Caroline Hanford, Imaging Director, presented an update about the North Shore Health mammography services to the hospital board at the board’s October meeting.
Hanford highlighted the difference between 2D digital images and 3D digital images and the positive benefit of the new 3D mammogram machine obtained earlier this summer. The new 3D technology takes images in slices; very similar to CT images but without an increase in exposure to radiation. This technology can find cancers that are millimeters in size.
Commissioner Dave Mills reported a public hearing will be held on November 26, 2019 regarding the proposal to increase the age to purchase tobacco products to 21. As a health care organization, North Shore Health cares for patients and residents, every day, who experience the negative health effects caused by tobacco use. Therefore the hospital board passed a motion in support of the proposal to increase the age to legally purchase tobacco products to 21.
New health insurance rates
North Shore Health administrator Kimber Wraalstad presented 2020 renewal rates from Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance to the board, saying they would be 3.7 percent higher than they are this year. The increase would have been 4.2 percent higher, but the Northeast Service Cooperative the hospital belongs to bought down the increase by .5 percent.
On October 31, representatives from Blue Cross Blue Shield, Delta Dental, and OCHS (life insurance) attended the annual North Shore Health Employee Benefits Fair to answer questions or address concerns about their programs, and to help employees sign up or make changes to their existing plans.
North Shore Care Center residents will now receive their medications from Falk’s Nursing Service LTC Pharmacy. Wraalstad said there hadn’t been any problems receiving the medicines, and the interactions with Falk’s have been positive.
Safe Care for Seniors
On October 16, a pledge kick-off party for Safe Care for Seniors was held, with approximately 50 residents, families, community members, and employees taking the pledge. Everyone who took the oath received a Safe Care for Seniors Pledge pin.
Wraalstad offered a special thank you to Malorie Brazell and Mary Edson, who served as the Safe Care for Seniors Co-Champions who arranged the event. Both Malorie and Mary will continue to visit community groups and hospital departments to share information and encourage others to take the Safe Care for Seniors Pledge.
AHA update
The American Hospital Association (AHA) Rural Report executive summary for Feb. 2019 included policy and advocacy priorities. A big one was updating Medicare and Medicaid payments, so they cover the cost of providing care.
Currently, Medicare and Medicaid cover approximately 87 cents for every dollar spent on patient care. Those programs also don’t include certain behavioral or addiction treatment services.
The AHA is also asking policymakers to give some relief to hospitals from outdated or unnecessary regulations that don’t provide better care to patients.
Right now, hospitals and health systems comply with 341 mandatory regulatory requirements, with an additional 288 requirements for post-acute care. With lower patient volumes at rural care hospitals like North Shore Health, the cost per-patient to comply with all of these regulations is higher than that of larger hospitals. Each year U.S. hospitals spend $39 billion on these non-clinical regulatory requirements.
The AHA report noted that between 2010 and 2018, 95 rural hospitals closed, and several of these closures have resulted in a complete loss of local access to access to care.
The hospital board discussed the financial future of North Shore Health and the level of services to be offered. This will involve determining the desires of the community. Extended meetings will be held in November and in 2020 to examine the issue and identify how to begin addressing the concerns.
The hospital board reviewed a letter from St. Luke’s responding to the need to bolster both short- and long-term programs to enhance community mental health services in the region, and the steps St. Luke’s has taken to address those needs.
St. Luke’s is expanding its emergency department from one dedicated mental health room to quadrupling that number. The safe rooms will be discreetly accessible from both the ambulance garage and the main ED entrance. St. Luke’s, which currently has 25 medical and clinical staff, is also increasing the number of mental health clinicians who will be available to help with these patients.
Along with providing private counseling and group therapy, St. Luke’s is addressing adolescents and childhood mental health needs, offering ADHD, autism, and cognitive testing so patients and families can receive a diagnosis to help them form a plan and find a path to healing. Outreach to schools and partnering with law enforcement to offer de-escalation training for first responders, and more programs, is also being done.
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