Newsletter

August 9, 2021

 

 

Benefits Bulletin:

Members Save 50% on Books During Summer Sale

Did you know that members save 30% every day on books from our publishing department, Health Administration Press? Members automatically receive this discount after logging into their My ACHE account. Furthermore, members can save an extra 20% in addition to the regular member discount during our annual Summer and Holiday sales. Since our seasonal Summer Sale is going on right now, members can save a total of 50% with the promo code SUMMER21 when ordering HAP books between now and Sept. 7.

There are other ways to save, too. If you’re in need of training resources for your organization, you can take advantage of HAP’s bulk discounts. With five tiers of escalating discounts given for bulk purchases, you can get a 30% discount by purchasing as few as five books and earn discounts as high as 50% with larger quantity orders. And, when you sign up for HAP Offers, a monthly email, you’ll receive updates on new titles and special discounts. Email hapbooks@ache.org to start receiving this monthly update.

We encourage members to explore the discounted publications available to them year-round, as well as other ways to save. Thank you for being a part of the ACHE community.   

Virtual Customized Education Extended

As the changes from last year continue to affect the way we live, work and learn, ACHE is extending our virtual Choice options until the end of 2021, enabling leaders to continue investing in the learning needs of their own organizations, at their own pace.

Choice, ACHE’s tailored professional development, allows leaders to choose from a variety of program formats and topic areas, including quality and safety, executive leadership, physician executive partnerships, and communication and relationship management. With our Virtual ACHE Face-to-Face Education credit programs scheduled through Dec. 31, 2021, you will continue to have virtual access to our experts as they provide convenient, cost-effective education designed to meet your organization's learning needs and close competency gaps.

Our program specialist will help you assess your needs, build a program and provide resources to promote your virtual event. Visit ache.org/Choice and get started today.

An Insider’s Guide to Working With Healthcare Consultants 

“If you educate yourself and take responsibility for ensuring the success of the engagement, you will see transformative results,” writes author Andrew C. Agwunobi, MD, in his book An Insider’s Guide to Working With Healthcare Consultants. With his dual perspective as CEO/executive vice president for health affairs at UConn Health and as a healthcare consultant, Agwunobi is uniquely qualified to help hospital leaders become masters of the successful consulting engagement. In his book, he explains when—and whether—to hire consultants, how to choose the right ones, negotiate the right price and so much more. “Simply put, this book can help you become an expert on the experts, a master of successful engagements,” he writes.

Order this insider’s guide today to receive an extra 20% off during the Health Administration Press Summer Sale. 

Designing for Healthcare Sustainability: A Framework

“Traditionally, concepts related to sustainable design focus on the co-existence of both the natural and the built environments, often conjuring up images related to saving our earth,” write Shari Blanch, an architectural graduate at an architecture and engineering solutions company, and Diana Anderson, MD, principal of the company, in a recent ACHE Blog post. Acknowledging that the concept of sustainability has gained traction in the design community with building rating systems and standards alongside the emergence of professional credentialing, they also write “there is a recognized need to expand the facets of holistic, sustainable design given the complex challenges within healthcare.”

Although three pillars of sustainability are usually considered in design—economic, social and environmental—Blanch and Anderson propose and describe a fourth: systems sustainability. Using the new Betio Hospital in Kiribati as a case study of the sustainable design of a healthcare facility, the authors discuss how architects and health planners hired by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade are taking these four pillars into account. Read the blog post to learn more.

IHF Extends Awards and Early Bird Registration Deadlines

The International Hospital Federation extended its Awards deadline to Aug. 15, and its early bird registration deadline for the World Hospital Congress to Aug. 31. IHF decided to extend the deadline for 2021 IHF Awards entries to Aug. 15 to allow more hospitals to enter and submit their nominations online. Award winners will be recognized during a special ceremony at the 44th IHF World Hospital Congress, Nov. 8–11, in Barcelona, Spain. Information about the IHF Awards, including the new American College of Healthcare Executives Excellence Award for Leadership and Management, can be found on the awards webpage or by emailing awards@ihf-fih.org.

Furthermore, to ensure prospective participants can take advantage of the best rates possible, the IHF is extending its early bird registration rates to Aug. 31. In-person and virtual tickets are available, and IHF Members (ACHE is an IHF Premier Associate Member) are entitled to special discounted rates. Please contact IHF to get the member discount code. 

Hospital IPPS Final Rule Improves Health Equity, Access to Treatment and More

Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued the final rule for the fiscal year 2022 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System. The final rule updates Medicare payment policies and rates for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals and for certain hospitals and hospital units excluded from the IPPS for FY 2022.

Effective Oct. 1, 2021, the final rule authorizes additional payments for diagnostics and therapies to treat COVID-19 during the pandemic, and beyond. It also revises payment policies, as well as policies under certain quality and value-based purchasing programs for hospitals to lessen the adverse impacts of the pandemic. For example, the rule’s provisions seek to enhance the healthcare workforce in rural and underserved communities.

The policies in this final rule also build on key priorities to close healthcare equity gaps. For example, CMS is adopting a measure that requires hospitals and LTCHs to report COVID-19 vaccination rates of workers in their facilities. Having access to such information will help patients, caregivers and their communities make informed decisions when seeking care from hospitals, cancer centers and LTCHs.

To learn more, please visit the following resources: