/ en Sun, 27 Apr 2025 11:59:36 -0500 Thu, 06 Jan 22 15:02:13 -0600 /node/681453 <p>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.</p> Thu, 06 Jan 2022 15:02:13 -0600 Small (under 100 beds) /press-releases/2017-11-13-hospital-groups-file-lawsuit-stop-significant-payment-cuts-340b-hospitals <div class="outlineContent clearfix"><p>Today, the ���������� Association (AHA), the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and America’s Essential Hospitals filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to prevent significant Medicare payment cuts for hospitals that participate in the 340B Drug Pricing Program. The three hospital associations are joined in the suit by hospital plaintiffs: Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, in Brewer, Maine; Henry Ford Health System, in Detroit; and Park Ridge Health, in Hendersonville, North Carolina, part of Adventist Health System.</p><p>For 25 years, the 340B program has enabled hospitals and other organizations that care for many low-income and uninsured patients to purchase certain outpatient drugs from pharmaceutical manufacturers at discounted prices. The program allows participating hospitals to use the savings from the discounts to provide an expanded range of comprehensive health services to their local communities, such as increased access to care, clinical pharmacy services, community outreach programs, free vaccines and transportation to follow-up appointments. The 340B program constitutes less than 2.8 percent of the $457 billion in annual U.S. drug purchases and achieves savings for hospitals at no cost to taxpayers.</p><p>The lawsuit argues that the 340B provisions of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) final rule violate the Social Security Act and, therefore, should be set aside under the Administrative Procedure Act as unlawful and in excess of the HHS Secretary’s statutory authority. The requested injunction would prohibit HHS from implementing these provisions of the OPPS final rule pending resolution of this lawsuit. CMS in the final rule reduces by nearly 30 percent, or $1.6 billion, Medicare payments to certain public and non-profit hospitals for outpatient drugs purchased under the 340B program.</p><p>“From its beginning, the 340B Drug Pricing Program has been critical in helping hospitals stretch scarce federal resources to enhance comprehensive patient services and access to care,” said Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the AHA. “CMS’s decision to cut Medicare payments for so many hospitals for drugs covered under the 340B program will dramatically threaten access to health care for many patients, including uninsured and other vulnerable populations. This lawsuit will prevent these significant cuts from moving forward.”</p><p>“This decision will penalize safety net hospitals that participate in the 340B program, forcing them to curtail critical programs in communities around the country,” said AAMC president and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, MD. “The life-saving services provided to patients as a result of 340B savings have been put in jeopardy by this harmful illegal regulatory change.”</p><p>“This lawsuit underscores the serious threat CMS’ policy poses for millions of Americans who depend on affordable drugs and health care services made possible by 340B savings,” said Bruce Siegel, MD, MPH, president and CEO of America’s Essential Hospitals. “The imminent harm these cuts will cause demands a quick and strong response to protect our patients, hospitals, and communities.”</p><p>For additional information, a copy of the complaint can be found by visiting <a href="https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flink.email.dynect.net%2Flink.php%3FDynEngagement%3Dtrue%26H%3DWAA0HYy4enWklLGLVOCoftvRiKxkwcx7028A%252BNZlWSzSEaUD3cyAX2j5uxHfoP%252B%252Bj6Q7hlbCBQvdtVQGMRRTtktWVsflhSBcwOv16OcwLwbZF4oV5u2eCw%253D%253D%26G%3D0%26R%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.aha.org%252Fcontent%252F17%252F171113-complaint-340b-final-opps-rule.pdf%26I%3D20171113220916.0000003b2638%2540mail6-33-usnbn1%26X%3DMHwxMDQ2NzU4OjVhMGExN2ZmNjExMmQ5ZThhOTI0OTkxMjs%253D%26S%3Dr-jsLFo3Vv_QJGVjYRnKIPgv5SI4ZSoYWkE71ZcitsA&data=02%7C01%7Csdean%40aha.org%7C82c6fb30d475457f2e7608d52ae32ef9%7Cb9119340beb74e5e84b23cc18f7b36a6%7C0%7C1%7C636462077596235576&sdata=lybpIaLCxuSFvOGIrW2W3DLcyFdBml9d4OKs3cXm%2BJE%3D&reserved=0">HERE</a>.</p><p class="text-align-center">###</p><p><strong>Media Contacts:</strong></p><p>Colin Milligan<br>AHA Media Relations Office<br>(202) 638-5491<br><a href="mailto:cmilligan@aha.org">cmilligan@aha.org</a></p><p>Stuart Heiser<br>AAMC<br>(202) 828-0059 <a href="mailto:sheiser@aamc.org">sheiser@aamc.org</a></p><p>Carl Graziano<br>Director of Communications<br>America’s Essential Hospitals<br>(202) 585-0102<br><a href="mailto:cgraziano@essentialhospitals.org">cgraziano@essentialhospitals.org</a></p><h2>About the AHA</h2><p>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>.</p></div> Mon, 13 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0600 Small (under 100 beds) /2016-05-17-presentation-slides-members-only-call Using Patient Navigators and Education to Improve Post-Acute Transitions Tue, 17 May 2016 00:00:00 -0500 Small (under 100 beds) /chairpersons-file/2016-05-16-eliminating-cautis <p>Using HOUDINI to eliminate CAUTI. It's all about decreasing the inappropriate use of indwelling catheters—an important step in eliminating catheter-associated urinary tract infections. <strong>Lovelace Westside Hospital</strong> in Albuquerque, N.M., adopted the HOUDINI protocol to help decrease CAUTIs systemwide. In addition, the 80-bed hospital implemented a nurse-initiated protocol in May 2015 to proactively prevent CAUTIs. This protocol includes reeducating nurses on how to place Foley catheters and provide peri care. Daily audits of Foleys are required, which includes focusing on the proper position of the bag, days in place, peri care and use of the HOUDINI protocol. Surgeons determined they didn't need as many Foleys and discontinued their use immediately after surgery instead of one day after. To make the best use of time involved in training and educating clinical staff, the hospital prioritized the most important initiatives and those that would have early success, putting others on the back burner. Since February 2015, when the new protocols were put in place, the monthly CAUTI rate at Lovelace Westside Hospital has been zero. In addition, use of Foley devices decreased from 15.46% in October 2015 to 8.9% in March 2016.</p> <p>For more information, contact Cheryl Sundheimer, director, quality, risk and infection control, at <a href='mailto:cheryl.sundheimer@lovelace.ocom'>cheryl.sundheimer@lovelace.com</a>. Lovelace Westside Hospital participates in the AHA/HRET Hospital Engagement Network 2.0. The HEN webinar “Eliminating CAUTI: A Focus on Implementation Challenges” is available in both English and Spanish at <a href='http://www.hret-hen.org'>www.hret-hen.org</a>.</p> <p> </p> Mon, 16 May 2016 00:00:00 -0500 Small (under 100 beds) <p>On Feb. 12, as urged by the AHA, CMS released a recertification guidance and checklist to state survey agency directors indicating that states may immediately use alternative ways to document that a critical access hospital is a necessary provider.</p> Tue, 16 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0600 Small (under 100 beds) /press-releases/2016-02-05-mary-ellen-pratt-mha-fache-chair-ahas-section-small-or-rural-governing <div class="outlineContent clearfix"><p><strong>WASHINGTON – </strong>February 5, 2015 – Mary Ellen Pratt, MHA, FACHE, CEO of St. James Parish Hospital in Lutcher, La., will lead the ���������� Association’s (AHA) Section for Small or Rural Hospitals in 2016. The 18-person governing council represents small or rural hospitals in the AHA’s policy process and member services initiatives.</p><p>Pratt has led St. James Parish Hospital, a 25-bed critical access hospital, since 2007. Pratt completed a hospital replacement construction project and successfully relocated the hospital to a new facility. She also planned and designed the medical office building and hospital five-bed expansion. Prior to this role, she served as administrator for University Hospital and Clinics-Holmes County and interim director of business development for the University of Mississippi Medical Center.</p><p>Pratt is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and of the National Rural Health Association, a member of the National Advisory Team for the Office of Rural Health, a board member for Sharecor, LLC of the Louisiana Hospital Association, a member of the Louisiana Health IT Advisory Council and past president of the Louisiana Rural Health Association. Pratt also is active in her community—serving as board member for Louisiana chapter of National Alliance on Mental Illness, advisory board member for Next 25, active volunteer for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for St. James Parish, and as past board member for the Bayou Region Children’s Museum. She received both her bachelor’s degree and her master’s in health administration from Tulane University in New Orleans.</p><p>Rachelle Schultz, president and CEO of Winona Health in Winona, Minn., will serve as chair-elect and will assume the role of chair in 2017. Joann Anderson, president and CEO of Southeastern Regional Medical Center, Lumberton, N.C., is immediate past chair. Larry W. Veitz, chief executive officer, Spearfish Regional Hospital, Spearfish, S.D., is the liaison to the governing council from the AHA Board of Trustees.</p><p>The small or rural governing council advises the AHA on federal policy issues. Newly elected members serving three-year terms beginning Jan 1, 2016 include:<strong> Kevin Donovan</strong>, president and CEO, Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center, Windsor, Vt.; <strong>Mary Beth Barr</strong>, CEO, Grant Memorial Hospital, Petersburg, W.Va.; <strong>Thomas Nordwick</strong>, CEO, Uvalde County Hospital Authority, Uvalde, Texas; <strong>Mary Anne Shannon</strong>, Board Member, Marquette General Health System, Marquette, Mich.; and <strong>Eric Bour</strong>, M.D., president, Hillcrest Memorial Hospital, Simpsonville. S.C.</p><p>The new governing council members join the following current members: Warren West, CEO, Littleton Regional Hospital, Littleton, N.H.; Jason F. Hawkins, president and CEO, Fulton County Medical Center, McConnellsburg, Pa.; Mark Webster, CEO, Cortland Regional Medical Center, Cortland, N.Y.; Jason Merkley, CEO, Brookings Health System, Brookings, S.D.; Jason Spring, CEO, North Valley Hospital, Whitefish, Mont.; John G. Williams, CEO, Barton Memorial Hospital, South Lake Tahoe, Calif.; Dave Schreiner, president and CEO, Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital, Dixon, Ill.; Jay Kreuzer, CEO, Kona Community Hospital, Kealakekua, Hawaii; Feliciano Jiron, CEO, Los Alamos Medical Center, Los Alamos, N.M.; Joan Coffman, president and CEO, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Chippewa Falls, Wis.; and Elmore Patterson, CEO, Greene County Hospital, Eutaw, Ala.</p><h2>About the AHA’s Section for Small or Rural Hospitals</h2><p>The AHA's Section for Small or Rural Hospitals provides representation; advocacy and educational opportunities to help the nation's small or rural hospitals better serve the health needs of patients and communities. The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations that are committed to health improvement in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include almost 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks and other providers of care. Founded in 1898, AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends.</p><h2>About the AHA</h2><p>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>.</p></div> Fri, 05 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0600 Small (under 100 beds) /chairpersons-file/2016-01-25-community-partnerships-improving-behavioral-health <p><a href='https://intermountainhealthcare.org/locations/sanpete-valley-hospital/' target='_blank'><strong>Sanpete Valley Hospital</strong></a>, a critical access hospital in Mount Pleasant, Utah, is leading behavioral health outreach efforts in rural Sanpete County. In 2014, the 18-bed hospital helped launch the Sanpete Behavioral Community Health Network. About 15 different organizations are involved with the network, which includes church groups, school districts, the Central Utah Counseling Center, behavioral therapists, community leaders, and hospital staff. Sanpete Valley Hospital and the health network offer multiple behavioral health services, including grief support, resource groups for parents, mental health First Aid classes, and periodic screenings, and many services are offered at low or no cost to patients who qualify. Intermountain Healthcare provides a grant to the community that the hospital uses to provide free or discounted medications for patients. Sanpete Valley Hospital also helped start a subgroup of the health network to focus on adolescents. The Sanpete Behavioral Community Health Network served more than 130 patients in 2014 and more than 300 patients in 2015. The network's efforts have helped reduce stigma about mental health issues and led to open discussions throughout the community.</p> <p>For more information, contact Brooke Heath, communications specialist, at <a href='mailto:brooke.heath@imail.org'>brooke.heath@imail.org</a>.</p> Mon, 25 Jan 2016 00:00:00 -0600 Small (under 100 beds) /press-releases/2015-12-02-vince-oliver-receives-ahas-shirley-ann-munroe-leadership-award <div class="outlineContent clearfix"><p>WASHINGTON (December 2, 2015) – Vince Oliver, CEO and superintendent of Island Hospital in Anacortes, Wash. is the 2015 winner of the ���������� Association’s (AHA) Shirley Ann Munroe Leadership Award. The award recognizes the accomplishments of small or rural hospital leaders who have improved health care delivery in their communities through innovative and progressive efforts.</p><p>Oliver is a collaborative leader. By teaming up with physicians, staff members and the community, he has brought innovative programs to Island Hospital that enhance patient experiences and outcomes. Some of these new initiatives were a Sleep-Wellness Center, a Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center, and the Merle Cancer Care Center, all of which were developed to keep health care local. A new mental health program was initiated with the Anacortes school district embedding mental health counselors in the schools.</p><p>Oliver spearheaded the design, development, financing and construction of two major facilities. The hospital’s 1962 facility needed expansion and modernization, part of which was financed through a levy that passed the community by 79%. Oliver’s ties to the community are strong in other ways, he recruited medical staff to reflect the diversity of the community.</p><p>Under his leadership, Island Hospital continuously receives excellent patient satisfaction marks, as demonstrated by a Seattle Post Intelligencer ranking of<sup> </sup>third out of 49 hospitals in Washington State for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services patient satisfaction scores and perception of quality. Additionally, Island Hospital was ranked in in the top 10 Washington hospitals for surgery by Consumer Reports and received the following awards: Best Performance for Sustained Excellent from the Collaborative Alliance for Nursing Outcomes, the Washington State Hospital Association’s Community Health Leadership Award, the Healthstrong Top Performing Hospital Award, the NerdWallet Best Washington Hospitals Award and the HomeCare Elite award.</p><p>This year, the Shirley Ann Munroe Leadership Award also recognized finalist Richard E. Nordahl, CEO of Sanford Sheldon Medical Center in Sheldon, Iowa, for his significant achievement in service to his community. Nordahl took the reins during a turbulent period of change for the hospital and community. He brought the hospital in compliance with federal regulations and boosted the financial health of the organization. Nordahl implemented a discharge planning process that has reduced readmissions. Additionally, he started a Patient Advisory Committee. Employee engagement is strong under Nordahl’s leadership, and he focuses intensely on the good health and well-being of staff members.</p><h2>Shirley Ann Munroe Award</h2><p>Shirley Ann Munroe was an advocate for small and rural hospitals and was instrumental in the creation of the AHA’s Section for Small or Rural Hospitals, a forum working to support small and rural hospitals as they improve their community’s health.</p><p>The award is sponsored by the AHA’s Section for Small or Rural Hospitals. It is presented annually to a hospital administrator or chief executive officer who has displayed outstanding leadership in meeting the ongoing challenge of small or rural hospital management. Last year’s award recipient was Harold L. Krueger, Jr., CEO of Chadron Community Hospital & Health Services (CCH&HS) in Chadron, Neb.</p><h2>About the AHA</h2><p>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>.</p></div> Wed, 02 Dec 2015 00:00:00 -0600 Small (under 100 beds) /case-studies/2015-10-06-iha-2015-quality-awards <p><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.</p> <p><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.</p> <p><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.</p> <p><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.</p> <p><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.</p> Tue, 06 Oct 2015 00:00:00 -0500 Small (under 100 beds) /chairpersons-file/2015-09-28-plain-language-improves-quality-care <p>Nine in 10 adults in the community lacked the literacy skills to manage their health and prevent disease. That was the conclusion of staff members from <strong>Providence Medical Center</strong> in Wayne, Neb, after attending a health literacy summit in 2008. The 25-bed critical access hospital responded by creating a multidisciplinary, health literacy team with these goals: improve communication between staff and patients; revise patient forms, educational materials and surveys to an eighth-grade reading level; and ensure a live interpreter is available to Spanish-speaking patients. The team worked to get buy-in from staff and involve patients, families and the community. Small tests of change were completed to see what worked best. Documents formatted in 12-point font size—with plenty of bullet points and white space—and focused on three main points are readable for most patients. PMC staff also use the teach-back and SBAR techniques to communicate effectively. These changes have increased patient satisfaction scores and the number of hours interpreters are used. The hospital has partnered with the Northeast Nebraska Public Health Department on this initiative.</p> <p>For more information, contact Leslie Schulz, director for social services, at <a href='mailto:lschulz@providencemedical.com'>lschulz@providencemedical.com</a>. Visit the <a href='http://www.aha-slhq.org'>Symposium for Leaders in Healthcare Quality </a>website for the project storyboard from the 2015 Quality and Equity Roadmap. For more case examples and resources, check this website and visit the <a href='http://www.equityofcare.org'>Equity of Care </a>website. </p> Mon, 28 Sep 2015 00:00:00 -0500 Small (under 100 beds)