Federal Government

Federal Government / en Sun, 27 Apr 2025 12:06:42 -0500 Thu, 06 Jan 22 15:02:13 -0600 Crouse Health’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) /node/681453 This pamphlet is an example of an active DEI initiative at a health organization. They clearly define diversity and inclusion, why it's important, outlining their mission and explaining what they do, and identifying their leaders and members. Most importantly, they indicate how they should be percieved in the community and in the hospital so they may be held accountable. Thu, 06 Jan 2022 15:02:13 -0600 Federal Government Financing Community Health: Unlocking Investments to Address SDOH /financing-community-health-unlocking-investments-address-sdoh In this webinar, the Center for Community Investment will share the basics about capital investment and how hospitals and health systems can leverage their existing resources for greater impact on health in their communities. It highlights CCI’s current initiative—Accelerating Investments for Healthy Communities—that is designed to help participating hospitals and health systems deepen their community investment strategy through affordable housing, and advance policies and practices that foster equitable housing solutions. Presenters: <ul> <li>Robin Hacke, Executive Director, Center for Community Investment</li> <li>John Vu, Vice President, Strategy, Community Benefit, Research and Health Policy – Kaiser Permanente</li> </ul> Your browser does not support the video tag. Tue, 15 Oct 2019 10:17:45 -0500 Federal Government President to Nominate Wilkie as VA Secretary /news/headline/2018-05-18-president-nominate-wilkie-va-secretary President Trump today announced that he will nominate Acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie to lead the department permanently. Wilkie has served as acting VA secretary since March 28. Wilkie is the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. He is the principal advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense for Total Force Management as it relates to readiness; National Guard and Reserve component affairs; health affairs; training; and personnel requirements and management. He has more than 20 years of experience at the national and international level. Wilkie served both Robert Gates and Donald Rumsfeld as Assistant Secretary of Defense from 2005-2009, and was the youngest senior leader in the department. Fri, 18 May 2018 14:14:47 -0500 Federal Government Statement on the Nomination of Alex Azar as HHS Secretary /press-releases/2017-11-13-statement-nomination-alex-azar-hhs-secretary <div class="outlineContent clearfix">Contact: Marie Johnson, (202) 626-2351 <a href="mailto:mjohnson@aha.org">mjohnson@aha.org</a>Colin Milligan, (202) 638-5491 <a href="mailto:cmilligan@aha.org">cmilligan@aha.org</a># # #Rick Pollack President and CEO �� Association &nbsp;November 13, 2017We welcome the nomination of Alex Azar to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). We are confident that his extensive background in business, health care and medicine distinguishes him as a uniquely qualified candidate for the vacancy. The expertise garnered from his career in the private sector and prior public service at HHS as Deputy Secretary will prove to be particularly valuable in addressing the serious challenges facing our nation's health care system today.We look forward to working side-by-side with him to achieve our mission of advancing the health of the patients and communities we are privileged to serve.<h2>About the AHA</h2>The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at <a href="/">www.aha.org</a>.</div> Mon, 13 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0600 Federal Government �� Association honors two federal health care leaders /press-releases/2016-07-27-american-hospital-association-honors-two-federal-health-care-leaders-2015 <div class="outlineContent clearfix">The �� Association (AHA) presented two federal hospital leaders with awards recognizing their outstanding service to the health care field. These awards recognize uniformed and non-uniformed federal health care leaders who have distinguished themselves through singularly significant or innovative achievements and leadership that have contributed substantially to the mission of the federal health system. The presentation took place at the recent AHA/Health Forum Leadership Summit in San Diego.“We are pleased to honor Rear Admiral Terry J. Moulton and Major Rett J. Reber. They both serve as great teachers, leading by example and sharing what they’ve learned to help improve patient care wherever it is delivered,” said Rick Pollack, AHA president and CEO. “Our federal hospitals are an amazing national resource, as are the people they care for. The exceptional women and men staffing these facilities exemplify dedication to patient care and service to our country.”2015 Award for Excellence – Rear Admiral (RADM) Terry J. Moulton, Deputy Surgeon General, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Falls Church, Va.RADM Moulton developed a Regional Key Performance Metrics Dashboard that identified facilities for priority performance measures facilitating the sharing of best practices to drive improvements across Navy Medicine East. He also led the Military Health System by fielding mobile applications that significantly improved the patient experience at 17 military treatment facilities more than two years ahead of the Defense Health Agency's timeline, resulting in a 44 percent increase in utilization of secure messaging and reducing private sector emergency department visits by 66 percent. These efforts saved taxpayers more than $15.8 million while enhancing patient satisfaction.2015 Special Achievement Award – Major Rett J. Reber, United States Air Force 15 Medical Group, Physical Therapy (PT) Element Chief, Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, HawaiiSince arriving in Oahu in July 2014, Maj. Reber has transformed the Hickam PT clinics and contributed to military PT services island-wide. He led a facility remodel with a patient safety focus that contributed to the clinic winning the 2014 Best Clinic Patient Safety Program award. In addition, he increased productivity 84 percent in FY 2015 resulting in a No. 1 rating of 66 Air Force PT Clinics; collaborated on central PT referral process improvements to streamline referrals from 5 clinics; and improved access to care by instituting innovative algorithms for patients with acute low back pain to be seen expediently. These efforts resulted in exceeding the 90th percentile in Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) scores. HEDIS is a tool used by health plans to measure performance on important dimensions of care and service.<h2>About the AHA</h2>The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at <a href="/">www.aha.org</a>.</div> Wed, 27 Jul 2016 00:00:00 -0500 Federal Government IHA 2015 Quality Awards /case-studies/2015-10-06-iha-2015-quality-awards <a href="http:/www.ihatoday.org/IHA-Institute/Awards.aspx" target="_blank">Sinai Health System, Chicago</a>, “Helping Adults Breathe and Thrive: A Healthy Homes Approach to Improving Respiratory Health of Adults with Asthma.” In one year, the program reduced asthma-related emergency department visits by 66 PERCENT, hospitalizations by 57 percent and participants' daytime asthma symptoms by 67 percent. <a href="http://www.ihatoday.org/IHA-Institute/Awards.aspx" target="_blank">HSHS St. Joseph's Hospital, Highland</a>, “Patient-Centered Approach to Reducing Readmissions.” By improving their care coordination and expanding their multidisciplinary team approach to discharge planning, the hospital successfully reduced their readmission rates by 20 percent in the past two years. <a href="http://www.ihatoday.org/IHA-Institute/Awards.aspx" target="_blank">Presence Saint Joseph Hospital, Elgin</a>, for “Decreasing Venous ThromboembolismRate and Length of Stay for Total Joint Patients through an Interdisciplinary Orthopedic Co-management Collaborative.” New care guidelines and an early mobility program reduced acquired VTE rates by 87 percent. Efforts decreased hospital LOS by 65 percent for total joint patients and 46 percent for total knees. <a href="http://www.ihatoday.org/IHA-Institute/Awards.aspx" target="_blank">HSHS St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Belleville</a>, “Eliminating Medically Unnecessary Blood Transfusions at a Community Teaching Hospital.” By building new guidelines into the hospital's electronic health record, blood usage decreased by 30 percent. This new process is being implemented across the 13-hospital system. <a href="http://www.ihatoday.org/IHA-Institute/Awards.aspx" target="_blank">AMITA Health, Arlington Heights</a>, received the Tim Philipp Award for Excellence in Palliative Care for its efforts to “Increase Penetration of Appropriate Palliative Care Consultation in a Health System.” In a year's time, consultations increased more than 20 percent. Tue, 06 Oct 2015 00:00:00 -0500 Federal Government Change the Culture; Increase Wellness /case-studies/2015-09-01-change-culture-increase-wellness In order to develop a durable systemic change, one Keene, N.H., program is making the healthy choice the easy choice.&nbsp;<a href="http://tanlhealthyeatingprogram.weebly.com" target="_blank">Turn a New Leaf</a>, part of <a href="http://www.healthymonadnock.org" target="_blank">Healthy Monadnock 2020</a> and in cooperation with Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth Hitchcock-Keene, provides organizations with the tools, technical assistance and resources to support healthy choices.The program partners with restaurants and food venues to make it easier to identify the healthy choice when dining out. Menu items are evaluated by six criteria, such as saturated fat levels and calories, and then branded with a logo. <a href="http://tanlhealthyeatingprogram.weebly.com" target="_blank">The initiative guides</a> restaurant patrons to healthier menu options with a simple, colorful logo of a red heart and green elm leaf. Using nutritional criteria, developed by graduate students of Keene State College's Dietetic Internship with the U.S. Department of Agriculture dietary guidelines, the logo identifies the meals that are healthy, healthier and healthiest on a restaurant's menu.Further, its community worksite wellness program uses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Worksite Health ScoreCard as a way to bring education and awareness to employers regarding employee health. Technical assistance and resources are available for policy development, implementation strategies and evaluation. The program goals are: <ul> <li>Create healthy eating environments within the Monadnock region by assisting local partners who highlight, identify and promote healthier menu items.</li> <li>Create consistent, credible and easily recognized nutritional guidance for consumers.</li> <li>Increase consumer demand for healthy items prepared or eaten away from home with marketing tools and local promotions.</li> </ul> Monadnock HEAL Coordinator, Maryanne Keating offer advice to others considering such a program. She says: <ul> <li>Changing the culture takes time. By providing organizations with the tools, technical assistance and resources to support the interventions, we can create positive changes that support the health and well-being of our community.</li> <li>Engage worksites and food venues to adopt, implement and promote policies, systems and environmental changes that enhance known health outcomes.</li> </ul> For further information, contact: Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth Hitchcock-Keene Keene, N.H., Maryanne Keating, Monadnock HEAL Coordinator, (603) 354-5454, extension 2369 Healthy Mondadnock was also featured in the Robert Wood Johnson-supported white paper, “Hospital-based Strategies for Creating a Culture of Health.” <a href="http://www.healthymonadnock.org" target="_blank">About Healthy Monadnock</a> Healthy Monadnock 2020 is a community engagement initiative designed to foster and sustain a positive culture of health throughout Cheshire County and the Monadnock region. Founded and developed by the <a href="http://http/www.cheshire-med.com/index.html">Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene</a> in 2007, Healthy Monadnock 2020's action plans are being guided in the community by the Healthiest Community Advisory Board, a group of 30 individuals representing schools, organizations, coalitions and businesses. Currently our partners are implementing action strategies designed to improve quality of life and prevent the leading causes of death for everyone. About the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/pubs/worksite_scorecard.htm" target="_blank">CDC Worksite Health ScoreCard</a> The CDC Worksite Health ScoreCard is a tool designed to help employers assess the extent they have implemented evidence-based health promotion interventions in their worksites. It identifies gaps in health promotion programs and helps them to prioritize high-impact strategies including: organizational supports, tobacco control, nutrition, physical activity, weight management, stress management, depression, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke and emergency response to heart attack and stroke. Tue, 01 Sep 2015 00:00:00 -0500 Federal Government 2015 Most Wired /magazinenewspaper/2015-08-10-2015-most-wired This year&apos;s winners of Health Care&apos;s Most Wired Survey are employing information technology to help they achieve the Triple Aim of health care. These hosptials ensure their application of HIT is driving value, connecting patients and physicians and even moving outside of the hospital&apos;s four walls. More than 2,213 hospitals (39 percent of all U.S. hospitals) participated in the benchmarking survey, which is now in its 17th year. Based on the criteria, 338 organziations achieved the Most Wired designation, a 10 percent decrease from 2014 due to additional requirements. According to the article, one stand out is in patient engagement, which can partially be attributed to Stage 2 requirements of meaningful use regulations, but something more. The survey shows that more than two-thirds of Most Wired hospitals are providing and enagaging patients and families via the Internet to learn more about their conditions. The more sophisticated are even providng e-visits with care teams. Read the entire article by clicking 'view item' below. Mon, 10 Aug 2015 00:00:00 -0500 Federal Government �� Association Honors Two Federal Health Care Leaders with 2014 Awards /press-releases/2015-07-24-american-hospital-association-honors-two-federal-health-care-leaders-2014 WASHINGTON (July 24, 2015) – The �� Association (AHA) presented two federal hospital leaders with awards recognizing their outstanding service to the health care field. These awards recognize uniformed and non-uniformed federal health care leaders who have distinguished themselves through singularly significant or innovative achievements and leadership that have contributed substantially to the mission of the federal health system.“The honorees exemplify dedication to excellence and service to their country and, on behalf of the �� Association, I thank them for the work they do each day,” said Rich Umbdenstock, AHA president and CEO. “Our federal hospitals are priceless resources to our nation. The care provided is critical and the knowledge shared with other hospitals has added immeasurably to our capacity to treat complex conditions.”The recipient of the 2014 Federal Health Care Executive Award for Excellence is retired Brig. Gen. Charles E. Potter, United States Air Force.As director of Manpower, Personnel and Resources and chief of the Medical Service Corps in the Office of the Surgeon General in Falls Church, Va., retired Brig. Gen. Charles E. Potter advised the Air Force Surgeon General on all aspects of planning, programming, budgeting and execution for a Defense Health Program manpower portfolio that supported 2.6 million beneficiaries and 75 military treatment facilities worldwide. He also was responsible for personnel policy, force development and staffing requirements for 43,000 active-duty officer, enlisted and civilian personnel and was responsible for all Air Force medical education and training worldwide. As the Corps Chief, Medical Service Corps, Potter was the senior health care administrator in the Air Force and responsible for accessions, development and management of 960 health care administrative professionals in the corps.Potter has been a major contributor to the Military Health System Governance structure. As the first-ever chairman of the Defense Health Agency’s Medical Operation group, he supported centralized, coordinated policy executive and guidance for delivering health services to all who rely on the military health system. He recently retired after 35 years of military service.The recipient of the 2014 Federal Health Care Executive Special Achievement Award is Col. James D. Carrell, United States Army.Col. James D. Carrell was a lieutenant colonel and chief of the Reception Medical Clinic at Fort Jackson, S.C., when he identified a significant problem: In 2013, only 1 percent of soldiers who received their basic training at Fort Jackson were arriving at their first duty station with their vision readiness, immunizations, Medical Warning Tags and lab results documented in MEDPROS, the Army’s medical record system.Carrell led his clinic staff of 55 civilians in improving medical readiness by developing innovative processes, reengineering jobs, implementing new technologies, designing software programs, improving teamwork, changing work flow and distributing the work load. Carrell earned the support of his staff and union without requiring additional personnel resources or financial assets. When he was finished, 99 percent of soldiers from Fort Jackson arrived at their duty station with complete records.<h2>About the AHA</h2>The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks and other providers of care. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information visit the website at www.aha.org.### Fri, 24 Jul 2015 13:24:56 -0500 Federal Government Health IT Enabled Quality Improvement /guidesreports/2015-07-06-health-it-enabled-quality-improvement The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology coordinates nationwide efforts that support the use of certified health IT and promote the adoption of national standards and the interoperable exchange of health information. Through the recent efforts of federal programs that spur health IT adoption such as the regional extension Center, Beacon Communities, state health information exchange and the electronic health record incentive programs, the nation has reached the “tipping point” for health IT adoption in the provider and hospital environments. As we move forward, leveraging health IT adoption and improving the exchange of health information through the use of health IT will be integral to supporting the essential building blocks of a quality improvement ecosystem. The main goals of health IT adoption are to achieve improved health and health care quality, safety, and communication among all members of the care team while decreasing costs and increasing value. These goals reflect the U.S Department of Health and Human Services' national quality strategy, which describes implementation plans to achieve better care, healthy communities and affordable care. Mon, 06 Jul 2015 00:00:00 -0500 Federal Government