KHA has partnered with the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs and the Office of Inspector General to encourage hospitals to become more knowledgeable about caring for victims of sexual assault and to work toward becoming a designated SANE-Ready Hospital. State law requires all Kentucky hospitals to:

Treat victims of sexual assault who present to their emergency room regardless of the certifications and experience of staff in the emergency department; Perform a medical forensic exam on the individual if consent is given; and Contact the local Rape Crisis Center. The Kentucky General Assembly established the “SANE-Ready Hospital” program through legislation in the 2016 General Assembly. Hospitals demonstrating they have Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners available to treat patients presenting to the emergency room can apply for this designation. KHA encourages all Kentucky hospitals with emergency departments to work towards achieving this designation. For more information on becoming a SANE-Ready Hospital, review...

After a request from KHA and its members, three U.S. Congressmen from Kentucky (Andy Barr, Thomas Massie and Hal Rogers) have signed onto the Tiberi-Kind “Dear Colleague” letter pertaining to CMS policies on alternative payment models (APMs). KHA is grateful for their support.

The Chairman Pat Tiberi and Congressman Kind Dear Colleague letter urges the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide health care providers more regulatory relief and flexibility under APMs like bundling, the “CJR” program for joint replacement, accountable care organizations and other models intended to move health care delivery away from site-specific, fee-for-service reimbursement. CMS has the authority to waive numerous rules and statutory provisions in these alternative care delivery and reimbursement models, yet with few exceptions it has not done so.

More waivers around site-specific acute and post-acute regulations are needed that were originally implemented for a purely fee-for-service reimbursement...

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently held a press conference and early release of the latest MMWR report on Legionnaire’s disease. In this report, the CDC noted most outbreaks of Legionellosis occurred in hotels/motels, long-term care facilities and hospitals. More importantly, the CDC noted that most outbreaks of Legionellosis were preventable. Their investigations show almost all outbreaks were caused by problems that are preventable with effective water management.

In response to the CDC's report, the Kentucky Department for Public Health has distributed a public health notice containing CDC resources to assist building owners and managers in the implementation of a building water management program following the latest industry standards. Implementation of such a program can prevent Legionella growth in building water systems and thus prevent outbreaks of Legionellosis....

On September 14, KHA submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) rule addressing the treatment of third-party payers in calculating uncompensated care costs.

KHA and Kentucky's hospitals disagree with the position of CMS to require counting payments from Medicare and other private insurers to calculate uncompensated care costs for retention of DSH payments. The proposed rule would redefine a hospital's cost of care and is not authorized by statute.

The law states clearly that the only costs counted are Medicaid payments and payments made by uninsured patients, not payments made by other programs or insurers.

This proposal would harm many safety net hospitals, and would have devastating consequences for Kentucky's rural hospitals.

For a full copy of the comments, visit the Policy page in the Advocacy section of www.kyha.com.

If you have any questions,...

All KHA members are invited to attend the KHA Legislative Committee meeting on September 14, from 10:00 a.m. (ET) through a working lunch, at KHA Headquarters in Louisville.

The meeting will begin with guest speaker Medicaid Commissioner Steve Miller updating attendees on the 1115 Medicaid Waiver.  You will have an opportunity to ask him any questions that you may have about the waiver. 

Members will discuss state issues and take positions on legislation to recommend for inclusion on the KHA Legislative Platform. 

Representative Joni Jenkins (D-44), the House Appropriations and Revenue Human Resources Subcommittee chair, will be the luncheon speaker to discuss the state budget and Medicaid funding.  Since there may be legislation to change the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) program payment this session, this is a great opportunity to educate Representative Jenkins on the need for keeping the Medicaid DSH payments at the highest level allowed by federal law.

If you...

On October 20, KHA will host a seminar to get hospitals up to date on the latest changes in Joint Commission accreditation. The event will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn Louisville Northeast.

Many changes are occurring in the Joint Commission Accreditation process through January 2017, and the changes will have a great deal of impact on accredited organizations. With the implementation of the Project Refresh SAFER Matrix for scoring and the changes related to management of the Plan for Improvement associated with the Statement of Conditions, there will be some interesting challenges for all health care organizations. The Joint Commission Update 2017 seminar will provide information needed to understand and manage these accreditation process changes. Topics to be discussed include the Project Refresh and the SAFER Scoring Matrix, The Plan for Improvement portion of the Statement of Conditions post survey, frequently cited and challenging standards and High Reliability.

The event brochure...

On September 15, KHA, along with the Kentucky Office of Inspector General and the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs, will host a webinar on the SANE-Ready Hospital: What it Means and How to Achieve It.

The Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) Act passed in the 2016 General Assembly. This is a comprehensive measure which seeks to address a number of barriers to providing both health care services and justice for victims of sexual assault. Key to hospitals, the SAFE Act seeks to improve the quality of care sexual assault victims receive by the establishment of the SANE-ready designation for acute care hospitals. SANE stands for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. In order to qualify for the designations, hospitals must certify they have a SANE nurse on call 24/7.

For program details, view the brochure....

On September 6, KHA submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on the calendar year (CY) 2017 hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) proposed rule that would implement site-neutral provisions of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BiBA).

Kentucky's hospitals are opposed to CMS' site-neutral proposal because the rule would not only apply to new off-campus outpatient facilities but also to existing hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) that expand services or relocate to benefit their communities by lowering payment.

For a full copy of KHA's comments, members may visit the Policy page of the Advocacy section of www.kyha.com.

If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Galvagni at KHA (ngalvagni@kyha.com).

As an added benefit for KHA members, the annual publication Kentucky Hospital Statistics is now available online. The book can be downloaded in pdf format for your convenience at www.kyha.com/CM/Publications/KY_Hospital_Statistics.aspx.

You will find this resource and others under "Special Publications" in the Publications tab of the KHA website, www.kyha.com.

Kentucky Hospital Statistics is a comprehensive compilation of data on Kentucky hospitals:

Numbers, types and location of hospitals in Kentucky (sample page) Utilization of services (sample page) Hospital finances (sample page) Quality indicators (sample page)...

KEPRO, Kentucky's quality improvement organization (QIO), announced on Friday that the Short Stay reviews will be resuming soon. The organization hopes to receive further details from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) this week, and will provide more information at that time about upcoming informational webinars that will be held during the third week of September.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced an error in calculating Clostridium difficile infection performance during the first two quarters of 2014. This error affects hospital performance in the fiscal year 2017 Hospital Acquired Condition Reduction Program, baseline performance in the FY 2018 hospital value-based purchasing program, and measure data reported on Hospital Compare in 2015. As a result, CMS is conducting a second review and corrections period for the FY 2017 HAC program from today through Sept. 30 to allow hospitals to review their updated C Difficile performance. CMS also has updated the baseline period performance standard for the FY 2018 VBP program, and intends to update the archived databases of Hospital Compare to reflect corrected performance data. For more information, see CMS’s QualityNet website.

The Kentucky Hospital Association, in partnership with the American Heart Association, is providing a webinar series for small and rural hospitals with the goal to provide rural hospitals with a clinical update on improving recognition, treatment and sometimes transfer of stroke patients in a timely manner. Rural hospital emergency department staff and other nurses and physicians involved in the care of potential stroke patients are invited to attend.

View the brochure for program details and registration information.

CMS issued an invitation the public to comment on the Calendar Year (CY) 2017 Changes to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) proposed rule . Comments are due by 5:00 p.m. (ET) next Tuesday, September 6.

The CY 2017 OPPS ASC proposed rule includes the following changes to the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs:

Eliminates the Clinical Decision Support (CDS) and Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) objectives and measures beginning in 2017 and reduces the...

The next meeting of the KHA Summer Series of Congressional Meetings will be held September 9 in the first congressional district.

Each meeting in the Series is held in the congressmen’s districts to provide KHA members the opportunity to stay in contact locally with the Kentucky congressional delegation and discuss important legislative and regulatory issues currently before the U.S. Congress that are critical to Kentucky’s hospitals. With the nation’s health care system in transformation to delivery systems that are driven by new payment models, hospitals must stay in contact with their Congressman to let him know how these changes will impact your hospital, and this meeting provides you with the opportunity to discuss your issues and concerns.

Make plans now to attend the meeting in your congressional district.



Candidate for Kentucky’s...

On September 15, KHA will host a webinar on Legal and Risk Management Issues in the Emergency Department (ED).

With the emergency department (ED) being a high-risk area of liability for the hospital, the presentation will focus on legal and risk management issues that health care providers face while caring for patients in this high-risk environment.

During this session, Sue Dill Calloway will explain how to comply with selected Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services (CMS) hospital CoPs and Joint Commission standards that are problematic for emergency department staff and include how the visitation law affects the ED and the CMS anesthesia standards on the use of deep or moderate sedation in the ED. Calloway will further discuss the impact of the new CMS worksheets along with...

On September 13, KHA will host a a webinar on the Provider-Based Rules Update for 2016.

Hospitals are increasingly establishing provider-based clinics of all types. While hospitals can enjoy increased revenues from provider-based clinics, compliance with all the rules and regulations is challenging. The provider-based rule (PBR) is complex and there are definite ambiguities. Recent changes in the supervisory requirements for provider-based operations have created confusion and new compliance challenges.

During this workshop, Duane Abbey, PhD,CFP, will describe the overall purpose and function of the provider-based rule and address critical information concerning physician supervisory changes, as well as discuss the future of provider-based clinics.

Details can be found in the brochure, and registration is now open online.

...

Registration is now open for the KHA District Meetings in October at http://www.kyha.com/CM/Events/Evts_List.aspx. A detailed agenda will be available soon. A printable registration form and save the date flyer are available online now at http://www.kyha.com/docs/EventBrochures/DistrictMeetingsOctober2016.pdf.

KHA members should mark their calendars and plan to attend. All meetings will begin at 9:45 a.m. local time and conclude following lunch at 12:30 p.m.

October 12 9:45 a.m. (CT) Twin Lakes District Baptist Health Madisonville Loman Trover Conference Center 8th Floor Madisonville     October 14 9:45 a.m. (ET) Ohio Valley District KHA Headquarters 2501 Nelson Miller Parkway Louisville October 17 9:45 a.m. (ET) Cumberland...

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will host two webinars in August that highlight how to participate successfully in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs in 2016 based on the criteria outlined in the October 2015 final rule. The first webinar will discuss criteria for eligible professionals (EPs) and the second will highlight requirements for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs). Please use the links below to register.

2016 EHR Incentive...

On August 29-30, the Kentucky Hospital Engagement Network (K-HEN) will conduct a Patient Safety TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer Workshop, hosted by KHA in Louisville. Patient Safety TeamSTEPPS training will provide participants with the skill sets needed to build a culture of safety within their organization. Participants will learn to organize the work of patient safety and empower clinicians with the use of tools to effectively manage conflict and implement change.

For details, view the brochure. Reserve your spot today by registering online.

If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Perkins at KHA (sperkins@kyha.com).

On September 13, KHREF will host a webinar to help health providers prepare to meet their obligations under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

On May 18, 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued the implementing regulation for Section 1557 of the ACA. The regulation builds upon longstanding nondiscrimination regulations and provides important new protections, including prohibitions against sex discrimination in health programs and activities and nondiscrimination requirements for health insurance programs and activities. By eliminating barriers that are based on discrimination, Section 1557 is important to achieving the Affordable Care Act’s goals of expanding access to health care and coverage, eliminating barriers, and reducing health disparities.

View the brochure for details and register today...

Nearly one-third of U.S. hospitals fail to offer interpreters to patients who speak limited English, although federal law requires it, a new study shows.

The 1964 Civil Rights Act requires hospitals receiving federal funds - and that includes all hospitals - to provide language services to patients with limited English proficiency. Services could mean telephone translators, bilingual staff, professional on-site translators or video translators. 

KHA's Effective Communication in Hospitals Initiative developed a large amount of resources and materials to help hospitals meet these requirements including a visual interpreter pocket guide for health care professionals. The resources are available online at http://www.kyha.com/CM/Initiatives/Safety_and_Quality_Resources/Effective_Communication_in_Hospitals.aspx.

...

On August 10, Kentucky’s Second District Congressman Brett Guthrie met with hospital executives at the Hardin Memorial Hospital in Elizabethtown as part of KHA’s Summer Series of Congressional Meetings. Congressman Guthrie is a member of the U. S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, Vice Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee and chairs the Medicaid Task Force, an independent task force on the Energy and Commerce Committee specifically looking at the Medicaid program and ways to make the program more flexible for states and better for beneficiaries.

Congressman Guthrie stated that the task force is working to understand the current process and looking for ways to make the Medicaid program and the waiver process better for states to be able to be more creative and flexible. He noted that Medicaid as it is an open-ended budget requirement for governments, and that Kentucky is seeking a waiver from CMS is to implement a sustainable program for the expansion population, as he...

The Kentucky Hospital Research and Education Foundation (KHREF) is partnering with Blue and Co. to provide a summer series of webinars and a face-to-face conference for critical access hospital (CAH) CEOs and CFOs along with other financial leaders in the CAH setting. These programs are provided to Kentucky CAHs through support by the Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex Grant) and the Kentucky Office of Rural Health.

Webinars will be held August 16 and 25, and an in-person workshop is planned for September 15 in Louisville.

View the brochure for program details and registration information.

If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Cobb at KHA (ecobb@kyha.com).

The comment period for Kentucky's proposed Medicaid Waiver has been extended to August 14. The extension was posted by the Administration to the web yesterday.

Visit http://chfs.ky.gov/dms/kh for instructions on how to submit your comments if you missed the original July 22 deadline.

The KHA Summer Series of Congressional Meetings continued with a meeting yesterday with Congressman John Yarmuth at Jewish Hospital in Louisville. There was a great turn out of hospital leaders at the event, which featured a lively discussion of both state and federal legislative issues. Congressman Yarmuth spoke about Kentucky’s proposed Medicaid Waiver program and the upcoming presidential election. A meeting with Congressman Andy Barr was held in Lexington on June 6.

Each meeting in the Series is held in the congressmen’s districts to provide KHA members the opportunity to stay in contact locally with the Kentucky congressional delegation and discuss important legislative and regulatory issues currently before the U.S. Congress that are critical to Kentucky’s hospitals. With the nation’s health care system in transformation to delivery systems that are driven by new payment models, hospitals must stay in contact with their Congressman to let him know how these changes will impact your hospital,...

Twenty-three Kentucky hospitals were recognized in U.S. News and World Report's latest rankings of the best hospitals in the country. The top five hospitals in Kentucky (according to the magazine's recent ratings) were:

University of Kentucky, Lexington Ranked 45th nationally in Geriatrics High Performing in 8 Procedures/Conditions Baptist Health Louisville High Performing in 9 Procedures/Conditions Baptist Health Lexington High Performing in 8 Procedures/Conditions St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Edgewood High Performing in 7 Procedures/Conditions Norton Hospital, Louisville High Performing in 5 Procedures/Conditions Kosair Children's Hospital was ranked nationally in 3 children's specialties:  Diabetes & Endocrinology, Neonatology and Neurology & Neurosurgery

Seventeen additional hospitals were recognized as High Performing in at least 1 category of procedures/conditions:

Baptist Health Paducah (2 Procedures/Conditions) Ephraim...

KHA is hosting its Summer Series of Congressional Meetings in the congressmen’s districts to provide members the opportunity to stay in contact locally with the Kentucky congressional delegation and discuss important legislative and regulatory issues currently before the U.S. Congress that are critical to Kentucky’s hospitals. With the nation’s health care system in transformation to delivery systems that are driven by new payment models, hospitals must stay in contact with their Congressman to let him know how these changes will impact your hospital, and this meeting provides you with the opportunity to discuss your issues and concerns.

Third District Congressman John Yarmuth:

DATE: Monday, August 8, 2016 TIME: 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (ET) (Lunch will be served) LOCATION: Conference Center, 16th Floor Jewish Hospital Rudd Heart & Lung Building 201 Abraham Flexner Way Louisville Participation Form...

Hospitals participating in K-HEN 2.0 are invited to attend the Kentucky Sepsis Summit: Facing the Sepsis Challenge on August 24 at the Paroquet Springs Conference Center in Shepherdsville.

This conference will present comprehensive information on the clinical problem of sepsis and collecting data on both process and outcome measures associated with sepsis and severe sepsis. In addition, helpful tips on care improvement will be provided by national subject matter experts and hospital practitioners with experience in this topic.

View the brochure for details and register online to reserve your seat today.

LanguageLine (Pacific Interpreters) is hosting a free webinar on Tuesday, August 2 for health care providers to learn about essential consumers’ rights under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and guidance on how to meet your obligations to protect the civil rights of Limited English Proficient and Deaf and Hard of Hearing populations.

The 60-minute webinar includes:

• An overview of the new requirements
• „Helpful tips for organizations seeking to comply „„
• Northeast Georgia Health System’s experience developing and implementing a language access plan

To register, visit https://engage.vevent.com/rt/languagelineservicesinc~080216.

The Kentucky Hospital Association is hosting a oneday program addressing critical topics for quality leaders to strengthen your QI program and improve your CAUTI/ CLABSI measures. The event will be held at the Paroquet Springs Conference Centre in Shepherdsville on August 23.

For program details, view the brochure. Online registration is open so reserve your seat today.