Read about healthcare legislative updates, upcoming events for healthcare professionals and more.
Legislative update – week five
We’ve officially passed the bill introduction deadline in both Chambers, meaning any new bills that come out must either be offered as a strike everything amendment or introduced with the permission of the House Speaker or Senate President. A total of 1,625 bills have been introduced so far, and if this session is anything like years past, less than 25% of those will ultimately make it to the finish line to become new laws. The House attempted to pass a ‘continuation’ budget this week, but the measure failed on the House floor as one member of the majority, Rep. Liz Harris (R-13), voted against the budget. At this point, a path forward on budget negotiations is unclear, and we are likely in for a long session as this process unfolds.
The House Health Committee meet for several hours on Monday and offered unanimous support to AzHHA priority bill, HB2346, which fixes an OTC licensure issue. A floor amendment will be needed to ensure the Department of Health Services has the information they need to follow up on any reports of patient harm. The Senate Health Committee met for nearly six hours Tuesday and advanced several problematic bills, including one related to vaccine policies (SB1250), one on hospital price transparency (SB1603), and one on hospital discharge planning to assisted living facilities (SB1157). Stakeholder meetings are planned for each of the bills, so AzHHA will continue to work on the language and ensure our member hospitals are protected.
AzHHA’s top priority bill on health plan accountability, HB2290, will be heard by the House Health Committee on Monday, Feb. 13. If you participate in the legislature’s Request to Speak (RTS) system, please sign on to show your support for this measure. If you are willing to contact your legislators directly, you can get in touch with them via email, and AzHHA’s Director of Government Relations, Meghan McCabe, can help with talking points or contact information.
CDC FAQs about hospital-acquired infections
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers frequently asked questions (FAQs) with information about catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), surgical site infections (SSIs), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). The documents will help patients understand hospital-acquired infections, how they are treated, and the steps hospitals take to prevent infections. Please use the links below and share these informational documents with your patients.
Sepsis survivor week starts Feb. 12
Sepsis Survivor Week is an annual observance that takes place the second week of February. This year, during Sepsis Survivor Week Feb. 12-18, we honor the caregivers, providing support while their loved one recovers from sepsis. AzHHA is honoring our HQIC participant hospitals this month for their contributions to fighting sepsis mortality by recognizing their efforts with a Sepsis Safe designation! If you are an HQIC participant and haven’t yet submitted a Cynosure Health Sepsis Honor Self-Assessment there is still time! The application window officially closes on March 31, 2023. Please submit your self-assessment here so we can acknowledge and celebrate your Safe Sepsis work!
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) / Low Vision Awareness Month
February is Low Vision Awareness Month. Vision impairment, including low vision, affects millions of Americans. Vision impairment can make it hard to read, shop, or cook. And standard treatments like eyeglasses, contact lenses, medicines, and surgery can’t fix vision impairment completely. In honor of low vision awareness month, AzHHA reminds you of our advanced care planning educational documents and key forms available on our website in audio and braille versions. Visit www.azhha.org/tlc_forms for more information.
Arizona utility rebates available for hospitals
Arizona utility provider, APS, is offering rebates to hospitals and healthcare facilities within its territory through its APS Solutions for Business. The program team offers to help hospitals identify opportunities to better manage energy use, become more energy efficient and achieve sustainability goals. View their factsheet with tips and visit their website for more information.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Feb. 22 - Hospital Assessments and HEALTHII payments 101
AzHHA will host this annual event for members interested in learning about the two hospital assessments and the quarterly HEALTHII payments. Learn why the assessments were created, which types of hospitals are exempt from the assessments, how the amounts have changed over time, why hospitals receive quarterly HEALTHII payments, HEALTHII reconciliations and HEALTHII quality metrics. AzHHA members who have not received an invitation but are interested in attending may contact Amy Upston, director of financial policy and reimbursement, at [email protected].
Feb. 23 and March 2 - AzCHER Radiation Surge Annex Training and Tabletop Exercise
AzHHA’s Arizona Coalition for Healthcare Emergency Response (AzCHER) team will conduct a Radiological Surge Response Training and an HSEEP-compliant tabletop exercise to train and test key elements within the Radiation Surge Annex. Completion of either format will leave you with a better overall understanding of the response to an incident involving radiological materials, the Radiation Surge Annex and how to implement it into your agency’s emergency response plans. Participants may choose to join either our virtual or in-person option.
Feb. 23 – register for the in-person session │ March 2 – register for the virtual session
March 14 – Introduction to POLST workshops
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. The objectives are to describe what POLST is at the state and national level, explain why POLST is important, define the population for POLST, when to begin the conversation and who completes POLST, describe the process for completing, reviewing and updating POLST, and learn the process of submitting healthcare planning documents to the Arizona Healthcare Directive Registry.
Upcoming workshops:
March 21 – AzCHER Crisis Standards of Care Workshop series
Clinical leadership and healthcare emergency managers are encouraged to register for the AzCHER Crisis Standards of Care (CSC) Workshop Series March 21 – April 12.
Workshop 1: Preparing for Crisis Standards of Care
Workshop 2: Staying in Contingency
Workshop 3: Activating, Implementing & Collaborating on Crisis Standards of Care
Workshop 4: Supporting Staff and De-Activating Crisis Standards of Care
Learn more and register here.
March 23 – AzCHER Annual Conference
Join us for our third AzCHER Annual Conference at the Arizona Broadway Theatre, Thursday, March 23, 2023. Our theme “Safety, Security and Situational Awareness” promises a great opportunity to learn, network and collaborate. Learn more and register here.
March 31 – Save the Date: Arizona Healthcare Workforce Summit
Healthcare project leaders and workforce partners are invited to attend this collaborative summit to hear about strategies, workforce outcomes and impact, and plans for future sustainability while sharing ideas and connecting with workforce colleagues. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Creighton University, Phoenix Health Sciences Campus Ballroom in downtown Phoenix. Registration information is coming soon.
May 2 – Save the Date: HEOA Collaborative Conference
AzHHA’s Care Improvement team is planning its first Health Equity Organizational Assessment (HEOA) Collaborative Conference on May 2, 2023, to celebrate the efforts and successes of the HEOA Collaborative members. This interactive conference will give attendees the opportunity to share accomplishments, processes, stories, lessons learned and garner inspiration to continue the journey of health equity.
IN THE NEWS
Biden's State of the Union: 10 healthcare takeaways (beckershospitalreview.com)
Arizona hospital turns to telehealth for cardiac rehab (beckershospitalreview.com)