Registration information and a program agenda for the KHA District Meetings in October are now available at http://www.new-kyha.com/Portals/5/EventBrochures/DistrictMeetingsOctober2015.pdf.

KHA will co-host a Kentucky Rural Health Association event where attendees can meet with this year's gubernatorial candidates. The Kentucky Candidate Forum will be held September 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the WKU Knicely Conference Center in Bowling Green. Both Matt Bevin and Jack Conway are invited to speak at the event and field questions from the attendees.

The event includes a free luncheon for registered attendees. For information on the agenda and registration, please visit http://krha.wildapricot.org/event-1984373.

On August 18, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) held an Open Door Forum to discuss hospitals and hospital quality. During the forum, CMS addressed short stay policies.

Officials noted that, in conjunction with proposals in the calendar year (CY) 2016 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Proposed Rule, the Agency has extended its probe and educate review period through December 31.Beginning October 1, quality improvement organizations (QIOs) will take over initial reviews of claims for patient status based on current policies. As of January 1, QIOs and recovery audit contractors (RACs) will carry out reviews based on any policies adopted through the OPPS final rule.

CMS said QIOs will conduct reviews and education sessions in a collaborative manner with providers and will only refer cases to recovery audit contractors (RACs) for further review if there is evidence of a pattern of high levels of short stay claims denials, if a hospital does not respond to educational outreach or if there is some potential of fraud or abuse. The Agency acknowledged that there are questions about parameters for review and how referrals will be made and said more information will be forthcoming.

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On the August 17 episode of Kentucky Tonight on KET, guests discussed the state of health care in Kentucky. Guests included Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Audrey Tayse Haynes; John Garen, a University of Kentucky economics professor; Dr. Monalisa Tailor, an internist and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Louisville; and Dr. Neal Moser, a pulmonary/critical care physician in Edgewood.

KHA will host its annal Fall Volunteer Conference on September 16 at the Lake Cumberland State Resort Park in Jamestown. Hospital auxiliary officers, legislative chairpersons, auxiliary members, volunteers, directors of volunteers and gift shop managers are invited to attend.

Registration is $55 per person, which includes handouts, continental breakfast, lunch and breaks. See the brochure for agenda and registration details.

If you have any questions, please contact Carol Walters at KHA (cwalters@kyha.com).

A copy of the 2015-2016 KHA Work Plan is now available online at http://www.new-kyha.com/Portals/5/NewsDocs/work%20plan%202014.pdf. Each year, KHA’s Strategic Planning Committee meets to review the accomplishments of the previous year and discuss initiatives for the upcoming year. The Committee then prioritizes those activities and develops a list of recommendations to be presented to the KHA Board of Trustees. The list of initiatives included in this Work Plan was approved by the KHA Board at its June 2015 meeting. New state and federal issues may arise that take priority over those listed; however, this plan identifies the major initiatives the KHA staff will be undertaking before June 2016.

A majority of health care organizations have programs to provide emotional support to health care workers after adverse events, but features vary widely and there are substantial opportunities to improve services, according to a study by the Association for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Clinicians involved in medical errors are often referred to as “second victims” because they can experience persistent negative effects such as guilt, embarrassment, self-doubt and fear that can have serious consequences on their well-being, work performance and patient safety. Researchers conducted an electronic survey of 575 members of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management, including risk managers, executives, patient safety officers, directors of quality and compliance officers, to ascertain how they would characterize the structure and performance of their provider support program, if a program was available. Investigators found that while 74 percent of health care organizations maintain a support...

Two of KHA's biggest annual events are scheduled, so mark your calendar now and plan to attend! Additional information will be available in the coming months.

KHA Health Care Leadership Conference
November 13
Marriott Louisville East

KHA 87th Annual Convention
May 12-13, 2016
Lexington Convention Center/Hyatt Regency Lexington

The Kentucky Society for Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing (KSHPRM) 2015 Thoroughbred Awards will be presented at the KSHPRM Fall Conference on November 5 at the Kentucky Horse Farm in Lexington. The competition is designed to recognize Marketing/Public Relations professionals who achieved excellence in projects ranging from publications and multimedia to advertising and fundraising. Projects entered must have been completed between July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015.

This competition is open to all health care marketing/public relations professionals. KSHPRM membership is required.

Online entries are due September 11, and the fee is $45 per entry. This year, all entries will be submited online via OmniContests at https://omnicontests4.com/?comp_id=C7779828-9361-42FC-9C3A-7E27D18C8B2F.

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Reminder for all rural hospitals participating in the 340B Drug Pricing Program: The recertification period began August 5 and ends September 9. Participating hospitals have until September 9 to ensure program compliance and recertify in the 340B database maintained by the Office of Pharmacy Affairs. Each participating hospital or covered entity should have already received an email with the username and password necessary to complete recertification. An informational webinar and user guide on recertification are available for more information.

If questions arise, please direct them to Apexus, the 340B Prime Vendor Program (888-340-2787 or via email at ApexusAnswers@340bpvp.com)....