News about boards, the VA, VTEs, and minority and behavioral health

By Bill Santamour

Governance

Great Boards spring newsletter available

The spring issue of the American Hospital Association’s Great Boards newsletter features articles on mission stewardship and governance staffing. Administered by the AHA’s Center for Healthcare Governance, the free quarterly newsletter examines hospital and health system governance trends and effective practices. For additional tools and resources for hospital boards of trustees, visit www.greatboards.org.

Veterans

VA: More veterans accessing community care programs

Veterans made 21.3 million appointments through the Patient-Centered Community Care program in fiscal year 2015, about 20 percent more than in FY 2014, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced in April. Another 3 million veterans were authorized to receive private-sector care through the Veterans Choice Program between February 2015 and February 2016, a 12 percent increase from the previous 12 months, the agency said. More than 257,000 providers participate in the two programs, which are being consolidated with other VA purchased-care programs into a New Veterans Choice Program that will implement a care coordination model across the care continuum.

Equity

AHA trustee Raju honored for efforts on minority health

The National Minority Quality Forum in April presented its Booker T. Washington Award to Ramanathan (Ram) Raju, M.D., president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals, for his efforts to advance diversity in the field, reduce health care disparities and provide equitable care to all patients. Raju accepted the award at the NMQF’s Leadership Summit on Health Disparities and Congressional Black Caucus Spring Health Braintrust in Washington, D.C. “Dr. Raju is committed to making sure NYC Health + Hospitals provides each and every person who comes through their doors with high-quality, safe and equitable care,” said Tomás León, president and CEO of the AHA-affiliated Institute for Diversity in Health Management, who presented the award to Raju. “Through his leadership, NYC Health + Hospitals created a 2020 Vision Plan — a roadmap to enhance equitable care that builds on their strengths to increase workforce diversity, build sustainable communities and improve the patient experience and outcomes. I am honored to be able to present the award to such a deserving health care leader.” Raju is a member of the AHA Board of Trustees and chair of the AHA’s Equity of Care Committee, where he leads the association’s #123forEquity Pledge to Act Campaign to Eliminate Health Care Disparities. 

Honors

CDC honors hospitals for VTE prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recognized hospitals and health systems for implementing innovative and more effective ways to prevent venous thromboembolisms in the health care setting. Patients who are hospitalized, recovering from surgery or being treated for cancer are at risk of these deadly blood clots, which can form in deep veins and the lungs. Honored as “champions” in the Healthcare-Associated VTE Prevention Challenge were Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.; University of California Health, Center for Health Quality and Innovation, Oakland; University of Wisconsin Health, Madison; Intermountain Healthcare, Murray, Utah; Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago; the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore; Harborview Medical Center, Seattle; and Hutchinson (Kan.) Regional Medical Center. Receiving honorable mention were the Michigan Hospital Medicine Safety Consortium, Ann Arbor; Sheppard Pratt Hospital, Baltimore; Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; and University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Strategy

HPOE guide to improve behavioral health care

The new guide “Triple Aim Strategies to Improve Behavioral Health Care” from the American Hospital Association's Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence initiative describes strategies, action steps and examples for hospitals, health systems and community stakeholders working together to develop well-coordinated, accessible, affordable and accountable systems for delivering behavioral health care. Case studies in the HPOE guide provide examples of how hospitals, working with community partners, can improve the quality of and access to behavioral health care, while bending the cost curve and improving community health. Visit www.hpoe.org.