|
Blessing
Starts Up Mobile Medical
Van 
The new mobile medical van, Ka'a Ho'ola, was
recently blessed by Kahu Danny Akaka, Jr. with
over 80 guests at the ceremony. With the
leadership of Representative Robert Herkes, Kona
Community Hospital (KCH) and the Hawaii
Medical Service Association (HMSA) are working
together to administer its theme "Growing Rural
Healthcare." Its name translates to a
vehicle of revitalization and well-being and
exists to serve the medical needs of the
southernmost region of the Big Island.
The van is a direct result of over 10 years
of work by Rep. Herkes. It was his vision
that much-needed healthcare services be made
available in the area he represents which is
District 5; the most remote area of the Big
Island of Hawaii.
HMSA
has allocated funds for the management and
services offered by the van to cover a two-year
period. KCH has agreed to
utilize medical expertise to
coordinate service activities.
Initially, the project will be to improve
capacity for medical services to the underserved
school-aged children in Kau. These
services will initially begin at Pahala
Elementary. Service activities will center
on screening, testing and prevention education.
Immunizations and school physicals will also be
offered. The goal will be to drastically
increase the number of services provided within
the first six-month period. In addition,
keiki that need special medical care can be
monitored through online tele-health, which
provides immediate access to
specialists.
|
Kona
Hospital Foundation Gifts
New
Patient
Beds
The tremendous efforts of the Kona Hospital
Foundation have provided a huge return -
the purchase of 24 state-of-the-art patient beds
that are easy, safe, and proven to be the
best. With the current Adopt-A Room
Project, a special renovation of 34 patient
rooms in the Med/Surg and Skilled Nursing units,
these new Hill-Rom Advanta 2
Beds will replenish all of the beds in
the Med/Surg unit.
This campaign ensures that those who
are cared for have a comfortable
experience.
"We are fortunate to have a Foundation that is
committed to improving the health care needs of
our community. Their tireless work is
appreciated," commented Jay Kreuzer, West Hawaii
Regional CEO. "We also would like to thank
those who have generously contributed to the
Foundation. We know that their support
plays a key role to the quality of health care
services provided at Kona Community Hospital and
to the West Hawaii community."
Today,
Foundation Chairman, Jim Higgins, announced the
Foundation just received a grant from First
Hawaiian Bank in the amount of $23,355 for the
purchase of three new beds.
The bed features controls at the bedside, scale
at point of care, digital head of bed angle
display, dual locking brakes in all four
corners, less patient repositioning, and battery
backup. It is designed for caregivers to
provide more care with less effort. In
addition, it puts safety first and provides
patient-friendly features to improve the
experience of the med/surg patients.
The
Kona Hospital Foundation's mission is to accept
gifts and solicit donations for new medical
technology, expanded services, and enhanced
facilities for Kona Community Hospital.
Since its inception, the Foundation has donated
over $5 Million towards numerous projects that
have improved the hospital. Major
endeavors include the Radiation Oncology Center,
Imaging Center, Nuclear Medicine Suite,
Outpatient Chemotherapy Building, and the
Renovation of the Emergency Room. Many
other projects to date include the emergency
helicopter landing area, repair and painting of
the facility, enhanced directional signage for
visitors, medical equipment, and education for
hospital professionals.
The Foundation's Board of Trustees includes
Chair James W. Higgins; Vice Chair Daryl H.
Kurozawa, MD; Secretary M. E. "Meg" Greenwell;
and Trustees Tina Clothier; Gregory Chun, PhD;
Judith-Ann Nakamaru; and Reba Silva.
Founded in 1914, Kona Community Hospital is a
94-bed full-service hospital with 24-hour
emergency services that supports the west region
of the island of Hawaii. It is a member of
the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, a special
agency of the state of Hawaii established in
1996. It is fully accredited by the Joint
Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare
Organizations. Kona Community Hospital is
dedicated to providing and enhancing accessible
comprehensive healthcare services to the West
Hawaii community.
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|
East
Hawaii Region Reaches New Heights in
Quality
and Patient Satisfaction
Hilo Medical Center (HMC) enters the new fiscal
year with an unprecedented level of quality care
and measurable patient satisfaction. New
programs throughout the hospital have boosted
indicators in both areas as a result of a
concerted effort across all departments.
 |
|
HMC Nurses Bryan Murakane, RN,
and Esperanza Hilton, RN, have been a part of
the team credited for going three years without
a single central-line infection in the ICU since
June. |
As
a result, HMC recently received recognition from
HMSA as being the sole hospital in the State to
increase quality, as measured on a spectrum of
indicators, while simultaneously decreasing
costs. "We have reached a critical tipping
point in our drive to create the best possible
experience for each patient with high
quality care," said Howard Ainsley, CEO of the
East Hawaii Region. "This is good news
because our scores, based on the quality care we
deliver with aloha, will determine how much the
hospital gets paid for our services in this
pay-for-performance environment."
Improvement
in the patient experience and quality indicators
is particularly evident in HMC's Emergency
Department (ED), which was the first area of
focus for the hospital's initiative to improve
customer service. Today, the ED ranks in
the top third of emergency rooms in the Western
region of the U.S., according to the most recent
report from Premier Inc. Wait times, from
arrival, patient registration, to evaluation by
a physician, are below 25 minutes.
Following the designation a year ago as a Level
III Trauma Center, HMC's Stroke Program is
laying the groundwork to apply for Joint
Commission certification as a primary Stroke
Center. ED patients are also benefitting
from HMC's investment in advanced training for
its nurses, as well as from post-discharge calls
from physicians to check on their condition and
understanding of needed follow-up
care.
 |
|
Michelle Branco, Patient
Satisfaction Rep., with patient Stanley Tsuji
who said: "The staff here is bar
none! From the top to the bottom, everyone
is
compassionate!" |
In
June, HMC celebrates three years without a
single central-line infection in
its ICU, marking another significant quality
milestone. "The fact that HMC's ICU team
has reduced central line infections to zero
since June of 2009 is a tremendous
representation of the quality of the hospital,"
said Ainsley. "The critical gain for our
patients and our community stems from the
dedicated efforts of ICU Chief Dr. Mouhamed
Kannass and our nurses who are incredibly
mindful of this aspect of quality and patient
care."
To
improve the patient experience, HMC's Patient
Satisfaction Representative (PSR) program has
tallied more than 24,900 daily visits to
patients during the last year, or 70 percent of
all inpatients. "The program has proven
invaluable in conveying our commitment to a
great patient experience with both our staff and
patients," said Dan Brinkman, RN, Regional Chief
Nurse Executive. "The PSRs provide
real-time feedback on staff performance, as
well as afford us the opportunity for service
recovery and to have a personal focus on our
patients' top issues." On average, 30
percent of visits result in tangible assistance
to patients, such as
an extra blanket or a call to a loved one.
The result: more than 11,200 compliments from
patients about their caregivers have been
received, far outranking the 120 negative, yet
constructive, comments that have resulted in
employee counseling or other appropriate
actions.
In
addition, the hospital's newly formed Patient
Experience Council serves to formalize the
feedback loop that is essential to improving our
services. "Listening to our patients and
staff is fundamental to our drive to continually
improve," said Ainsley. The
multidisciplinary Council composed of
representatives from both patient care and
non-patient care areas provides input on
wide-ranging issues. "Looking at our
patient experience through several lenses is
invaluable as the East Hawaii Region serves one
of the most diverse populations on the planet,"
Ainsley continues. "Everyone's voice and
their united effort are serving us well in
advancing HMC's drive to delivering high quality
care in a comfortable setting with
aloha." |
MMMC
Receives Two Get With The
Guidelines-
Gold
Quality Achievement Awards
 |
|
Receiving the Gold Awards for
Stroke Treatment and Heart
Failure are left to
right: Dr. Alan O'Donovan, Physician
Champion
for heart failure
treatment; Kauwela Bisquera,
Regional Director of the
American Heart Association-Maui;
My T. Do, MMMC Quality
Management Nurse/Specialist; Debbie Claypoole,
MMMC Quality
Management Nurse/ Specialist; &
Don Halsey, MMMC
Stroke Team
Specialist. |
Maui Memorial Medical Center (MMMC) recently
received the American Heart Association/American
Stroke Association's Get With The
Guidelines®-Stroke Gold
Quality Achievement Award. The award
recognizes MMMC's commitment and success in
implementing a higher standard of stroke care by
ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment
for at least 24 months according to nationally
accepted standards and recommendations.
"With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and the
Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold
Quality Achievement Award addresses the
important element of time," said Don
Halsey, MMMC Stroke Team
Specialist. MMMC has developed a
comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and
treatment of stroke patients admitted to the
emergency department. This
includes being equipped to provide brain
imaging scans, having neurologists
available to conduct patient evaluations
and using clot-busting medications when
appropriate.
To
receive the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold
Quality Achievement Award, MMMC
demonstrated 85 percent adherence in
the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke
key measures for 24 or more consecutive
months. These include aggressive use of
medications like tPA, antithrombotics,
anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis,
cholesterol-reducing drugs, and smoking
cessation.
MMMC
also has received the Get With The
Guidelines®-Heart Failure Gold
Quality Achievement Award from the American
Heart Association. The recognition
signifies that MMMC has reached an aggressive
goal of treating heart failure patients with 85
percent compliance for at least 24 months to
core standard levels of care as outlined by the
American Heart Association/American College of
Cardiology secondary prevention guidelines for
heart failure patients.
Get
With The Guidelines is a quality improvement
initiative that provides hospital staff with
tools that follow proven evidence-based
guidelines and procedures in caring for heart
failure patients to prevent future
hospitalizations.
Under
Get With The Guidelines-Heart
Failure, heart failure patients are
started on aggressive risk reduction therapies
such as cholesterol-lowering drugs,
beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, aspirin,
diuretics and anticoagulants while in the
hospital. They also receive alcohol/drug
use and thyroid management counseling as well as
referrals for cardiac rehabilitation before
being discharged.
"The
full implementation of national heart failure
guideline recommended care is a critical step in
preventing recurrent hospitalizations and
prolonging the lives of heart failure patients,"
said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., chair of the Get With
The Guidelines National Steering Committee and
director of the TeleStroke and Acute Stroke
Services at Massachusetts General Hospital in
Boston, Mass. "The goal of the American
Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines
program is to help hospitals like MMMC implement
appropriate evidence-based care and protocols
that will reduce disability and the number of
deaths in these patients. Published
scientific studies are providing us with more
and more evidence that Get With The Guidelines
works. Patients are getting the right care
they need when they need it. That's resulting in
improved
survival." |
Young
Artists' Work
Beautifies MMMC
Maui
Memorial Medical Center (MMMC) recently held a
student art contest that
resulted in 18 beautiful new art
pieces now on display at the hospital. The theme
for the contest was "Caring for One Another" and
subject matter included landscapes, seascapes,
animals, people and any other positive ideas
that the artists envisioned. Artwork was
submitted from students at numerous schools
including elementary, intermediate, and high
schools.
This was the second contest held by MMMC in
recent years and the artwork is now on display
at the hospital. "We are again so amazed and
inspired by the young artists in our community,"
said MMMC Director of Communications Carol
Clark. "The beauty of their work is pure and so
uplifting for our staff, patients and
visitors." |
Hilo
Medical Center Enhances Preparedness
to
Serve East Hawaii in Disaster
As
Hawaii prepares to weather hurricane season, the
staff at Hilo Medical Center (HMC) stands ready
to serve the community, thanks to several recent
initiatives.
HMC,
along with the Healthcare Association of Hawaii
(HAH) and Hawaii Disaster Medical Assistance
Team (DMAT), conducted the state's largest
evacuation exercise involving nearly all
hospital day shift staff in March.
"The scale of this evacuation exercise
mirrors the commitment of HMC to ensuring our
readiness to serve East Hawaii in case of any
type of disaster," said Howard Ainsley, CEO of
the East Hawaii Region of HHSC.
"The entire hospital staff put into
practice the skills they have learned in
previous disaster training in this hospital-wide
exercise." 
The
evacuation exercise followed a scenario of a
simulated massive earthquake, and involved the
transport of 40 simulated casualties from the
hospital's long-term care facility to the mobile
acute care hospital located at the opposite end
of HMC's campus. The training
exercises spanned two days, and marked the first
time Hilo has constructed the mobile hospital
unit provided by HAH Emergency
Services.
"The Hilo community should feel
confident that HMC is entirely capable and
competent to handle a disaster situation," said
Bill Richter, HAH Emergency Services' Clinical
Operations Manager, in evaluating the hospital's
performance.
Also participating in the drill
were representatives from HAH Emergency
Services, Hawaii County EMS, Hawaii DMAT, and
the 93rd Civil Support Team, which is part of
the National Guard and specializes in response
to chemical, biological, nuclear, and
radiological emergencies.
 |
|
HMC held the state's largest
evacuation drill to ensure its emergency
preparedness. ICU nurse Jerelyn Hammer,
RN, and physical therapist Robert Watson
participated in the hospital-wide
exercise
in
March. |
HMC's meticulous planning for disaster
situations was recently tested when, although a
planned situation, the hospital maintained
operations during a complete water shut-off by
the Department of Water Supply, as it replaced
the water tank serving the hospital and
surrounding neighborhood. Weeks of
careful planning and preparation enabled
HMC to operate with numerous precautions to
protect the safety and comfort of patients and
staff during this half-day
ordeal.
As the largest hospital on the
island and one of the biggest employers, HMC
is continually challenged to ensure that
all staff are ready to serve the
community in
an emergency. "Having
employees who are confident in their families'
safety during a disaster allows them to
concentrate on providing excellent care when
they are called to report to the hospital," said Tracy Aruga, HMC
Safety officer. "It's in all
of our interest to help employees prepare their
families and homes for a disaster."
Recently, HMC's staff benefitted from the Safety
Department's Emergency Preparedness Fair, which
hosted numerous community resources to help
employees prepare at home so that they may serve
at work. Participating
organizations spanned the aspects of planning
for the well-being and emergency care of the
elderly, children, and animals in our
ohana.
"The
responsibility to serve the community in an
emergency is so important to the health of all
of us," said Ainsley. "We
want to make every effort to assist our
employees in building their confidence that
their family will be alright because they have
planned as carefully as we have at the Region's
hospitals."
Please
click on this link to view the Hawaii
Tribune-Herald news article.
|
|
SMMH's
Kupuna Health & Safety Fair
 |
|
The Trauma Prevention
Education
Board. |
Friday May 4, 2012 was banner day at Mahelona
Medical Center's Samuel Mahelona Memorial
Hospital. The first "Passport to Kupuna
Health & Safety" Fair highlighted this
year's celebration of 95 years of service to the
Kauai community. The hospital was founded
in 1917 in loving memory of Samuel Mahelona who
died at a young age from
tuberculosis.
Local
community members started gathering in the lobby
at 8:30am for the opening of the fair at
9am. Over 30 agencies and organizations
set up booths around the courtyard and in the
auditorium to provide health screenings,
education, and information to over 150 attendees
to the fair. Long term care residents at
the hospital joined the
 |
| Participants visiting the
"destinations of health & safety" booths to
have their passport
stamped. |
festivities
as well as residents from other care
facilities
on the island.
Other activities included a healthy exercise
by a
fun Zumba demonstration as well as a bike and
walking path booth. Additionally, Dr.
Gerald Tomory, HHSC Kauai region medical
director, shared violin pieces as a wandering
minstrel and Doug McMaster,
a caretaker of traditional slack key guitar,
soothed everyone's spirits with his
playing.
 |
| Sharla Hasegawa (SMMH) and
Paulynn Hasief (KVMH) share their knowledge of
how to prevent the trauma & injury from
falls at home. |
After the participants
completed their "passport
to destinations
of health" by visiting each booth and learning
and
getting
their health screenings, they were entered into
a drawing. Two grand prizes
were given at the end of the fair - a handmade
quilt donated by SMMH Auxiliary and an ukulele
donated by Kauai Music & Sound.
Community involvement in the event included
local individuals and businesses who donated
food, healthy snacks, music CDs, water, night
lights, pill minders, and more. West Kauai
Medical Center, Mahelona's sister HHSC facility
on Kauai, also participated by staffing
SMMH's
booths.
|
|
Complimentary
Haircuts for
Residents
at
Maluhia
Residents at Maluhia were provided free and
fresh haircuts, compliments of the Hawaii
Institute of Hair Design (HIHD). Students
of HIHD had an opportunity to apply their
knowledge and skills at a recent hairstyling
event at the Alewa Heights long-term care
facility. Resident participants were
provided individual stations and styles ranged
from trims to even a Mohawk, based on their
personal preferences. This is HIHD's
second visit to Maluhia in
2012.
|
SMMH'S
Long-Term Residents Recognized
for Military
Service
On
Wednesday, May 30, two long-term care patients
of Samuel
Mahelona Memorial Hospital were
honored for their outstanding military service
during World War II at the Kauai
Veterans Center
in Lihue, Kauai.
The
100th Battalion, 442nd
Infantry Regiment, family and hospital staff
honored Mr. Tadao Suemori and Mr. Toraichi
Marugame by presenting each of them with a gold
medal to commemorate their service and
sacrifice.
Mr.
Suemori arrived in Europe in June 1945, shortly
after Germany surrendered.
Although his tour ended, he elected to
remain in the Army. He then
served in the Korean War as a Communication
Non-Commissioned Officer at General McArthur's
Headquarters. He served a
total of 21 years in the U.S. Army, and retired
at the rank of Staff Sergeant (E-6).
 |
|
Nisei Soldiers of World War II
"Go For
Broke" |
Mr.
Marugame served in the Military Intelligence
Service (MIS) from 1944 to 1946. In light
of the highly-classified nature of his duties,
his family does not know very much about what
Mr. Marugame did during the war.
He was stationed in Minnesota and
translated Japanese manuals into
English. The existence of the
unit and much of its work was classified until
the early
1980s.
"This
event reflects the significant contributions and
sacrifices that both Mr. Suemori and Mr.
Marugame made in defense of the freedoms we
enjoy today," said Jerry Walker, HHSC Kauai
region chief executive officer.
"We're hoping this past-due
recognition will demonstrate our continued
appreciation for their
sacrifices and SMMH staff are
honored to respond to the present healthcare
needs of these two
veterans." | |
|
|
| |
The EMeRGE Project, HHSC's electronic medical
record (EMR) system implementation project,
continues to move forward with many application
areas starting to move from a design and build
phase to testing. In addition, planning for
the installation of the required infrastructure
(cabling, wireless antennas, data communications
equipment) continues.
This past quarter saw the addition of a new
corporate team member, Dawn Wooten, the EMeRGE
Project's training coordinator. Dawn will be
coordinating the Soarian EMR training for HHSC
staff including basic computer skills
training where needed. Some of you may have
seen and/or responded to the computers skills
survey that was recently distributed in some of
our regions. Dawn will be working with the
Siemens Education representatives and HHSC subject
matter experts to determine the training schedule
and support needs. Although the deadline has
passed, your completed surveys would still be
welcomed via http://intranet/training/survey/.
Some
team members attended the Siemens' West Coast
Users' Group meeting in Denver during the week of
May 14. It was an opportunity to interact
with and learn about the experiences of other
hospitals (Siemens' customers), both those who
have already "gone live" with the Soarian
applications and those who
are in a similar position as HHSC getting
ready for "go live" event. Team members
heard from and toured the Platte Valley Medical
Center, a recent implementer of Siemens' Soarian
products. The opportunity to hear and
compare the various experiences of other hospitals
was very meaningful and fruitful, which also
resulted in a visit by a Siemens' Chief Nursing
Officer to HHSC and the possibility of HHSC staff
observing the "go live" event at several other
hospitals prior to our event.
There was a major Check-Point Meeting in Honolulu
on May 23 that brought together the EMeRGE Project
team leads, the majority of the Siemens' team
members, the EMR Steering Committee members, and
HHSC executives from both the corporate office and
a number of HHSC's regions. Team leads and
their Siemens' counterparts had an opportunity to
share both the accomplishments of their teams as
well as the challenges that they expect to face as
the Project moves into the testing phase.
Without exception, attendees were impressed with
the scope and breadth of the project and with the
amount of work that's been accomplished by the
various EMeRGE Teams to date.
A future meeting is being planned in the Fall of
2012.
This is a significant collaborative effort that is
transforming how HHSC works and provides quality
patient care to our patients in the communities we
serve. Please be on the lookout for
additional communications from your EMeRGE Team
and thank you for your continued support of the
Project!
Mahalo,
Alan S.
Ito
Chief
Information
Officer
|
|
Get
To Know HHSC's
Board Members
This
month:
Mabel Jean
Odo 
Ms.
Odo,
representing
Kauai, has served on the HHSC Corporate Board of
Directors since 1996.
Jean
has fought hard to improve access to quality
healthcare throughout the State. She truly
believes that the healthcare HHSC provides is
essential to every community. You should see
Jean in action: despite a sweet voice and
infectious laugh, she is assertive and serious in
making her points understood. Ms. Odo's
friends label her as, "a delightful
dynamo!" Jean credits her parents for
inspiring her to focus on worthy community causes.
They encouraged her to be a part of the
solution rather than getting frustrated with
problems; a great lesson for all of us!
Jean has an extensive background in public
education both as an educator and
administrator. She has received
numerous awards and recognition for outstanding
community contributions, including the development
of the Special Olympics Program on
Kauai. Presently, she serves as an
island-wide resource teacher for the
Garden Island.
Jean and her husband Kaoru celebrated their 54th
wedding anniversary this year. They
have five children, eight grandchildren,
and three great-grandchildren.
Her hobbies include portrait drawings, in addition
to karaoke and choir singing.
Jean is appreciative of all our HHSC employees and
physicians who are committed to continuously
improve quality health care for our
island
communities. |
LEAHI
HOSPITAL CELEBRATES A PERFECT LONG-TERM CARE
RELATIONSHIP
 |
|
A Perfect Day for
Two Residents to
Wed |
With
the beginning of the spring season, love was in
the air at the Leahi Hospital, long-term care
facility in Kaimuki.
Newlyweds Miles and Christine Takiguchi held their
wedding ceremony and reception at the location
where they first met.
The
wedding held on March 30 was the first one held at
Leahi Hospital. Miles
met Christine several years ago, and soon after he
knew that they had a lot in common, particularly
at keeping their minds busy. Christine
remembers Miles as always being cheerful and
someone pleasant to talk to, which in turn, kept
her focused and prepared to change and adjust.
In 2011, Miles asked Christine to spend the rest
of her life with him, and she replied,
"YES!"
"This
is another chance for us to celebrate a
significant milestone," said
Vincent Lee, Leahi Hospital
chief executive officer.
"Hawaii needs to hear the positive story of this
couple, who have made the commitment to being
in this long-term care relationship
together."
|
|
MANAGING AND
UNDERSTANDING
OVERTIME
COSTS
The
HHSC Corporate Human Resources staff launched a
statewide training program, which
is
designed to help supervisors and managers
understand the cause(s) of overtime such as
unscheduled absences, increase in patient
admissions and emergency leave requests. The
training will also provide an opportunity for
supervisors to learn more about the various tools
available that are also recognized in the
collective bargaining contracts.
Additionally, the program will help
to better
understand the impact that overtime costs have on
hospital operations.
Training began in the East Hawaii Region (Hilo
Medical Center, Hale Ho`ola Hamakua, and Ka`u
Hospital), May 21-23, followed by
sessions at Kona Community Hospital and Kohala
Hospital, May 31-June 1. Training dates for
the remaining HHSC regions will be finalized in
the upcoming weeks.
If you are interested in attending an upcoming training session,
please be sure to contact your HR
office.
|
Organizations
Receive $85,000 Grant for Partnership to Improve
Maui Health Care
Delivery
System
Maui
Memorial Medical Center (MMMC) has been awarded a
Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant of
$85,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services' Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA) to support the formation of
a network to improve health care integration on
Maui. The funds will be utilized by MMMC,
Hale Makua Health Services (HMHS), and Community
Clinic of Maui, dba Malama I Ke Ola Health Center
(CCM) to collectively address the current and
future needs of the island's aging population
efficiently, appropriately, and cost effectively.
"The efforts made by the staff at Maui Memorial
Medical Center have paid off for the benefit of
the entire community and I congratulate them for
their hard work," said Governor Neil
Abercrombie. "This grant will be put to good
use and help those who need it the
most."
The Rural Health Network Development Planning
Grant Program brings together key parts of a
rural health care delivery system on
Maui so these organizations can work together to
establish or improve local capacity and
coordination of care, particularly those entities
that may not have collaborated in the past.
The major focus of the grant program is to support
rural entities in the
development of health care networks.
HMHS has long-term care and skilled nursing home
beds and is able to accommodate MMMC's waitlisted
patients. These are patients that no longer
need acute care but are still in need of skilled
nursing or long-term care. At present, HMHS
has difficulty accepting these patients due to the
challenges of caring for patients with special
needs, limited physician resources and low
reimbursement. CCM has discharge planning
and care coordination resources that can support
the network's activities and objectives.
Funding from this HRSA grant will support the
facilitation of a gap assessment to address these
and other challenges in the current delivery
system, as well as explore strategies to
strengthen the continuum of care from acute to the
post-acute settings.
|
Coming
Soon!
New
Anonymous, Confidential Corporate Compliance
Hotline
Service
Starting
around July 1, 2012, HHSC will have a new
system-wide corporate compliance hotline
service. The number 1-877-733-4189 will
remain the same. The new hotline service
will provide callers with the ability to submit an
anonymous, confidential complaint, concern, or
question via the web and/or a transcribed
service. Callers will be issued a number to
be used to track and correspond with the
compliance officer.
This new service is part of HHSC's continued
commitment to a quality, effective compliance
program. As always, HHSC wants employees,
board members, staff, and vendors to feel
comfortable raising issues and questions within
HHSC management structures. However, the
Hotline will provide another way to bring
important issues to the forefront.
Stay tuned for more details and a final
implementation date!
David
Lane, Ph.D.
Corporate
Compliance & Privacy
Officer | |
