MHA News Now

FDA: Consumer crib rule does not pertain to hospital cribs

Changes to consumer crib standards that prohibit drop-side rail designs do not affect pediatric cribs used in hospitals for patient care, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA is clarifying the issue after receiving inquiries from hospitals on how the new consumer crib standards, announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission last December, affect hospital cribs.

The FDA, which regulates hospital cribs, has determined that cribs with movable and latchable side and end rails are necessary for patient care in hospital settings. In addition, the FDA review found that hospital cribs are made of more durable materials than consumer cribs and are used, maintained and monitored by professional staff who can address potential hazards before they cause harm.

Hospitals with questions about pediatric cribs should contact FDA's Division of Small Manufacturers, International and Consumer Assistance at DSMICA@FDA.HHS.GOV or (800) 638-2041.

[ via AHA News Now ]

Ads urge Congress to protect hospital care for patients

As Congress considers ways to cut federal spending, the Coalition to Protect America's Health Care today launched a national advertising campaign urging lawmakers: "Don't hurt the ones you love." Any further cuts to Medicare and Medicaid payments for hospital care will hurt children, seniors, the poor and disabled, the television, online and print ads warn.

The multi-week campaign includes national cable, key broadcast markets and newspapers that circulate widely on Capitol Hill. Coalition Chair Thomas F. Zenty III, CEO of University Hospitals of Cleveland, said the campaign "will remind lawmakers that hospitals need adequate resources in order to provide superior care to everyone who relies on us for care." The American Hospital Association is a founding member of the Coalition, an organization of hospitals, national, state, regional and metropolitan associations united with the business community to create advertising that seeks to protect and preserve the financial viability of America's hospitals.

 

For more information or to view the ads, visit www.protecthealthcare.org. 

Poll: 9 in 10 informed consumers would consider using palliative care

Once informed about palliative care, 92% of U.S. adults would likely consider using the care for a loved one if they had a serious illness, according to a survey released today by the Center to Advance Palliative Care and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. The same proportion of Americans viewed hospital palliative care as an important service.

The organizations plan to better educate the public and lawmakers about palliative care, as the survey found nearly 7 in 10 adults are not knowledgeable about it. According to the Center, the number of hospital palliative care programs has more than doubled since 2000 to more than 1,500.

Swing Bed Management for Acute Care Hospitals Workshop

On Aug. 16 & 17, the Mississippi Hospital Association will host Swingbed Management for Acute Care (PPS) Hospitals MDS 3.0: Beginning with the END in Mind at the MHA Conference Center in Madison. The cost is $100 for members and $150 for non-members. For more information, contact Judith Forshee at (800) 289-8884, (601) 368-3216 or jforshee@mhanet.org.

You may register online here. (Log in to see registration options. If you need your username and password, email Diane Clift at (800) 289-8884, (601) 368-3217 or dclift@mhanet.org.)

HPOE guide explores cultural competency as essential to reducing disparities

The latest guide from the American Hospital Association’s Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence initiative explores how hospitals and health systems can increase their cultural competency to provide care that is respectful of patients’ diverse values, beliefs and behaviors. Building a Culturally Competent Organization: The Quest for Equity in Health Care was produced by the Health Research and Educational Trust in conjunction with the AHA’s Institute for Diversity in Health Management.

Advancing an organization’s cultural competency has been shown to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in care delivery. The guide, which can be downloaded at www.hret.org/cultural-competency, includes case studies and self-assessment checklists as well as a list of additional resources.

Call for Submission of Honorees: 2011 Volunteer of the Year Award

The Mississippi Hospital Association's Volunteer of the Year Program gives each member hospital auxiliary/volunteer program an opportunity to submit one outstanding volunteer to be honored at the state level. This individual will be recognized at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the MHA Society for Hospital Auxiliaries/Volunteer Services, featured in a  special presentation, and included in a booklet of the honored volunteers with a picture and brief description of his/her contributions. Last year, 169 Auxilians met at the Jackson Hilton to honor 25 outstanding Auxilians and Volunteers.

The 2011 Annual Meeting of the MHA Society for Hospital Auxiliaries and Volunteer Services will be held December 1, 2011, at the Hilton, Jackson, Mississippi. The honoree must be affiliated with a MHA member hospital. (One honoree per hospital please.) To nominate a volunteer, write a one paragraph description of the Honoree’s contributions, identify a person within your group to serve as your honoree’s escort, take a digital picture of the honoree (in jpeg file format), and email the paragraph and picture to Robin Powell at rpowell@mhanet.org.

For more information, contact Judith Forshee at (800) 289-8884, (601) 368-3216 or jforshee@mhanet.org. The deadline for submission of honorees is August 31, 2011.

FDA changes dosing guidelines for kidney disease treatment

The Food and Drug Administration on June 24 issued revised dosing recommendations for Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents for patients with chronic kidney disease, citing increased risk of heart problems when used to treat anemia in such patients. Clinical trials found an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and other heart problems when ESAs are dosed to achieve a normal or nearly normal blood hemoglobin level.

The FDA will add the new dosage guidelines to the package insert for the product, whose brand names include Aranesp, Epogen and Procrit.

[ via AHA News Now ]

AHA launches health IT survey

The American Hospital Association encourages all hospitals to complete the fourth annual Information Technology Supplement to the AHA Annual Survey, which is being mailed to CEOs. Recipients should forward the survey to their chief information officer to complete on paper or online by July 22.

"Even if your hospital has not adopted any or all of the specific technologies in the survey, your answers are extremely important," AHA President and CEO Rich Umbdenstock said in the survey cover letter. "This is particularly true at a time when we are urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to revise its problematic rule defining meaningful use for electronic medical records."

For more information, contact AHA survey support at (800) 530-9092 or surveysupport@healthforum.com.

Obama Administration Releases National Prevention Strategy

 

The National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council released the National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy this week. Members of the Council include Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, as well as Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Domestic Policy Council (DPC) Director Melody Barnes.

“This National Prevention Strategy, called for under the Affordable Care Act, will help us transform our health care system away from a focus on sickness and disease to a focus on prevention and wellness,” said Secretary Sebelius. “We know that prevention helps people live long and productive lives and can help combat rising healthcare costs.”

Provider-friendly change to tracking observation hours

n the July OPPS update, CMS made a very provider-friendly manual change to the section on counting observation hours. CMS amended Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 4 – Part B Hospital (Including Inpatient Hospital Part B and OPPS), §290.2.2 Reporting Hours of Observation, to allow providers to use average times when determining the amount of time to subtract from observation time for other procedures.

Learn more here.