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Connection Newsletter
By AzHHA Communications ● Aug.1, 2024
Smart Brevity® count: 5.5 mins...1486 words
This week, read about:
- The Arizona Primary results.
- The early bird rate for the 2024 Arizona Hospital Leadership Conference.
- AHCCCS updated rate information.
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The results are in…sort of
As the Arizona Primary election wraps up, the final votes from yesterday are still being tallied.
Why it matters: While many healthcare advocates ran unopposed, there have been some notable shifts that could significantly impact the upcoming General Election in November. Key races include:
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Senator Brian Fernandez from District 23 has secured the Democratic primary. We trust in his continued strong support for healthcare and local hospitals in his district.
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Representative David Cook lost his bid for the Senate Republican seat in District 7 to current Senator Wendy Rogers. Rep. Cook, a long-time healthcare advocate and a leader in health insurance accountability efforts, is a significant loss for healthcare.
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Former State Representative Dr. Amish Shah is leading a closely contested federal Democratic primary race for Arizona’s Congressional District 1, currently ahead of five other contenders. If he maintains his lead, he faces a tough battle against long-standing Congressman David Schweikert.
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Kari Lake has won the Republican primary for current Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s seat. She will face Congressman Ruben Gallego, in what promises to be a record-breaking race for campaign advertising spending.
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Senator Justine Wadsack appears to be losing her seat after just one term, with former state lawmaker Vince Leach likely to take over.
For the latest updates on all races, you can visit this link.
What’s next: The coming months will be crucial as we approach the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
- Our policy team is committed to providing unbiased resources to help you make informed voting decisions.
- We’re also launching a new voter-friendly initiative in the coming weeks, offering tools for your hospitals to engage with employees and the community about the importance of voting.
How you can help: We’re over halfway to our goal for AzHHA PAC fundraising, which ensures we have a voice in crucial policy decisions.
- Your donations help us support candidates who are hospital and healthcare friendly.
- You can contribute with a one-time or recurring donation by visiting our donate page.
If you have any questions about the elections, policies or the AzHHA PAC, our policy team is here to assist you.
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Take advantage of the early bird rate: 2024 Arizona Hospital Leadership Conference
The bottom line: The 2024 Arizona Hospital Leadership Conference will once again be held at the exquisite Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson on Oct. 16-18.
The big picture: This will be an inspirational gathering of more than 200 hospital and healthcare executives seeking opportunities for continuing education, meaningful discussion and relationship building. This year’s conference will focus on leading through change and disruption.
What’s next: You can:
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AHCCCS to post updated rate information on website
Last week, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) posted a preliminary public notice regarding updated rates which will be effective Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024.
Why it matters: According to the public notice, the agency intends to make a few changes to rates, outside of their annually required increases. Some highlights:
- Inpatient hospital APR-DRG fee schedule cost-to-charge ratios will be updated.
- Inpatient hospital, long-term acute care hospital and rehabilitation hospital inpatient per diem rates will be updated for changes in hospital case mix indices and outlier cost-to-charge ratios to match Medicare 2024 ratios.
- The inpatient and outpatient fee schedules will remain unchanged, with the exception of adding a new rate for G0137 (intensive outpatient services) for the amount of $157.86.
- Hospital outpatient rates remain unchanged.
What’s next:
- AHCCCS intends to post the proposed rates on its website this week.
- Comments are due to the agency at [email protected] by 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024.
- AzHHA members may also submit comments to Amy Upston, director of financial policy and reimbursement.
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Last chance to register: Healthcare Social Media Exercise
The Arizona Coalition for Healthcare Emergency Response (AzCHER) will host a Healthcare Social Media Exercise from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024.
Why it matters: This exercise is virtual and aims to enhance your ability to:
- Implement social listening to gauge the public’s perception of incident response and recovery efforts.
- Deliver credible and actionable messages to inform the public through social media platforms in response to a catastrophic incident.
This exercise scenario is designed with a focus on hospitals, and we strongly encourage their participation. Additionally, we welcome and encourage participation from our Public Health partners.
The deadline to register is Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024.
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New coalition report released
On Monday, July 29, 2024, the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare shared a new fact sheet with analysis by KNG Health Consulting.
Why it matters: The analysis finds nearly half of all hospital emergency department (ED) visits occur after-hours (between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m.) when patients have limited options for care, especially during an emergency when they simply cannot wait until the next day or available appointment.
By the numbers:
- Children accounted for 21% of ED visits in 2021.
- Of the 136 million ED visits in 2021, 18.1 million occurred in rural areas.
- In 2021, 34.3 million ED visits were related to trauma.
- Two-thirds of overdose and poisoning-related ED visits occurred after-hours in 2021.
The big picture: This new analysis confirms that hospitals and health systems are the heart of the 24/7 healthcare that patients count on and are indispensable access points for the communities they serve.
Go deeper: Read the full fact sheet.
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August is Civic Health Month
Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, marks the first day of Civic Health Month.
Why it matters: During Civic Health Month, hospitals and clinics across the country transform into centers of democratic engagement.
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Read this article about how health systems and clinicians can engage patients and care team members to help get out the vote.
The big picture: AzHHA is partnering with Vot-ER to drive policy changes that improve health. Vote-ER:
- Is a nonpartisan, nonprofit integrating civic engagement into healthcare settings through its tools, programs and coaching.
- Provides HIPAA compliant resources that promote employee happiness, combat burnout and cultivate deeper trust between the provider and the patient.
- Empowers patients and providers to use their voices at the ballot box to address the underlying factors driving health inequities.
Go deeper: Learn more about Vot-ER by reading this one-pager or by visiting their website.
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AzHHA releases DataGen reports
In relationship with DataGen, AzHHA distributes reports to hospitals based on information submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. DataGen generates hospital-specific reports which are sent to AzHHA hospital members as part of their membership.
Why it matters: This data helps hospitals understand the financial impact of proposed changes and annual updates.
- The reports can also assist in preparing budgets or benchmarking results with other similar organizations.
The below reports were recently sent to members:
- FFY 2026 Preliminary Wage Index and Occupations Mix Data Analysis (sent Wednesday, July 3, 2024)
- FFY 2025 Inpatient Psychiatric Facility proposed rule analysis (sent Monday, July 8, 2024)
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Healthcare Recruitment and Retention Forum
On Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, the Healthcare Recruitment and Retention Forum will be held at Desert Willow Conference Center in Phoenix.
- AzCHER is a sponsor of this event.
Why it matters: This event will explore healthcare recruitment and retention challenges and solutions, including generational differences in preferences for employment.
- Shifts in Human Resource practices - including those for Access and Functional Needs populations - will also be discussed.
What’s next: Learn more and register.
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Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024 - Introduction to POLST
Join physician orders for life-sustaining treatment paradigm (POLST) for their one-hour virtual workshops equipping healthcare professionals with knowledge and resources to begin using POLST in Arizona. Register here.
Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 - EMTALA surveys, deficiencies and interactions with agencies
This is the final session in the members-only webinar series designed to answer questions about EMTALA, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. Questions? Reach out to [email protected].
Oct. 16-18 – 2024 Arizona Hospital Leadership Conference
The 2024 Arizona Hospital Leadership Conference will once again be held at the exquisite Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson on Oct. 16-18. This will be an inspirational gathering of more than 200 hospital and healthcare executives seeking opportunities for continuing education, meaningful discussion and relationship building. Register by Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, to receive an early bird discount.
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