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Oregon Association of Health and Hospital Systems
What's Happening

 

In addition to welcoming our new President and CEO, it was a busy month for OAHHS staff. Here is a brief summary of the work:

 

Policy & Advocacy

 

The advocacy team is planning for the 2020 short session of the Legislature that begins on Feb. 3 (and must end by March 8). Among the expected issues:

 

-- Behavioral Health

Our team will be tracking activity from the House Health Care subcommittee on behavioral health and the Senate Mental Health committee.

 

-- Regulating Surgical Smoke

 

-- Flavor Bans for E-Cigarettes

 

Ongoing work includes participation in the Governor’s Behavioral Health Advisory Council. Three hospital executives and OAHHS are fully engaged in the Governor’s BH Task Force and are looking forward to shaping the outcome.

 

OAHHS is working with WSHA and ASHNHA on updating the Workplace Violence Prevention toolkit to include additional resources and references. Updates will be released in early 2020. We are also developing WPV educational opportunities, including an in-person learning collaborative on March 19, 2020.

 

We are participating in the in the development of the State Health improvement Plan for 2020-2024 and tracking end of year federal legislation (see below).

 

OAHHS has been supporting the hospital members on the Health Care Cost Growth Benchmark committee which issue will recommendations on how to implement a growth target and measure health care spending. Committee members include Kathryn Correia, Dr. Kevin Ewanchyna, William Olson, Jenny Smith and Jenn Welander.

 

OAHHS met a legislative deliverable from HB 4020 (2018) by to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). The application was developed in partnership with OAHHS members and the Washington State Hospital Association. While HB 4020 does not preclude Oregon hospitals from asking for additional information or using a different application, we encourage all hospitals to use this form.

 

Public Affairs/Communications

We have conducted a survey of Oregonians to find out their views on important health care issues, especially relating to affordability and cost.

 

OAHHS will soon roll out its video storytelling program focusing on local stories from members across the state. Watch for the first installments early 2020, and please forward story ideas to Dave Northfield, Director of Communications, at dnorthfield@oahhs.org.

 

Apprise

The Apprise team is gathering data on member community benefit in advance of the annual Community Benefit Report. The team uses discharge data, and this analysis will help member hospitals focus their community benefit investments.

 

The team has also compiled ED utilization data, including behavioral health as a driver of emergency department visits.
A Capitol View

 

In one of the last votes of 2019, Congress passed a deal to fund the government through September of 2020. The $1.4 trillion agreement now goes to the President. Looming over the vote were several health care issues, including drug pricing, surprise medical billing, and the future of health insurance coverage expansions.

 

Our OAHHS advocate in Washington, D.C., John Flink, breaks it down for you in the December edition of

Hospital Spotlight

Lake District Hospital is adding a cardiac rehabilitation program to its list of available services. The program is scheduled for a January 20 soft start. Lexi Thomas, RN, will be facilitating the program to educate and support patients who have experienced a cardiac event.

Lake District Hospital recently named Courtney Dorey as the new Health Educator. She now oversees the program providing youth and adult CPR classes, Safe Sitter classes, and keeping the community and LDH employees up-to-date on certifications.

Lake District Hospital is pleased announce the addition of 2 new orthopedic surgeons to their Specialty Clinic, giving LDH full-time orthopedic services. Dr. Walker Wynkoop and Dr. Jeffrey McGillicuddy started seeing patients beginning in December.

OHSU has opened a walk-in clinic to help tackle the opioid epidemic. The clinic offers same day, no appointment access to buprenorphine, a proven medication to treat opioid use disorder. The new clinic opened in late October. The goal is to increase access to druge treatment by removing common barriers, including waiting for an intake appointment, attending counseling sessions, or commit to abstinence before beginning treatment.

OHSU's clinic is designed as an urgent response to an epidemic that is killing an average of five Oregonions from overdoses every week.

PeaceHealth has been recognized for the second year in a row as one of the Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America. The prestigious national award acknowledges the success of PeaceHealth’s employee wellness program spanning all PeaceHealth facilities across Oregon, Alaska and Washington.

Two PeaceHealth nurse practitioners have been recognized for outstanding work. Lynne Mumaw, GNP, RN, MS, received the 2019 America's Top NP Award from Point of Care Network. Mary Fey, MSN, FNP, was inducted into the Nurse Practioners of Oregon Hall of Fame.
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