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"The days of people keeping you employed because you are breathing are over," says Chris Kalina, MBA, MS, RN, COHN-S/CM, FAAOHN, a Munster, IN-based health and safety consultant and former director of global occupational health programs and services at Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. in Chicago. That statement is particularly relevant for occupational health providers and nurses, Kalina says. "You may be seen as something that can easily be eliminated," she says.
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With persistent outbreaks but milder than expected disease severity, the novel H1N1 posed a unique dilemma for health care providers. They first needed to assuage fear, then to prevent against complacency. They needed to monitor employee illnesses and provide adequate precautions, yet encountered varying guidance.
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Think of the outbreak of a novel H1N1 virus this spring as a colossal pandemic preparedness drill, either for a future virus or for a stronger resurgence of the strain later this year. So, how did hospitals do in their mission to protect health care workers (HCWs), including providing appropriate protective equipment, training, and communication?
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In guidance released before H1N1 influenza A made respirator use a hot topic again, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a document to clarify the protection levels of different types of respirators and to help employers select the appropriate ones.
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California has become the first state to adopt an aerosol transmissible disease standard that requires hospitals to conduct a risk assessment, maintain an exposure control plan, and provide annual training to employees.
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The number of claims denials was always an important metric for patient access, but now it's front and center, in more ways than one.
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"With layoffs now hitting hospitals and legislation and government bodies reducing payments, health care facilities cannot afford not to automate," says Katherine Murphy, CHAM, director of access services for Nebo Systems, a subsidiary of Passport Health Communications in Oakbrook Terrace, IL. Murphy also is a delegate to the National Associate of Healthcare Access Management and the president of the Illinois Access Association.
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To really motivate your staff, you'll need to do more than simply check a "meets expectation" box on their annual reviews.
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Training and education costs often are the first items on the chopping block when it's time for budget cuts. By offering education online, costs can be cut while quality is maintained.
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What's the toughest challenge if you want to get serious about emergency department point-of-service (POS) collections? "Changing behavior with the staff as well as the patients," says Denise Helm, director of patient access at St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Las Vegas. "Both prefer the 'bill me later' approach."
