KHA thanks both Aegis Sciences Corporation and PhysioTherapy Associates for their Corporate Level sponsorship. Aegis Sciences Corporations' labs provide Drug-Free Workplace services to health care organizations, businesses and judicial systems.  They have been federally certified (SAMHSA) since 1991 and customize services to meet a broad range of needs including routine drug and alcohol testing, synthetic drugs and their unique Zero-Tolerance Drug Testing program.  To learn more, visit www.aegislabs.com.

PhysioTherapy Associates is one of the nation's leading providers of outpatient rehabilitation, orthotics and prosthetics covering 36 states and 600 facilities. To learn more, visit www.physiocorp.com.

KHA's Annual Sponsorship Program is a great opportunity for organizations looking to build connections...

KHA thanks Keane Insurance Group for their Bronze Level sponsorship. Keane Insurance Group specializes in medical professional liability insurance and is one of the largest independent brokers in the country focused completely on medical providers. To learn more, visit www.keanegroup.com.

KHA thanks both Scrubs & Beyond/Life Uniform and TeamHealth for their Corporate Level sponsorship. Scrubs & Beyond carries health care uniforms, lab coats, hosiery, shoes and accessories for women and men.  To learn more, visit www.scrubsandbeyond.com.

TeamHealth is one of the nation's largest providers of outsourced physician staffing solutions for hospitals in emergency medicine, hospital medicine, anesthesia, urgent care and pediatrics.  To learn more, visit www.teamhealth.com.

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KHA is hosting two separate opportunities for Kentucky hospitals (those who have participated in K-HEN in the past, or who might be interested in participating in future HEN activities with KHA) to hear about the next phase of the Centers for Medicare & medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Engagement Network (HEN) program.  KHA will be continuing its partnership with the Hospital Research and Education Trust (HRET), its national partner. 

The webinars will provide more information about the CMS timeline, clinical focus areas both required and optional, requirements of participating hospitals and KHA/K-HEN resources to support hospitals participating with us.

KHA asks that all hospitals interested in continuing HEN work with KHA, or those interested in participating in KHA/K-HEN for the first time, participate in one of the two webinar options:

Friday, February 27 from 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET  Tuesday, March 3 from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET   Dial in               1-877-594-8353

Access...

About CON Modernization  The Office of Health Policy (OHP), the department of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services which oversees Certificate of Need (CON), will be hosting two listening sessions to take comments from providers and other stakeholders on how to modernize the CON program. The OHP published a memo in October 2014 (see Special Memorandum CON Modernization: http://www.kyha.com/members/) requesting comments on how to modernize the CON program to meet goals to transform healthcare delivery systems in Kentucky to promote value-based care delivery and the ability to better manage the continuum of care of patients. 

KHA conducted a thorough study of the CON program with the help of a consultant and submitted a report and comments to the OHP demonstrating that the Kentucky CON program is key to ensuring stability in the health care delivery market to allow for innovative models to promote health care delivery transformation....

KHA thanks both Cull & Hayden, PSC and RehabCare for their Bronze Level sponsorship. The law firm of Cull & Hayden in Frankfort concentrates its practice in the area of health care, certificate of need, licensure, reimbursement, government relations and other administrative hearings and appeals.  RehabCare - Kindred Hospital Rehabilitation Services can show hospitals the way to reduce readmissions through a clinically integrated continuum of post-acute care.  To learn more, visit www.RehabCare.com.

KHA thanks both Air Methods and TEG Architects for their Corporate Level sponsorship. Air Methods is the largest air medical provider specializing in the safe, rapid, and quality transport of the most critically ill or hurt patients.  To learn more, visit www. airmethods.com.

TEG Architects creates facility solutions for architecture, planning and interior design to transform and create innovative facilities that are operationally effective while improving staffing and reducing construction and long-term maintenance costs.  To learn more, visit www.teg123.com.

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The 86th Annual KHA Convention will be held at the Lexington Center/Hyatt Regency, May 7-8.  

The event will include education opportunities for hospital senior staff and specialty educational tracks for chief medical officers and physicians, chief nursing officers and nurse managers, chief financial officers and finance managers, health care attorneys and volunteer services.  

These programs combine to offer an excellent day and a half of education and networking.  KHA convention programs will be available in the next several weeks, but please reserve May 7 and 8 on your calendar.

KHA thanks Healthcare Services Group for their Bronze Level sponsorship.

Healthcare Services Group provides professional management and support for housekeeping and dining/nutrition services for hospitals and long-term care facilities. To learn more, visit www.hcsgroup.com.

KHA's Annual Sponsorship Program is a great opportunity for organizations looking to build connections and/or establish affiliations or joint ventures with Kentucky's 130 hospitals.  To learn more about KHA's Annual Sponsorship Opportunities, please contact Pam Kirchem at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via pkirchem@kyha.com).

HB 213, sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chair John Tilley (D-Hopkinsville) and Representative Joni Jenkins (D-Shively), would use treatment and incarceration to reduce the devastating effects of the heroin problem in Kentucky. Kentucky had 230 overdose deaths in 2013, up from 22 in 2011. SB 5 is the Senate version to deal with the heroin problem. Each body is taking up the other House’s version of the bill.

HB 213, as passed by the House, includes a certificate of need (CON) exemption for licensed residential crisis stabilization units (RCSU) which are already exempt from CON, but was overly broad and could have exempted partial hospitalization and other CON-regulated hospital services. The bill sponsors would not delete the provision because a belief that there is a lack of treatment beds for addicts statewide. KHA was successful in working with the bill sponsor to amend the CON provision by the passage of two amendments:

Allows licensed RCSUs to be located as part of a licensed...

KHA thanks Jeron Electronic Systems, Inc. for their corporate  level sponsorship.

Provider 790 Nurse Call System by Jeron Electronic Systems, Inc. utilizes VoIP technology, SIP wireless phone integration, real-time staff locating, automated rounding, and improves caregiver workflow. To learn more, visit www.jeron.com/solutions/healthcare.

 KHA's Annual Sponsorship Program is a great opportunity for organizations looking to build connections and/or establish affiliations or joint ventures with Kentucky's 130 hospitals.  To learn more about KHA's Annual Sponsorship Opportunities,...

SDGblue, LLC  is a professional information technology company, specializing in security, network, infrastructure, technology and consulting services. To learn more, visit www.sdgblue.com.

KHA thanks SDGblue for their corporate  level sponsorship. KHA's Annual Sponsorship Program is a great opportunity for organizations looking to build connections and/or establish affiliations or joint ventures with Kentucky's 130 hospitals.  To learn more about KHA's Annual Sponsorship Opportunities, please contact Pam Kirchem at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via pkirchem@kyha.com).

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The Kentucky Institute for Patient Safety and Quality (KIPSQ) Annual Membership Meeting will be held March 19 at the Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport (one day following the KHA Quality Conference). The KIPSQ conference updates participants on national patient safety trends.  The meeting will focus on Safe Tables, Root Cause Analysis and current legal cases.  You MUST be a member of the KIPSQ Patient Safety Organization (PSO) in order to attend. Please view the brochure for the KIPSQ Annual Membership Meeting conference details and registration information.  You can also refer to the KIPSQ website for more information. If you have...

Miller Architects, Inc. is a full service architecture and development firm specializing in all aspects of health care design and construction with particular expertise in project funding. To learn more, visit www.millerarch.com.

KHA thanks Miller Architects, Inc. for their Corporate  level sponsorship. KHA's Annual Sponsorship Program is a great opportunity for organizations looking to build connections and/or establish affiliations or joint ventures with Kentucky's 130 hospitals.  To learn more about KHA's Annual Sponsorship Opportunities, please contact Pam Kirchem at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via pkirchem@kyha.com).

The KHA District Meetings will be held at various locations around the state in early March.  All hospital chief executive officers are encouraged to register and attend the meeting in their district.  If another date and location are more convenient, please feel free to attend a different district meeting.  If you are unable to attend, KHA asks you to send your designee in your stead.

Please view the agenda for district meeting details and registration information.

If you have any questions, please contact Pam Kirchem at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via email at pkirchem@kyha.com).

The KHA Annual Quality Conference will be held March 18 at the Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport. The Conference updates both clinical and administrative participants on national patient safety and quality improvement trends. The 2015 program will focus more specifically on a number of improvement efforts including readmissions, HSOPS, culture, meds to bed and incentives.

Please view the brochure for Conference details and registration information. Please use this hotel reservation link or contact the hotel directly at 1-888-233-9527 and reference "Quality Conference."

If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Perkins at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via email at sperkins@kyha.com).