This week, the KHA Quality Team sponsored 30 participants from member hospitals to complete the HACP-CMS (Healthcare Accreditation Certified Professional-CMS) course and exam. The course is offered by CIHQ - Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality and was taught by the Center's CEO and Founder, Rick Curtis. Congratulations to everyone on your new certifications!
KHA Solutions Group Affinity Partner CorroHealth will host a session on December 13 at 2:00 p.m. (ET) on “Decoding Denials: Chart A Course Towards Financial Prosperity” presented by Annabelle Seippel, CorroHealth’s Vice President of Denial Management. Denials often emerge as missteps that disrupt the rhythm of cash flow. But what if these denials were more than just setbacks? What if they were signals pointing to deeper systemic issues? And what if you could decode these signals with the precision of analytics?
Voices for Vaccination Campaign Encourages Kentuckians to Protect Themselves and Their Families by Following Recommended Immunization Schedule
Recently, KHA welcomed two new quality process improvement specialists to the team – Billie Delauder and Adam Isaacs.
On November 14, Deb Campbell, KHA Vice President of Clinical Strategy and Transformation, hosted a KHA Town Hall to discuss the Current State of Sexual Assault Response and the SANE Readiness Program.
On November 16, KHA held a press conference to release the latest data on the hospital workforce in Kentucky. KHA President and CEO Nancy Galvagni shared the results of the 2023 KHA Workforce Survey indicate there were nearly 13,000 job vacancies in hospitals across Kentucky at the end of 2022. Of those 13,000 open jobs, nearly 5,000 were openings for registered nurses (RN) openings and there were another 300 licensed practical nurse (LPN) vacancies. She also discussed that the projections from a new Global Data study, commissioned by KHA in conjunction with the Kentucky Board of Nursing, show there will be a shortfall of 6,000 RNs by 2035, essentially the same as today.
Kentucky suffers from an acute shortage of health care workers according to a newly released study from the Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA). “While the shortage of health care workers is nationwide, it has hit the Commonwealth especially hard, and KHA is working with multiple partners to find ways to address the challenges,” said KHA President and Chief Executive Officer Nancy Galvagni.
I-PASS, the gold standard for reducing preventable medical errors through improved clinical handoffs, today announced an industry leading partnership with the Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA) through the organization’s I-PASS Kentucky Hospital Association Transitions and Communication in Hospitals (KHATCH) Program. The I-PASS KHATCH Program’s mission is to elevate care quality across the state. I-PASS’s handoff bundle is proven to reduce clinician miscommunication, improve outcomes, and decrease adverse events and associated malpractice claims. Through the program, KHA will fund the implementation of the I-PASS handoff bundle for its member organizations over an eight-year period with the goal of establishing a universal language for transitions across the Commonwealth.
Today, KHA President Nancy Galvagni testified alongside Dr. Dan Goulson, chair of KHA’s Physician Leadership Forum and the chief medical officer at CHI Saint Joseph Health and St. Elizabeth Healthcare obstetrician Dr. Allana Oak at the Interim Joint Committee on Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations meeting addressing certificate of need (CON) requirements for freestanding birthing centers.
During the annual statewide Recovery Rally, held at the state Capitol on Friday, Dr. Katherine Marks, Commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities, announced the expansion of the Kentucky Statewide Opioid Stewardship Emergency Department (ED) Bridge Program. Six hospitals pledged to join the 11 facilities currently participating in this important initiative to fight opioid use disorder (OUD) across the Commonwealth.
The workforce shortage is having a critical impact across Kentucky’s key industries, particularly health care.
National news outlets are reporting concern surrounding the latest shortages of prescription drugs and medical supplies. The Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA) and its member hospitals are addressing the issue and working to help ensure every patient continues to receive quality, uninterrupted care.
The Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA) presented its annual Quality Awards to eight hospitals from across the state at the 93rd Annual KHA Convention in Lexington on May 17. This award honors hospital leadership and innovation in quality, safety, and commitment to patient care.
The Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA) presented several awards on May 17 during an awards luncheon at the 94th Annual KHA Convention. This year’s event was held at the Central Bank Center in Lexington, Kentucky.
In 2022, Kentucky hospitals faced their most challenging year financially since the start of the pandemic. Inflation, record-high operating costs, and lower volumes led to unprecedented financial losses according to a new study by Kaufman Hall, which estimates 38% of the state’s hospitals are now at risk of closure.
Representative Brandon Reed introduced HB 75 the Kentucky House of Representatives earlier in January. The legislation would adjust a current Medicaid inpatient program to include outpatient care as well. The Medicaid Hospital Rate Improvement Program (HRIP), which allows Kentucky hospitals to receive additional federal dollars to increase Medicaid reimbursement for inpatient Medicaid services, was passed twice by the legislature – in 2019 and revised in 2021, and it operates at no cost to the state.
The Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA) just launched a new podcast for both KHA members and the general public, the association announced Wednesday. The show will highlight healthcare news, specific issues affecting KHA members, and KHA member hospitals and their achievements.
Over 22% of nursing positions in Kentucky hospitals are unfilled across the state according to a report released today by the Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA) during a press conference in the state capitol rotunda. That’s over 5,000 registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) needed in Kentucky today. The shortage of healthcare professionals available across the Commonwealth, in addition to an unprecedented rise in staffing costs, could cause a crisis in the access Kentuckians have to the healthcare they need.
The data comes from the 2022 KHA Workforce Survey, an annual survey of hospitals throughout the state regarding the status of Kentucky’s hospital workforce. This year’s survey had the highest level of participation in recent history with 100% of acute care hospitals submitting data.
Hannah Edelen, Miss Kentucky 2022, joined the Kentucky hospital Association (KHA) last week in the organization’s efforts to bring awareness to the dangers of sepsis. As Governor Andy Beshear issued a proclamation declaring September 2022 as Sepsis Awareness Month in Kentucky, this is the perfect time to focus on this devastating illness.
This week, KHA recognized Representative Steve Sheldon for his efforts to protect the patients Kentucky hospitals serve during the 2022 Kentucky General Assembly session.
