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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this week announced a number of improvements to the Medicare Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) Program, seeking to reduce providers’ burden by better targeting program integrity efforts.
Developed by the Institute for Crisis, Disaster and Risk Management at George Washington University, these comprehensive guidelines are specific to health care emergency management and detail the roles and responsibilities of all personnel — including health care leaders, emergency management program managers, and patient care providers — during emergency response and recovery.
Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health presenters share how their organizations responded to wildfires that caused their hospitals to evacuate in October 2017. The session details operational impacts as well as recovery efforts taken by both health systems to restore hospital services to the community. Presenters shared lessons learned from these events and highlight opportunities for improved performance.
This presentation describes alternative electronic strategies developed for managing system outages, demonstrates procedure variations in emergency department and inpatient system outages, and identifies lessons learned from downtime implementation strategies.
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CHA’s Creating Care Partnerships: Beyond the Continuum conference, March 2-3 in Pasadena, features a post-acute care patient advocate who gained insight into her patients’ experience when she became one herself.
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Last week, the U.S. Department of Treasury issued an interim final rule implementing the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds established under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The funds provide $350 billion in emergency funding for eligible state, local, territorial, and tribal governments.
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A recent California Supreme Court decision on meal, rest, and recovery period violations could have major implications for many of the state’s employers — including hospitals.
Under current law, an employee who does not receive a meal, rest, or recovery period is owed “one additional hour of pay at the employee’s regular rate of compensation.” For many labor attorneys, this was interpreted to mean an additional hour of pay at the employee’s base pay rate — that is, the employee’s hourly pay rate, not including overtime compensation or bonuses. However, under a recent California Supreme Court decision, this is no longer permissible.
On July 15, the court ruled unanimously in Ferra v. Loews that the requirement of an additional hour of compensation at the employee’s “regular rate of compensation” has the same meaning as “regular rate of pay,” requiring the inclusion of overtime and bonuses with the employee’s base pay rate. As this ruling is retroactive, hospitals that compensate missed meal, rest, and recovery periods solely based on the employee’s base pay rate are out of compliance with the law and may face significant legal liability.
CHA encourages all hospitals to review their pay practices to ensure they are in full compliance with the law and to reach out to their California labor law counsel with any questions.
Post-disaster recovery presents an opportunity to improve beyond the pre-disaster status quo. While national efforts often focus on a “return to normal,” this can overlook the sub-optimal conditions that exist for many, including preventable health issues and inequitable access to services.
A comprehensive guide outlining the process and requirements for hospitals seeking reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the Alternative Care Site (ACS) program.
When a disaster strikes, access to services becomes even more critical. And yet hospital staff and emergency services providers can be victims of that same disaster. ASPR TRACIE has released an updated version of its Tips for Retaining and Caring for Staff after a Disaster to guide facility executives in assisting staff through the recovery period.