’s
December 23, 2015 edition
The Pulse
Your regular check up on SCKMC activities Share your thoughts, story ideas, and comments by e-mail to claytonp@sckrmc.org.
SCKMC Frustrated with Infection Report
Hospital Staff Donate to Local Charity
A report released earlier this month by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced SCKMC would receive a financial penalty due to the number of hospital acquired conditions (HAC) reported between July 1, 2012 and December 31, 2014. Due to their five reportable cases, SCKMC will receive a one-percent reduction to their 2016 Medicare reimbursement, costing up to $40,000. “This is a program designed to reduce payments to hospitals. The fact is that we only had two infections total out of 419 patient days, and three surgical complications out of 2,600 eligible discharges. Regardless of performance, onefourth of all hospitals nationwide must be penalized,” said Jane Campbell, SCKMC’s Director of Hospital Quality and Risk Management. The CMS report ranks performance for 3,308 hospitals based on the total calculation of two scores, a composite score of eight quality measures and a score for hospital acquired infections. “They look at central line associated blood stream infections, surgical site infections, and catheter associated infections. And that is supposed to count for 75% of our score. However, because our predicted score was less than one per 1,000 patient days, their algorithm says that data cannot be used and is thrown out. That meant what was supposed to count for only 25% of our score (the surgical complications) now counts for 100% of our score,” Campbell said. SCKMC’s Chief Executive Officer Virgil Watson shares in Campbell’s dissatisfaction with the report. “It is frustrating that we can have so few problems, and our statistics show that we are doing a good job, but the formula is set to make us fail,” Watson said. Watson believes that CMS will need to adjust the way their report is calculated in order to give a more realistic picture of status of the Nation’s healthcare facilities. “There has got to be a reevaluation at some point in time because we don’t have enough patients to be statistically viable and we don’t meet the criteria. So they just take money away from us,” Watson said. Watson stressed that their disappointment will not discourage the staff at SCKMC. “We are not going to quit trying. We are going to continue to try and improve our quality and to find ways to achieve all of the measures that they have set out for us,” Watson said.
SCKMC staff donated dozens of items to Angels in the Attic, a new non-profit organization assisting area families in need. A 150 gallon container was filled with non-perishable food items, unwrapped toys, and winter clothing. Members of the Angels In the Attic Board met at the hospital on Dec. 15th to help staff load the items.
Paton Joins SCKMC Board Mark Paton (pictured right) was sworn in as South Central Kansas Medical Center's newest member of the Board of Trustees during the December meeting. Paton will fill the vacancy left by Slade Griffiths, who resigned from the Board earlier this year. SCKMC Administration has expressed their excitement to have Mr. Paton on the Board as “he has proven through past experience to be dedicated to the growth and development of our local community.”
The Pharm Forum with Homer Mah, D.Ph. The FDA has recently approved Naloxone (Narcan) as a nasal spray. Naloxone is used as an antidote for an opioid overdose. Prior to the new approval, it was only available as an injection or auto-injector. The nasal spray allows for easier delivery and helps prevent the risk of a contaminated needle stick. It does not require any assembly and will deliver a consistent dose if used properly. Medical training is not necessary to use the nasal spray. It was granted fast-track designation and priority review by the FDA.
Healthy Living: Tips for Healthy Holidays Follow these recommended tips to keep yourself and your loved ones safe, healthy, and ready to enjoy the holidays. • Wash hands often to help prevent the possibility of spreading germs and getting sick. • Bundle up to stay dry and warm. Wear appropriate outdoor clothing. • Manage stress. Give yourself a break if you feel stressed out. Find support, connect socially, and get plenty of sleep. For more information on this topic visit: www.cdc.gov.
Give the Gift of Health This holiday season consider a gift to the Medical Center. Your donation will benefit our community for decades to come. Giving to the hospital helps us continue to provide the best in medical care right here, close to home. We offer a number of approaches to support our programs. Gifting opportunities range from providing support to name a portion of the new facility, to providing funding that can assist in providing new equipment or sponsoring programs.
Call or visit us on-line and find out how you can share the gift of health.
We are 6401 Patterson Parkway, Arkansas City 6401 Patterson Parkway, Arkansas City
www.sckmc.org
(620) 442-2500