| Publication Information Contact Lori Henshey at 304-353-9747 |
October 10, 2008 Volume 14 Number 4
BRNI to Host First-Ever Forum on Memory and Memory Disorders The Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute (BRNI) will host the first-ever International Forum on Memory and Memory Disorders on Thursday, October 16, 2008. The session will be held at the Erickson Alumni Center on the campus of West Virginia University from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. This ground-breaking event will help bring researchers one step closer to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s, by highlighting the work of an international mix of nine experts from Switzerland, to Harvard Medical School, to West Virginia University, whose research has led to breakthrough advances for the aging brain, Alzheimer’s disease, and patients suffering from memory and memory loss disorder. Secure your place today by registering online here. Space is limited to attend this FREE Forum! Deadline for registration is Monday, October 13, 2008. For more information, please contact Joe Letnaunchyn. Legislative Interim Meetings Scheduled October 12-14 – CON, Health Reform, Medicaid Among Health Issues to be Discussed
The West Virginia Legislature will meet in Charleston for legislative interim meetings beginning Sunday, October 12, and continuing through Tuesday, October 14. For the full schedule and meeting agendas click here. Select Committee D Subcommittee on Certificate of Need (CON) will hold its fifth meeting of the interim period to hear from Health Care Authority (HCA) Chair Sonia Chambers regarding the rate-review process. Chambers also intends to respond to Subcommittee questions regarding her presentations to date on the list of reviewable services currently in CON statute as well as other aspects of the CON program. The Legislative Interim Select Committee D on Health is scheduled to meet to receive updates from the various workgroups charged with looking at healthcare reform. This legislative interim committee is the group charged with examining healthcare reform options via private consultant Emory University Professor Ken Thorpe. The WVHA continues to participate in the various workgroups established to come up with legislative recommendations for the 2009 Regular Session. These include: System Redesign; Administrative Simplification; Wellness and Prevention; and Health Information Technology. In conjunction with the study, the Committee along with Vision Shared, will sponsor its second public forum on health reform on Tuesday, October 14 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in Huntington at the Marshall University Memorial Student Center. For more information, please contact Tony Gregory. And, in collaboration with the study, the West Virginia Academy of Family Physicians is hosting a presentation by Edwina Rogers, Vice President of Health Policy of the ERISA Industry Committee, on Thursday, October 16 from 1:00 -3:00 p.m. at the Capitol – Room 215 East Wing. The focus of the meeting: patient-centered medical homes and how the business community can become engaged on the national level. For more information, please contact Tony Gregory. The Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability (LOCHHRA) is scheduled to hear from the Deputy Executive Director of the Georgetown Center for Children and Families and a Research Associate Professor at the Health Policy Institute of Georgetown University, who will be speaking on the recent state analysis on Medicaid Reform conducted at Georgetown University. Finally, Judiciary Subcommittee B is scheduled to meet Monday, October 13, beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the State Capitol in Room 208 West Wing, to examine the issue of requiring employers to provide sick leave benefits. Legislative counsel is expected to present the issue and a legal representative from the business community will review concerns in a brief presentation. Mandated sick leave legislation (H.B. 4447) was introduced in the 2008 regular session, but the measure never received any legislative action. As the issue continues to be deliberated in the legislative arena, it will be important for the various sectors of the business community to share concerns regarding the proposal. As background, labor groups, under pressure from out-of-state union organizers, are pushing to make West Virginia one of the first states in the nation to require employers (15 or more employees) to provide seven (7) days of paid sick leave or a pro-rata amount for part-time employees. Under the bill introduced last session, no doctor’s certification would have been required until after the third (3rd) day, creating rules different than many collective bargaining agreements, employer policies and the Federal Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Because of its additional costs, both administrative and payroll, to small employers and many differences from the federal FMLA, this bill would have been both costly to employers and would not have improved West Virginia’s ability to attract and retain employers. For more information on these and other legislative interim meetings, please contact Tony Gregory. |
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HOSPAC 2008 General Election Endorsements The West Virginia Hospital Political Action Committee (HOSPAC) has announced its endorsements for legislative and statewide candidates in the upcoming general election, Tuesday, November 4, 2008. The press release noting the endorsements may be accessed by visiting WVHA’s Web site here. Senate and House candidates were endorsed based on voting records (for incumbent candidates); support for healthcare issues important to the hospital community; answers to healthcare questions on questionnaires (from non-incumbent candidates); and recommendations from member hospitals. With key legislative healthcare issues such as Medicaid funding, and regulatory system issues via Certificate of Need, it is very important that hospitals support candidates who will support the Association and its members as it seeks to address these issues. The 36,000 employees of West Virginia’s hospitals have an opportunity to help elect candidates who support hospitals and the healthcare industry. Please encourage all of your employees, medical staff, volunteers and auxiliaries to vote. It is permissible for the hospital to share HOSPAC endorsements with employees and medical staff. The West Virginia Secretary of State’s office is reminding people that absentee voting in West Virginia for the November 4 General Election is now available. Voters are qualified to cast an absentee ballot if they will be out of town on November 4 or are unable to cast a ballot on Election Day due to a disability or other valid excuse. In addition, early voting across West Virginia will begin October 15. Early voting will take place at county courthouses. Finally, the deadline to register to vote in West Virginia, or to make changes to one’s voter registration status, is October 14. People are asked to go to a county clerk’s and register. He or she must be 18 years of age by November 4 and register in the county where they reside. A person also will need an identification to verify his or her physical address. As the November 4 Primary approaches, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding candidates endorsed by HOSPAC. For more information, please contact Tony Gregory. Hospital Day at the Legislature 2009 The Association is pleased to announce Hospital Day at the Legislature 2009 is scheduled for Thursday, March 12, 2009. Because Hospital Day is part of the WVHA’s advocacy and grassroots program during the 2009 regular session, the Association wants to encourage a strong attendance by member hospitals. This event will provide an excellent opportunity for all West Virginia hospitals to be represented and connect with legislators. Please spread the word and plan now to attend. Further information and details will follow in the coming months. For more information, please contact Tina Rymer. CMS Names RAC Contractors for National Program
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has named four companies to serve as recovery audit contractors when it rolls out the program nationwide. They are CGI Technologies and Solutions Inc. of Fairfax, VA; Connolly Consulting Associates Inc. of Wilton, CT; Diversified Collection Services, Inc. of Livermore, CA; and HealthDataInsights Inc. of Las Vegas. RACs identify Medicare overpayments and underpayments, and receive a percentage of the improper payments they collect from healthcare providers. CMS plans to roll out its permanent RAC program to all 50 states in three phases, and to begin educating healthcare providers about the program this month. Hospitals in the first phase may begin to receive requests for medical records or reimbursement of overpayments as early as December. Later this month, AHA will host two audio-conferences to update members on the RAC program, which will include an opportunity to speak with CMS representatives. For more on the RAC program, visit www.aha.org/rac. Connolly Consulting Associates will be the RAC for West Virginia, and that they were the RAC for New York and Massachusetts under the RAC pilot program. For more information, please contact Mike Robbins. Donate Life West Virginia! Conference to be Held The Donate Life West Virginia! Conference will again be held this fall on October 14-15, 2008, at Stonewall Jackson Resort in Roanoke, West Virginia. The theme of the conference is The Equation for Life: Partnership Power Plus Shared Resources Equals Lives Saved. This is the first time the conference will be held over a two-day period rather than one. A Hold the Date notice has been sent to all CEOs of our member hospitals last month, as well as other departments within the hospitals, such as PR/Marketing, education, clinicians and nurses. An invitation was sent out to CEOs and other relevant staff. Please encourage your hospital personnel to attend this informational conference, which includes breakout sessions, video presentations, keynote speakers, donor recipients, overview of the West Virginia organ waiting list, pastoral care, how to increase donor rates, family supports scenarios, and much more. One of the targeted groups is PR/marketing personnel groups of our member hospitals. Several of the breakout sessions will educate these groups on educating their communities on the live-saving importance of organ donation. For more information, please contact Lori Henshey. 2008 Growing Healthy Children Conference to be Held
The 2008 Growing Healthy Children Conference will take place on November 13-14 at Blessed John XXIII Pastoral Center in Charleston. This fourth annual event on child health and development will include plenary sessions on Public Policy and Child Health, Oral Health, and Integrated Approaches to HealthCare. Speakers include Jane Perkins, JD, MPH, National Health Law Program; Richard Niederman, DMD, Director, Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry at The Forsyth Institute; and Jill Rosenthal, National Academy for State Health Policy. The purpose of the forum is to continue the State conversation on child health, celebrate our progress and come to consensus around the most urgent issues. Registration information is now available online. Please visit wvhealthykids.org to download a registration brochure or click here to register online. Early registration is recommended! For more information, please contact Cinny Kittle.
Practical Guide to Hospitalist Recruitment and Retention According to the Society of Hospital Medicine, the number of hospitalists is projected to reach more than 30,000 by 2010. However, the demand for these specialists is expected to continue to grow at an even more aggressive rate, making it challenging for programs to meet the demand. Practical Guide to Hospitalist Recruitment and Retention is a book and CD-ROM set that provides proven strategies from a leading hospitalist recruitment expert to help you find the right physicians for your practice and develop a strong program that retains committed hospitalists. Click here to order for $149 or call 800/650-6787.
AHRQ Announces Process for Approving Patient Safety Organizations
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) yesterday issued interim guidance allowing organizations to immediately apply for listing as a patient safety organization. The guidance describes eligibility and certification requirements for PSOs until the agency issues a final rule. Effective with the interim guidance, patient safety data submitted by a healthcare provider to a listed PSO and data developed by a listed PSO are privileged and confidential under the Patient Safety Act. AHRQ recently released common formats that healthcare professionals can use to collect and track patient safety information. The interim guidance and common formats can be found at www.pso.ahrq.gov. AHA News Now, October 9, 2008 Groups Release Evidence-Based Strategies to Fight Infection
The AHA and four other healthcare organizations today released a compendium of strategies to help prevent the most dangerous infections that hospitals face. Distilled from the latest guidelines and scientific evidence, the compendium identifies what hospitals should be doing, and how, to prevent staph and C difficile infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, bloodstream infections caused by central-line catheters, and urinary tract and surgical site infections. In addition to the AHA, the partnership includes the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, and The Joint Commission. AHA News Now, October 9, 2008 Hospital Employment Climbs 0.07 Percent in September
Employment at the nation's hospitals rose 0.07 percent in September to a seasonally adjusted 4,670,900 people, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. That's 3,500 more than in August and 129,300 more than a year ago. Without the seasonal adjustment, which removes the effect of fluctuations due to seasonal events, hospitals employed 4,673,300 people in September, 11,000 fewer than in August but 130,300 more than a year ago. The nation's overall unemployment rate was unchanged in September at 6.1 percent. AHA News Now, October 3, 2008
Census Issues Health Coverage Estimates By County
The U.S. Census Bureau today released new state and county estimates of health insurance coverage by demographic characteristics. The Small Area Health Insurance Estimates provide 2005 data on health insurance coverage by age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, and income at the state-level, and by age, sex, and income at the county-level. The estimates are based on data from a variety of sources, including the Annual Social and Economic Supplement of the Current Population Survey, Census 2000, the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program, the County Business Patterns data set and administrative records, such as aggregated federal tax returns and Medicaid participation records. AHA News, October 9, 2008
2008 WVBA Gubernatorial Debate Monday, October 13, 2008 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Clay Center for the Arts For more information, please contact Tony Gregory. WVHA Legislative Committee Meeting Thursday, October 16, 2008 10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. WVHA Board RoomFor more information, please contact Tina Rymer. Donate Life West Virginia! Conference October 14-15, 2008 Stonewall Jackson Resort For more information, please contact Lori Henshey.
Small/Rural Nurse Executives Meeting November 7, 2008 WVHA Board Room 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. For more information, please contact Jim Kranz. |
