|
LINCOLN—The Nebraska Hospital Association's annual Advocacy Day event is scheduled for Tuesday, March 9, at the Cornhusker Marriott Hotel in Lincoln.
This half-day workshop will provide health care advocates with important information about state legislative issues. Scheduled speakers include:
- Governor Dave Heineman
- Kerry Winterer, CEO, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
- Dan Griess, CEO, Box Butte General Hospital, Alliance / NHA Chairman
- Glenn Fosdick, President & CEO, The Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha / NHA PAC Steering Committee Chair
- Paul Muraca, AHA Regional Executive
- Laura Redoutey, NHA President
- Bruce Rieker, NHA Vice President, Advocacy
- Kelley Porter, NHA Director of Communications
Registration is $40 per person. To register online for Advocacy Day,
click here. The Cornhusker Marriott Hotel in Lincoln at (866) 706-7706 has a group rate of $112 plus tax per room if reservations made prior to March 1.
— Nebraska
Hospital Association, February 11, 2010
WASHINGTON—The White House recently unveiled a new "text4baby" campaign that will send text messages to help expectant mothers and mothers of infants.
Women can sign up for three weekly messages timed to the stage of their child's development, and get tips on subjects such as nutrition and immunization by texting the word "baby" or "bebe" to 511411.
Read more.
— Los Angeles Times, February 4, 2010
The Food and Drug Administration yesterday announced an initiative to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure from certain medical imaging procedures. The initiative focuses on computed tomography, nuclear medicine studies and fluoroscopy procedures, which use higher radiation doses than other radiographic procedures. The FDA said the three-pronged initiative will promote the safe use of medical imaging devices, support informed clinical decision-making, and increase patient awareness of their own exposure.
The agency intends to require manufacturers of CT and fluoroscopic devices to incorporate safeguards into the design of their machines and provide appropriate training to support safe use by practitioners, and has scheduled a public meeting on March 30-31 to solicit input on those requirements. It also is working with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to incorporate quality assurance practices into the mandatory accreditation and conditions of participation survey processes for imaging facilities and hospitals.
— AHA News Now, February 10, 2010
COLUMBUS—The Columbus Community Hospital laboratory was recently recognized with an “Excellence Through Insight” award for “Overall Patient Satisfaction” for small hospitals by HealthStream Research. The CCH lab received the honor for its commitment to excellence in patient care.
Columbus Community Hospital received the highest ratings in overall patient satisfaction from among HealthStream Research’s clients, as well as exceeding industry standards.
To qualify for the award, a hospital must have been a patient satisfaction-tracking client of HealthStream Research in 2009, scored in the 75th percentile or higher and surveyed a minimum of 100 patients.
Read more.
—
Columbus Community Hospital press release, February 5, 2010
KEARNEY—Good Samaritan Hospital’s AirCare helicopter now has new technology, known as an Enhanced Vision System, that improves a pilot’s ability to see in low-visibility conditions.
The system uses infrared technology to improve a pilot’s ability to view obstacles in front of the aircraft during times of poor visibility like light fog, haze, smoke, light precipitation and darkness.
Read more.
—
Good Samaritan Hospital press release, February 8, 2010
WAYNE—Members of the Providence Medical Center Foundation Board of Directors formally presented a check to Providence Medical Center (PMC) in the amount of $300,000 this Monday evening during the foundation’s Annual Board of Directors meeting. The funds are designated to be applied towards the hospital’s new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) equipment.
Read more.
—
Providence Medical Center press release, February 8, 2010
KEARNEY—Richard H. Young Hospital is offering free emergency crisis services to individuals affected by the hostage situation.
The state has a Critical Incident Stress Management team to help specific individuals affected by situations such as the one in Kearney on Wednesday. Families and friends of the hostages or others related to the situation who do not qualify for Critical Incident Stress Management Services are welcome to contact Richard H. Young Hospital.
Read more.
—
Kearney Hub, February 11, 2010
LINCOLN—Lawmakers resumed debate February 10 on a bill that would repeal the state’s motorcycle helmet law.
LB 200, introduced by Fremont Senator Charlie Janssen, would permit motorcyclists 21 years of age and older to operate their vehicles without wearing a helmet, but it would require that motorcyclists and their passengers wear eye protection.
Read more.
— Unicameral Update, February 10, 2010
LINCOLN—A cash fund once again has become an issue of contention in proposals to balance Nebraska's budget.
This time it's the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, administered by the Department of Economic Development.
The majority of the Legislature's Appropriations Committee wants to take $3.6 million from the fund next year to help balance the budget.
Read more.
— Lincoln Journal Star, February 11, 2010
WASHINGTON—A jobs bill being drafted by Senate negotiators would clarify the definition of hospital-based physician under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s HITECH provisions to allow physicians who practice in hospital-owned outpatient centers and clinics to qualify for federal payment incentives for health information technology.
Don May, American Hospital Association Vice President of Policy, said the association “strongly supports” the provision, which would clarify the ARRA language and ensure that CMS does not inappropriately exclude physicians serving patients in outpatient centers from receiving Medicare and Medicaid HIT incentive payments. The draft bill also would delay through September 30 a 21
percent Medicare payment cut for physicians and extend premium assistance for COBRA benefits through May 31.
Among other provisions, the bill would make a technical correction to reimburse critical access hospitals at 101
percent of their reasonable costs for Method 2 outpatient services, and extend through 2010 expiring Medicare payment provisions related to rural hospitals, long-term care hospitals, the technical component of certain physician pathology services, mental health services and ambulances.
— AHA News Now, February 10, 2010
WASHINGTON—Medicare payments to doctors are set to be cut by 21 percent on March 1, but the jobs bill Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is putting together includes a "short-term patch" that would temporarily block the cuts. The bill is still in draft form and has not been formally released, but a draft calls for blocking the scheduled pay cuts through the end of September, the
Wall Street Journal Health Blog reports.
Read more.
— Wall Street Journal Health Blog , February 11, 2010
Join us for 2010 NHA Advocacy Day
March 9, 2010 – Lincoln
HIPAA Breech Notification Law and Penalties (CL)
February 16, 2010 – Webinar
RAC Audit Issues: Ensuring Compliance
February 23, 2010 – Webinar
Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) Seminar
March 11, 2010 – Grand Island
Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF)
Clinical Seminar
March 25, 2010 – St. Louis, MO
2010 NHPCP Annual “Living a Good Life…at the End of Life” Conference
March 30 - April 1, 2010 – Lincoln
Disney’s Approach to Quality Service for Healthcare Professionals
April 6, 2010 – Omaha
9th Annual ASHE Region 6 Education Conference
April 22 & 23, 2010 – Mankato, MN
SAVE THE DATE:
2010 Lifespan Health Services Conference
May 11-12, 2010 – Kearney
Click here
for a list
of upcoming NHA audio-conferences and Webinars.
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 in Newslink or on the NHA Web site,
submit it to Heather Bullock, Marketing and Events Coordinator, at
hbullock@nhanet.org. Send news items to Kelley Porter, Director of
Communications, kporter@nhanet.org.
NHA Newslink is published by the Nebraska
Hospital Association, 3255 Salt Creek Circle, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68504-4778.
Phone 402/742-8140, Fax 402/742-8191. Contact Kelley Porter, Director of
Communications, at 402/742-8151, or email,
kporter@nhanet.org.
Click here to
Subscribe to Newslink
Click
here to Unsubscribe
Click here to change your email address
or call Vicky Pfeiffer, Administrative Assistant, at 402/742-8145.
Please include the individual's name, title, company and email address.
Back To Main
|
