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NEWSLETTER: JANUARY-JUNE 2007
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NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE |
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2007 Legislative Priorities
The Catholic Health Association of Texas represents seven health systems, including 38 Catholic hospitals and numerous clinics throughout the state. Our members range from large multi-service hospitals in urban settings to rural institutions that bring high-quality patient care to less populated areas of our state, to facilities that care for patients who require specialized care such as behavioral health, long-term care, or rehabilitation services.
MISSION of the Catholic Health Association of Texas:
The Catholic Health Association of Texas responds to the call of
the Gospel by advocating for health care policies and programs that
provide quality, affordable and accessible health care for all Texans,
especially the poor and vulnerable people in our state and by promoting
collaboration among Catholic health care providers.
- Uninsured
- Support legislative and regulatory initiatives to make health insurance more affordable and accessible.
- Medicaid
- Continue to fully fund Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program and oppose any reductions in reimbursements or changes in eligibility that reduce caseloads.
- Support maximizing federal Medicaid drawdown dollars to expand coverage to more individuals and increase spending per enrollee.
- Support restoration of funding for Medicaid programs.
- Texas Advance Directives Act
The Texas Advance Directives Act attempts to protect the rights of adults to make decisions about their care and the care of a child.
Changes to current law that would enhance its legislative intent include:- Clarification of the definition of “irreversible condition.”
- Revision of process under section 166.046.
- Requirement that a separate standard informational document explaining the ethics and consult process be distributed to the family / surrogate at each mandated ethics consultation to increase uniformity of the application of the law and to provide the family / surrogate with additional written information about the process.
- Require that the health care facility appoint a patient liaison to help the family / surrogate through the process.
- Inform family / surrogate of their rights to patient’s medical record.
- Adult Stem Cell Research
- Encourage the state to adopt a policy regarding adult stem cell research that draws down federal funds, attracts private venture capital and establishes Texas as a national leader in adult stem cell research.
- Support a state policy that would substantially increase funds for adult stem cell research and clinical applications, including adult stem cells found in cord blood.
OTHER ISSUES:
- Charity Care / Uncompensated Care
- We support standardization of reporting requirements.
- Freedom to Serve
Support adequate legal protections for faith-based providers that would not require them to provide services inconsistent with their beliefs.
Advocacy Day a Success
More than 60 Catholic hospital leaders and several bishops entered the halls and offices of the 80th Texas legislature on January 30 to carry key messages about the need to reduce the number of uninsured, bolster Medicaid and support other priority issues.
The occasion was Advocacy Day, organized by the Catholic Health Association of Texas for its member hospitals. Participants gathered at The Driskill Hotel in downtown Austin for a morning of preparation, featuring speakers to help them focus on building effective working relationships with their district legislators. They spent the afternoon meeting with individual state senators and representatives, before gathering for a reception at the hotel that evening. There, they were joined by a number of legislators or their aides.
“It was a tremendously successful effort,” said Brenda Trolin, executive director of the Catholic Hospital Association of Texas. “We must continue to underscore the importance of developing trusting relationships between our hospital leaders and those who pass the laws and policies that will impact our hospitals and the communities they serve. It’s simply vital that legislators understand who we are and what we do, and the issues we face in our hospitals on a daily basis.”
Following are brief summaries of remarks of the morning speakers.
Trust is the Key
Political consultant Don Gilbert told his Advocacy Day audience that “the goal of advocacy is to become a trusted advisor” to the legislators that represent your district. “The best you can do is to be the person they call for information,” he declared.
Successful advocates are those that see what they do as a process, he explained. “It’s not a trick.”
“If your first visit (to your representative) is an ask, that’s off-putting,” he said. “You have to get to know these people, and they have to get to know you. As you follow the two-year legislative cycle, your goal for the next session is to be instantly recognized by a legislator who knows you, and knows that your opinions are important to your community.”
He pointed out that there are three basic settings where relationship building and influence can happen: in the home district, at the capitol office and during committee testimony. Most important is what happens in the home district, where “you’ll usually do the best communication you’re going to do,” he said.
“Bring the legislator to your hospital, and you’re always better off,” he explained. “They’ll remember what they see and experience. While you have him there, talk to him like you’d talk to a neighbor.”
Importantly, if you are going to testify at a committee hearing, contact the legislator or staff person in advance to let them know what you’re going to say, Gilbert said. This will pay off by increasing their understanding of your issues and giving them a chance to ask questions. Gilbert also urged hospital leaders to “localize” issues. “Don’t just tell them Texas leads the nation in uninsured, they know that,” he said. “Tell them what this means in your district, and in your hospital – how it impacts your ER, and how it forces cost shifting.”
National Agenda Outlined
Julie Trocchio, senior director of community benefit and continuing care for the Catholic Health Association of the USA, outlined that organization’s national advocacy priorities, which mirror much of what Texas Catholic hospitals are attempting to achieve.
Nationally, the CHA is seeking to establish a health care system that insures the dignity of people throughout their lifespan, and serves the common good of the community, she said.
“We believe health care is a basic, human right,” she stated. “The number one issue at CHA is to help develop a health care system that works for all people.”
She said the CHA is encouraged by the attention health care is receiving this year – having been mentioned in President George W. Bush’s State of the Union message, for example. A number of coalitions are being formed by organizations seeking to improve health coverage and access. Hospital officials can help by getting their communities to recognize the problem and start by urging effective health insurance coverage for children, she said.
“Please, keep the drum beat going on the uninsured issue,” she urged.
CHA is also working to strengthen the safety net aspect of Catholic hospital care, to protect Medicare and seek ways to finance long-term nursing care.
Trocchio noted that the tax exemption enjoyed by nonprofit hospitals is again under attack, with the Internal Revenue Service examining executive compensation and community benefits. She said the CHA has played a leadership role in developing community benefits, and this year created a uniform guide for hospitals to use in reporting those benefits.
Legislative Atmosphere ‘Partisan & Poisonous’
The 80th Texas Legislature is operating in a “poisonous, heated, partisan atmosphere,” said long-time observer Paul Burka, senior executive editor of the Texas Monthly magazine.
He characterized the body’s leadership as divided and weakened, with leaders who are unable to get along with each other.
“(Governor Rick) Perry has no mandate,” Burka said, “but he’s tough and he’ll try to follow his agenda.”
One key Perry issue is to force a spending cap based on population growth rather than economic indicators, Burka explained. But the poor account for most of that growth, and this will result in an increasing demand for services, but with a spending cap lower than it is now – causing problems for hospitals and others who must provide those services.
Burka noted gains made by Democrats in the last election, calling them “competitive again.” He observed that while Texas continues to be a “red” state, some Republicans are becoming more independent, and this coupled with Democrats’ gains is helping to restore the state’s political center.
Burka said that for him, health care boils down to three basic issues – cost, quality and access. Historically it has been possible to deal with any two of those issues, “but we still haven’t been able to devise a system to take care of all three.”
Still, he said there is room for some optimism as this legislative year begins.
“There is some (surplus) money, and there is some will,” he said. By the end of the session, he continued, “I hope we’ll see that Texas has made a truly aggressive start on addressing healthcare issues.”
Proposal to Fix Health Insurance
Advocacy Day participants got a sneak preview into what is being proposed as a significant fix to the problem of the uninsured in Texas. Camille Miller, president and chief executive officer for the Texas Health Institute, unveiled a 12-point plan that she said could reduce the number of uninsured in this state by nearly half over a five-year period, if each of the policy proposals is adopted. The plan was due for public release later in the day.
Dubbed as the Shared Vision Project, the Institute’s plan goes beyond the usual analysis and recognizes “the economic and fiscal benefits that may result from increasing the number of covered lives.” The plan also breaks the uninsured issue down into components dealing with different aspects of the problem – children, working adults, Medicaid, and other elements. Basically, it proposes specific solutions for each element of the issue. (A full text is available by visiting the Institute’s web site at www.TexasHealthInstitute.org.)
She asked for the help of Catholic hospitals, to carry the Shared Vision Project to communities of all sizes, and to get individual citizens involved in the effort.
“We must deal with the uninsured at every level of government,” she said.
Among other findings, the Institute noted that:
- Over 80 percent of the uninsured in Texas come from households where one or more family members work full- or part-time.
- Nearly 25 percent of the uninsured are children under the age of 18, and another 36 percent are between 18 and 34.
- Not all uninsured people are poor. Forty percent of families lacking health coverage earn $40,000 a year or more.
- While every Texas county has some uninsured residents, nearly half live in the five largest urban counties – Bexar, Dallas, El Paso, Harris and Tarrant. Counties having the highest percentage of uninsured are those along the Mexico border, where 29 to 34 percent of the people are uninsured.
Hispanics are three times more likely than Anglos to be uninsured. Blacks are twice as likely as Anglos.
MEMBER UPDATE
Melinda Clark Comes to Covenant as President/COO
Melinda Clark started as chief operating officer and president of the Lubbock Hospitals officially on Jan. 8.
“My foremost commitment is to our mission – to care for the patient, body, mind and spirit,” explained Melinda Clark. “I can only fulfill my sacred commitment to our patients by getting our, rounding on their physicians and staff – and knowing personally what is going on.”
Melinda’s Commitment:
- Do the right thing for the right reason.
- If I am wrong I will openly admit.
- I will work with you so that we are the BEST because it is what our patients deserve.
- To ensure you have what you need to do your job effectively.
Providence Announced its 5-Star Vision Winners
Five-Star Vision Award winners have been announced for 3rd Quarter, 2006. These individuals are honored for exhibiting the Five-Star Vision based on the six Core Values of our Ascension Health System: Service of the Poor, Reverence, Integrity, Wisdom, Creativity, and Dedication. It shows in their attitudes, their smiles, and their willingness to go the extra mile for patients, coworkers, physicians, and guests. These “shining stars” help to maintain a compassionate, caring atmosphere across our Network. We congratulate them for a job well done!
1 • Susan Neal, RN, De Paul Center 2 • Kim Falcone, Volunteer, Volunteer Services 3 • Monica Brewster, CAN, Providence Park 4 • Edith Henderson, Nutritional Services, Providence Healthcare Network 5 • LaRhonda Strawser, RN, Case Manager, Home Health Care
Seton Edgar B. Davis Receives National Award
Seton Edgar B. Davis Hospital has been named as a 2006 CareScience Select Practice National Quality Leader in the category of Pneumonia. As a recipient of the 2006 Select Practice Quality Leader Award, SEBD has achieved superior performance in care of Pneumonia patients, as identified by the CareScience Select Practice methodology. The combined quality and efficiency rating determines the CareScience annual Select Practice Leader award recipients. All acute-care inpatient facilities in the United States with at least 50 cases of a given disease were eligible to receive a CareScience Select Practice Leader designation in that disease area.
Seton to Expand into Hays County
To meet the ever-growing needs of the Central Texas region, representatives with the Seton Family of Hospitals have signed a contract for the purchase of a 205-acre tract of land. The property is located in Kyle, east of the intersection of Interstate 35 and Highway 1626, also known as the Kyle Parkway.
This recent purchase represents an opportunity to add to Seton’s growing family of hospitals, as development of a major medical center is being considered. Plans are for Seton personnel to work with a developer to establish not only a major medical center and other healthcare facilities on the site, but also possibly retail, commercial and multi-family uses.
“As a community ministry with more than 100 years of service to Central Texas, the Seton family has always considered it our responsibility to provide healthcare services to all the people of this region,” explained Charles Barnett, President/Chief Executive Officer of Seton. “As Central Texas continues to grow, we have a responsibility to be accessible in Hays County and to provide the same level of care that is delivered throughout the Seton Family of Hospitals.”
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NEWS TO USE
C.H.A.P. 2007 / MAY 14 – 18, 2007
Co-sponsored by
saint vincent catholic medical centers
and st. John’s university
new york
Keynote Speakers Include:
| Monday, May 14, 2007 | Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, R.N., M.S., Rev. Myles Sheehan, SJ, M.D. |
| Tuesday, May 15, 2007 | Dr. Faiz Khan Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, J.D. Venerable Yifa, Ph.D. Topic: “Why Does God Allow Human Suffering?” |
| Wednesday, May 16, 2007 | Daniel Sulmasy, OFM, M.D., Ph.D. Chairman of Ethics St. Vincent’s Medical Center of New York New York City Topic: “Getting Physicians to Talk About God: Overcoming the Taboo & the Awkwardness” |
| Thursday, May 17, 2007 | Regina Trainor, J.D. Francis Battisti, LCSW |
| Friday, May 18, 2007 | Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan, DD, MSW, MPH Board of Trustees, St. Vincent’s Medical Centers of New York New York City Topic: “Catholic Healthcare and the Challenge of the Undocumented, the Uninsured and the Mentally Ill Patient” |
Who Should Attend?
This program is especially designed for administrative personnel
of Catholic healthcare facilities.
- Hospital Administrators
- Pastoral Care Directors
- Corporate Staff
- Physicians
- Board Members
- Personnel Directors
- Nursing Home Administrators
- Hospital Ethics Committee Members
- Nursing Supervisors
- Mission Effectiveness Personnel
Continuing Education Credits
For participants seeking CEU’s, CHAP will petition various
professional organizations to request CEU’s for participants
in the program. Also three graduate credits in theology are
available from St. John’s University pending completion of
an approved independent research project, conducted under the supervision
of an SJU faculty mentor. The NACC will award 18.25 Continuing
Education Hours for participation in the CHAP Program.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE C.H.A.P. PROGRAM, CALL OR WRITE:
Sr. Annelle Fitzpatrick, C.S.J., Ph.D.
Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers
175-05 Horace Harding Expressway
Fresh Meadows, NY 11365
Phone #: (718)
357-0500 x104 or x115
Fax #: (718)
357-4588
e-mail: afitzpatrick@svcmcny.org
Getting That Heart Rate Up!
When it comes to muscle, the old adage “use it or lose it” definitely applies. The heart is the most important muscle in our body, and we need to exercise it regularly to keep it in proper working order. We don’t have to sweat it out in the gym for 2 hours a day, 6 days a week, either. Just 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, done 3-4 times per week, will result in tremendous cardiovascular benefits – consistency is the key! If you feel that you are unable to fit even a half-hour into your daily schedule, there are still plenty of ways to incorporate additional physical activity into your daily routine:
- Walk to and from the parking lot.
- Use the stairs rather than the elevator.
- Take advantage of every opportunity to leave the office and run errands.
- Stretch, flex and fidget at your workstation.
While these simple activities may not technically be “workouts,” but the extra calories that are burned and health benefits that are gained are cumulative and significant over a period of time. So clip on a pedometer for motivation, and get moving.
Eating Heart Healthy
While exercising the heart is vital, it still only represents half of the equation – we need to nourish the heart properly, as well. Even with our busy caregiver schedules, there are still many options available to us to ensure heart-healthy nutrition:
Start your day with a healthy breakfast such as oatmeal and fruit.
In the cafeteria, frequent the salad bar for fresh fruits and vegetables. Drink tea or water rather than soda, and skim milk rather than whole. Choose the heart-healthy entrée over the grill, and try to make donuts and Thursday Afternoon Delights an occasional special reward rather than a regular ritual.
Make healthier choices at the vending machine. Choose diet sodas over regular, and a package of peanuts over a candy bar or PopTart®.
Once again, small changes such as these will really add up over time, and your heart (and waistline) will thank you for them!
A Will to Live: Clear Answers to End of Life Issues
March 17, 2007 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital
Goldsbury Center for Children and Families
333 North Santa Rosa St.
5th Floor Auditorium
Free Parking
RSVP (210) 734-2620 EXT l302
(Deadline for registration—March 9, 2007. Seating is limited)
Download PDF brochure with more information.