My Care Counts
 The American Hospital Association has launched My Care Counts, a national online grassroots campaign to support health care – enabling hospital leaders, employees and patients, businesses and other supporters to urge Congress to protect health care from potentially devastating cuts.
The campaign features a Web site, www.mycarecounts.org, which provides an easy-to-use form to send messages to Congress, as well as an update on potential threats to hospitals.
This campaign is an opportunity for the entire hospital community and all those we serve to speak out on the importance of protecting and making health care a national priority. The campaign
Web site features downloadable resources, including a how-to guide, a flier, an outreach e-mail to spread the word about the campaign, and a web button to display on hospital home pages.
Join today - protect hospitals and keep quality health care in our communities!
More than 26,500 Patients in Nebraska have benefited from PPA
Washington, D.C. – In just over two years, the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) has connected four million individuals who are uninsured or lack adequate healthcare coverage, including more than 26,500 in Nebraska, to programs that provide prescription medicines for free or nearly free. The PPA -- sponsored by America’s pharmaceutical research companies -- is the largest private-sector patient assistance effort helping low-income, uninsured and underinsured people obtain their medicines through more than 475 public and private patient assistance programs, including 180 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies. More than 2,500 brand-name and generic prescription medicines are available through the participating programs.
“It is encouraging that the Partnership for Prescription Assistance has helped over 4 million Americans and more than 26,500 Nebraskans in just two years, said Marzia Puccioni,
executive director of the Arthritis Foundation – Nebraska Chapter. “Many more people may qualify for help and should take the time to call the toll free number or visit the Web site, it’s free and confidential and only takes a few minutes of your time.”
Read
more.
— PPA News Release, August 13, 2007.
Nebraska
has 16 affected with West Nile
Lincoln, NE (AP) – With two more cases reported this week, Nebraska now has 16 cases of West Nile virus.
The state Department of Health and Human Services said one case was a woman age 26-50 from Adams County; the other was a woman older than 65 in Harlan County.
The other counties with cases this year: Adams, Boone, Buffalo, Garden, Hall, Knox, Lincoln, Platte, Scotts Bluff, Seward and Thayer. West Nile is transmitted through mosquito bites from insects that picked up the virus by feeding on infected birds.
Read
more.
— Sioux City Journal, August 15, 2007.
University of Nebraska Medical Center
awards diplomas to 131 students
Diplomas were presented to 131 University of Nebraska Medical Center students on Aug. 10.
Graduates by college, degree, and hometown include....read
more.
Report proposes strategies to improve children’s coverage
As Congress considers legislation to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance
Program (SCHIP), a new
report from the Commonwealth Fund proposes potential strategies for improving SCHIP and Medicaid coverage for children. The report proposes a commission to advise Congress on how to achieve a high-performance health system for children; standard measures for reporting on SCHIP and Medicaid performance; a national demonstration program to encourage exemplary practices and innovations; and strategies to increase physician participation, ensure access to stable coverage, and promote electronic health records and information exchange.
— AHA News Now, August 10, 2007.
Health clinics expand in retail settings
Store-based health clinics--which are staffed mostly by nurse practitioners and offer quick services for routine conditions from colds and bladder infections to sunburn--aren't just a
health care fad anymore, but fast becoming a serious industry.
Read
more.
— AP/Yahoo News, Aug 13, 2007
Summer Bash for
childhood cancer
Omaha, NE – Omaha Metro Area Optimist Clubs have joined together to create a “Summer Bash for Childhood Cancer” to be held August 18 at The Digz, 4428 South 140th Street. Starting at 7 p.m., it promises to be an evening of fun, entertainment and excitement with dancing to the Grease Band, a live & silent auction, raffle & door prizes. The Summer Bash will benefit the pediatric oncology programs at The Nebraska Medical Center and Children’s Hospital, Camp Quality, Camp CoHoLo and families that have children with cancer.
Summer Bash Ambassador is 8-year-old, Kendra, a 2-year survivor of brain cancer. Kendra had extensive brain surgery to remove her tumor at Omaha Children’s Hospital and received 33 radiation treatments at The Nebraska Medical Center. Kendra says, “I am now cancer free and celebrate life each and every day! Please consider a donation to help children like me who are faced with
cancer.” Read
more.
Regional West Cancer Center accepting registrations for Camp Hope
Scottsbluff, NE – The Cancer Treatment Center at Regional West Medical Center is accepting registrations for Camp Hope, a weekend retreat for adult cancer patients and their support persons. The camp will be held August 24-26 at Trails West YMCA Camp. There is no cost to attend Camp Hope. For more information or to request a registration form, please call
308/630-1535 or 308/630-1348.
Camp Hope offers a three-day, two-night camp amidst the beauty of nature and with the compassionate support of health care providers who offer creative educational workshops throughout the weekend. Camp counselors, including Regional West physicians, nurses, therapists, clergy, counselors, pharmacists, social workers, associates and volunteers, have hosted the event for the past 15 years.
Read
more.
Optimism catalyst for
burn patient’s recovery at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital
Lincoln, NE – Garey Seger’s positive attitude is one thing that remained intact after sustaining burns to 60 percent of his body. On December 13, 2006, he was working in the galvanized light pole division of Valmont Industries in Valley,
NE, where poles are immersed in a vat of chemicals heated to more than 870 degrees. One of the poles being lifted from the vat exploded, showering Seger and a coworker with a chemical bath.
Seger was life-flighted to the burn unit at St. Elizabeth’s Regional Medical Center in Lincoln. His injuries required several amputations, including his left leg below the knee, three fingers on his right hand, right toes, and partial right foot. He endured skin grafting surgeries, plus a tracheostomy and colostomy. During his hospital stay, Seger suffered a heart attack and two strokes, leaving his
left side weakened and flaccid. He battled on through bouts of pneumonia and sepsis.
Upon admission to Madonna on June 26, 2007, Seger was unable to move by himself. “I decided to set a goal to be as self-sufficient as possible,” Seger said. “The entire Madonna staff, including nurses, aides and therapists, have offered daily encouragement.”
Read more.
Alegent
Health innovates patient care with eFocus
Omaha, NE — Alegent Health’s most critically ill patients are now benefiting from an additional layer of vigilance, as they are now under the continuous virtual watch of specialized critical care physicians and nurses with the implementation of eFocus. This state-of-the-art technology is enhancing bedside care in Intensive Care Units (ICU) at Bergan Mercy and Immanuel Medical Centers. eFocus allows patients to be remotely monitored so that even the slightest change in vital signs can be detected and acted upon immediately. Studies show this technology is credited with making dramatic reductions in mortality rates, reducing the length of hospital stays and increasing patient safety.
“Our patients deserve nothing less than the highest quality of care we can give them,” said Wayne Sensor, CEO of Alegent Health. “Harnessing technology to improve the care and safety of our patients is exciting, particularly when we know it will help save lives and return people to health more quickly.”
Read
more.
CMS Gainsharing
demonstration for rural hospitals
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is reissuing a solicitation for rural hospitals to participate in the DRA 5007 Medicare Hospital Gainsharing demonstration. CMS received a limited number of rural hospital proposals following the initial notice published last September; however, none of those applicants met the criteria to participate in the demonstration.
Read
more.
— HealthLeaders Media, August 15, 2007.
Joint Commission revises emergency management standards
The Joint Commission has revised its emergency management standards for hospitals, critical access hospitals and long-term care facilities for 2008 to reflect an all hazards, scalable approach to emergency management. The revised standards, effective
January 1, 2008 also stress the importance of planning for and testing the organization’s emergency response during conditions when the local community cannot support the health care organization. The Commission said the changes are based on feedback from health care organizations,
experts and studies of various disasters that have affected health care organizations in the past five years, including floods, power outages, hurricanes and the
September 11 terrorist attacks. Based on that analysis, the Commission concluded that health care organizations should be able to demonstrate sufficient flexibility to respond effectively to combinations of escalating events.
— AHA News Now, August 13, 2007.
ONCHIT issues EHR report
A new report prepared by RTI Intl. for the Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) recommends requirements for electronic health record (EHR) systems to prevent and detect fraud and improper payments. The report also identifies technical standards that will need to be harmonized to implement the requirements, and maps the antifraud requirements to certification criteria. “The overwhelming majority of clinicians do not commit fraud and should not be burdened by mechanisms aimed solely at the few who do,” the report notes. “Therefore, the recommended requirements also are directed at helping the majority, as they support quality of care through reduced errors and promote good documentation practices, as well as assist in fraud management, including protections against unmerited accusations of fraud and strengthened proofs of legitimacy.” The report was prepared for HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information
Technology (ONCHIT).
— AHA News Now, August 10, 2007.
Google and Microsoft work to improve nation's
health care
The two leading candidates for Web supremacy, Google and Microsoft, are working up their plans to improve the nation's
health care. By combining better Internet search tools, the vast resources of the Web and online personal health records, both companies are betting they can enable people to make smarter choices about their health habits and medical care.
Read more.
— New York Times, August 14, 2007.
Need
for Nebraska doctors specializing in geriatrics
(Nebraska Radio Network) – Baby boomers could be in for a rude awakening. The number of doctors specializing in
geriatric care is on the decline. Dr. Bill Lyons is the
director of the Geriatrics Fellowship Program at University of Nebraska Medical
Center in Omaha. He states that there are a number of reasons medical students are not focusing on
geriatric medicine.
It is a very complex and challenging medicine, and it's not the most highly paid
specialty in medicine. Dr. Lyons says others involved in health care are now being trained in
geriatric care to try and help make up for the decline.
— Nebraska Chamber Daily Update, August 6, 2007.
HHS announces emergency preparedness grants
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will award $25 million in grants to improve hospital surge capacity, emergency care system capability, and community and hospital preparedness for public health emergencies, the agency announced.
The program will award up to three competitive grants for projects that help integrate public and private emergency care system capabilities with public health and other first responder systems, among other goals. Partnerships consisting of hospitals, a designated trauma center, other local health care facilities and one or more states are eligible to apply. Applications may be filed online through
September 7. For more information, see the grant
announcement.
— AHA News Now, August 10, 2007.
Webinar:
Hiring
Foreign Born Doctors & Nurses
August 22, 2007 – 10:00 to11:30 a.m. CT
Nebraska
Society of Healthcare Engineers 2nd Annual Golf Outing & Recognition Lunch
August 23-24, 2007 – North Platte, NE Webinar:
Switching
Costs: A New Way of Looking at Physician Retention
August 29, 2007 – 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. CT
Nebraska Rural Health Conference
September 6-7, 2007 – Holiday Inn Convention Center, Kearney
"Community Connections: Building Leadership for Rural Nebraska"
Kimball Hospital Foundation Golf Classic
September 8, 2007 – Kimball, NE
Multicultural
Training Institute: Cultural Competency for Health Care Professionals Training
September 15, 2007 – Margre Durham Center, Omaha, NE
NHA Critical Access Hospital Conference on Quality
October 18, 2007 – Holiday Inn & Convention Center, Kearney
For more information contact Monica Seeland, NHA vice president of quality
initiatives, at 402/742-8152 or mseeland@nhanet.org.
NHA 2007 Annual Convention and Trade Show
October 31-November 2, 2007 – Cornhusker Marriott Hotel, Lincoln,
NE
"Pathways: Navigating the Nature of Health Care"
Visit the Events page on the NHA Web site for more information on any of the events.
If you have an event you would like listed on the NHA Web site, submit it to
Heather Bullock, marketing and events coordinator, at hbullock@nhanet.org.
NHA Newslink is published by the Nebraska Hospital Association, 3255 Salt Creek Circle, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68504-4761. Phone 402/742-8140, Fax 402/742-8191. Christy Rasmussen,
director of communications, at 402/742-8151, or email, crasmussen@nhanet.org.
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