MHA Today is provided as a service to members of the Missouri Hospital Association.

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In This Issue

FDA Authorizes Emergency Use Of Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine
CDC Issues Health Advisory On Recent Reports Of Human Parechovirus
CMS Seeks Stakeholder Feedback On CMS Disparity Methods
CMS HQR System Opens For HWR Measure Data Reporting
Center For Behavioral Health Opens In Maryland Heights
St. Luke’s Hospital Names President And CEO

Upcoming MHA Event

Establishing and Maintaining Collaborative Settings of Care Conference

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Wednesday, Aug. 17 through Thursday, Aug. 18

For a complete list of events, view MHA’s calendar.

Quality & Safety

FDA Authorizes Emergency Use Of Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine

Staff Contact: Kara Amann-Kale or Keri Barclay

The FDA issued an EUA for Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine in individuals 18 years of age and older. This vaccine uses a different type of technology than the other three approved COVID-19 vaccines. Novavax is a two-dose protein-based vaccine that uses harmless protein fragments of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to mount an immune response and protection against COVID-19. The more traditional nature of the vaccine may appeal to populations that have been hesitant to receive an mRNA vaccine. The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunizations is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, July 19 and must give their approval, in addition to CDC approval, before administration of this new vaccine may begin.

CDC Issues Health Advisory On Recent Reports Of Human Parechovirus

Staff Contact: Keri Barclay

The CDC issued a health advisory in response to recent reports of human parechovirus (PeV) in the U.S. to inform clinicians and public health departments. Clinicians are encouraged to include PeV in the differential diagnoses of infants presenting with fever, sepsis-like syndrome or neurologic illness (seizures, meningitis) without another known cause, and to test for PeV in children with signs and symptoms compatible with PeV infection. The alert includes additional recommendations and information.

CMS Seeks Stakeholder Feedback On CMS Disparity Methods

Staff Contact: Sherry Buschjost

Hospital performance by dual eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid patients using the CMS Disparity Methods was included in CMS’s spring 2022 OQR Facility-Specific Reports for outpatient imaging efficiency measures. These methods are designed to highlight differences in the quality of care received by different patient groups so that facilities can improve care and achieve higher equity among patients; they are not used for payment determination under the OQR program at this time.

There is interest in expanding the application of the CMS disparity methods to other measures in the OQR program. As a result, CMS is soliciting stakeholder feedback on facilities’ ability to interpret the disparity information provided in their FSRs and identify reporting improvements of interest to facilities. Stakeholders interested in voluntarily participating in the focus group are asked to register.

CMS HQR System Opens For HWR Measure Data Reporting

Staff Contact: Sherry Buschjost

The CMS Hospital Quality Reporting System now is open for voluntary submission of FY 2024 hybrid Hospital-Wide Readmission measure data for the July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022, reporting period. The HQR system has been updated to accept QRDA Category I test and production files that use the 2021 reporting period requirements located on the eCQI Resource Center. Additional information is available.

Noteworthy

Center For Behavioral Health Opens In Maryland Heights

Staff Contact: Becky Boyce

The Center for Behavioral Health in Maryland Heights, Mo., officially opened effective Wednesday, July 13. The hospital will provide psychiatric care to geriatric patients who require inpatient hospitalization due to mental health disorders, including cognitive illnesses. The 16-bed hospital will be adjacent to NHC HealthCare Maryland Heights, a 220-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation center. Sherrie Stafford will serve as hospital administrator and CEO.

Membership

St. Luke’s Hospital Names President And CEO

Staff Contact: Becky Boyce

Andrew Bagnall has been named president and CEO of St. Luke’s Hospital, Chesterfield, Mo., effective Monday, Aug. 15. Bagnall has nearly 25 years of experience in the health care industry, serving most recently as the president and CEO of Hospital Sisters Health System in Wisconsin. Bagnall succeeds Gary Olson, who served as president and CEO of St. Luke’s health care network from 1999 to 2015, and again as the interim leader for several months in 2020 and 2022.

Before You Go

ATTEND: The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare is hosting a webinar, “Improving Systems through Collaboration: Top Down or Bottom Up? Both!” at 12:30 p.m. CDT on Thursday, July 14. The panel will examine how sustaining system-level change maximizes implementation efforts, and ensures programs remain effectively and equitably delivered and sustained — from state-level leaders to local agency directors.

MHA Today | July 13, 2022

MHA Today is provided as a service to members of the Missouri Hospital Association.

In This Issue

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