KHA is grateful for the support of its Annual Sponsors! Through their generous donations, KHA is better able to support its members and provide a wide array of services. Please join KHA in thanking Corporate Sponsor GRW!

GRW’s in-house architectural and engineering design professionals offer you exceptional service and experience to solve a wide range of design challenges.

For more information, visit the GRW website at http://www.grwinc.com/.

To become a sponsor, contact Claire Arant at KHA (carant@kyha.com).

Two of KHA's biggest annual events are scheduled — the Health Care Leadership Conference and Annual Convention — so mark your calendar now and plan to attend! Additional information will be available in the coming months.

KHA Health Care Leadership Conference
November 9
Marriott East
Louisville

KHA 90th Annual Convention
May 8-10, 2019
Lexington Convention Center/Hyatt Regency Lexington

The Kentucky Trustee is a quarterly newsletter KHA produces for the benefit of hospital boards. The goal is to provide your trustees with information they need to lead your hospital forward in today’s rapidly changing environment. The summer edition of the Kentucky Trustee is available at https://www.kyha.com/assets/docs/Publications/KT/KTSummer2018.pdf.

KHA mails the Kentucky Trustee newsletter to all trustees for which the Association has contact information. This is a good time to ensure KHA has your current board members’ addresses.

If you have suggestions for future issues of the Kentucky Trustee, please contact Ginger Dreyer at KHA (502-426-6220 or 800-945-4542 or via e-mail at gdreyer@kyha.com).

The KHA Trustee Conference will be held September 21 at Churchill Downs in Louisville. Join your colleagues from across the state for this timely event designed specifically for hospital trustees. This conference is built on networking, education and idea exchange. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to talk with your peers about similar challenges and discover new skills to overcome them.

View the brochure for Conference details. Online registration...

KHA is urging the Kentucky congressional delegation to sign a bipartisan Dear Colleague Letter that is being circulated in Congress by the House Ways and Means Committee. The letter deals with CMS’ proposal to make major changes to the system under which patients are functionally assessed and classified under Medicare. This impacts the Medicare patients that need inpatient rehabilitation care and the seven freestanding and 11 hospital-based rehabilitation units (IRFs) in Kentucky’s hospitals who care for and rehabilitate patients who have experienced major medical events such as traumatic brain injuries, strokes and spinal cord injuries.

The letter asks important questions of CMS and highlights concerns with this proposal. KHA has asked all of Kentucky's Congressmen to sign onto the letter, which expresses concerns about this CMS proposal and encourages the agency...

If a CMS surveyor showed up at your hospital tomorrow, would you know what to do? Two upcoming KHA seminars will cover the 2018 changes in the CMS Hospital Conditions of Participation (CoPs). Hospitals have seen a significant increase in survey activity by CMS, so this is a great way to educate everyone in your hospital on all the sections in the CMS hospital manual especially ones that apply to their department.

• CMS Hospital Conditions of Participation Made Easy 2018
  September 10-11
  Brochure
  Online Registration
   
• Revised CMS CAH Conditions of Participation 2018: Ensuring Compliance
  September 11-12
  Brochure
  Online Registration

On July 13, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) filed changes to the State Health Plan – the guiding methodology for formal review under the Certificate of Need (CON) program. These changes were filed in two regulations – ordinary and emergency. The E-reg deletes the Post Acute Transitional Care pilot project (passage of SB 123) and an Ordinary Regulation combines required changes from the passage of HB 444 as well as other recommendations received during the pre-comment period. (Click the bill numbers above for full text of the regulations.) KHA's summary of the changes identifies if these were KHA-supported or...

The Health Resources and Services Administration's Workplace Partnership for Life Hospital Organ Donation Campaign recently recognized more than 1,200 hospitals and transplant centers nationwide, including 314 small and rural hospitals, for outstanding efforts to promote organ donation awareness and registration.

The 17 Kentucky hospitals below reached platinum, gold, silver and bronze recognition levels for their organ, eye, and tissue donation and registration efforts between October 1, 2017, and April 30, 2018.

As this year's Kentucky Hospitals' Circle of Friends political action committee (PAC) campaign continues, many hospitals' local campaigns have seen great success! Each Kentucky hospital has a goal each year for their Circle of Friends campaign. The following 27 hospitals have already met their goals this year!

A copy of the 2018-2019 KHA Work Plan is now available online.

Each year, KHA’s Strategic Planning Committee meets to review the accomplishments of the previous year and discuss initiatives for the upcoming year. The Committee then prioritizes those activities and develops a list of recommendations to be presented to the KHA Board of Trustees. The list of initiatives included in this Work Plan was approved by the KHA Board at its June 2018 meeting.

New state and federal issues may arise that take priority over those listed; however, this plan identifies the major initiatives the KHA staff will be undertaking before June 2019.

KHA is grateful for the support of its Annual Sponsors! Through their generous donations, KHA is better able to support its members and provide a wide array of services. Please join KHA in thanking Silver Sponsor AMN Healthcare!

AMN is a leader and innovator in health care workforce solutions and staffing services to health care facilities nationwide.

For more information, visit the AMN website at http://www.AMNHealthcare.com.

To become a sponsor, contact Claire Arant at KHA (carant@kyha.com).

If you are new to KHA, or if you just need a refresher about what the Association does for you, there is a new tool to help! Visit the new KHA Membership Guide online at https://www.kyha.com/membership-guide.

The guide provides a short overview of KHA's governance and services as well as where to find more details on the website. The Staff section of the guide also provides a listing of staff members to contact based on different topics/issues you may wish to discuss.

If you have any questions, the KHA staff is here to serve you.

KHA is grateful for the support of its Annual Sponsors! Through their generous donations, KHA is better able to support its members and provide a wide array of services. Please join KHA in thanking this year's first Diamond Sponsor, TEG!

TEG is a national architecture, planning, interior design and visualization firm specialized in developing comprehensive solutions for complex health care facilities.

For more information, visit the TEG website at http://www.teg123.com.

To become a sponsor, contact Claire Arant at KHA (carant@kyha.com).

Yesterday, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) released the following statement on Kentucky HEALTH:

We had hoped for a quick federal re-approval that would allow the transformative Kentucky HEALTH program to start August 1, avoiding delayed access to services for beneficiaries and costly system changes. We have been working with CMS on the details of the re-approval process, including the status of dental and vision benefits, and have now received updated guidance that CMS will hold a 30-day federal comment and evaluation period, making it clear that the program will not begin as soon as we hoped.

Under Kentucky HEALTH, some beneficiaries would have been able to use their My Rewards Accounts to pay for routine vision and dental services. Due to the delay in implementation of the My Rewards program, there was no legal authority to pay for these services out of the My Rewards account. In order to mitigate the consequences of the judge’s ruling, and avoid a prolonged...

Did you, or someone you know, make it a professional goal to sit for the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Board of Governors (BOG) Exam? If so,  the Kentucky Chapter of ACHE is sponsoring a FREE day-long BOG Prep Course to help you become board certified.

Kentucky is fortunate to have many health care leaders and ACHE fellows who have agreed to teach on the material you will be tested on in the ten knowledge areas. All you need to do is to let KY ACHE know you plan to attend and then show up ready to learn.

When: Friday, August 17 Time: All day (details are in the survey monkey link below for registering) Where: Harshaw Trane at 12700 Plantside Drive, Louisville, KY 40299 (502-499-7000) Cost: Free to all members and anyone interested in joining ACHE

To register, go to

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ACHE2018BOGprep

Below is a link to information on Advancing to Fellow:...

KHA will host member meetings in each of the four districts throughout the state in September. Please, mark your calendar now. This is a great opportunity to be involved with the Association and network with your peers.

September 7 Cumberland District Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center   September 11 Blue Grass District HealthSouth Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital September 27 Twin Lakes District The Medical Center Bowling Green   September 28 Ohio Valley District KHA Headquarters Louisville   Please see the Save the Date Flyer...

The Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA's) Office of Pharmacy Affairs will host a webinar on August 8 to assist covered entities with the recertification process for the 340B drug savings program.

Hospitals can join the webinar, which takes place from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (ET), by visiting https://hrsaseminar.adobeconnect.com/dpp_340b_pepi/.

The conference number is 800-967-7154 and participant passcode is 847321.

All 340B hospitals are required to recertify with HRSA to ensure they continue to meet the 340B hospital eligibility requirements. The hospital recertification process runs from August 15 to September 12. HRSA recently stated it may request additional information from covered entities during the registration process. These additional program integrity requests are specific to hospital eligibility documentation and contract pharmacy agreements of all covered entities...

Are you looking to improve your emergency department ( ED) processes? If so, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to attend this highly interactive session to gather ideas from your peers that you can immediately try in your hospital. KHA will host a two-day conference on August 9-10, at Jeptha Creed in Shelbyville, which is designed for hospital CEOs and emergency department leaders to support CAH emergency care growth and quality. The conference addresses operations efficiency, opioid abuse challenges, culture and quality. Learn how to improve your data collection and analysis and ways to provide even better and more efficient care to enhance your patient experience.

View the brochure for program details. Register online...

As technology advances in our lives, organizations explore how new capabilities can improve their business functions. Accounts Payable (AP) is one of the areas which can benefit greatly from technology and attention, ultimately transforming what was once viewed as a necessary business function into a revenue-generating strategy.

Many hospitals have some version of automation in their accounts payable, but often the program doesn’t live up to their expectations. It can be challenging to enroll suppliers, it may take too many IT resources and/or lackluster customer service isn’t enough.

When an AP solution stalls, it’s hard to imagine getting another one, but some organizations are finding that’s exactly what they need to do.

Having two AP solutions from different providers can provide some much-needed relief from the frustrations of an underperforming program. You can ask a provider to evaluate only the payments that aren’t already automated – giving them a smaller portion of the pie means they will give...

KHA's Vice President of Government Relations Sarah S. Nicholson announced her retirement today. She has been a dedicated member of the KHA staff for over 38 years. Throughout her entire career here, she has worked tirelessly advocating at the state and federal levels to protect and advance Kentucky hospitals.

The entire KHA staff and membership will miss working with Sarah, but we know she is excited to enjoy her retirement with her family – especially her grandchildren. We wish Sarah all the best on her new adventure.

Sarah’s final day with KHA will be later this year.

 

Timely visits were held with the Kentucky congressional delegation and staff in Washington, D.C., on July 12-13, by a team of KHA members and staff advocating for Kentucky’s hospitals. The visits were held a day after the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee held hearings on the 340B Drug Discount Program, in which seven bills that have been introduced (and eight bills without named sponsors and yet to be introduced) were discussed. Some of the legislation is supportive of the 340B program and some favors the pharmaceutical industry.

Thanks to the KHA team who traveled to Washington including KHA Legislative Chair Nina Eisner, CEO of Ridge Behavioral Health; Sherri Craig, KentuckyOne Health; Karen Sellers, Highlands Regional Medical Center; Lourdes Baez, Baptist Health...

On May 16, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a request for information on ways to lower drug prices and reduce out-of-pocket costs for consumers.

While the AHA appreciates the Administration's focus on the issue of unsustainable drug prices, which threaten patient access to care, the focus on the 340B program as part of a plan to lower drug prices is misplaced. A number of the questions raised by HHS suggest that the 340B program might contribute to higher drug prices. However, it is drug manufacturers,...

Most new laws approved during the Kentucky General Assembly's 2018 session will go into effect on Saturday, July 14. KHA’s priorities all become effective on July 14, except for SB 112 (Alvarado), telehealth legislation, which contained a special effective date of July 1, 2019.

The Kentucky Constitution specifies that new laws take effect 90 days after the adjournment of the legislature unless they have a special effective date, are general appropriations measures, or include an emergency clause that makes them effective immediately upon becoming law. Final adjournment of the 2018 Regular Session was on April 14, making July 14 the effective date for most bills.

A copy of the 2018 Kentucky General Assembly Report for Hospitals including the legislative voting record is available at https://www.kyha.com/assets/docs/AdvocacyDocs/2018/KHALegislativeFinalReport2018.pdf...

KHA hosted a well-attended webinar today to update the membership on key information surrounding the implementation of the Kentucky HEALTH Medicaid 1115 waiver. A recording is available on the Waiver Resources page of KHA's website. The page can be found under the Advocacy tab at www.kyha.com. You must log in to access these resources. Your user id is usually your email address.

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

The 340B Prescription Card Program from SUNRx helps 340B entities pass along savings to patients. Eligible hospitals and clinics struggle to stretch their scarce resources to provide the crucial services their patients need while maintaining financial security. And while many patients they serve can’t afford to pay for high priced medications, it doesn’t have to be this way — a 340B program administered by SUNRx can help.

SUNRx’s 340B prescription card program provides a conduit for covered entities to pass along 340B savings to their patients. Because SUNRx is a wholly owned subsidiary of pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), MedImpact Heathcare Systems, this 340B prescription card program is unique from others. SUNRx confirms 340B patient eligibility and applies its “lower of” cost calculation to find the lowest price available for the patient. This process is accomplished in real time when your patient presents...

KHA is grateful for the support of its Annual Sponsors! Through their generous donations, KHA is better able to support its members and provide a wide array of services. Please join KHA in thanking Bronze Sponsor Sound Physicians.

Sound Physicians is a leading health care organization with a proven track record of improving quality, satisfaction and financial performance for its hospital partners nationwide. Sound combines a high performance model with engaged providers to drive reproducible results across the acute care episode through emergency medicine, critical care, transitional care, advisory services and telemedicine.

For more information, visit the Sound Physicians website at http://www.soundphysicians.com/....

KHA is grateful for the support of its Annual Sponsors! Through their generous donations, KHA is better able to support its members and provide a wide array of services. Please join KHA in thanking Bronze Sponsor ProAssurance.

ProAssurance's health care professional liability solutions make insurance simpler. Get coverage that fits and a pledge of fair treatment. ProAssurance Group is A.M. Best A+ (Superior).

For more information, visit the ProAssurance website at https://www.proassurance.com/.

To become a sponsor, contact Claire Arant at KHA (carant@kyha.com).