Vol. 35, No. 25: July 16, 2010
- Governor Holds Public Hearings on the State Budget
- Supreme Court Invalidates Liability Reform Measure
- Free Summer Meals for Kids
- Public Reporting of Surgical Site Infection: Implementing the Medical Evidence
- Spotlight on Health Care Reform
- State Launches Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan
- Meaningful Use Rule Includes Critical Access Hospitals and Some Flexibility
- Grant Opportunities in Federal Health Care Reform Law
Governor Holds Public Hearings on the State Budget
Even as the economy shows signs of improvement, Washington State continues to face significant budget shortfalls. Governor Gregoire will hold a series of public hearings on the 2011-2013 state budget as part of her effort to reform the way the state builds its budget and to help determine which programs will be funded with shrinking revenues. Ensuring adequate funding for hospitals and health care is critical as the state shapes its budget. The total elimination of Basic Health, significant benefit reductions in Medicaid, and eligibility cutbacks for Apple Health are all on the table. Please attend a hearing and speak up about the importance of funding health programs and hospital services.
The hearing schedule is as follows:
- Tacoma: July 19, 7-9 PM (UWT-William W. Phillip Hall, Milgard Assembly Room, 1900 Commerce Street)
- Everett: July 21, 7-9 PM (Everett Community College, Parks Building, Multi Purpose Room, 2000 Tower Street)
- Vancouver: July 27, 7-9 PM, (WSU-Vancouver, Administration Building Room 110, 14204 NE Salmon Creek Avenue, Vancouver)
- Spokane: July 29, Time TBA, (Spokane City Hall, City Council Chambers, 808 W. Spokane Falls Boulevard)
More information is available online. (Cassie Sauer, cassies@wsha.org)
Supreme Court Invalidates Liability Reform Measure
On July 1, the Washington State Supreme Court invalidated the legal requirement for plaintiffs to give 90-days notice before suing health care providers for malpractice. The case is the second blow in the past year to the 2006 medical liability reform legislation supported by Governor Gregoire and agreed to by trial lawyers, physicians, WSHA, and other health care providers.
In Waples v. Yi, the court determined the measure was unconstitutional because it violated the separation of powers doctrine. According to the opinion, procedural rules regarding intent to file a law suit are to be determined by the courts, not the legislature. In Putnam v. Wenatchee Valley Medical Center, a case decided in September 2009, the Court invalidated a medical liability reform requirement that plaintiffs provide a qualified expert at the time of filing a lawsuit. The expert was required to state there is a reasonable probability the defendant’s conduct did not meet the required standard of care. (Taya Briley, tayab@wsha.org)
Free Summer Meals for Kids
The summer meals program ensures children have access to nutritious meals through the summer months. WithinReach lists program locations across Washington. (Cassie Sauer, cassies@wsha.org)
Public Reporting of Surgical Site Infection: Implementing the Medical Evidence
The July 21 Safe Table on Eliminating Hospital Acquired Infections will focus on reducing surgical site infections. Rates for these infections will be publicly reported this fall. National experts Dr. Timothy Dellit of Harborview Medical Center and Dr. E. Patchen Dellinger of University of Washington Medical Center will share the latest research and strategies to help hospitals reduce infections. Safe Tables are open only to WSHA member medical centers and physician staff. For registration information, contact Cat Ernevad at cate@wsha.org or (206) 577-1820. (Carol Wagner, carolw@wsha.org)
Spotlight on Health Care Reform
State Launches Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan
Washington State is using federal health care reform funding to create a new high risk pool to provide coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions. The plan will operate from September 2010 through 2013. The new Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) will be run by the Washington State Health Insurance Pool (WSHIP), the state's existing high-risk pool. The pool will accept applications in August and requires that people be uninsured for six months and provide written documentation of a pre-existing condition or coverage denial. The new pool has richer benefits than the existing state plan, with no pre-existing condition waiting period and better pharmaceutical benefits. The monthly premium for a non-smoking 50 year old with a $2,500 deductible is $475. More information on the plan is available at the Office of the Insurance Commissioner's website. The state has also created a comparison of the two high risk-pools. (Cassie Sauer, cassies@wsha.org)
Meaningful Use Rule Includes Critical Access Hospitals and Some Flexibility
Final regulations defining meaningful use and certification requirements are out from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Hospitals and physicians must meet these thresholds to receive electronic health record incentive payments and avoid payment penalties in 2015.
The two big pieces of good news for hospitals in Washington State: critical access hospitals are eligible for Medicaid incentives and physician eligibility is expanded. WSHA was among the organizations that advocated for these changes.
Even adjustments to the definition of meaningful use, the bar remains high and many hospitals may have difficulty qualifying in the initial years. CMS also failed to change their proposal that multi-campus hospitals with a shared Medicare provider number be handled as single entities and disadvantaged financially.
The final rule decreased the total number of "functionality requirements" for hospitals from 23 to 19 and allowed some flexibility in choosing five of the requirements. The rule reduces the quality reporting measurement requirements to 15 emergency department, stroke, and clinical quality measures.
The Health Information Program will soon provide members with a comprehensive summary of the final rule and other tools. For additional questions, please contact Jim Cannon at jimc@wsha.org or (206) 216-2551. (Jim Cannon, jimc@wsha.org)
Grant Opportunities in Federal Health Care Reform Law
The American Hospital Association has released a summary of grant opportunities available to hospitals through the federal health care reform law. Grants available specifically for hospitals include funding to:
- Provide services to individuals and families dealing with postpartum conditions;
- Support community-based collaborative care networks providing integrated health care services for low income populations;
- Establish hospital-sponsored school-based health centers
WSHA is working to ensure state-level officials are also aware of these opportunities. (Chelene Whiteaker, chelenew@wsha.org)
Awards and Recognition
HIMSS Recognizes Othello Community Hospital IT Excellence
Othello Community Hospital received recognition from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society for its excellent use of information technology. The society ranks hospitals across the nation on a scale of zero to seven based on how close they are to creating a fully digital environment. Othello achieved Stage 6, which includes computerized physician documentation; computerized charting and order entry; and the ability to electronically store and distribute medical images. Othello is one of only five critical access hospitals in the nation to receive this certification. The recognition is validation for hospital district commissioner Larry McCourtie. ?We have to be doing something right,? he said. (Jeff Mero, jeffm@awphd.org)
New Leaders for Yakima Regional and Toppenish
Yakima Regional Medical and Cardiac Center and Toppenish Community Hospital have new leaders. Rich Robinson became the Chief Executive Officer at Yakima Regional and will also oversee operations at Toppenish. Both hospitals are owned by Heath Management Associates. Andrew Delgado was recently hired as Toppenish’s Chief Operating Officer—now the hospital’s top executive position, supervised by Robinson. Robinson has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Golden Gate University in San Francisco and brings extensive experience in health care leadership. Delgado was most recently the CEO of the Yakama Indian Health Clinic in Toppenish. (Danielle Kean, daniellek@wsha.org)
Snohomish County Palliative Partnership Receives National Award
The Snohomish County Palliative Partnership was recently honored with the American Hospital Association’s Circle of Life Award. The partnership was one of only three organizations in the nation selected for the honor. The Snohomish County Palliative Partnership is a palliative care and hospice consortium including Providence Hospice and Home Care of Snohomish County, The Everett Clinic, Providence Regional Cancer Partnership, Providence Physician Group, Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, and other community partners. It provides a full continuum of care to patients from primary care to hospice needs. (Beth Zborowski, bethz@wsha.org)
WSHA Recognized for Workplace Flexibility
The Washington State Hospital Association is a recipient of the 2010 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility. The association was recognized for commitment to creating a flexible workplace to benefit the employee and the organization. Two examples of WSHA’s flexibility include individualized work schedules and the ability to work from home, and a pilot project with the WSHA’s subsidiary Workers’ Compensation Program to allow new moms to bring their infants to work. The hospital association believes the best way to serve members is to provide a work environment in which employees have opportunities to learn and grow. (Beth Zborowski, bethz@wsha.org)