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DCHA is Hiring a Program Manager
Come work for the District of Columbia Hospital Association (DCHA), an amazing, growing association, as a Program Manager for the Perinatal Quality Collaborative (PQC).
The role of the position is to foster the work of the District’s Perinatal Quality Collaborative, as well as DCHA and its members, through management of the day-to-day operations of the PQC and associated projects, data analytics, quality improvement processes and liaison activities in support of priorities for improvement and strategic goals.
Thank You Hospitals, Nurses and All Health Care Workers
May is a month to celebrate and honor our hospitals, health care workers and nurses who have sacrificed so much in the last few years. Nurses are the heart of heath care and hospitals help miracles happen! The District of Columbia Hospital Association loves our DC health care community!
Every day, more than 30,000 dedicated health care professionals go to work in DC hospitals. Thank you to all the HEROES working to take care of us – no matter what!
National Nurses Week, May 6-12
Nurses bring vast knowledge and expertise to every health care setting across a wide range of specialties, serving patients and communities throughout the continuum of life and care. Our nurses truly make a difference by influencing and shaping health policy decisions that ensure all people have access to high-quality, affordable health care coverage. From assisting with life-threatening ER crises to delivering babies and caring for the elderly in their last moments, nurses perform some of the most difficult and heartbreaking tasks in the medical world. As workers who perform the most essential health care tasks, nurses serve as the first point of contact for most patients. National Nurses Week honors their contributions and sacrifices and reminds us to thank the medical professionals who keep us healthy. The impact nurses make on health care is unparalleled. THANK YOU!
National Hospital Week, May 7-13
DCHA is recognizing the amazing people who work in America’s hospitals and health systems. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, this important week gives us all the opportunity to highlight our hospitals, health systems and health care workers and the innovative ways they are supporting the needs of their community members. The people who comprise our hospitals and health care workforce are your neighbors, friends, and family members. Hospital and health care workers have worked tirelessly to treat patients and help their communities remain healthy throughout the pandemic, and every day. We are grateful for our hospitals and caregivers. Our hospitals are honored to serve the people in our communities and beyond. THANK YOU!
Patient Safety & Quality Award Nominations are Open
Individuals working in District of Columbia hospitals strive every day to deliver compassionate, quality and safe patient care. DCHA is honored to highlight the incredible work of our member hospitals and their champions through a generous contribution from Ascension Health. DCHA will present awards to two individuals; one clinical and one nonclinical, who are managing change in an environment of competing priorities in their hospitals, and who exemplify dedication to continued delivery of essential services, commitment to patient safety, and unwavering efforts to deliver quality patient care. Award nominations must showcase how individuals go above and beyond normal daily work to manage and support hospital staff, patients, caregivers and the community. Awards will be presented during the Patient Safety & Quality Summit on November 14, 2023. Complete nominations by June 30, 2023.
February 2023 Utilization Report
Looking at the average daily volumes, there is a noted increase in utilization across most hospitals going from January to February 2022. Acute care admissions increased by two percentage points compared to pre-COVID baselines going from -17% in January to -11% in February, while Emergency Department admissions changed from -28% to -24% in the same time period. On the other hand, observation admissions remained consistent at 6% over baseline, and average daily ambulatory surgeries saw the biggest increase in volumes going from -9% below baseline in January to 3% over baseline in February. Average daily psychiatric admissions are the only metric that saw a slight decline in volumes from January to February (see Fig. 1). Digging further, all hospitals except for two saw a decline in psychiatric admissions this month, three of which had their lowest volumes in the past 15 months as presented in Table 7 of the report.
New Opioid Response Podcasts Released
Dr. Laura Haselden, an emergency medicine physician and podcast host, discusses topics such as X-Waiver, Buprenorphine Dosing, Prescribing, Safety and Clinical Decisions and Understanding Precipitated Withdrawal. Three new podcasts have been added to our training library.
Introduction to the Literature Review and Background of Peer Services
This podcast introduces the literature, evidence, and training on the use of peer support and counseling, and shares perspective and recommendations.
Peer Recovery Coach vs. Outreach Coach: The Peer’s Role and Training and Skills
This podcast introduces a peer recovery and outreach coach in the District of Columbia, and discusses the difference between a peer recovery coach and outreach coach.
The Invaluable Perspective and Expertise as a Peer Recovery Coach with Lived Experience
This podcast discusses patient encounters and approaches to patient care, including methods of patient motivation, patient hesitancy to take Suboxone, and the importance of a peer network.
New Patient Safety & Quality Resources for DCHA Members Only
DCHA uploaded new resources for members only for the following topics:
- COVID Response Support
- Health Equity
- Opioid Response
- Quality Measures
- Staff Wellness
- Transitions of Care
- Hospital Related Data Resources
To access resources, you must have a DCHA account with a username and password.
January 2023 Utilization Report
Highlights
A slight increase in utilization metrics compared to pre-COVID baselines was observed for January 2023 compared to December 2022 except for emergency department visits which declined by one percentage point going from -27% below the pre-COVID baseline to -28%. Acute care admissions went from -20% below baseline in December to -17% this month, while psychiatric admissions increased from -35% to -27% below baseline. Observation patient visits jumped above the pre-COVID baseline during January 2023 going from -7% below to 6% over baseline (See Fig. 1). Although total admissions for specialty care hospitals went down this month, St Elizabeths and BridgePoint Hospital Capitol Hill showed their highest volume in the past 15 months as presented in Table 4 of the report.
A Year of Challenges and Successes: Moving Forward Together in the Health Care Landscape
The past year was full of challenges as we evolved during a post-pandemic time. Constant pressures on the healthcare system, ongoing workforce shortages and financial insecurities forced leaders to think of new approaches to sustain critical services and programs. Hospitals across the country continue to report an alarming rise in patients who become caught in limbo in emergency departments; experiencing delays due to a number of factors that result in poor patient outcomes, staff dissatisfaction and unnecessary costs.
Longer emergency department stays are more common for patients needing behavioral health treatment than for patients with other diagnoses and conditions. Patients with acute psychiatric issues often wait in hospital emergency departments for three to five days or more before they can be admitted to an inpatient behavioral health facility, according to a September 2021 article published in NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery.
However, there are solutions to these challenges. Health care facilities and states who have implemented the XFERALL (pronounced transfer-all) solution have seen faster patient transfers and better patient care. XFERALL (a company created by clinicians who recognized this patient transfer issue) creates a virtual network for hospitals, health care facilities and mobile crisis units to connect to one and other to both send and receive behavioral health patients in need. Eliminating the tedious actions of calling, faxing and finding the correct facilities to transfer patients to. This can all be accomplished with the XFERALL platform.
Health care facilities using XFERALL have experienced lower costs and an impressive 86% reduction in patient transfer times on average. Patient transfers coordinated via the XFERALL platform experienced an additional 25% decrease in 2022 compared to 2021 demonstrating consistent improvements expediting patient transfer intake process.
In 2022, XFERALL saved it’s partners more than $61.9 million in costs and revenue allowing hospital leaders to invest in critical programs, their teams and the communities they serve. Together we can achieve better results through our commitment to bring resources to the provider community in the District of Columbia.
Through our partnership, XFERALL and DCHA are dedicated to working together to improve access to care.