COVID-19 ventilator patients are unvaccinated.
Members are encouraged to share these figures along with their organizations’ local data to maintain the public’s awareness. Members with questions may contact Ruthanne Sudderth at the MHA.
In addition, the MHA published a consensus statement Nov. 22 to statewide media on behalf of the chief medical officers of its member hospitals urging the public to take action to help slow COVID-19 growth throughout the state and educate them about the serious nature of the current surge and hospital capacity issues. MHA members are encouraged to use this statement locally or use it as a template for an organization-specific update to their communities. This message has been widely broadcast throughout the state (see related article).
Members with questions about vaccines and COVID-19 precautions may contact Ruthanne Sudderth at the MHA.
CMS Delays Enforcement of Healthcare Worker Vaccine Mandate as Courts Issue Injunctions
Although Michigan was not impacted by the Nov. 29 preliminary injunction against enforcement of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) healthcare worker vaccine mandate in 10 states, a separate preliminary injunction issued Nov. 30 does affect Michigan by placing a hold on the mandate in all other states. The federal government has appealed each order to the U.S. Court of Appeals in their respective circuits and asked the appellate courts to set aside the district courts’ preliminary injunction pending appeal.
Subsequently, the CMS issued a memorandum Dec. 2 confirming that it will not enforce its vaccine mandate while the court orders are in effect. The memo states that the CMS has “suspended activities related to the implementation and enforcement of this rule pending future developments in the litigation.” It also states that “while these preliminary injunctions are in effect, surveyors must not survey providers for compliance with the requirements of the” mandate.
The document does not state what the CMS would do when and if the preliminary injunctions are removed, such as setting new compliance dates.
The federal mandates do not impact hospitals’ ability to implement their own organization-based staff vaccine requirements if they choose to adopt such a policy.
MHA members are encouraged to follow the American Hospital Association (AHA) blog authored by Sean Marotta, a partner at Hogan Lovells and outside counsel for the AHA. The blog will be updated regularly as new developments occur. The MHA will also keep members apprised of developments. Members with questions may contact Amy Barkholz at the MHA.
Medicaid Coverage Expands to Cover Authorized In-home COVID Test Kits
The MDHHS recently released concurrent proposed and final policies to expand Medicaid coverage of COVID-19 testing to include home testing kits authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when administered consistent with recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The expanded coverage for dates of service on and after Aug. 30, 2021, is contingent upon approval by the CMS. Approved testing kits must be prescribed or ordered by a Medicaid-enrolled participating pharmacy. Coverage will continue through 15 months following the end of the federal public health emergency. Comments should be submitted by Jan. 4. Questions may be directed to Vickie Kunz at the MHA.
