AHRMM names winner of 2011 George R. Gossett Leadership Award
Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM) (Chicago, IL) named Jamie C. Kowalski, CEO of Jamie C. Kowalski Consulting LLC (Milwaukee, WI), as the recipient of the 2011 George R. Gossett Leadership Award. This award is the highest honor bestowed by AHRMM and is given to an individual who has demonstrated an extraordinary level of leadership and professionalism in the field, made significant contributions to AHRMM and advanced the healthcare supply chain. Kowalski has been an active member of AHRMM both with local chapters and with the national organization.
CMS launches new compare website
CMS (Baltimore, MD) launched a new website for consumers to compare hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies, health plans and doctors based on quality. The new website, www.Medicare.gov/QualityCareFinder, compares facilities based on several criteria, including the satisfaction of previous patients, death rates, and readmissions. It allows users to compare hospitals based on how well they protect against surgical infections and how well they treat possible heart attacks. The physician compare portion of the website remains a work in progress, as CMS works to populate it with additional information about quality and health outcomes.
Catholic Medical Center cuts 101 positions across the board
Catholic Medical Center (Manchester, NH) announced on August 18, 2011 that, due to the state budget’s cut in Medicaid reimbursements in excess of $250 million over the next two years, it is forced to lay off 101 employees throughout the institution, including senior management and VP levels. Catholic Medical Center will also place a cap on community health programs; temporarily freeze employee benefits, such as annual merit increases and education tuition reimbursement; and make adjustments to its 24/7 ASK-A-NURSE call center service, including offering only non-medical advice and physician referrals on a limited schedule. The New Hampshire state budget took effect July 1, 2011. Catholic Medical Center will owe $12 million in taxes in October 2011. In a prepared statement, administrators said the measures they are taking will not affect patient care.
National Quality Forum endorses 41 child health quality measures
The National Quality Forum’s (NQF) (Washington, DC) board of directors approved for endorsement 41 quality measures concerning child health. The measures, listed in the draft report “National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Child Health Quality Measures 2010: A Consensus Report,” cover the full spectrum of care from prenatal care to standards designed for adolescents. The full list of standards are available for a 30-day public appeals process closing September 13, 2011. For more information and a full list of the quality measures, go to www.qualityforum.org/News_And_Resources/Press_Releases/2011/NQF_Releases_Updated_Child_Quality_Health_Measures.aspx
LifePoint creates VP quality position, names Huizinga to post
LifePoint Hospitals Inc (Brentwood, TN) named Mary Margaret Huizinga MD as VP of quality, a new position. Huizinga was formerly an associate in McKinsey & Co (Washington, DC), where she worked on topics related to healthcare regulatory agencies, delivery innovations and clinical transformation.
Arkansas, FDA sign agreement to create Center of Excellence for Regulatory Science
Arkansas Department of Human Services (Little Rock, AR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the FDA’s (Silver Spring, MD) National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) to establish the Center of Excellence for Regulatory Science, a joint center to enhance regulatory science through research, educational training, collaborations and outreach. The memorandum also establishes a committee to be co-chaired by NCTR and the state of Arkansas, and includes state government representatives and academic institutions as partners with the FDA. The MOU will give scientists and regulators access to additional training and resources through the new Center of Excellence for Regulatory Science.
Saint Rose Dominican Hospitals to replace Rose de Lima campus with $1.6B health village
Saint Rose Dominican Hospitals (Henderson, NV) announced plans to replace Saint Rose Dominican Hospitals Rose de Lima Campus (Henderson, NV) with a new hospital that will become part of a new, $1.6 billion integrated health village, called UnionVillage. UnionVillage will comprise UnionCenter, UnionPlace, UnionPlaza and UnionPark, and will be located on 171 acres located at Galleria Drive and US Highway 95. UnionCenter will include a new Saint Rose de Lima acute care hospital with 214 beds, a wellness center, a rehabilitation facility, a proton therapy center and a skilled nursing facility. The new facility will also include education and research facility and new medical office buildings. UnionPlace, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), will have facilities to serve up to 1,500 seniors and include dining facilities and a clubhouse. The 300,000-sq-ft UnionPlaza will include retail facilities for mid and specialty range, offices, child development center, a food court, an athletic club, a multi-screen theater, restaurants, conference hall and an all-suites hotel. UnionPark will provide pathways and parks that connect the village with a planned performing arts center, Henderson Space and Science Center and other commercial developments. The project will provide around 17,000 indirect and direct construction related jobs and will generate over $8 billion in income tax and payroll and about $1.5 billion in sales and property taxes.
