Iowa news
Mercy Medical Center – Cedar Rapids recognized by Fortune/Merative as a top 100 hospital
Mercy Medical Center – Cedar Rapids has been named a top 100 hospital by Merative (formerly IBM Watson Health) and Fortune. For the rankings, 2,650 short-term, acute care, non-federal U.S. hospitals were evaluated on measures assessing inpatient outcomes, extended outcomes, processes of care, operational efficiency, financial health, and patient experience using publicly available data. This year’s study also incorporated a community health measure, which is equally weighted with other ranked measures. (Merative)
Des Moines Police Department, Broadlawns launch new services to address mental health calls
Starting this week, Broadlawns Medical Center will add to ways it helps the Des Moines Police Department with mental health services. Broadlawns has partnered with the department for the past five years to provide officers support with trained mental health clinicians on calls. But this week, the medical center begins placing a mental health clinician in the department’s dispatch center to help screen for and support callers who need mental health aid. (Iowa Public Radio)
MercyOne Newton provided $2.7M in community benefits in 2021
MercyOne Newton Medical Center provided $2,691,906 in community benefits to Jasper County in 2021, according to a recently completed assessment of those programs and services. That amount includes uncompensated care and free or discounted community benefits that MercyOne Newton specifically implemented to help Jasper County residents. Nearly 2,800 people were served through these community service programs. Community benefits are activities to improve health status and increase access to health care. With uncompensated care and charity care, community benefits include such services and programs as health screenings, support groups, counseling, immunizations, nutrition services and transportation programs. (Newton Daily News)
National news
Will health system CIOs be the next great CEOs?
As health systems increasingly prioritize digital transformation, chief information officers could become the next in line to take on the role of top executive. In the last decade, the CIO role has evolved from that of a tactical information technology lead installing electronic health records and other applications to becoming strategic business leaders who support the goals of every other department in the organization. Whether it’s powering telehealth and remote patient monitoring on the clinical side to automation and data analytics efforts in the finance and human resources departments, the CIO has unique visibility into the inner workings of the organization. (Becker’s Health IT and CIO Report)
CMS’ proposed rule for rural emergency hospital designations
CMS has issued proposed conditions of participation for hospitals looking to receive the rural emergency hospital designation. Rural emergency hospitals are a new Medicare provider designation that will create an opportunity for small rural hospitals and critical access hospitals to right-size their service footprint and avoid potential closures. CMS said allowing providers to take advantage of the designation will ensure people in rural communities can receive critical outpatient services, including emergency, maternal health, behavioral health and substance use disorder services. (Becker’s Hospital CFO Report)
The future of telehealth reimbursement
Forty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws addressing telemedicine reimbursement for private payers, with 21 mandating payment parity, and most insurers cover at least some form of virtual service. When it comes to Medicaid fee-for-service, 50 states and D.C. offer some reimbursement for live video visits; 30 state Medicaid programs reimburse for remote patient monitoring. As part of a federal omnibus legislative package signed into law in March, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will continue its reimbursement flexibilities surrounding telehealth coverage for up to 151 days after the COVID-19 public health emergency ends. (HnF News)