MHA this week submitted a comment letter to the Health Services Cost Review Commission on the commission's Medicare Performance Adjustment (MPA) policy. The letter offers support for the MPA because the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) pathway and alignment of physicians is important to manage the total cost of care. However, if the MPA is not approved for MACRA purposes, the letter asks the commission to scale back the attribution methodology to better align with hospitals' existing efforts to control total cost of care. The commission is expected to consider the MPA for adoption at its monthly meeting on Monday.

 

Contact: Traci LaValle

MHA and the Maryland Department of Health will continue their five-part series: Hospitals' Role in Addressing the Opioid Crisis next week with the fifth and final webinar, "Buprenorphine in the Emergency Department." Materials from the first four webinars are available on MHA's website. The November 14 webinar is at 8:30 a.m. and registration is required.  Contact  Nicole Stallings  with questions. 

The Maryland Health Care Commission has released findings from a year-long assessment of the unique health care delivery challenges in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's and Talbot counties on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The report, " Health Matters: Navigating an Enhanced Rural Health Model for Maryland," makes recommendations to improve population health in rural communities within the five-county region and identifies successful initiatives in rural communities throughout the U.S. that can serve as models for Maryland.

MHA and CRISP next week will host a webinar on CRISP's work to support image exchange. The webinar will cover how hospitals can perform and publish stroke imaging in real time, allowing specialists to make rapid, life-saving decisions for stroke patients. It will also cover the results of a return on investment analysis conducted with five hospitals in Maryland, including reductions in potentially avoidable utilization. Attendees will hear from their colleagues about how image exchange has affected patient care and improved patient and clinician satisfaction. The webinar is November 17, 8:30-9:30 a.m. Click here to register.

 

Contact: Pat Ross

The Behavioral Health System Baltimore (BHSB) has re-released its Request for Proposals for a competitive procurement of a Maryland Crisis Stabilization Center. The stabilization center is a new program design in Maryland that will offer a safe place for individuals who are under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol to sober and receive short-term interventions, such as buprenorphine induction and medical screening and monitoring. The center will be a city-wide program that is responsive to local needs, grounded in a public health framework, and integrated into the behavioral health crisis care system. Through this RFP, BHSB is seeking a qualified organization to operate and partner with the Implementation Board to develop and sustain a pilot project. Proposals are due by November 21 with an anticipated contract start date of
December 1.

The Healthcare Association of New York State has made available its webinar on helping hospitals identify practical means to minimize the impact of the current saline shortage on patient care. The webinar was developed with pharmacists from health systems throughout New York State and offers strategies to conserve and bridge gaps during drug shortages. Earlier this week, the American Hospital Association send the Food & Drug Administration a letter about the shortages, and AHA has also sent a letter to House Energy & Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

The American Hospital Association has created several resources for hospitals to use to encourage enrollment in the health insurance marketplace, including videos, social media posts, talking points and other resources. 

The Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault is celebrating Forensic Nurses Week this week to honor the hard work, expertise, and dedication of forensic nurse examiners who care for victims of sexual assault and other trauma. The International Association of Forensic Nurses has created a planning guide hospital staff can use and if you haven't done so already, consider sending a thank-you card or print a certificate of recognition for a forensic nurse to show how much you appreciate their dedication.