The newsroom includes access to CHA News, which provides timely information to members every Thursday and is at the core of CHA benefits. In addition, it is also home to resources such as toolkits and talking points designed to help member hospitals and health systems communicate with internal and external audiences on a range of current health care-related issues. Links to CHA media statements and press releases can also be found here.
Newsroom
Webinars Begin Next Week on New Opioid Safety Designation for Hospitals
Cal Hospital Compare, a nonprofit performance reporting initiative, will launch an opioid safety designation program for hospitals later this month, intended to accelerate improvement and recognize California hospitals’ efforts to combat the opioid epidemic. A series of five no-cost webinars — the first to be held May 9 at 11 a.m. (PT) – will explain a self-assessment tool integral to the new designation, and will feature peer-to-peer learning on a variety of safe opioid practices.
New Tool Shows Regional Health Care Cost and Quality Benchmarks
New research suggests that risk sharing appears to offer better value than fee-for-service arrangements. The California Regional Health Care Cost and Quality Atlas shows wide variance in quality and cost across California based on 2017 performance data for provider risk sharing arrangements; accountable care organizations; large, small, and self-insured employers; individually insured members; and commercial health maintenance organizations and preferred provider organizations.
CMS Approves Cal MediConnect Extension Through 2022
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) last week received federal approval of a three-year extension of its Cal MediConnect (CMC) program, which provides coordinated services to patients who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.
EMSA Announces Stroke, STEMI Regulations Will Take Effect July 1
The Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMSA) has released final regulations related to stroke critical care systems and ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) critical care systems. The regulations establish standard requirements for each type of system. CHA worked with members of its Emergency Medical Services/Trauma Committee to provide feedback to EMSA on these regulations, and is pleased to see them finalized. The regulations will take effect July 1.
EMSC Regulations Will Take Effect July 1
New regulations from the Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMSA) establish standardized best practices for emergency medical services for children programs. CHA and member hospitals worked closely with EMSA’s Emergency Medical Services for Children Committee to produce regulations to provide quality care for children needing emergency services, and is pleased to see the regulation finalized. It will take effect July 1.
CHA Board Met April 25
The CHA Board of Trustees met last week and engaged in an important conversation about health care affordability and the role hospitals could play in shaping this discussion at the state and federal levels. The board concluded that hospitals need to take a leadership role in contributing to an affordability solution, and directed CHA to work with legislative and regulatory leaders, as well as other stakeholders, to explore comprehensive alternatives that go further than simply reducing reimbursement.
CMS Issues Draft Guidance on Ligature Risk
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued draft revised guidance to clarify its ligature risk policies for psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric hospital units.
DHCS Allots $100M in State Funding to Support Housing Provided by Whole Person Care Pilots
The Department of Health Care Services earlier this week announced how it will distribute the Governor’s $100 million budget allocation to support active Whole Person Care pilot programs that provide housing services, as well as its methodology for determining the distributed amounts.
CMS Issues FFY 2020 Long-Term Care Hospital PPS Proposed Rule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued the proposed rule for the long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment system (LTCH PPS), as part of the inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2020. The provisions in the proposed rule, if finalized, would be effective Oct. 1.
$16 Million in Emergency Medical Services Grants Awarded to Improve EMS/Hospital HIE
On April 16, the California Emergency Medical Services Authority announced that six entities had been awarded between $1.5 and $4.9 million dollars to develop and implement interoperable health information exchange (HIE) between emergency ambulance service providers and hospitals/electronic health records via health information exchange organizations (HIOs).

