MHA News Now

AHE, APIC partner to combat HAIs

The Association for the Healthcare Environment and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology this week announced "Clean Spaces, Healthy Patients," a joint educational campaign to help infection prevention and environmental services professionals combat healthcare-associated infections. In a recent survey, AHE and APIC members expressed support for additional education and resources to facilitate successful prevention of HAIs.

"Strengthening collaboration between infection prevention and environmental services staff will advance this goal and contribute to reducing infections and improving patient outcomes," said Ruth Carrico, associate professor at the University of Louisville (KY) School of Public Health and Information Sciences and clinical advisor to AHE, an American Hospital Association personal membership group.

Supreme Court asked to review ACA

The Department of Justice on Sept. 28 filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to review an 11th Circuit Court of Appeals decision that found the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's individual mandate unconstitutional. "The Department has consistently and successfully defended this law in several court of appeals, and only the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled it unconstitutional," the agency said.

The plaintiffs, 26 states and National Federation of Independent Business, also filed petitions asking the court to review the case. The states' petition asks the court to review: "(1) whether the entire Act must fail because its centerpiece - the mandate that every person purchase insurance - is unconstitutional; (2) whether the federal government can force the states to administer and fund a substantial expansion of Medicaid or risk all of their Medicaid funding; and (3) whether the federal government can require states to give state employees a federally mandated level of health insurance coverage."

In a separate brief responding to a petition seeking review of a 6th Circuit decision that upheld the individual mandate, DOJ asked the Court to hold the petition pending a decision on the government's request for review of the 11th Circuit decision. The American Hospital Association and other hospital groups have filed amicus briefs supporting the constitutionality of the mandate in the five cases that have reached the Courts of Appeals.

Report reviews Joint Commission CAUTI requirement for 2012

The Joint Commission on Sept. 28 issued a report to help hospitals understand its 2012 requirement to use evidence-based practices to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Effective Jan. 1, the National Patient Safety Goal will require accredited hospitals to insert and manage urinary catheters according to established evidence-based guidelines, and measure and monitor CAUTI prevention processes and outcomes in high-volume areas, the commission notes. Catheter-associated urinary tract infections are the leading cause of health care-associated infection in hospitals, the report notes.

[ via AHA News Now ]

HHS extends comment period for ACA exchange rules

The Department of Health and Human Services on Sept. 27 extended to Oct. 31 the comment period for a proposed rule implementing health insurance exchanges under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and for a companion rule on standards to prevent risk selection and insurance market instability. The original comment deadline for both rules was Sept. 28.

For details, see the HHS notice, which will be published in the Sept. 30 Federal Register.

Reminder: Medicare deadlines for 2011 EHR attestation approaching

Sept. 30 is the last day that hospitals may include in their 90-day reporting period for attesting to meaningful use of electronic health records for the Medicare EHR incentive program in fiscal year 2011, while Oct. 3 marks the last day that physicians and other eligible professionals can begin their 90-day reporting period for calendar year 2011. Hospitals and eligible professionals who have already completed their reporting period can use a CMS calculator to determine their meaningful use measures before attesting online.

Hospitals that have met meaningful use in FY 2011 must attest by Nov. 30. The Medicare EHR incentive program operates on a fiscal year for hospitals and a calendar year for physicians and other eligible professionals.

For more on the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs, visit www.aha.org/aha/issues/HIT/mu.

HHS throws its weight behind text-based initiatives

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' new Text4Health Task Force has a library of text messages and other communications hospitals can use to improve their smoking cessation programs. It's part of several new initiatives the task force just announced, cementing the agency's support of, and commitment to, mobile and text-based health systems. 

Read more here.

AHRQ issues guidance to reduce EHR consequences

Hospitals, physicians, regional extension centers and others can avail themselves with a new online resource to help them deal with problems encountered while using electronic health record systems. Developed by the RAND Corporation for HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the resource is a guide unveiled on AHRQ's website this week that helps providers anticipate, avoid and correct various issues. It also pinpoints the causes of unintended consequences, gathers evidence related to problems, determines the cause and effect of errors, and helps to provide remedies.

Learn more here.

CDC proposes new infection prevention guidelines for organ transplants

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is accepting comments through Nov. 21 on proposed guidelines for reducing unexpected transmission of HIV and hepatitis through organ transplants. The recommendations update 1994 guidelines to include screening for HBV and HCV, updated laboratory tests for organs, and a revised set of donor risk factors.

The guidelines are intended for organ procurement organizations, transplant centers, and laboratory personnel who test and store donor and recipient specimens. From 2007 to 2010, CDC participated in more than 200 investigations of suspected unexpected transmission of HIV, HBV and HCV through transplants.

For more information, see the Federal Register notice.

[ via AHA News Now ]

Congratulations to MHA ONE winners

Last week, the Mississippi Organization of Nurse Executives (ONE) held their annual meeting at the MHA Conference Center in Madison. During the meeting, several ONE members were recognized for exceptional work during the year.

The Jackson-Vicksburg Council won the 2011 ONE Council Award. Their winning entry was submitted by Sherry Cook, Council President. This award recognizes and honors the MHA-ONE Council which has made a significant contribution to the Organization of Nurse Executives through the achievement of organization goals and creative programming.

 
From left to right: Bethany Hill and Brenda Castleberry from Baptist Health Sytems and Martha Fulcher, ONE President

Baptist Health Systems won the 2011 ONE Innovation Award for The Development of an Online Basic EKG Competency Curriculum. This award recognizes a member or group for innovation in nursing administration.

 
Mary Mixon, left, with Martha Fulcher, ONE President

Mary Mixon of University Hospitals won the 2011 ONE Recognition Award. This award recognizes and honors a nursing leader in the role of a nursing service administrator or nurse manager in Mississippi who has made a significant contribution to nursing leadership through or in collaboration with the Mississippi Hospital Association Organization of Nurse Executives.

MHA hosting outpatient medical necessity workshop in October

On October 26, the Mississippi Hospital Association, in conjunction with the Healthcare Financial Management Association-Mississippi chapter, will present Outpatient Medical Necessity from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the MHA Conference Center in Madison. The workshop is designed for Utilization Review Staff, Case Managers, RAC/Compliance Staff, Social Services Staff, Outpatient Coders and Denial Staff.

Jean Ann Hartzell Minzey, RHIA, CPC will be the instructor. The workshop is designed to discuss and define an outpatient and medical necessity upon referral. Specifically, we will emphasize the documentation needed to have a proper referral for outpatient services. We will discuss a referral to observation, and the documentation necessary for observation status. With the high level of retrospective denials, learning the key definitions and documentation components will assist the facility in choosing the “right” level of care and the appropriate patient classification.

The cost to attend is $120 for MHA members and $175 for non-members. Register online here. (If you use a credit card, you will receive a 10% discount.) For more information, contact Judith Forshee at (800) 289-8884, (601) 368-3216 or jforshee@mhanet.org.