CURRENT RESEARCH AND NEWS

Message from Mary Pittman

After 14 years leading HRET, I will be leaving to assume the position of president and CEO with the Public Health Institute in Oakland, California. I will remain with HRET through December and will assume the new position on January 1, 2008. As I leave, I am confident that HRET is well positioned to continue making increased contributions to the critical issues facing hospitals and health systems. We recently have been recognized for many achievements in both research and education. Supported by outstanding board leadership and the commitment of a very talented team at HRET, we have identified new ways to bring research into the hands of health managers, improving their strategic direction and decisions around quality and safety, reducing disparities, and building stronger relationships with other hospitals and community partners. During the next few months, a transition committee of the HRET Board and senior AHA leadership will be working to identify the best person to lead HRET in its next phase. If you have any recommendations, please feel free to forward them to me. I look forward to working more closely with public health and continuing to link with hospitals as we all pursue a goal of a society of healthy people and healthy communities. Mary A. Pittman, HRET President

New Employer Health Benefits Survey Released

The Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research and Educational Trust recently released findings from the 2007 Annual Survey of Employer Sponsored Health Benefits. This yearly survey provides data widely used by policy makers and business executives to understand changes in the insurance environment.

Although health insurance premiums declined to the lowest point since 1999, when increases were only 5.3%, the 6.1% increase in 2007 is still more than double the overall inflation rate and almost double workers’ earnings. Survey results also show a huge discrepancy between actual wage increases for workers and the increase in premium amounts for families, translating to a heavy burden for most workers paying health care premiums. Family premium amounts have increased 78% since 2001 in comparison to overall worker wages, which have increased only 19%.

To learn more about the Employer Health Benefits Survey findings click here.

Now Available: HRET Disparities Toolkit for Collecting Race, Ethnicity, and Primary Language Data

HRET now offers an updated Web-based Toolkit for collecting race, ethnicity, and primary language data from patients. The Toolkit provides hospitals, health systems, clinics, and health plans with information and resources for collecting this information efficiently, effectively, and respectfully. This easy-to-use resource describes how to educate and inform hospital staff about the importance of data collection; how to implement a framework to collect race, ethnicity, and primary language data; and how to use these data to improve quality of care for all populations. Access the Toolkit at www.hretdisparities.org.

New ED-Based HIV Testing Guide Is Online

Emergency department-based HIV testing can be effective for screening hard-to-reach populations. To guide clinicians and administrators through planning, implementing, or expanding ED-based HIV testing programs, HRET has developed a Web-based operational guide. This comprehensive resource is based on interviews and site visits with EDs that have pioneered ED-based HIV testing. Access the guide at www.edhivtestguide.org.

HRET Convenes Meeting on Environmentally Friendly Hospitals

Earlier this month HRET convened a meeting in Chicago of two dozen key partners to examine opportunities for educational programs to advance health care's role in the environment, building on innovative work already underway by hospitals around the country. Participating organizations included Cleveland Clinic, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, Catholic Healthcare West, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, The Joint Commission, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency and other health and environmental organizations. The meeting was held at an LEED platinum-certified facility of the city of Chicago. The effort is being funded by lead sponsor Hospira Inc. and supported by ARAMARK Healthcare. Before 2008, HRET plans to unveil a collaborative "green health" agenda that incorporates education, training, research and outreach and values patient safety and healthier and safer communities. Learn more at www.hret.org/greenhealth.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

HSR's October Lineup

The October issue of Health Services Research focuses on quality and outcomes, costs and effectiveness, and safety. Featured articles discuss measuring end-of-life care and the influence of staffing on quality of care, diabetes case management for low-income populations, perceptions of hospital safety culture, and whether current uninsurance estimates are too high. Also included is a commentary and progress report from Carolyn Clancy, MD, director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) on AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program, along with an editorial on using performance measurement to drive clinical improvements and inform choices made by purchasers and consumers. Read more.

Action Learning Lab Series Continues at Singing River Hospital System

HRET’s Learning Lab series continues on November 8-9, 2007, at the Singing River Hospital System in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and addresses the topic “Performance Improvement Is a Team Sport: Communication, Relationships, and Culture Change.”

Singing River Hospital System, located on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, is emerging as one of the best small community hospital systems in the country. Singing River’s innovative work in building a high-performance culture based on communication, quality, and community engagement has been the key to its impressive performance gains, leading to its recognition as a Solucient Top 100 Hospitals® Performance Improvement Leader for the past two years.

Join us at Singing River Hospital System to explore the dynamics of a high-performance culture based on communication and relationships and how it is leading to new levels of clinical and operating performance. Visit www.hret.org/learninglabs for more information and to register for the learning lab.

Spring Training for Health Champions Conference Keynote Speaker

The Association for Community Health Improvement is proud to announce the addition of John Kitzhaber, former Oregon governor and executive director of the Archimedes Movement, as a keynote speaker at the 2008 ACHI conference. ACHI’s fifth annual national conference will be held March 5-7, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, click here.