Dear Colleague:
Welcome to the Yale New Haven Health System Center for Healthcare Solutions (YNHHS-CHS) monthly newsletter. The featured articles reflect our mission to provide practical and cost-efficient solutions to today's healthcare challenges. In addition to providing informative updates, each issue will also highlight techniques, programs and systems that are helping organizations translate proven research results into operational best practices. A diverse range of topics is covered including: patient safety, public health, healthcare associated infections, emergency preparedness, health information technology, healthcare reform, quality improvement and background check systems.
Please don't hesitate to share this resource with other interested colleagues. |
HHS Releases Meaningful Use Rule
The nation's healthcare system is undergoing a transformation in an effort to improve quality, safety and efficiency of care. Incentive programs, from Medicare and Medicaid have been developed to support healthcare providers that are transitioning to electronic health records (EHRs). To qualify for the incentive payments, providers must comply with the meaningful use rule that was recently released. This new rule defines what hospitals and clinicians must do with EHRs through a series of core objectives and a set of objectives that are specific for eligible professionals and hospitals.
A New Commitment to Prevention
In its continued commitment to improving the health of the American people, the Affordable Care Act has created a National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council. The Council, consisting of a cross cutting membership from federal agencies has been charged with developing a National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy. The Strategy will prioritize evidence-based policy and program interventions intended to meet measurable goals related to the leading causes of death and disability and the factors that underlie these causes, including tobacco use, obesity, poor nutrition, physical inactivity and excessive alcohol use.
HHS Leads the Way in Educating Consumers about Healthcare Options
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its new website, www.healthcare.gov is reaching out to help consumers find insurance options, learn about prevention, compare care quality, understand the Affordable Care Act and find health information tailored to families with children, individuals, people with disabilities, seniors, young adults and employers.
HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is utilizing technology to create program buttons to promote their effective healthcare (EHC) materials. Anyone with a website, blog or personal page can post one of these images on their site. The images contain links directing users to the web page where a specific EHC program product resides such as "Pills for Type 2 Diabetes: A Guide for Adults".
For more information or to download the program buttons, click here.
HHS Invites Comment on Proposed Changes to HIPAA Privacy Rules
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed rules that will give patients the right to restrict certain disclosures and ban the sale of patient data without patient consent, and allow for the development of a certification process for electronic health record products and systems. A 60 day public comment period will start on July 14th.
CDC Releases First State Specific HAI Summary Report
The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) is a public health surveillance system that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP) maintains as its lead for healthcare-associated infection (HAI) surveillance and prevention. The first state-specific report presents composite statistics summarizing HAI data available from NHSN at the national and state levels. The HAI data reported are limited to central line-associated bloodstream infections. This initial report provides baseline data that can help identify priorities and guide prevention plans and activities by federal and state agencies.
YNHHS-CHS Educational Tools
Our online courses can assist your organization in meeting The Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goal 7 and are approved for AMA PRA Category 1 CME credit (online).
PS 204: Preventing Central Line-Associated Blood Stream Infections Audience - Clinical practitioners in acute care hospitals, infusion centers and skilled nursing facilities that insert, remove and otherwise monitor central lines
Audience - Clinicians specializing in surgical procedures
Audience - Clinical practitioners (physicians, nurses, patient care assistants, clinical laboratory professionals, mid-level practitioners and radiology technicians)
For more information, contact Rebecca Cohen at 203-688-3224. |
The Lucian Leape Institute Third Annual Forum and Gala, will be held September 16, 2010 in Boston, Massachusetts.
The AHRQ 2010 Annual Conference, "Better Care, Better Health: Delivering on Quality for All Americans," will be held
The American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Exposition, will be held November 6-10, 2010 in Denver, Colorado.
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Conference will be held February 20-24, 2011 in
Orlando, Florida.
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YNHHS-CHS offers services and programs that will help you meet current healthcare standards, priorities and other challenges. Healthcare-focused services include education and training, assessments, planning and program implementation, testing and evaluation in the disciplines of patient safety, healthcare associated infections, background check systems, health information technology and emergency management.
For more information, please visit www.ynhhs.org/chs. |
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