October 4, 2004

MHA NewsWeekly Electronic Edition
October 4, 2004
Vol. 22, NO. 36

Quote of the Week
“The secret of life is this: When you hear the sound of the cannons, walk towards them.”
~ Marcel France

In this week's edition...
1. CDC Director to Attend Meetings in Mississippi
2. Risk Managers, Nurse Executives to Meet in October
3. MiracleHome Announces Open House Dates
4. No cuts for child health care programs
5. New Clinical Laboratory Web Page available on CMS web site
6. IOM plan targets rise in childhood obesity
7. Health care firms on lookout for Michael Moore
8. CMS chooses the long road to allow hand-gel dispensers in corridors
9. Medicare proposes to expand coverage for implantable defibrillators
10. "Designing the 21st Century Hospital" report now available
11. CDC to create Emergency Center
12. The Health Forum is accepting applications for the 2005-2006 Patient Safety Leadership Fellowship
13. Drug shortages have "far-ranging effects" on patient care
14. Hospitals struggle to fill pharmacy leadership positions, survey finds
15. Two-thirds of ERs say on-call coverage inadequate
16. Positions Available
17. People in the News
18. News Around the State
19. MHA Education Calendar
20. Calendar of Events

1. CDC Director to Attend Meetings in Mississippi  
 The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta will be in Mississippi today to talk about diabetes and heart-related problems affecting blacks.
 Dr. Julie Gerberding will visit the Jackson Medical Mall before leaving for Stoneville and a symposium sponsored by the Delta Health Alliance. Topics will include controlling infection diseases, coronary diseases and agromedicine. Gerberding’s visit comes at the invitation of U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., and representatives of the Delta Health Alliance.
 “Mississippi’s health care providers will receive advice from Dr. Gerberding about how to best use the experience available from the Centers for Disease Control,” Cochran said in a prepared statement.
 Cochran and others invited Gerberding to “see first hand what’s being done at the state level to address these problems,” said Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the CDC.
 Skinner said he expects Gerberding will use her visit to “talk about obesity and the impact obesity has on health here in the United States.”
 “We want her to see the collaborative effort we have going on in the Delta,” said Cass Pennington, DHA executive director. Pennington hopes an alliance can be forged between the CDC and his organization “to support our efforts.”
 The DHA, chartered in December 2001, is a partnership between Delta State University, Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Mississippi Valley State University and the Delta Council to provide health care, research and education programs to residents of the Delta.

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2. Risk Managers, Nurse Executives to Meet in October
 The Mississippi Hospital Association’s Organization for Nurse Executives (ONE) and Society for Healthcare Risk Management will jointly hold their annual meetings on Oct. 19 at the Beau Rivage Hotel in Biloxi. The theme is Raising the Bar for Nurse Leaders: Improving Staffing Effectiveness and Patient Safety.
 Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the meeting will adjourn at 5 p.m. Sessions will cover managing staffing challenges, keeping patients safe through transforming the nurses’ work environment. There is also time slated for breakout groups, development of action plans and a summary of group goals and plans. The speakers are Marsha K. Borling, RN, MA, a consultant specializing in health care operations, and Pam Thompson, MS, RN, FAAN, chief executive officer of the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE).
 MHA has secured a room rate of $94 at the Beau Rivage. For reservations, call (888) 750-7111 and ask for the MNA rate. The cost of the conference is $150 for members and $205 for non-members. For more information or to register, contact Diane Clift at (800) 289-8884, (601) 368-3217 or dclift@mhanet.org.

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3. MiracleHome Announces Open House Dates    
 The 2004 Batson Hospital for Children MiracleHome will be open for nine consecutive weekends prior to the give-away day in December. The MiracleHome will be open for tours from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday from October 9 to December 11. The MiracleHome will be given away Saturday, December 11, 2004.
 The 2004 MiracleHome is located in the new Speer’s Crossing Development in Brandon. It was designed by Connie Robinson and built by David Robinson of Robinson Custom Homes, Inc. This four-bedroom, three-bath home has an enormous kitchen-breakfast area with custom-designed cabinets, separate dining and living areas, a laundry room, large closets with plenty of storage, a two-car garage and front and back porches. The master suite includes his and her walk-in closets and vanity areas as well as a whirlpool tub, full shower and a separate water closet.
 The MiracleHome is not the only prize being given away on December 11. Ticket buyers will also be eligible to win a new convertible Volkswagen Beetle from Holman Jaguar, Audi, Volkswagen or eight other secondary prizes.
 The $100 tickets can be purchased by calling the 24-hour live hotline at 1-877-A-HOME-2U (1-877-246-6328), on-line at www.AHOME2U.com, or by mail. Tickets can also be purchased in Jackson at Holman Jaguar, Audi, Volkswagen or at Barnette’s and Aqua the Day Spa in Banner Hall. Only 10,000 will be sold so the chances of winning the MiracleHome, the convertible Volkswagen Beetle or one of the secondary prizes is one in one thousand or better.
 The Batson Hospital for Children MiracleHome is a joint project between Friends of Children’s Hospital and the Home Builders Association of Jackson. Presenting sponsor for the event is Trustmark National Bank. Additional sponsors include The Clarion-Ledger, WJTV News Channel 12, The Radio People, Hederman Brothers and Lamar Outdoor Advertising.
 By participating in the MiracleHome give-away, ticket buyers can help the state’s only hospital designed solely for the care of sick and injured children. The Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children at the University of Mississippi Medical Center treats nearly 80,000 children each year in the hospital, its clinics and the UMC pediatric emergency room. It provides the highest level of care to patients from all 82 counties.
 For more information, go online at www.AHOME2U.com or call 1-877-A-HOME-2U.

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4. No cuts for child health care programs
 The Bush administration said on Sept. 29 it will shift up to $660 million next year to keep children from losing government-paid health insurance.
 Mississippi, along with Arizona, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey and Rhode Island, is projected to use our entire federal contribution for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in the budget year that began Oct. 1, said the private Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.
 "No state will be left short and no child will lose coverage due to a shortfall, period," Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson wrote lawmakers.
 States will forfeit more than $1 billion in federal money that they have been unable to spend for the program when the current fiscal year ends Sept. 30, unless Congress and the administration agree on extending the deadline.
 President Bush wants to spend the money over the next two years to find low-income children who are eligible for, but lack, government health insurance.
 Critics of the president's proposal, which is part of his agenda for a second term, said enough money is being spent on outreach and that state budget troubles have restricted some states' ability to enroll new children.
 They said the administration has done nothing to address looming shortfalls in 2006 and 2007. Bipartisan legislation in Congress would allow states to keep the money and use it to provide health insurance during the next three years. Costs are shared by the federal and state governments.

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5. New Clinical Laboratory Web Page available on CMS web site
 CMS recently announced the new "Clinical Laboratory Information Resource for Medicare" Web page available on the CMS Web site.  This Web page includes links to specific clinical laboratory information on Billing/Payment, Regulations, Educational Publications, Demonstrations, Coding, National Coverage Determinations, and CMS Manual References.

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6. IOM plan targets rise in childhood obesity
 An Institute of Medicine panel on Sept. 30 issued an action plan aimed at reversing the rapid rise in obesity among American children. The report calls on schools to implement nutritional standards for food and beverages served on their grounds, and expand opportunities for students to engage in at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity. It also calls on industry to develop guidelines for advertising and marketing to children, restaurants to expand their offerings of nutritious foods, and parents to provide healthy foods and encourage physical activity. Community organizations and state and local governments are asked to implement programs that promote nutrition and physical activity, health insurers to make obesity prevention a priority, and health care providers to discuss weight issues with parents and children in a sensitive and age-appropriate manner. For more on the report, click here.

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7. Health care firms on lookout for Michael Moore
 Some of the nation's biggest drug manufacturers and health insurance plans confirm they have issued warnings to their sales representatives and other employees, telling them to be on the lookout for the filmmaker Michael Moore. The alert has been prompted by word that Moore is planning to focus his next film on healthcare industry business practices, specifically those of the managed care and pharmaceutical industries. To read the full story in The Chicago Tribune, click here.

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8. CMS chooses the long road to allow hand-gel dispensers in corridors
 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to issue a "notice of proposed rulemaking" as its way of formally allowing hand-gel dispensers in corridors.
 The rulemaking could take months to complete. However, in the end, the rule will likely adopt recent revisions to the 2000 Life Safety Code® (LSC) that permit gel dispensers in health care facilities. Lawyers for CMS felt that formal rulemaking was the proper way to enact the revisions because it will allow for public comment.
 The rulemaking will present the 2000 LSC for adoption as it exists today with the hand-gel amendment; everyone will have an opportunity to send in their views about the proposal. 
  To receive daily updates about Medicare issues, join the Medicare/Medicaid Community at MyMHA.

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9. Medicare proposes to expand coverage for implantable defibrillators
 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Sept. 28 proposed  expanding coverage for implantable cardioverter defibrillators to more Medicare patients. The device is implanted in a patient's chest to monitor the heart's rhythm and deliver an electrical shock when a life-threatening arrhythmia is detected. The proposed coverage expansion is based on new clinical studies involving heart failure patients. The draft coverage decision recommends coverage for most of the population studied in the trial, including patients with heart failure and poor function of their left ventricle. CMS said it will work with product manufacturers and experts from the clinical community to develop a registry that will track the progress of patients who receive the devices and help provide additional evidence on who is most likely to benefit from them. CMS will accept comments on the draft decision for 30 days.
  To receive daily updates about Medicare issues, join the Medicare/Medicaid Community at MyMHA.

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10. "Designing the 21st Century Hospital" report now available
 The conference report of Designing the 21st Century Hospital, a one-day conference co-sponsored in June by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the Center for Health Design, is now available on the RWJF Web site. The purpose of the conference was to discuss the state of the nation's hospitals and a vision for the future. The focal point was a new analysis of more than 600 research studies linking patient health and quality of care with the way a hospital is designed. Click here to view the conference report.

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11. CDC to create Emergency Center
 Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are creating the Marcus Emergency Operations Center to track and respond to disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies.
 The center is set to open in the fall of 2005, and will become CDC's primary emergency center. The current center, also called Marcus, was activated after the Columbia Space Shuttle in 2003 disaster to communicate with state and local public health officials about possible health hazards from shuttle debris.
 As part of the center's information technology resources, the nonprofit CDC Foundation bought 229 Dell Inc. computers through a gift from the Marcus Foundation. Dell is discounting the price by about $180,000.
 The emergency operations center will be activated to respond to disease outbreaks, possible bioterrorism attacks, natural disasters or events such as the shuttle explosion, he said.
  To receive daily updates about emergency preparedness issues, join the Disaster Preparedness/Bioterrorism Community at MyMHA.

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12. The Health Forum is accepting applications for the 2005-2006 Patient Safety Leadership Fellowship
 The Patient Safety Leadership Fellowship program is a yearlong intensive learning experience that will develop leadership competencies and advance patient safety science in health care through a dynamic, highly participatory, and structured learning community.
 The program explores the business, cultural, and leadership implications of patient safety. Fellows return to their organizations with tools, skills, models and leadership capabilities to create a culture of safety and reduce harmful or hazardous conditions and patient harm in their organizations.
 Fellows return to their organizations with new skills to lead safety improvement projects, culture change initiatives and long-term strategic planning for patient safety.
 The application deadline is January 10, 2005. The Health Forum will select winners in February. Click here for more information.
  To receive daily updates about patient safety issues, join the Patient Safety/Quality Community at MyMHA.

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13. Drug shortages have "far-ranging effects" on patient care
 Drug shortages are having far-ranging, negative effects on patient care and hospital costs, according to a study to be published October 1 in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy.
 Researchers polled nearly 1,500 pharmacy directors in U.S. health systems. About 95% of respondents believe shortages have created roadblocks and hurdles for treating patients with the best medication, while 61% believe the scarcity of certain drugs has compromised patient care.
 The survey represents the first formal research to gauge the effect of drug shortages on patient care. It was conducted in March 2003 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and pharmacy residents at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore.
 Pharmacy directors reported that drug shortages have affected patients in a number of ways, including contributing to the delay or cancellation of certain medical procedures, prolonged patient stays in hospitals, and serious medication errors.
 Shortages have also affected drug prices as pharmacists are forced to buy the same product at higher than contracted prices or more expensive alternative products in the same therapeutic class. Survey respondents reported that shortages force their hospitals to spend an annual average of $20,000 more in incremental drug purchasing costs. On a national level, this extrapolates to $99,260,000 in additional costs to the U.S. healthcare system each year. These figures do not take into account the significant personnel time required to manage shortages.
 Pharmacists are spending more time managing shortages, including: tracking product availability; identifying therapeutic alternatives; contracting with vendors, manufacturers, and group purchasing organizations to buy therapeutic alternatives; preparing written communications, and training other healthcare providers on using other medications, according to the survey.
 ASHP has worked for years to help health-system pharmacists deal with the problem of drug shortages, including launching a Drug Shortages Resource Center that provides timely reports on medications in short supply as well as their therapeutic alternatives.
  To receive daily updates about patient safety issues, join the Patient Safety/Quality Community at MyMHA.

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14. Hospitals struggle to fill pharmacy leadership positions, survey finds
 The nation’s hospitals and health systems are struggling to fill their open pharmacy manager positions, according to the latest annual staffing survey by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. More than a third of the pharmacy directors surveyed believe there are severe shortages of health-system pharmacy directors and assistant directors. The average vacancy rate for pharmacists this year is 5%, down from 5.6% in 2003 and 8.9% in 2000, the survey found. However, smaller hospitals find staffing particularly challenging, with the turnover rate in hospitals with fewer than 100 beds at 12.5% compared to 5.4% in hospitals with 400 or more beds. ASHP said the trend in terms of pharmacist recruitment and retention was encouraging, but expressed concern about the perceived shortage of pharmacy leaders. For more on the survey, see the news release here.
  To receive daily updates about workforce issues, join the Workforce Community at MyMHA.

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15. Two-thirds of ERs say on-call coverage inadequate
 About two-thirds of emergency departments report inadequate on-call coverage from key specialists like orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons and obstetricians, according to a survey by the American College of Emergency Physicians. The ACEP said the survey, conducted from April to August with researchers from Johns Hopkins University, is the largest study ever to evaluate problems with on-call coverage. Medical directors from 1,427 emergency rooms participated. According to the survey, the ACEP said, a lack of specialist backup is creating risks for patients by delaying treatment and increasing patient transfers between hospitals.
 "The decrease in the number of medical specialists willing to be on-call in the nation's emergency departments is a looming national healthcare crisis," ACEP President Brian Hancock said. About one-third of respondents attributed the problems to a change this year in the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act that narrowed definitions about what is and is not an ER and limited the regulation from being applied once patients are admitted to the hospital. Hancock said on-call problems are further exacerbated by medical liability insurance costs. The ACEP said it is conducting an ongoing study to track changes in on-call coverage over the next year. Download a PDF of the report here.

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16. Positions Available
 A large not-for-profit rural health care system is currently accepting applications for the position of administrator for a 38-bed hospital in Mississippi that also has 35 nursing home beds. The ideal candidate will have two to four years of hospital management experience. For more information, contact John Baumann of Baumann & Associates at (770) 509-2238 or jbaumassoc@aol.com.
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 North Mississippi State Hospital is currently accepting applications for RNs for the Tupelo Campus, the Crisis Intervention Center in Corinth and the Crisis Intervention Center in Batesville. Must be a licensed MS RN. For an application or more information, call (662) 690-4200.
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 Mississippi State Hospital has an immediate opening for a Nurse III in the Quality Management Division. This is a M-F 8-5 position with occasional evening hours. Preference will be given to applicants with knowledge of JCAHO and CMS regulations, Excel, Word, Web searching and experience in quality management/performance improvement data collection, aggregation, analysis and reporting. Resumes may be faxed to Kay Harrell, HR Division, at (601) 351-8222. 
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 Riley Hospital is currently accepting applications/ resumes for a Marketing Coordinator. Must have related degree and two years of experience. They are also seeking applications for a full-time Radiology Tech (7 a.m., 7 days on, 7 off) and Nuclear Medicine Tech (PRN). Must have current license/certification. For more information, contact Sara Carmichael at (601) 484-3236 or apply online at www.rileyhosp.com. 
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 Mississippi State Hospital is seeking a graphic artist. Must have experience in Quark, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, Word and WordPerfect. Preference will be given to candidates with a bachelor’s degree and at least one year of experience. Resumes may be faxed to Kay Harrell, HR Division, at (601) 351-8222.
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 Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle has the following opportunities available: RNs - shifts vary, MS license required; Med Techs - full time and PRN positions, must have completed an approved med tech school; Director of Behavioral Health - must have master’s degree in related field and management experience; Pharmacist - shifts vary, full time positions, B.S. in pharmacy or PharmD with MS license required. Send resumes and questions to Bobbie Robinson at (662) 244-1133, Fax (662) 244-1654 or bobbie.robinson@bmhcc.org.
  For a listing of additional hospital jobs or to post your confidential resume for health care recruiters, visit www.mshealthjobs.com.

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17. People in the News
 D’Auby Shiel, a longtime Ocean Springs resident and local banker, has been named to the Board of Trustees of Singing River Hospital System in Gautier. She has 43 years of experience in the banking field. She has been chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Coast Community Bank since 1996. She is also chairman of the Salvation Army’s Biloxi Chapter and is involved with the Boys and Girls Club.
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 Dr. Bo Bowen, a neurologist, has joined the active medical staff of Ocean Springs Hospital in Ocean Springs. He received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. Dr. Bowen performed his internship and residency at the University of Florida in Gainesville and a fellowship at Shands Hospital, also in Gainesville. He is board certified in neurology and is in practice with Gulf Coast Neurology Center in Ocean Springs.
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 Dr. Randy Fellman, a family practice physician, has joined the active medical staff of Singing River Hospital in Pascagoula. He received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota. He performed his internship at Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, Ore. He is board certified in family practice and is in practice with South Mississippi Surgeons in Pascagoula and is also working with the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center at Singing River Hospital.
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 Kathy Holbrook, RN, a nurse manager at Central Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, was recently named the Department Manager of the Quarter. She has been employed at CMMC for eight years and has served as nurse manager for the 4 N medical/surgical unit for the last 18 months.
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 Beth Messina, graphics supervisor at Central Mississippi Medical Center, was recently named the Employee of the Quarter. A Terry native, Messina has been employed in the Marketing Department for over eight years. She is also a published illustrator.
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 Debbie Kain, CNIII, received the Nursing Excellence Award from Central Mississippi Medical Center. She has spent the past four years on the Telemetry Unit. She is a Basic Life Support Instructor who holds an A.S. degree in nursing from the Mississippi University for Women. In addition to CNIII status, she recently received certification in cardiovascular nursing.
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 John Body was recently named the Employee of the Quarter at Rankin Medical Center in Brandon. He has worked in the Environmental Services Department for 13 years.
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 Michael Nester has been named administrator at Simpson General Hospital in Mendenhall. Previously, he was employed with Stroudwater Associates in Portland, Maine, as a senior consultant. He is not new to the area as he was employed with Pioneer Health Services from 1996 until 2003 as chief financial officer. He also worked as a controller at Rush Hospital in Meridian. He is a CPA and has an MBA in business administration from Mississippi State.
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 Monica Blaylock Faulkner, of the Women's Center at Gilmore Memorial Hospital in Amory, has earned her associate's degree in nursing.

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18. News Around the State
 Singing River Hospital has begun renovations on the third-floor Labor and Delivery area. The new labor and delivery rooms will be large enough for the family to be with the mother during her entire birthing experience. The renovation will also include an expanded newborn nursery and additional nursing support stations. SRH also plans for a 20-bed postpartum wing. In December, renovations will begin on the SRH front lobby, and this entrance will become the designated Women’s and Children’s Services entrance. An information desk will be placed in the center of the lobby, and one of the present elevators will be designated exclusively for Women’s and Children’s Services. The gift shop will be moved to the west side of the lobby and additional seating will be placed at the current gift shop.
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 Ocean Springs Hospital’s walking track officially closed on Sept. 21. The City of Ocean Springs will be opening a new walking track located next to the Ocean Springs Civic Center and the Mississippi Vietnam Memorial on Highway 90. Last year, OSH gave the city $100,000 to build a new walking track, as OSH will begin building more parking spaces for its hospital needs.
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 Camp Bluebird has been scheduled for Oct. 22-24 at Gulf Coast Research Lab in Ocean Springs. Twice a year, Singing River Hospital System’s Regional Cancer Center organizes the three-day, two-night adult cancer survivor camp. For applications or counselor/worker forms, contact the Center at (228) 809-5251.
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 Wesley Medical Center in Hattiesburg is kicking off Fearless and Fabulous, a month-long campaign to remind women they have the power to fight breast cancer, during October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The campaign encourages women to overcome their fear and get a mammogram, one of the best ways to detect cancer in its earliest stages. Events will be held throughout the month.
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 Jackson Veterans Administration employees assisted the Biloxi VA in transferring patients during Hurricane Ivan, including transporting them from Biloxi to Jackson. Andrew Tobias, Percy Bailey and Charles Jackson volunteered to head to Biloxi during the storm and loaded up two vans and one handicap-accessible minibus with 20 veterans and three nurses.
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 Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg and the Southeast Mississippi Rural Health Initiative (SeMRHI) opened a new pharmacy and a Medication Assistance Center on Sept. 27 on the campus of SeMRHI’s Hattiesburg Family Health Center. The pharmacy will serve patients who fall in that gap of coverage between federal assistance programs and private insurance. It is located next to the Hattiesburg Family Health Clinic. For more information about the center, call 1-800-844-4455.
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 Tyler Holmes Memorial Hospital in Winona will open a new dialysis facility in Winona next spring. When the center opens it will mark a 10-year effort by the hospital and the Montgomery County Economic Development Partnership. The certificate of need application is currently pending during a mandatory 90-day period with the Mississippi State Department of Health. The facility will be operated by Renal Care of Montgomery County, an extension of the company that operates centers in Greenwood and Grenada. The firm will place a modular unit on the hospital parking lot. The Winona facility will have six chairs.
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 North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo is sponsoring a used phone cell drive through Oct. 15 to help protect victims of domestic violence in Tupelo, Eupora, Iuka, Pontotoc and West Point. For more information, call 1-800-THE-DESK.
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 The Diabetes Treatment Center at North Mississippi Medical Center will sponsor Healthy Cooking for People with Diabetes, a four-week class beginning Oct. 5. Sessions begin at 6 p.m. in the Cardiac Rehabilitation kitchen, located on the third floor of NMMC's East Tower. Each session features instruction by a registered dietitian and a cooking demonstration. The fee is $45 and includes a cookbook. For more information or to register, call 1-800-THE-DESK.
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 Gilmore Memorial Hospital has recently acquired the new ImageChecker Computer Aided Detection system for use in breast cancer screening to assist radiologists in minimizing false negative readings during mammograms.
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 Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford is broadening its service to new and expectant mothers and their families. New offerings range from CPR training to postpartum fitness classes. Kathy Shoalmire serves as hospital educator.

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19. MHA Education Calendar

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20. Calendar of Events

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