CHIA Report Quantifies Well-Known Readmission Facts

The state’s Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) released a report on Tuesday detailing the prevalence of behavioral health issues among adults hospitalized in Massachusetts acute care hospitals.

CHIA found, among other things, that 40% of hospitalized patients had at least one comorbid behavioral health condition, and that hospitalized patients with any behavioral health comorbidity were 77% more likely to be readmitted than those without behavioral health comorbidity.

The study comes as no surprise to the hospital community, which has long noted the complexity of treating patients suffering from both physical and behavioral health ailments.

MHA noted that the CHIA report will assist hospitals in their ongoing efforts to reduce preventable readmissions. MHA also stated, “CHIA’s findings provide further evidence that the state’s behavioral health system remains disjointed and inadequate. Our goal is that Massachusetts develops a system that provides real parity between behavioral healthcare and medical/surgical care. That means access to behavioral health services is readily available to those in need, is well coordinated, and is effective. Building such a system will count among its benefits a lower rate of readmissions. We are optimistic that the growing partnership between patients, care professionals and policymakers will soon lead to a day when behavioral health access, care and coverage is equal to the standards that exist for medical and surgical care throughout Massachusetts.” 

MGH Looks North Of The Border For Clinical Affiliation

Massachusetts General Hospital has signed a clinical affiliation agreement with Catholic Medical Center of Manchester, NH.  In a media release, CMC said the affiliation “will not financially or structurally tie the organizations together” but will allow them to work closely on clinical issues relating to substance use disorder, care for veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, heart and vascular care, and neuroscience.

MGH also moved closer to finalizing its previously announced acquisition of the 178-bed Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover, NH. With a signed agreement now in hand, the two hospitals can now seek regulatory approval for the acquisition.

In the new coordinated care environment, hospitals are not limiting themselves to affiliations and mergers within state boundaries. Earlier this year, Southcoast Health System in Massachusetts and Care New England of Rhode Island announced a merger that would allow each system to retain its own governance structure but that would unite both systems under a new corporate entity to be led by Southcoast CEO and current MHA Board Chairman Keith Hovan.

MHA President & CEO Lynn Nicholas, FACHE, said this week, “Not-for-profit, cross-state  affiliations and mergers have been gaining steam for years and are increasingly common across the United States, often involving a half dozen states or more.  Regionalization is in line with risk-based population health management trends, and consumers frequently traverse state lines for work and healthcare. Workforce shortages can also be addressed by sharing specialty practitioners over state borders.” 

Massive Recall Of Liquid Products Announced

DPH alerted hospital infection control preventionists and others this week to an FDA notice that describes the voluntary recall by PharmaTech of all liquid products distributed and labeled by six firms -- Rugby, Major, Bayshore, Metron, Centurion, and Virtus. PharmaTech of Davie, Florida in July recalled all non-expired lots of Diocto Liquid, a docusate sodium solution distributed by Rugby Laboratories. This week’s recall expands the recall greatly to encompass scores of products that are listed here.

The liquid products may be responsible for a multi-state outbreak of infections caused by Burkholderia cepacia complex (also known as “B. cepacia complex”). To date, CDC has confirmed 60 cases from eight states.

“Consumers, pharmacies, and healthcare facilities that have product which is being recalled should stop using and dispensing them immediately,” according to the FDA. “Using these products in a patient whose immune system is compromised could result in infections, which may be life-threatening.”

Bay State clinicians should report all cases of Burkholderia cepacia to the Massachusetts DPH.

Local Press Ganey Firm Sold For $2 Billion

The Swedish private equity firm EQT is buying Press Ganey for $2 billion. Press Ganey is the Wakefield, Mass. consulting company familiar to many in healthcare for its groundbreaking work in tracking patient experiences of the care they received.

Press Ganey has been operating for 30 years and has worked with more than 26,000 healthcare facilities.

New Comprehensive Guidance On Zika

As the Zika virus situation has worsened across the U.S., Mass. DPH has issued this updated Zika Virus Clinical Advisory.  DPH notes that both calls to its epidemiologists and suspected samples sent to the state laboratory increased over the past week.

The most significant concern associated with Zika virus infection is for pregnant women. This past week a Texas infant whose mother traveled to El Salvador while pregnant died shortly after birth. The total number of confirmed cases (as of Thursday) in South Florida was 25. Those cases are most likely being spread by U.S. mosquitoes. 

Make Your Off-Site Meeting Better

MHA is holding a meeting entitled “State of the Industry: Driving Forces in the Hospitality & Meetings Marketplace” on Wednesday, September 21 from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at MHA’s Conference Center in Burlington. Enjoy a complimentary breakfast as you listen to Michael Dominguez, senior VP & chief sales officer, MGM Resorts International, talk about the latest in the events and hospitality sector. Hospital personnel involved in philanthropy, events, and off-site meetings will find this meeting useful. To register, please contact MHA’s Laurie Snelson at lsnelson@mhalink.org or 781-262-6028. 

Emergency Department Case Management: The Compendium Of Best Practices

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26; 8:30 A.M. - 4 P.M.
MHA CONFERENCE CENTER, BURLINGTON, MASS.

Emergency Departments are quickly evolving to meet new metrics as they become the specialty hub of acute care, the community, and ACOs for addressing the needs of diverse clinical populations, including pediatrics, behavioral health, senior citizens, observation units, palliative and end-of-life care, those at risk for readmission, and their own high utilizers. Learn how they’re doing it at this informative conference.