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"Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all of the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing."
----Vince Lombardi, football coach
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Medical Trivia Question
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Q: In Holland, it used to take four years to train as a hat maker, but how long to be a surgeon?
Answer is located at the bottom of this column.
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Contact Us
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Risk Management
24/7 Hotline:
(720) 858-6270 or
(800) 421-1834, ext. 6270
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Upcoming Educational Conferences
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CONGRATULATIONS!
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Poudre Valley Hospital, part of University of Colorado Health in Denver, was recognized by CareChex as a top quality hospital for orthopedic surgery
for 2017.
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Medical Trivia Answer
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Q: In Holland it used to take four years to train as a hat maker, but how long to be a surgeon?
A: 3 years
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January 2017
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Colorado End-of-Life Options Act
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With the recent passage of the new Colorado End-of-Life Options Act, we understand there may be questions on how the law will affect health care providers. Gov. Hickenlooper signed this voter-passed initiative into law on Friday, December 16, 2016 and became effective immediately.
There is a section of the statute that applies to facility policies when the facility chooses to opt out of participating under the Act. Review section 25-48-118 here. Also, see the Legislative Update article below for more information.
If you have questions with regard to the process and/or ability to opt out, please contact COPIC's Legal Department at (720) 858-6035. The Colorado Hospital Association and Colorado Medical Society also have resources for their members.
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An Update on the PSO Requirement for Hospitals with 50+ Beds
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A provision under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) required that, as of January 2015, qualified health plans (QHPs) participating in the health insurance exchanges may only contract with hospitals that utilize a patient safety evaluation system (PSES), which is the collection, management, or analysis of information for reporting to or by a patient safety organization (PSO).
This requirement was delayed until January 1, 2017. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) passed a final rule in March 2016 that provides an alternative to PSO participation in order to participate in QHPs. This requires that hospitals implement an evidence-based initiative to improve quality health care through the collection, ma
nagement, and analysis of patient safety events that reduces all cause preventable harm, prevents hospital readmission, or improves care coordination. Participation in select state-mandated reporting requirements and state-supported Health Improvement Innovation Networks (HIINs) that fit the intent of the rule may satisfy the criteria for a facility to meet the QHPs insurance exchange participation requirements. HHS discussed these options when the final rule was published:
We believe that the requirements finalized [for patient standards for QHP issuers] for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2017, will allow for both flexibility and innovation for hospitals to choose the most relevant patient safety initiative for their populations. We believe hospitals may choose to work with a PSO as their preferred option. We acknowledge that the different initiatives mentioned in the proposed rule, including HENs, QIOs and PSOs, may work on focused topic areas to reduce patient harm. Therefore, we believe that it is important for hospitals and their partners to determine and engage in the appropriate strategies reflecting the needs of their respective patient populations.
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There is an exception to this requirement for hospitals with fewer than 50 beds. COPIC recommends that you consult your legal counsel and/or state hospital organizations for assistance in determining the status of your existing improvement efforts in meeting the intent of the rule in order to qualify for participation in QHPs.
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Selecting a Patient Safety Organization (PSO)
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For those facilities seeking to select a PSO, there is a new AHRQ brochure to help organizations effectively choose one.
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new regulation from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services allows qualified health plans to meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act by working with a PSO. AHRQ's brochure,
Choosing a Patient Safety Organization, can help by describing factors to consider and details on finding a listed PSO. Working with a PSO can help organizations achieve better and safer care. PSOs have experts who can collect, analyze, and aggregate clinical data at local, regional and national levels to develop insights into the underlying causes of patient safety events that might not be obvious. Hospitals that work with PSOs can also submit non-identifiable data to the Network of Patient Safety Databases to enable aggregation and comparison of data on a national level.
Download the brochure or call AHRQ's Publications Clearinghouse at (800) 358-9295 to order limited free copies. In addition, read AHRQ's
new blog post on the topic.
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| Patient Safety & Risk Management Forum |
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COPIC's 2016 Patient Safety & Risk Management Forum was held October 5-7th. Over 100 attendees from Nebraska and Colorado facilities attended.
COPIC was pleased to present this educational program to our insured facilities. It included several nationally-recognized leaders in patient safety and risk management, as well as dynamic COPIC speakers. Topics included risks with social media, cell phones, employee issues, human factors, violence in the workplace, care for the caregiver, and the highly acclaimed Risk Management 101. Thank you to everyone who attended. See you next year!
Save the date:
2017 COPIC Patient Safety and
Risk Management Forum:
October 4-6, 2017
JW Marriott Cherry Creek, Denver, Colorado
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Human Resource Hotline
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COPIC's complimentary Human Resource (HR) Hotline is available for your HR-related questions.
Unsure how new legislation may impact how you hire, manage, and terminate employees? Are you looking for an HR expert to use as a sounding board for a tough decision you are facing?
COPIC's HR Hotline connects you with our experts who can help resolve employment-related issues. In addition, we can help identify outside resources to handle complex employment law situations.
The HR Hotline is available during regular business hours, 8:30am-5:00pm (Mountain Time), Monday through Friday by calling (844) 208-4680.
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Schedule COPIC Education Opportunities
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Need CMEs and COPIC points? Would you like to schedule an educational seminar at your facility? Peruse the COPIC Education Catalog and call us to schedule a seminar at your facility.
 COPIC has compiled a catalog of available courses and seminars that we can present for your physicians and staff to earn CMEs and/or COPIC points. Currently scheduled seminars are listed on our website at
callcopic.com/education, but if you need a specific topic presented to your staff, choose a course from the catalog and contact COPIC's Risk Management and Patient Safety department at (720) 858-6396 to schedule a seminar that best suits your needs.
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| Legislative Updates |
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COPIC has long believed that taking an active role in advocating on legislative issues is an important way to maintain stability for access to quality care. That is why COPIC continuously monitors legislation that may impact regulatory oversight, create burdens on health care delivery or change access to quality health care.
Colorado:
In November, the voters of Colorado passed a ballot initiative to allow terminally ill patients to take life-ending, doctor-prescribed medication by an overwhelming 65% of the vote. The "End-of-Life Options Act" was enacted on December 16, 2016. The measure was modeled after Oregon's "Death with Dignity Act," and is very prescriptive in its required procedures and documentation. There are at least 19 expressly stated "responsibilities" for the attending physician, which need to be followed carefully in order to receive the protections from civil and criminal liability and disciplinary sanctions.
Of importance to health care facilities is the notice requirement to patients and employed or contracted physicians under section 118 of the Act.
- A health care facility must notify patients in writing of its policy with regard to medical aid-in-dying. There is no specific requirement as to the wording of this notice or the manner in which it is given.
- A health care facility choosing to opt out of participation under the act may prohibit a physician employed or under contract from writing a prescription for medical aid-in-dying medication for a patient who intends to use it on the facility's premises. A facility cannot enforce such a policy against a physician unless the physician has been provided written notice of the opt out policy.
While COPIC members may represent differing viewpoints and values regarding this measure, COPIC endeavors to maintain a neutral position and provide factual information to our insureds. Please contact our Legal Department at (720) 858-6035 with any questions.
Federal:
COPIC will be following the transition of the Executive Branch over the coming months closely to stay on top of possible proposed changes and their impact on our insured facilities. We will work with our partners in an effort to assist where we can and keep you informed along the way.
As always, COPIC will continue to keep you aware of specific legislative priorities involving health care and alert you so you can be informed and get involved. You can always find the latest information by visiting COPIC's Legislative Action Center. Subscribe to our Action E-List to get emails when important issues arise and support efforts to help educate legislators.
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| Regulatory News |
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CMS Update: As of March 8, 2017, hospitals will be required to present the Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice (MOON) advisory in writing and verbally to Medicare beneficiaries who receive at least 24 hours of hospital services under outpatient status.
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CMS Revisions to State Operations Manual for Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and Swing-Beds in CAHs
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MACRA RESOURCE: According to an October 14, 2016 CMS press release, the final rule of the Medicare Access and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act of 2015 Quality Payment Program will be flexible, simple, and supportive of small practices. CMS has launched a new interactive website to help clinicians understand and participate in the program.
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CMS has also launched a new online tool; Quality Payment Program Education & Tools Resource Library serves to supplement the website by enabling organizations to retrieve and maintain the Program's measures, and build applications for clinicians and their practices. It also strives to reduce the burden on clinicians.
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The AHA recently released a MACRA 101 video series to help hospital leaders and trustees prepare for the new Medicare physician quality payment program, for which performance measurement starts in 2017 under the Medicare Access & CHIP Reauthorization Act.
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Reminder: Office of the Inspector General, Hospitals Permitted to Waive Cost of Self-Administered Medications to Outpatients, posted 10/29/15.
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Infection Control Resources
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Information Technology Resources
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The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology resource "Health IT Playbook"
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Thank you for your commitment to patient safety and improving the practice of medicine. Always feel free to contact COPIC with any questions you may have about Patient Safety and Risk Management services.
Sincerely,
Laura Dixon, BS, JD, RN, CPHRM Director, Patient Safety and Risk Management, Facilities and Operations Phone: 720-858-6000//Toll Free: 800-421-1834 |
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