About Hospital Operations
Hospitals are grappling with staffing shortages, financial shortfalls, and extensive oversight and regulation. One in five hospitals is at risk of closure, yet hospitals remain committed to maintaining the care communities rely on and supporting the state’s health care workforce. To do this, hospitals are actively working with legislators and policymakers to find innovative and efficient ways to deliver care to all Californians.
House Leaders Form Bipartisan Task Force on Artificial Intelligence
What’s happening: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) have formed a new bipartisan task force focused on artificial intelligence.
What else to know: Several of the task force members are actively involved in health care policy.
CHA Will Host Vitality Payer Scorecard Webinar
What’s happening: CHA is hosting a complimentary, members-only webinar on Feb. 27 at 10 a.m. (PT) to highlight the American Hospital Association Vitality Payer Scorecard, which was recently endorsed by the CHA board.
What else to know: The scorecard captures necessary and normalized data points without sharing protected health information. The automated process is based on de-identified claims and remittance files and eliminates the need for CHA surveys on this issue.
CMS Updates Hospital Guidance for Texting Patient Info
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated guidance for hospitals and critical access hospitals related to texting patient information.
What else to know: Hospitals should use a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant secure texting platform that complies with Medicare and Medicaid conditions of participation.
Federal Judge to Determine Legality of Health Care Employer Provisions in City of Inglewood Ordinance
What’s happening: In a lawsuit brought by CHA, a federal judge is set to rule on whether portions of an Inglewood ordinance conflict with the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
What else to know: The ordinance increases minimum wage for health care workers at a broad range of health care facilities yet prohibits employers from using lawful economic bargaining tools to fund the increase. CHA is not challenging the increased minimum wage.
Vitality Payer Scorecard: Holding Insurers Accountable
CHA’s Rural Health Care Symposium to Focus on Financial Sustainability, Seismic Strategy, and More
What’s happening: CHA will host the 2024 Rural Health Care Symposium March 4-5 at the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego.
What else to know: The symposium is designed specifically for leaders of California’s rural hospitals.
CHA Advocacy Materials on Key Issues Available
What’s happening: CHA has released advocacy materials — infographics, key messages, and issue briefs — for a suite of priority issues for 2024.
What else to know: Infographics offer a quick view for people in a hurry (e.g., lawmakers) while issue briefs provide a deeper dive for those who want more information (e.g., staffers). Both are ideal leave-behinds. Key messages are for use in developing talking points or presentations, or for general information.
HHS Establishes Voluntary Cybersecurity Goals for Health Care
What’s happening: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released voluntary health care-specific cybersecurity performance goals (CPGs) to help organizations prioritize implementation of high-impact cybersecurity practices.
What else to know: The CPGs include 10 essential and 10 enhanced goals. They are based on multiple cybersecurity frameworks and directly address common attack vectors against U.S. domestic hospitals as identified in the 2023 Hospital Cyber Resiliency Landscape Analysis.
Real-Time Exchange of Electronic Health Records is Underway
What’s happening: Health care and social services organizations in California are required to share electronic health records as of Jan. 31 under the new Data Exchange Framework (DxF).
What else to know: Assembly Bill 133 (Statutes of 2021) outlined the requirement for health care providers, plans, and other entities to exchange health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations.
CHA Releases Advocacy Materials for 2024
What’s happening: New and updated advocacy materials are available for your use.
What else to know: Each packet contains an infographic, key messages, and an issue brief.