MHA News Now

Read the latest edition of Mississippi Hospitals magazine

The latest edition of Mississippi Hospitals magazine (Winter 2011) is now available. Read articles about:

• First Baby Born at Baptist Celebrates Her 100th Birthday
• Extraordinary Days are the Life of a Gulf Coast Ophthalmologist
• With Donation from Warren Foundation,UMMC Researchers Better Equipped to Study Cancer
• Wesley Medical Center Announces Chest Pain Center Accreditation
• Anderson Regional Medical Center Unveils Innovative Monitoring System For Moms-To-Be
• UMMC Performs First Pediatric Heart Transplant in Eight Years
• St. Dominic Hospital First in State to Use RoboticFluorescence Imaging Technology
• Delta Regional Medical Center’s NICU Celebrates a Year of Miracles
• Seasonal Flu Shots Now Available at All County Health Departments
• The Tebow Treatment: Pine Grove Patients To Benefit From New Furry, Four-Legged Staff Member
• Miracle Born at St. Dominic Hospital
• Psychosis Survey: Twenty Percent Say No One Helped
• Mississippi Breastfeeding Rates Among Lowest in Nation
• Mississippi Receives Prestigious National Smokefree Cities Award
• Mississippi Elderly Suicide Prevention Campaign Launches

For more information on how to have your hospital news featured in this magazine, contact Shawn Rossi at (800) 289-8884, (601) 368-3237 or srossi@mhanet.org.

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Health Department Offers Training in BodyWorks

The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) is offering training in BodyWorks, a program designed to help parents and caregivers of children ages nine to 16 improve family eating and activity habits.

Participants completing the six-hour “train the trainer” session will be able to organize and teach a 10-week series of classes to parents and other caregivers in their own communities.  The series of classes will include ways to help teach children and families to maintain a healthy weight and incorporate physical activity daily. 

Health educators at the state, community or health system level, community and church leaders, school nurses and health teachers, Girl and Boy Scout leaders, worksite wellness program coordinators and others interested in becoming BodyWorks trainers should make plans to attend. 

There are four sessions available in 2012: January 31, March 23, July 27, and September 17. All training sessions will be held at the MSDH Central Office, located at 570 East Woodrow Wilson Drive in Jackson. BodyWorks training is free, but seating is limited and registration is required. Register online at www.HealthyMS.com/bodyworks. 

For more information about BodyWorks, contact the MSDH Office of Women’s Health at 1-800-721-7222, or visit MSDH online at www.HealthyMS.com.

 

Ad urges Congress to reject cuts that hurt patient care and hospital jobs

As lawmakers consider deficit reduction proposals, the American Hospital Association and the American Nurses Association on Jan. 25 launched an ad urging Congress to reject cuts that would hurt patient care and the one sector of the economy actually creating jobs.

The ad, which will run over the next three weeks in Politico, Roll Call and CQ Today, notes, "According to an independent analysis, 195,000 jobs over the next decade will be lost under sequestration, and another 83,000 from cuts to hospital care under consideration in the House-passed H.R. 3630. Hospitals continue to be a bright spot in the nation's employment picture, adding 9,800 jobs in December and 89,000 over the past year…Hospitals are the second-largest private-sector employer, employing 5.4 million people nationwide and supporting scores of local businesses in communities everywhere. While it considers ways to reduce the deficit, Congress should reject cuts that would hurt patients' care – and the one sector of the economy actually creating jobs."

CMS announces Medicare EHR incentive program appeals process

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued guidance creating a process and requirements for appealing eligibility, meaningful use and incentive payment determinations under the Medicare electronic health record incentive program, and has extended the deadline for hospitals filing an eligibility appeal for the 2011 EHR incentive program reporting period to Jan. 30. Eligible hospitals can request an appeal by contacting the CMS Office of Clinical Standards and Quality Appeals Support Center at OCSQAppeals@provider-resources.com or (855) 796-1515.

CMS has contracted with Provider Resources Inc. to provide customer service support and technical assistance for the program's administrative appeals. In June, the American Hospital Association urged CMS to issue appeals guidance for the program.

MPB's Southern Remedy now taking orders for Healthy Eating Placemats

Southern Remedy, in cooperation with UMMC experts, has developed an easy to use, non-diet, Healthy Living Plan to help Mississippians learn new ways to improve their eating habits and get physically fit to enjoy the rewards of better health.

All of Southern Remedy’s Healthy Living materials will be available for download from their website except the Healthy Eating Placemats. The 11 x 17, full-color placemats are an important tool for the program but need to be printed the right size, on the right stock, and preferably laminated, to be useful and effective. The placemats feature an attractive, easy-to-use adaptation of the new USDA portion plate with food recommendations designed for Mississippi appetites.

Southern Remedy’s Healthy Eating Placemats are available to you at cost. MPB sought bids and the best available price is 85 cents each (includes shipping) + $8 handling per order for the printer to drop ship them directly to each party. This price is based on an order of 5000, so they are putting orders from various groups together to make that possible. Those placing orders of 500 or more can opt to have their logo featured on the placemats for a $35 set-up fee. 

The placemats and other materials of Southern Remedy’s Healthy Living Plan may be used individually or in groups and adapted for use with Biggest Loser's contests, Weigh-Ins, and support groups. 
Email your order or questions to southernremedy@mpbonline.org with the subject line placemats.  

Ordering Info:  Download SR Placemat Info

Placemat example:  Download Placemats

 

HHS delays coverage requirement for certain religious employers

Nonprofit employers who, based on religious beliefs, do not currently provide contraceptive coverage in their insurance plan will have until August 2013 to comply with an interim final rule that requires non-grandfathered health plans to cover women's preventive services recommended by the Health Resources and Services Administration without cost-sharing, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Jan. 20.

“Employers wishing to take advantage of the additional year must certify that they qualify for the delayed implementation,” Sebelius said. “This additional year will allow these organizations more time and flexibility to adapt to this new rule. We intend to require employers that do not offer coverage of contraceptive services to provide notice to employees, which will also state that contraceptive services are available at sites such as community health centers, public clinics and hospitals with income-based support."

HHS issued the interim final rule last August with the departments of the Treasury and Labor, based on HRSA guidelines and recommendations from the Institute of Medicine. Sebelius said the final rule also “will ensure that women with health insurance coverage will have access to the full range of the Institute of Medicine’s recommended preventive services.”

[ via AHA News Now ]

AHA ad: Don't hurt patients, health care jobs

An American Hospital Association ad appearing Jan. 20 in Politico urges Congress to reject cuts that would hurt patient care – and the jobs that hospitals and health care create. The ad, on page 2 of the newspaper’s special State of the Union edition, notes, "According to an independent analysis, 195,000 jobs over the next decade will be lost under sequestration, and another 83,000 from cuts to hospital care under consideration in the House-passed H.R. 3630. Hospitals continue to be a bright spot in the nation’s employment picture, adding 9,800 jobs in December and 89,000 over the past year. Hospitals are the second-largest private-sector employer, employing 5.4 million people nationwide and supporting scores of local businesses in communities everywhere. While it considers ways to reduce the deficit, Congress should reject cuts that would hurt patients' care – and the one sector of the economy actually creating jobs."