Statewide Strategy on PPE |
We and much of the nation are alarmed to see an uptick of COVID in most states, including Maryland.
Your hospitals appear to be managing the volume without the strain felt during our spike in April/May, yet we know a significant surge would threaten that progress and stress your resources further.
With that in mind, MHA is leading efforts to shore up your supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the duration of this public health emergency. Plus, we’re collaborating on a long-term strategy to ensure the cupboards aren’t bare for the next.
MHA, the State, hospital supply chain and emergency management leads, and others launched the PPE Steering Committee in August. The committee’s purpose is to assess supplies in hospitals and adopt a system to ensure you have the resources you need—in the right quantities—during the next COVID surge, “FluVid,” or a future emergency.
Plans call for hospitals to commit to a 60-day reserve of PPE, with the State keeping 60 days of PPE cache based on peak burn rate. We’re also determining effective metrics to track PPE use and make sure your hospitals have the resources to care for patients and protect your workers.
The PPE Steering Committee has identified gloves and gowns as a weakness during a possible new surge and beyond. The State is looking to purchase more of these essential items for their cache soon. Yet, at peak burn rate, both hospitals and the State have relatively low supplies of these items.
The committee should complete its work in the next few weeks. We’ll share recommendations and next steps as we move toward a more efficient process to track and deliver PPE.
At the same time, I want to thank you for your efforts to conserve PPE and for your creativity in sourcing supplies and even making your own.
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Bob Atlas
President & CEO
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MHA Insight: Hospitals Deftly Pivot to Protect Marylanders in Coronavirus Pandemic |
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MHA released a new MHA Insight focused on Maryland hospitals’ extraordinary response to COVID, including building up bed capacity. It also shows that hospital usage has been slow to return. We will use this piece as part of our advocacy efforts on behalf of all Maryland hospitals and health systems.
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Gov. Hogan Releases Draft Plan for Mass COVID-19 Vaccinations |
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Gov. Larry Hogan announced the release of the State of Maryland’s initial draft COVID-19 mass vaccination plan, which was submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The full plan is available online. For questions, contact Nicole Stallings.
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MHA Supports HSCRC MHAC Recommendations |
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MHA supported the Health Services Cost Review Commission’s draft recommendations for the Maryland Hospital Acquired Conditions Program for Rate Year 2023 in a comment letter Wednesday. MHA also cautioned against making changes to the rate year 2023 prospective revenue adjustment scale. For questions, contact Brian Sims.
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Performance Measurement Work Group Update |
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The Health Services Cost Review Commission’s (HSCRC) Performance Measurement Work Group (PMWG) convened virtually Oct. 21. Members and staff discussed feedback from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Maryland’s Quality Programs, overview of PMWG endorsed Statewide Integrated Healthcare Improvement Strategy (SIHIS) goals and measures, and rate year 2023 quality policies.
CMS stated that because Maryland’s Quality-Based Reimbursement (QBR) performance has lagged behind the nation, CMS requests a report by June 2021 detailing the QBR Redesign Subgroup’s findings and plans to improve quality performance. The subgroup is expected to convene in early 2021. In response to stakeholder feedback on the SIHIS goals and measures, staff lowered the year-three milestone for the timely follow-up measure from 1.76% improvement to 1.17%, maintaining the year-eight final target of 4.76% improvement. The SIHIS plan is due to CMS by the end of 2020. Staff previewed the rate year 2023 QBR draft recommendations and discussed the potential inclusion of additional measures, including the transition from an inpatient mortality measure to a 30-day mortality measure. Staff then reviewed the rate year 2023 Maryland Hospital Acquired Conditions (MHAC) recommendations as presented to commissioners at the Oct. 14 Commission meeting. Though not included in the formal draft recommendations, staff sought feedback on widening the hold harmless zone from 60-70% to 60-75%. Members generally pushed back against this consideration.
Meeting materials can be found here. For questions or additional information, contact Brian Sims.
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Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) Hosts 2nd Telehealth Work Group |
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On Oct. 21, MHCC held a second virtual meeting of its Telehealth Policy Work Group. Over 70 representatives of providers, consumers, and payers joined the call to discuss topics identified by MHCC for potential policy recommendations. Issues included originating site restrictions, audio-only services, and alignment of payer policies on reimbursement – all provisions prioritized by Maryland’s hospitals. As a legislative priority for the 2021 session, MHA will continue to advance the goals of the field. For additional information, contact Jennifer Witten.
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MHA Supports HSCRC Recommendation of $165.4M for SIHIS Targets |
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In a letter to the Health Services Cost Review Commission Tuesday, MHA supported the commission’s recommendation to invest $165.4 million over five years to build behavioral health crisis infrastructure and reduce the impact of diabetes in Maryland. These investments and partnerships, along with other private and state-led strategies, are essential to ensure Maryland meets the targets that will be set in the Statewide Integrated Health Improvement Strategy (SIHIS). For questions, contact Traci La Valle.
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Work of Maryland Hospitals Highlighted at Maryland Rural Health Association Annual Conference |
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- A panel discussion on the hospital field’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic at the peak with Erin Dorrien, Director Government Affairs and Policy, MHA; Sharon McClearnan, MBA, BSN, Vice President for Clinical Integration LifeBridge Health, and Kathryn Fiddler, DNP, MBA, RN Vice President Population Health, Tidal Health
- A presentation on Telehealth: Maryland’s Advocacy Landscape for Policy Change: COVID-19 and Beyond by Jennifer Witten, Vice President of Government Affairs, MHA, and Robyn Elliot, Founding Partner of Public Policy Partners
- In addition to a legislative panel presentation and in-depth discussions about health equity by Dr. Maulik Joshi, President and CEO, Meritus Health
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Webinar Series Focuses on Health Care Worker Self-Care |
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The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) and MedChi are launching a new webinar series starting Oct. 29 at 5 p.m., the BHA/MedChi Behavioral Health Webinar Series: Helping the Helpers and Those They Serve.
These webinars are for Maryland’s community and hospital health care workers of all disciplines. They are designed to enhance both health care worker self-care and resultantly the care they provide, as health care workers combat numerous stressors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, social justice issues, and other stressors that can potentially impact care. CMEs will be available at no cost, as will participant certificates, which for other disciplines can qualify for continuing education credit. More information, and registration details are available here.
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