October 14 - Class Action Lawsuits, Charity Care & Billing Issues Webinar 

October 20–22 – NHA Annual Convention, Cornhusker Hotel, Lincoln 

October 25–27 – SHRM Workplace Diversity Conference & Expo, Chicago 

October 26 – Nursing Expo and Recruitment Fair, Holiday Inn Central, Omaha 

October 28 - IRS Audits within Hospitals Webinar 

The Nebraska Hospital Association's 2005 Men in Nursing Calendar is now available. The calendar is designed to assist in nurse recruiting efforts, particularly encouraging men into the profession. Proceeds from the calendar will go towards health career scholarships offered by the NHA Foundation. Check out the NHA Web site, www.nhanet.org, to purchase your calendars.

In addition to "well-paying" salaries, which can start at $60,000 for new graduates in California to $100,000 for nurses with experience who are willing to work overtime, hospitals are offering nurses benefits including shorter shifts, no mandatory overtime, laptop computers and financial aid for continuing education, according to USA Today. In addition, some states are considering regulations similar to those adopted in December in California that require hospitals to maintain a specific nurse-to-patient ratio. 

According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, U.S. nursing school enrollment grew 16.6% in 2003, the third consecutive year of increases. However, nursing schools, "hampered" by faculty shortages and "limited" spots for students, last year turned away approximately 15,900 qualified applicants, USA Today reported. According to USA Today, the United States is not the only country facing a shortage of nurses; developing countries are also "shorthanded," as the United States, Europe and Canada follow the "growing practice" of recruiting nurses from other nations (Appleby, USA Today, 8/16).

DHS delays new certification requirement for foreign health workers
The Department of Homeland Security delayed a rule that will require foreign health care professionals to obtain special certification from a DHS-approved credentialing body to work in the U.S. on a non-immigrant visa. 

The department said it would delay the rule for 12 months for workers employed in the U.S. as of Sept. 23, 2003. "Had DHS not delayed the regulation, thousands of top-notch, U.S. licensed Canadian nurses and other health care personnel who cross the border daily would have been barred from providing care here," said AHA Executive President Rick Pollack. "DHS' action averts a crisis in care for many of America's hospitals, particularly those along our northern border." 

The decision to delay the rule, follows months of strong opposition mounted by the AHA, hospital and health system leaders, and key lawmakers on Capitol Hill, including Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-GA, who told the agency that putting the rule in effect this July would exacerbate the severe workforce shortage that continues to affect U.S. hospitals, particularly in nursing. "This delay prevents what would have been a major crisis for Americans in need of health care," Chambliss said.

NHA Convention will include programs for human resource professionals

NHA annual convention will take place October 20-22 at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln. Two programs will focus on human resource issues: 

Health Savings Accounts - Kim Lobato, Aon Consulting 
The Medicare Reform Act of 2003 made sweeping changes to Medicare, but also included legislation that allowed new pre-tax health care savings accounts. 

According to a recent survey 60% of employers expect to offer HSA's as part of the health care strategy in the future. The marketplace, however, is still responding to the administrative challenges of HSA plans. Also, the IRS is still issuing guidance for HSA's, making plan decisions difficult. The key topics to be discussed in this presentation are: legal requirements for HSA's; plan design considerations; and choosing HSA partners.

COBRA Law Update - Scott S. Moore, Baird Holm
The U.S. Department of Labor issued final regulations detailing the procedural and content requirements for notices required under COBRA. These final rules set minimum standard for the timing and content of the notices and establish standards for administering the notices. This program will discuss these new requirements and the actions you may need to take to develop or revise your notification procedures and/or forms. 

For registration and more information on the NHA convention, check out the NHA Web site at www.nhanet.org. 

Nursing Expo and Recruitment Fair
The Nebraska Center for Nursing and KMTV3 News are holding a Nurse Recruitment and Information Expo on Tuesday, October 26, 2004, from 1-7pm at the Holiday Inn Central (72nd and Grover) in Omaha, NE. All prospective nursing students, current nursing students, practicing nurses and employers are invited to attend. 

Representatives from nursing colleges and universities as well as recruiters from health care facilities throughout Nebraska including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, home health agencies, hospice care, ambulatory surgical centers and assisted living facilities will be in attendance. In addition to a great networking opportunity for all nurses and employers, there will also be informational seminars from industry leaders. Check out the KMTV 3 Web site for additional information: www.kmtv3.com

Exercise caution when communicating policy changes via email
A recent federal court case in Boston suggests that HR managers ensure that safeguards be in place to ensure employees actually receive, read and understand policy changes sent via e-mail. In Campbell v.General Dynamics Government Systems Corp., a federal court in Boston found that the company could not simply rely on an e-mail notification to show that its employees received and understood a change in company policy. Instead, the court held that it is the company's burden, even with electronic distribution, to ensure that its workplace policies have been received and reviewed by its employees.

Office of Compliance Assistance Policy unveils NEW FLSA Overtime Security Advisor Tool
The Office of Compliance Assistance Policy has launched the FLSA Overtime Security Advisor in an effort to ensure all employers comply with the DOL's new Overtime Security Rule. The tool is intended to help employers and workers obtain information about the new rule, which took effect on August 23, 2004. The tool helps workers and employers understand the new rules in a question-and-answer format. Employers can use the tool to ensure they are in compliance with the revised rule and are paying workers correctly. Workers can use it to help determine whether they are entitled to overtime pay. 

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