Earlier today, KHA submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on its hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) proposed rule for calendar year (CY) 2020.

KHA expressed concerns over the requirement for hospitals to make negotiated charges available, the continuation of the phase-in of payment reductions for clinic services furnished in excepted off-campus provider-based departments, reduced payment for 340B program drugs and the reduction in payment to low wage index hospitals if the finalized IPPS wage index policy is adopted under this OPPS rule.

To read the full description of KHA's concerns and proposals to address them, read the letter in its entirety on the Policy page on the Advocacy section of KHA's website, www.kyha.com.

Registration is now open for the 2019 KHA Health Care Leadership Conference. The annual event brings Kentucky’s political leaders together with hospital executives from throughout the state to learn about the issues that will affect hospitals in the coming year.

State senators and representatives will discuss the challenges facing health care in the 2020 legislative session Legislative leaders will reveal plans for the upcoming session and how health care factors into their parties' agendas Presentation of the 2020 KHA Legislative Platform Special thanks to KHA Diamond Sponsor: Unified Technologies View the brochure for more information. Online registration is available for your convenience.

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As reported yesterday in the KHA News blog, the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) notified stakeholders that it is postponing the official effective dates of several new and revised standards pertaining to pharmaceutical handling until further notice while it reviews appeals to the standards. KHA contacted the Joint Commission this morning to clarify how this would impact their surveys.

Their official statement has not yet been released; however, until the Joint Commission knows more about the delay in implementation of USP 797 and 800 standards, there will be no changes to the way they survey medication compounding.

KHA will distribute any updated information to members as soon as it is available.

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 the University of the Cumberlands!

The University of the Cumberlands is the largest non-profit private university in Kentucky.With more than 40 academic majors, minors and pre-professional programs, students can customize their college experience with their interests and passions.

For more information, visit the University of the Cumberlands website at http://www.ucumberlands.edu/.

To become...

Yesterday, the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) notified stakeholders that it is postponing the official effective dates of several new and revised standards pertaining to pharmaceutical handling until further notice while it reviews appeals to the standards. Those standards include general chapters (Pharmaceutical Compounding – Nonsterile Preparations), (Pharmaceutical Compounding – Sterile Preparations), and (Radiopharmaceuticals – Preparation, Compounding, Dispensing, and Repackaging). In addition, due to the pending appeals, USP new general chapter (Hazardous Drugs Handling in Healthcare Settings) will remain official, but only informational and will not be applicable until the appeals process is complete.

KHA submitted a letter...

KHA was successful in achieving favorable amendments to the Medicaid telehealth regulation. The Department for Medicaid Services (DMS) has issued revisions to its proposed regulation on telehealth service coverage and reimbursement.

KHA is very pleased that the regulation maintains payment parity. DMS will pay for telehealth services at 100% of the amount payable for an in-person service. Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) must reimburse the same amount as the department unless the MCO and provider have negotiated a different rate. DMS made several changes to their proposed rule in response to comments from KHA and other organizations.

A copy of the revised rule is available at http://www.new-kyha.com/Portals/5/NewsDocs/907KAR3_170.pdf. The revised rule must be reviewed by two legislative committees before it becomes final and effective which should occur by early November.

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The 2019 Day for Infection Preventionists, November 12, is aimed at supporting Kentucky infection prevention professionals in their daily work to reduce health care associated infection and provide quality patient care. The one-day conference builds on foundational skills provided in previous educational offerings and explores topics with emerging importance. The target audience includes infection preventionists, chief nursing officers, risk managers, quality improvement and patient safety personnel in the hospital.

Mark your calenders now to attend!

If you have any questions, please contact Melanie Moch (mmoch@kyha.com) or Deborah Campbell, RN-BC, MSN, CPHQ at KHA (dcampbell@kyha.com).

Hospital system presidents from across the state met last week to learn details on the issues KHA is addressing on behalf of member hospitals.

Attendees heard a summary of the findings from KHA’s Value of Certificate of Need (CON) report. KHA will provide the results of the CON study to all members at the upcoming District Meetings, so please plan to attend one of those meetings.

The system presidents also received an update on the Medicaid Hospital Rate Improvement Program (HRIP) — formerly known as the upper payment limit (UPL) program. Carl Herde, KHA vice president of financial policy and Wes Butler, KHA’s legal counsel, will be conduct a webinar for all members on Wednesday, September 25 at 10:00 a.m. (ET) to discuss HRIP. Every hospital should attend this webinar to hear an update on the timetable and process for implementation....

The third episode of The Kentucky Hospitals Podcast is now available to download. Members can access the latest episodes at www.kyha.com/podcast. Just log in on any desktop or mobile device for a list of episodes. You can also click the Subscribe button there to receive email notifications when a new episode is produced.

In episode 4, hear a report on the KHA Board of Trustees meeting, the UPL program (now called the Medicaid Hospital Rate Improvement Program or HRIP), certificate of need, price transparency, upcoming meetings and Nancy Galvagni's latest trip to Washington where she...

Last week, KHA President Nancy Galvagni attended a national AHA Regional Policy Board meeting in Washington, DC. While there, she visited Kentucky's senators and several congressmen on September 10. Staying engaged with Kentucky's elected representatives keeps the hospital message on their minds, and she was able to learn more from them about the issues currently facing Congress.

Even though there is a budget deal, Congress has not yet passed appropriations bills required to fund the government. This will not happen before October 1, so it is expected that there will be a continuing resolution passed to fund the government through early December.

It is likely that legislation on Medicaid disproportionate share hospital funding (DSH), drug pricing and surprise biling will all come together at the end of the year.

The good news is that there appears to be agreement on a two-year delay of the Medicaid DSH cuts.

Drug Pricing

The Senate Finance Committee passed a drug pricing...

If a CMS surveyor showed up at your hospital tomorrow would you know what to do? Are you sure you are in compliance with the entire grievance requirements by CMS, OCR and the complaint standards by the Joint Commission or your accreditation organization? Join KHA for a webinar on October 9 to make sure your hospital is ready.

View the brochure for more details. Online registration is available for your convenience.

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

KHA will host member meetings in each of the four districts throughout the state in October. Online registration is now open! This is a great opportunity to get involved with the Association and network with your peers.

KHA has redesigned the District Meetings to promote more discussion and participant engagement. Please review the agenda and materials and come prepared to answer interactive live polling questions.

October 1 Ohio Valley District Registration Materials KHA Headquarters Louisville   October 4 Cumberland District Registration...

The Kentucky Hospital Association is actively recruiting a Director of Data Analytics, who will be responsible for conducting KHA’s research and data analysis activities. This position will also be responsible for a wide variety of health care data analysis and preparation of reports to assist the membership and to support the Association’s representation and advocacy function.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Oversee claims-related data exchange programs and projects with other state associations. Perform analytical audits of KHA claims data for reasonableness and accuracy. Prepare white papers and other analysis and reports for the membership on various topics using KHA Claims Data and other data sources. Perform data analyses and prepare reports to support health policy analysis, representation, advocacy and planning as directed by the Vice President of Data and Health Information Services, Vice President of Financial Policy, Vice President of Member Services or the President. ...

The Kentucky State Loan Repayment Program (KSLRP) is now accepting applications from health care providers seeking assistance with paying off their student loan debt.

The KSLRP is a loan repayment assistance program that helps to recruit and retain health care providers in rural and underserved communities across the state. Applicants selected to participate in the competitive program agree to work full time for two years providing primary care services at an eligible practice site located in a Health Professional Shortage Area. Participants receive tax-free student loan repayment awards — ranging from $10,000 to $40,000 a year — in exchange for their service commitment.

The current application window runs from September 1 to October 1. The deadline to submit completed application materials is Tuesday, October 1 at 5:00 p.m. (ET).

Eligible applicants include physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, registered nurses, dentists,...

KHA and the K-HIIN group recently recognized Heather Lee-Chestnut, a performance excellence engineer at Med Center Health, as the latest Patient Safety Hero Awardee. Lee-Chestnut was nominated by Melissa Allen, an APRN in infection prevention at Med Center Health, who explained why she deserved the award:

"Heather has helped lead our CLABSI prevention team since the beginning of the year. While she's not clinical, her expertise is in Distribution and Quality. She has absorbed the clinical information so quickly and has helped the nursing team see our opportunities to improve in a different manner. Heather has embraced the mission of eliminating central line infections and has worked diligently to help move our systems towards our goal of zero CLABSI. Without her, I'm afraid we wouldn't...

The website for the Kentucky Statewide Opioid Stewardship (KY SOS) program, www.kentuckysos.com, is live. The site contains resources for participating hospitals, upcoming events, recordings and presentations from past events, information on the Advisory Committee and more.

If your hospital is not yet participating in the program, contact Donna Meador at KHA (dmeador@kyha.com).

Registration is open for the KHA Annual Volunteer Conference. Volunteers, auxillians, foundation and health care leaders from across the state will meet on September 26 to discuss new and exciting techniques to excel in their local programs. This is a completely revised conference bringing focus on the most requested topics and issues faced by hospital volunteer groups. Join KHA to reflect on the past, prepare for new challenges and learn how to rise to a new vision.

The registration fee includes two days of conference attendance, conference materials, meals (including entry into the networking reception with vendors and admission to the BBQ dinner with entertainment provided by the Moron Brothers) and eligibility for personal and facility prize drawings.

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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 Pacific Companies!

Pacific Companies, the only permanent and locum tenens firm to offer one point of contact. Since 2001, they have been a trusted advisor in health care staffing.

For more information, visit the Pacific Companies website at https://www.pacificcompanies.com/.

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

We hope you enjoy the KHA daily newsletter, Health e-News. The newsletter will receive a revamp soon, so we want to make sure you're prepared for the change! The email will come from a new address (kyha@memberclicks-mail.net), so please take the time now to add this address to your email address book or ask your IT team to whitelist it for your servers.

These steps will ensure you continue to receive the daily news clipping and blog updates in addition to other KHA group emails. This change will happen within the next two weeks, so take action now to ensure you do not miss any daily emails.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Ginger Dreyer at KHA (gdreyer@kyha.com).

In 2016, workplace violence cost hospitals and health systems over $1.5 billion, spent on security, training, staff turnover, medical care and absenteeism. Additionally, over 77 percent of emergency physicians believe that violence in the emergency department (ED) has harmed patient care through decreased productivity, emotional trauma and increased wait times.

Hardin Memorial Health in Elizabethtown uses Collective’s platform to address the problem. Deanna Parker, Vice President of Emergency Services says, “With Collective Medical, we can better track and record violent incidents, helping us reduce instances of workplace violence, keep staff safe and better care for our patients.”

Hardin Memorial’s charge nurses are empowered to record incidences...

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 2019 edition of the Kentucky Trustee is available at http://www.kyha.com/assets/docs/Publications/KT/KTSummer2019.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 (gdreyer@kyha.com).

Join KHA on October 9 to learn directly from surveyors from the Kentucky Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and other experts so your facility can be better prepared for OIG surveys. Surveyors, a legal expert and hospital leaders will discuss the basics of an OIG survey, immediate jeopardy and real-world scenarios. Plus, as a participant, you will have the opportunity to ask questions to further enhance your understanding.

View the brochure for program details. Online registration is available for your convenience.

If you have any questions, contact Laurie Gutermuth at KHA (lgutermuth@kyha.com).

The Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services (DMS) has entered into 12-month MCO contracts for State Fiscal Year 2020 effective July 1, 2019, to provide health care services to Kentuckians who meet eligibility requirements for Medicaid. The contracts below have been submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for approval.

Please note, the files below are large and will take additional time to load.

Aetna

Anthem

Humana

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The Lexington Police Department will host a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Training Course in Lexington beginning October 1. The didactic course is provided over 5 days (40 hours) and satisfies the first portion of the KBN requirements for the SANE credential.

Instructors will be local members of the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), as well as experts from the Office of the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney and the Kentucky State Policy Laboratory.

Download the brochure for program details and registration information. The registration deadline is September 23.

If you have any questions, contact the Lexington Police Department's SANE Program Manager Angela Wallace, RN, BSN, SANE (awallace@lexingtonpolice.ky.gov).

The Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services (DMS) is requesting feedback on the proposed DMS 340B Policy and Procedures Manual. The Department is extending the deadline for all feedback to October 3. The effective date of the proposed policy will be set to January 1, 2020.

Please email all feedback to jade.range@ky.gov.

The Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) is alerting clinicians about the possibility of seeing patients with progressive, severe pulmonary disease related to the use of e-cigarettes or “vaping.” As of August 27, at least 215 possible cases in 25 states have been reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One death has been reported in Illinois. These pulmonary injuries are particularly seen among adolescents and young adults. Patients are experiencing respiratory symptoms including cough, shortness of breath and fatigue, and symptoms typically worsen over a period of days or weeks before admission to the hospital. Other symptoms reported by some patients included fever, anorexia, pleuritic chest pain, nausea and diarrhea. Chest radiographs show bilaterial opacities, typically in the lower lobes, and CT imaging of the chest show diffuse ground-glass opacities, often with subpleural sparing. Evaluation for infectious etiologies was negative in all patients. Some...