After a comprehensive review of background screening companies,
Hospital Council and Hospital Association of Southern California
(HASC) have jointly named Accurate as an endorsed business
partner for employment screening services.
The endorsement provides member hospitals with a comprehensive
portfolio of employment screening solutions – from criminal
background checks and drug screening to verifications and ongoing
workforce monitoring – to help organizations comply with state,
federal, and association requirements.
“Having a member-vetted option takes away some of the guesswork
and will help make the selection of a qualified background
screening company that you can trust easier for member
hospitals,” said Bryan Bucklew, Hospital Council President & CEO.
“We are proud of HASC and the Hospital Council’s endorsement of
our employment screening services, as it reflects our commitment
to delivering the highest caliber, compliant screening program
for hospitals and other health care settings,” said Tim Dowd, CEO
of Accurate. “At Accurate, we understand the rigorous
requirements of background screening and pre-employment screening
for health care personnel and look forward to meeting the needs
of HASC and the Hospital Council’s member hospitals with our
comprehensive portfolio of services.”
Hospital Council’s endorsed business partner program provides
cutting-edge and cost-effective solutions for member hospitals.
The business partners selected are expected to meet high-quality
standards and offer products or services that help health care
facilities avoid costs, recover revenue, reduce operating and
capital expenses, improve management and quality, increase
productivity, develop staff resources, and apply new strategies.
Hospital Council members receive Council Connect,
our electronic newsletter that shares everything we’re
working on for you.
In articles as diverse as our membership — from rural
to urban, and Sierra to sea — we spotlight the
individuals and institutions who are moving the ball forward,
while also sharing news on new ideas and innovative approaches
from our endorsed business partners.
Member hospitals and health systems are reminded this month to enroll in the 2021 Allied for Health Survey Program. The program includes access to the hot jobs and HR metrics, as well as executive, management, non-management compensation, and union penetration surveys.
From the very start of the pandemic, hospital workers have demonstrated incredible dedication, compassion, courage, and skill as they care for our communities — something that Californians will forever be grateful for.
Here’s a look at how Hospital Council’s RVPs have been working on
behalf of hospitals over the past few weeks.
A collection of 10 far-northern counties is
considering working together to change their counties’ structure
for Medi-Cal managed care to a county organized health
system.
With the new COVID-19 vaccine distribution system rolling out this week, the state and Blue Shield, the third-party administrator (TPA), have yet to release many details about the network.
With the state’s recent revocation of the nurse
staffing ratio waivers and the continuing demands of the
COVID-19 pandemic, some hospitals may need additional staff.
Grief, anger, exhaustion, frustration — COVID-19 has been about so many different things for so many people. For hospitals — and their front-line workers — as many are well aware, it’s been about saving lives. Put simply, it’s been about “doing the right thing.”
At the first Hospital Council board meeting of the year, that was the clear consensus among board members. But as many of you have discovered throughout the course of the past year, often it’s been “so hard to do the right thing.”
When the Hospital Council board of directors meets on Friday, COVID-19 will — naturally — dominate much of the discussion. But in addition to COVID-19, public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) and cybersecurity remain critically important, and Hospital Council RVPs continue to advocate for members on local issues.
Here’s a look at some of the issues that Hospital Council is currently working on:
Last month, the state launched an app called
CA Notify that is designed to quickly notify individuals when
they’ve been in sustained contact (per Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention guidelines) with someone who tested
positive for COVID-19.
The American Hospital Association (AHA) has developed several
resources on vaccine planning and administration for hospitals
and health systems, as well as public-facing educational
campaigns.
Here’s some of the work that Hospital Council RVPs have been
doing these past few weeks.
Hospitals in Santa Clara County have been
meeting daily to share information on hospital status and issues
of concern, identify and address level-loading needs, and discuss
vaccination strategies.
Crime does not stop because of COVID-19. The increasing
sophistication and frequency of ransomware, phishing, and hacking
attacks mean that the health care industry is more vulnerable
than ever to cybersecurity threats. On Feb. 11 from 1:30 to 3
p.m. (PT), CHA will host a webinar that
will discuss firsthand hospital experiences with attacks in late
2020 and how to safeguard patient care and protect operations.
Although the vaccine may be helping to turn the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re not out of the woods just yet. Hospitalizations have started to level off in some parts of the state and counties are slowly reopening, but other regions remain teetering on the brink and are faced with the prospect of having to implement crisis standards of care.
While we had hoped that a new year would bring some relief, many of the issues and concerns that hospitals faced early in the pandemic and through the holiday season have followed them into the beginning of 2021.
Think back, if you can, to last New Year’s Eve. 2020 was just on the horizon — bringing with it, as most new years do, hope and promise.
And for a very short time, it seemed like 2020 would be just like any other year. Then March came and, seemingly overnight, the state ground to a halt. By April, it appeared the state had “flattened the curve” on infections. At that time, it would have been hard for any of us to imagine that nearly a year later we’d still be struggling to contain it.
Accurate Background, an endorsed business partner of the Hospital
Council, is seeking insights into the current challenges and
trends for health care human resources departments.
Here’s a look at some of the work Hospital Council’s regional
vice presidents have been engaged in over the past couple weeks.
RVP David Bacci coordinated a planning and logistics call for
Fresno and Madera members and
county leaders to help them prepare for COVID-19 vaccine
distribution.
Good communication is key to so much of our daily lives and success in work and relationships. Without effective communication, a message can turn into error, misunderstanding, frustration, or more — lessons that we have all likely learned the hard way.
Here’s a look at some of the work that Hospital Council RVPs have
been involved in over the past few weeks.
On Nov. 18, the state announced that the rollout
of the Medi-Cal Managed Care Pharmacy program with Magellan has
been delayed until April 1, 2021. This move by the state to the
new pharmacy program remains unpopular with many, including
providers concerned about negative impacts on patient care. One
clinic network reports this will result in a $2 million loss of
340B dollars, plus a loss of investment in time, software,
dollars, and staff administering 340B. That clinic network is
joining with others to sue the state to carve them out of the
program.
The above quote and picture came from our daughter, Zoey, eight-and-a-half years ago. In preparation for Thanksgiving, Zoey’s preschool teacher asked each student what they were thankful for and wrote their answers down on the sharing board for the parent program. When our family saw this quote, it immediately became our favorite Thanksgiving memory.
PG&E is providing rebates for ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers. All the requirements need to be met in order to qualify, but this is a good opportunity for hospitals buying energy-efficient ULT freezers in preparation for a COVID-19 vaccine.
When hiring new employees, background checks are a critical part
of the process. They can help employers make informed decisions
about who they want to hire and allow access to a business’s
information, property, and customers. With the laws
ever-changing, this webinar
from from endorsed business partner Accurate — How to
Compliantly Hire Someone — is a good refresher on the hiring and
background check processes.
The California Health Care Foundation, in partnership with policy
research group Mathematica, has issued a
request for proposals (RFP) on feasibility grants to advance
graduate medical education (GME) in California hospitals.
On Dec. 10, the California Hospital Association Political Action
Committee (CHPAC) will host a wrap-up webinar on the 2020
election where attendees can find out how their 2020 CHPAC
contribution helped California’s hospitals. In addition,
attendees at this special donors’ event will hear the impacts
made at the state and national levels and gain insights on what
lies ahead, post-election.
On Nov. 4, CHA held its annual meeting with the California
Department of Public Health (CDPH) leadership and district
offices. Heidi Steinecker, CDPH’s deputy director, Center for
Health Care Quality, and her team provided an update on their
program improvement and reviewed CDPH’s COVID-19 response.
Participants also heard highlights of the Center for Health Care
Quality’s direction, reorganization, and priorities moving
forward.
Here’s a look at some of the work that Hospital Council RVPs have
been involved in over the past few weeks.
On Nov. 10, Rebecca Rozen participated in a
meeting with Assemblymember Bill Quirk (D-Hayward), along with
member hospitals in his district and CHA’s advocacy team.
In a year that has uprooted our lives, brought so much heartache and devastation, and left us with so many questions, it’s not likely even the late “Jeopardy” host Alex Trebek would have had the correct answers. While we don’t know all of the answers surrounding the multitude of health care issues — COVID-19, Affordable Care Act, etc. — we certainly know the questions that our hospital members and the people who depend on our care have for the newly elected.
After 10 years of planning, including a community bond measure, design, and more than two years of construction, Modoc Medical Center in Alturas opened its doors to the community on Oct. 22.
The medical center is comprised of three buildings — the main hospital, a second (attached) building with clinic and outpatient services, and a third that houses ambulance bays and support services.
Here’s a look at some of the work that Hospital Council RVPs
have been involved in over the past few weeks.
On Oct. 20, Rebecca Rozen moderated a
presentation by Alameda County Behavioral Health Care
Services for hospital case management and discharge
planning leaders.
When it comes to employment applications, it’s important that
employers comply with more than just removing the criminal
question “box” from employment applications.
On Nov. 10 at 10 a.m. (PT),
Accurate will host a webinar on ban the box and adverse
action, designed to help you get your background checks … in
check. A panel of legal experts will discuss:
Hospital Council has prepared an infographic that
highlights the partnership with PG&E designed to help reduce
the impact of public safety power shutoffs (PSPS). The
infographic looks at changes implemented in 2020, important
PSPS-related numbers, and planned improvements.
On Aug. 18, the Mayers Memorial Hospital District opened its new
hospital wing, a 10,900-square-foot building that is home to the
emergency, lab, and imaging departments. It replaces outdated and
non-compliant portions of the building and provides a modern home
for many of the hospital’s primary services while retaining a
physical connection to the remaining services in the existing
facility.
Hospital Council invites you to a free webcast: AMN Open Talent
Marketplace. The webcast will feature Medefis, a vendor
management system that comes with a pre-vetted network of
nursing, respiratory, and physician-contingent personnel and will
be presented by Doug Janes, AMN vice president, business
development.
Hospitals are pouring a wealth of resources and time into
transforming how care is delivered, and sometimes the Accounts
Payable (AP) department gets left out when it comes to
innovation.
Atlas Lift Tech’s approach to safe patient handling and mobility
adapts to the needs of each client. Atlas mobility coaches,
integrated in facilities up to 24 hours a day, are available on a
scheduled or emergent basis through continuous rounding on the
units and in unit/bedside training.
The COVID-19 pandemic has not just altered the
healthcare industry but virtually every aspect
life in the United States. And
yet, the fundamentals of healthcare
remain. If nothing else, the pandemic has reminded of the
important of healthcare in our communities.
New regulations from the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) taking effect in
May 2021 require hospitals to share
their admission, discharge,
and transfer notifications and to ensure their
primary care and post-acute providers – anywhere in the country –
are notified about emergency department visits,
inpatient admissions, and other hospital-based
events.
Telehealth has come into its own during
the COVID-19 pandemic, as increased demand and satisfaction
have led to broader adoption across the
industry. Studies show that nearly 25% of American
adults have used telehealth, and that figure is
climbing. Vituity, a leader in providing acute care
management, health care, and medical staffing services and
solutions, was ahead of this curve and developed a
full suite of telehealth solutions that have proven
invaluable to hospitals and health care
facilities. Vituity is a
Hospital Council is pleased to introduce ButterFli, which
delivers on-demand and scheduled transportation to people with
special needs, including those with
COVID-19. ButterFLi utilizes mobile and web technology,
along with customer service representatives, to match service
providers to customers. Unlike Uber and Lyft, users can book
rides by phone — without downloading an app.
As hospitals resume surgical procedures and treatments that were
paused in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for blood
has increased. The American Red Cross is asking
healthy individuals to make appointments to
donate to ensure blood products are readily available for
patients.
Virtually everyone in the United States has been affected by the
COVID-19 pandemic, though it has been a challenge and strain on
physicians, nurses, and other healthcare
professionals.
SpeedTrack, which provides next generation data
analytics for California health care, has a new option that is
helping in the fight against
COVID-19. The Population Health Decision
Support (PHDS) analytics platform is now being
leveraged to identify and optimize care for at-risk patients
during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many patients, especially
those who are elderly or with multiple chronic
conditions have elected not to see their physicians during
this time (98% of practices are reporting substantial
decreases in patient volumes – CMA Ph
Hospital Council members are eligible to take advantage
of a Class Action Settlement Recovery Service, on a pure
contingent fee basis, through a strategic partnership
with Managed Care Advisory Group (MCAG), LLC.
The COVID-19 pandemic is presenting unprecedented challenges to
health care facilities. Medefis, a rapid staffing network
solution from AMN Healthcare, hopes to ease some of the
burden of the COVID-19 pandemic. This vendor management
system comes with a pre-vetted network of nursing, respiratory,
and physician contingent personnel. It is designed
to simplify life for HR departments, especially smaller
hospitals (fewer than 300 beds), with staffing
services to address:
At last Thursday’s board meeting, a new slate for the Board of Directors was installed. The board, which is the governing body of the Hospital Council and is responsible for the ultimate direction of the management of the affairs of the organization, includes:
On Oct. 8, the Solano Emergency Medical Services
Cooperative (SEMSC) Board reviewed a proposal from Medic
Ambulance, the county’s 911 provider, to increase its advanced
life support (ALS) rates by 43% and use a portion of the funds to
support fire medical response in several cities. The rate
increase would apply to transports from the field to hospitals,
as well as ALS interfacility transports between hospitals.
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)
has developed a comprehensive program, “Earthquake Warning
California,” for medical facilities.
CHA has launched FightFluTogether, a
consumer-focused campaign to encourage flu vaccination, developed
in partnership with the California Department of Public Health,
the California Medical Association, the California Immunization
Coalition, and the Hospital Officers Association of California.
CHA and the Regional Associations have launched a new website to support
members as they continue to respond to the ongoing challenges of
the COVID-19 crisis.
All the resources developed so far have been consolidated to make
it easier to find what is needed via a browsable set of tools and
information, including:
CHA has released the 2020 Consent
Manual, which features updates and insights
on current consent and related health care law. The
manual is available free to members for download and
in the CHA Manuals app. Printed copies may
be purchased here.
Nominations are open until Oct. 2 for positions on the 2021
Hospital Council Board of Directors. Nominations should include
name, hospital affiliation, and a brief biography.
The American Hospital Association has created a voter
registration digital
toolkit that includes sample CEO/leader messages and
newsletter articles, downloadable and customizable posters, as
well as graphics, including Zoom backgrounds and logos. The
toolkit is designed to be used as a reminder that every health
care voice counts.
On Sept. 17, several government relations
officers, along with RVP Jo Coffaro and Hospital Council
President & CEO Bryan Bucklew, met with Kansen Chu and Otto Lee,
candidates for the Santa Clara County Board of
Supervisors District 3 seat. This was purely an educational
meeting and an opportunity for the candidates to ask questions
about health care and hospitals, as Hospital Council does not
endorse candidates.
On Sept. 1, Anthem Managed Medi-Cal held its
second-ever advisory council meeting for north state
rural providers. Anthem is making progress in many areas
important to providers, including telehealth, social determinants
of health, and COVID-19 response. The meeting included many
representatives from clinics and counties, and RVP T Abraham will
work with Anthem to get more hospitals involved, specifically
case managers and patient billing representatives.
As Californians endure the impacts of the
state’s wildfires, the National Association for Behavioral
Healthcare reminds all members of resources available through the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
If you missed the Aug. 27 Hospital Council
webinar — PSPS Update: What Hospitals Served by
PG&E Need to Know — or just want to review, it
is now available as an on-demand recording. The webinar
presentation and recording have been posted here,
where you will also find:
With the 2019-2020 legislative session behind us, it’s time to breathe a brief sigh of relief. We can — and should — take a moment to relish the accomplishments over the past months, and in the recently concluded legislative session:
In a year that has already brought so many challenges, the last thing we needed were the lights to go out — without any warning. However, that’s what some of your hospitals encountered during the recent heat wave. Recognizing that this situation likely remains top of mind for many of you, especially as we approach the public safety power shutoff (PSPS) season, we wanted to update you on where things stand with PG&E.
“Meet this moment.” It’s a phrase that for months Gov. Newsom has
been uttering during his press conferences and regular COVID-19
updates. And while he has at times taken flack on social media
for what may be considered by some to be overused, it’s safe to
say that it’s a fitting phrase for this time.
Just like Californians have “met this moment” by social
distancing, staying at home, wearing masks, etc., your hospitals
have more than “met this moment” and will continue to do so in
the months to come. And at the Hospital Council, it’s our job to
support you in any way that we can.
