Summer,00

HCFA To Eye
Re-admission Data

The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General (OIG) wants the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) to review hospitals with above-average Medicare claims for same-day re-admissions. A February 23 OIG report also said HCFA should review a sample of claims where same-day re-admissions were coded with the same diagnostically related group as the first hospital stay.

HCFA generally concurred with the recommendations but noted only 61 providers had 30 or more re-admissions in 1996 and 1997. HCFA may suspend payment for same-day re-admissions pending verification of their appropriateness. The full report is available at www.hhs.gov/progorg/oas/cats/hcfa.html

Comparative Utilization Indicators Per 1,000 Population U.S. Community Hospitals
Rank Hospital Beds Admissions Inpatient Days Outpatient Visits
1 Washington 1.89 Alaska 67.25 Washington 403.47 Nevada 911.64
2 Utah 1.91 Hawaii 81.91 New Mexico 407.26 Maryland 977.67
3 New Mexico 2.01 Washington 83.39 Utah 421.78 Arizona 981.77
4 Nevada 2.02 Vermont 84.73 Oregon 427.09 Minnesota 1,167.24
5 Alaska 2.02 New Mexico 90.89 Colorado 472.25 Virginia 1,225.74
6 Oregon 2.07 Wyoming 91.13 Nevada 479.26 Mississippi 1,246.35
7 Connecticut 2.12 Utah 91.60 California 509.94 Florida 1,303.72
8 California 2.28 New Hampshire 91.93 Arizona 515.61 Oklahoma 1,303.72
9 Colorado 2.31 Idaho 93.77 Connecticut 536.97 Georgia 1,348.61
10 Arizona 2.33 Colorado 94.00 New Hampshire 556.02 California 1,378.47
11 Hawaii 2.34 Oregon 95.48 Idaho 567.73 Texas 1,383.55
12 New Hampshire 2.40 California 97.05 Texas 593.76 North Carolina 1,466.61
13 Maryland 2.47 Nevada 97.97 Virginia 602.27 Colorado 1,522.47
14 Rhode Island 2.61 Connecticut 100.82 Maryland 612.33 South Carolina 1,527.28
15 Virginia 2.63 Virginia 105.58 Alaska 616.22 Washington 1,532.97
16 Delaware 2.66 Wisconsin 106.01 Oklahoma 648.16 WSC Region 1,535.99
17 Massachusett 2.68 Arizona 106.05 Michigan 649.92 Alabama 1,554.07
18 Michigan 2.77 Georgia 107.55 Ohio 650.30 Arkansas 1,642.31
19 Idaho 2.78 Minnesota 109.17 Hawaii 650.79 Alaska 1,691.55
20 Vermont 2.83 Maryland 110.01 WSC Region 652.21 Tennessee 1,699.61
21 Texas 2.86 Montana 110.62 Wisconsin 658.86 Nebraska 1,713.24
22 South Carolina 3.00 Michigan 112.55 Vermont 665.89 Delaware 1,741.73
23 Maine 3.03 Texas 112.71 Rhode Island 667.98 U.S. 1,754.33
24 North Carolina 3.09 Delaware 113.33 Maine 678.30 Oregon 1,763.79
25 U.S. 3.11 Kansas 114.00 Massachusett 680.98 Wyoming 1,766.17
26 Ohio 3.14 Nebraska 115.64 Delaware 683.97 Idaho 1,770.46
27 WSC Region 3.17 Maine 116.05 Indiana 690.98 Kansas 1,789.33
28 Wisconsin 3.20 Oklahoma 116.89 U.S. 708.22 Wisconsin 1,844.09
29 New Jersey 3.25 U.S. 117.69 Georgia 716.02 Missouri 1,868.19
30 Illinois 3.26 Rhode Island 118.74 Illinois 717.34 Kentucky 1,878.23
31 Indiana 3.29 South Carolina 119.22 South Carolina 720.32 New Mexico 1,879.43
32 Oklahoma 3.29 Indiana 119.41 Florida 726.72 New Jersey 1,885.02
33 Florida 3.30 Massachusetts 120.06 North Carolina 770.38 Illinois 1,890.82
34 Georgia 3.30 North Carolina 120.32 Tennessee 790.37 Vermont 1,948.61
35 Minnesota 3.49 WSC Region 120.42 Wyoming 790.75 New Hampshire 1,970.70
36 Pennsylvania 3.73 Ohio 120.90 Missouri 795.34 Connecticut 1,984.86
37 New York 3.77 Illinois 121.73 Kentucky 806.27 Utah 2,011.87
38 Missouri 3.80 New York 130.10 Louisiana 815.95 South Dakota 2,043.99
39 Tennessee 3.81 South Dakota 130.16 Kansas 817.23 Hawaii 2,062.11
40 Kentucky 3.87 Florida 130.53 Arkansas 830.76 Maine 2,149.71
41 Arkansas 3.89 Iowa 130.76 Alabama 836.20 Indiana 2,158.77
42 Alabama 3.91 New Jersey 133.42 New Jersey 836.75 Rhode Island 2,196.30
43 Wyoming 4.02 North Dakota 133.50 Minnesota 869.92 Ohio 2,212.35
44 Louisiana 4.08 Missouri 136.39 Iowa 883.32 Michigan 2,217.82
45 Kansas 4.15 Tennessee 137.16 Pennsylvania 910.53 North Dakota 2,228.74
46 Iowa 4.27 Kentucky 140.07 West Virginia 981.92 Louisiana 2,336.27
47 West Virginia 4.48 Arkansas 141.08 New York 1,055.09 Massachusetts 2,509.47
48 Mississippi 4.73 Louisiana 146.00 Nebraska 1,070.10 Pennsylvania 2,548.12
49 Nebraska 4.89 Pennsylvania 146.01 Mississippi 1,071.83 New York 2,568.00
50 Montana 5.01 Alabama 148.04 Montana 1,239.76 Montana 2,600.55
51 South Dakota 5.96 Mississippi 150.40 North Dakota 1,369.32 Iowa 2,708.37
52 North Dakota 6.24 West Virginia 155.01 South Dakota 1,399.14 West Virginia 2,764.97
53 Dist. of Columbia 6.79 Dist. of Columbia 268.25 Dist. of Columbia 1,868.56 Dist. of Columbia 2,783.48
*West South Central (WSC) Region = Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Source: American Hospital Association, Hospital Statistics, 2000

UALR Develops Information Technology Certificate
There's no denying it: the Information Age has ushered in an entirely new way of doing business, and sometimes it's hard to keep up with the changes.

Just ask those mid-career professionals who entered the work force 10-15 years ago. Back then, the typewriter and telephone still ruled the workplace. Now, almost every industry on earth depends on employees who know how to use computer programs, manage electronic data, download and apply software, and communicate over the Internet.

In today's world, you can no longer live without IT-Information Technology-the communication and computing knowledge that every employee needs to stay ahead of the game.

Now, you can get IT without having to resign your position or leave the state. That's because UALR (the University of Arkansas at Little Rock) is offering the state's first comprehensive, flexible IT Certificate for Professionals, tailored to men and women who have a degree and a profession, but who don't have a lot of time. IT Certificate Program participants will attend classes every other Friday and Saturday for one academic year in the newest, most "wired" building on the UALR campus-Dickinson Hall, which offers more than 500 networked computers and a state-of-the-art auditorium.

Because UALR officials and industry leaders planned the program's curriculum, the skills participants will receive at UALR are skills employers are looking for.

What are those skills?
  • Developing Internet and Intranet sites
  • Learning a variety of software to manage databases
  • Using Gateway technology, like word processing and spreadsheet programs
  • Becoming proficient in graphic presentation programs
But that's not all. Participants also will learn one more important component for the workplace: the business acumen needed to put this all together.

For program information, call 569-8715 or e-mail itech@ualr.edu. Classes start August 2000. Think about IT: the workplace is changing. Are you?

Clinical Trials On-Line
The FDA Modernization Act of 1997 requires the Department of Health and Human Services to create a Web site that would give consumers and healthcare professionals access to information about clinical trials and other medical research.

The National Institutes of Health has now created the site, which can be found at clinicaltrials.gov. The site provides benefits for everyone. Physicians and other medical professionals benefit by having a resource that may be able to help their patients. It also gives them a chance to educate those patients about the potential benefits and risks they take by getting involved with a clinical trial.

The government gains, since putting this information on the Web will not only attract patients who otherwise would not have known about the existence of these trials, but could also give potential test subjects an extra push to get involved in important medical research.

Patients and their families will get more access to critical information about medical research and a possible source of treatment for their health conditions. The site contains information about more than 4,000 clinical trials, most of which are sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. Visitors can browse through the clinical trials listing by sponsor type, disease state, or even alphabetical order. They can also use the on-site search engine for quick results.

Arkansas ACHE Advancements
The following Arkansans were recognized March 26 at the American College of Healthcare Executives Convocation Ceremony in Chicago for advancing or re-certifying with the ACHE:
Recertified Fellows
David A. Chumley, FACHE, Little Rock
Randy Fale, FACHE, Hot Springs

Fellows
Jim Lambert, FACHE, Conway
Kay S. Ponthieux, FACHE, Conway 		Recertified Diplomates
Carl Brown, CHE, Harrison
Harrison Dean, CHE, North Little Rock
Jon Dixon, CHE, Hot Springs
Stephen Erixon, CHE, Mountain Home
Dan Gathright, CHE, Arkadelphia
David Laffoon, CHE, Searcy
Nora Munn Powers, CHE, Hot Springs
Kenneth Sample, CHE
Allen Smith, CHE, Little Rock
Gary Weeks, CHE, Little Rock
 Diplomates
Joe Hammons, CHE
Ray Montgomery, CHE, Searcy
Kristy Noble, CHE, Berryville
Jason Spring, CHE
Gwen Stroud, CHE, Conway

 

 

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