Spooner Makes Presentation on Stark Laws At the March 25, 2008 meeting of the Joint Academy of Medicine/Health Council/HealthBridge EMR Task Force, Andy Spooner, MD, chief medical information officer at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, presented information on current Stark law exceptions and safe harbors. The EMR Task Force was forrmed several months ago for the purpose of extending the spread of EMRs (electronic medical record systems) to more physician practices in the Tristate. The group also desires to help facilitate the interoperability of EMRs across the community. Dr. Spooner's presentation was to provide context for how hospitals and physicians may or may not work together on these issues in accordance with current federal antikickback legislation.
To view Dr. Spooner's slide presentation, click here. For more information on the EMR Task Force, contact Colleen O'Toole at cotoole@gchc.org.
New Website Allows Users Quick and Easy Access to Local Hospital Performance Data Residents of the Tristate now have a new website, www.gchchospitalquality.org to find out how area hospitals compare on performance measures related to heart attack, congestive heart failure and pneumonia, three common conditions for hospitalization.
Six Area Health Care P rofessionals Recipients of Advanced Preceptor Awards Six of the Tristate’s top health care professionals who support health care students and new health care employees through their organizations’ precepting programs were recently named the first recipients of the Greater Cincinnati Health Council’s 2007 Advanced Preceptor Award. Established this year, the award recognizes individuals for precepting activities performed in 2007. The 2007 Advanced Preceptor Award was presented at the Health Council’s twelfth annual Solutions Conference and Expo on March 6 at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.
 Cincinnati Shriners Hospital for Children Awarded 2008 Innovative Solutions Award Shriners Hospital for Children – Cincinnati is the 2008 recipient of the Greater Cincinnati Health Council’s third annual Innovative Solutions Award, created to celebrate unique approaches to clinical or non-clinical hospital process improvements, patient care initiatives, or innovative/creative change projects.
Patient Safety Tool Kits Reflect Best Practices Two sets of tool kits reflecting best practices have been added to this website -- a Rapid Response Team tool kit and Ensuring Correct Surgery tool kit. These are in addition to tool kits previously added -- Central Line Infection Reduction and Surgical Site Infection Reduction. The Ensuring Correct Surgery tool kit is courtesy of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. Rapid Response Team took kits have been provided by VA Medical Center and University Hosptial. The Health Council welcomes the submission of additional tool kits to include on its website. To inquire about adding a tool kit, contact Margaret Shank at mshank@gchc.org or (513) 878-2866.
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