PROJECTS AND DUE DATES

• Q3 MBQIP - Due February 1
• Q4 MBQIP - Due TBD: IMPORTANT: DUE TO CART UPDATES Q4 DATA CANNOT BE ENTERED INTO CART UNTIL FEBRUARY 11.  However, in the meantime you may abstract using the paper tools and enter the data when the update is ready.
• Q4 EDTC - Due January 31
• Q4 PIN Benchmarking - Due March 1

Meeting the requirement of submitting this measure does include enrollment in NHSN.  The MT HAI Prevention Initiative, Mountain-Pacific Quality Health, Hospital Engagement Network and MT Flex grant have pooled efforts and resources to aid MT CAHs in completing NHSN enrollment and to provide assistance in reporting and surveillance.

Click here for the Montana HCP Immunization Consensus Statement.

Does anyone do a foot care clinic in their clinics?  Is it possible to do them without a face to face with a provider, and charge for a nurse visit only?

Nurse Call Policies

• We currently staff our regular nurses on call from 6p-6a during the week and 6a-6p and 6p-6a on weekends. And our call is used to fill shifts (if needed) and to come in and help when it's crazy.
• We do not routinely staff on-call unless absolutely necessary for coverage.  The nurses take rotating low-census/on call, depending on census.  I am on call 24-7 for any emergencies. We are a 25 Bed CAH also with ED, ICU, and OB.
• We currently don't staff on-call.   A few years ago, we did staff 1 night nurse 1900 to 0730 and a 2^nd night nurse 1900 to 0730 on call;  they typically worked 7-11, then took call for the last 8 hours of the shift.    We paid CB pay for any hours they worked between 2300 and 0700 the next morning.  When our census picked up and the on-call nurse was working enough hours that it was less expensive to staff the 2^nd nurse, we converted back to staffing 2 nurses around the clock.
• Currently our FT and PT staff members are required to take 4 call shifts in and 8 week schedule, 2 of these must be weekend call shifts of either Saturday day, Saturday night, Sunday day or Sunday night. Perdiem staff are required 2 call shifts in the same time period and one must be a weekend shift.I do take one call shift a week during the week to help the staff.
• We staff two nurses for each 12 hour shift. One nurse covers ER and Hospital patients, the other nurse over the Swing Intermediate patients in which we currently have 17 (these used to be our LTC residents). We have a UC M-F and we also staff 2 CNAs per 12 hour shift and 1 bath aide 7 days a week during the day. We see an average of 3 ER patients/day (that can fluctuate) and currently our acute/OBs/Swing skilled census has been low.
• Nurses cannot live on call pay. It is a difficult thing- low census, but I have found that facilities that force LCOC too much end up losing nurses which costs more in the long run. If you are a CAH, you are reimbursed 80% of your nurses wages. Find excellent online education such as the ENA ER modules or the AACCN Essentials for Critical Care ICU modules for nurses to work on during times of low census so at least they are improving themselves and the care of patients.

Infection Exposure to Non-Employees
I am reviewing some Infection Control policies and have a question.  What are the other CAH doing if they have an Exposure to an individual who is NOT and employee? Do you consider contract staff employees, Volunteer EMS staff employees?  Who is responsible for the medical costs if they are exposed within your facility?  My policy says they are.  I do not think this should be the case.  I think if they are working in our facility they should be covered.  EMS especially as they help in the ED on numerous occasions.  Any thoughts or policy stating differences would you please share.  Thanks