In partnership with HASC, Homeless Health Care Los Angeles will offer a patient discharge workshop for new Southern California hospital workers and others who are interested in a refresher course. The class will run Thursday, Oct. 15 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at HASC’s offices in downtown Los Angeles, 515 South Figueroa St.

Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, a Downey hospital dedicated to rehabilitative medicine, is adding a Wellness & Aquatic Therapy Center and other facilities as part of a $418 million construction project.

With care for veterans a growing regional need, demand for rehabilitative and other programs at the hospital continue to rise. Speaking before an Aug. 19 kickoff event, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe called the new facility “the jewel of Los Angeles County’s health care system.”

County District Attorney Jackie Lacey last week unveiled a plan that would divert non-violent mentally-ill offenders from the Los Angeles County Jail to mental health and substance-abuse treatment facilities. 

HASC Regional Vice President Jaime Garcia, who represents the Los Angeles County area, attended the Aug. 4 board of supervisors session.

“HASC believes that a well-funded, robust outpatient treatment program that includes housing is required in order to effectively address the issue of homelessness,” Garcia said. 

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has authorized implementation of AB 1421, the Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Demonstration Project, known as Laura’s Law, in Los Angeles County. Mental Health Service Act (MHSA) revenue will fund AOT, which the Board adopted in July.

The Los Angeles County Health Officer is mandating that all health care personnel who work in acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, and intermediate care facilities in Los Angeles County be vaccinated against influenza, or wear a protective mask, effect Nov. 1. The order will remain in place until March 31. Changes to the original order issued back in October 2013 by Public Health are not expected. This order does exclude acute care facilities in the cities of Long Beach and Pasadena, which are under separate health jurisdictions.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved expanding Laura’s Law, which allows for court-ordered outpatient treatment for people with serious mental illness.

The Board of Supervisors voted to expand the existing outpatient treatment program from 20 to 300 slots and create a team that will reach out to potential patients and manage the court filing process when necessary.

The Los Angeles County Prescription Drug Abuse Medical Task Force, a coalition of stakeholders that includes the California American College of Emergency Physicians, LA County Medical Association, the Hospital Association of Southern California, LA County Department of Public Health, LA County Department of Health Services and Kaiser Permanente, has been meeting to establish in Los Angeles County emergency departments (EDs) Safe Pain Medicine Prescribing in Emergency Departments.

HASC, in association with the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency, will host a free webinar for hospitals titled Key Elements of Integrating Continuity with Strategy and Operations.

Scheduled for Thursday, March 6, 9 to 10 a.m., the webinar will focus on the following key points:

HASC is a founding member of the LA Coalition to Protect Public Health and Safety. This coalition is opposed to a ballot measure that seeks to create a new public health department that is separate from LA County Public Health.

To lower the risk of transmission of influenza to patients in licensed acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities in Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has issued an order mandating that licensed facilities supplement their existing obligation to assist their health care personnel to obtain influenza vaccinations by requiring that those personnel who decline to be vaccinated wear a mask when they are in contact with patients during the annual influenza season, Nov.

Los Angeles County EMS Agency convened area fire chiefs and HASC to discuss community paramedic medicine and to identify possible next steps related to coordinating a pilot program. Community paramedic medicine seeks to identify alternative patient destinations for non-emergent cases that currently are transported to hospital EDs.

The Los Angeles City Clerk certified a petition titled City of Los Angeles Public Health Protection Act that requires the Los Angeles City Council to establish its own Public Health Department. The City can create the department by way of an ordinance or place the issue before voters possibly in June 2014.

While working to launch the Affordable Care Act, Covered California seeks to develop a community-based approach to outreach, beginning with a series of regional town halls to provide an update to stakeholders and solicit feedback on efforts and plans. Covered California’s next town hall meeting will be held in Los Angeles.

Covered California board members and Executive Director Peter Lee will lead the discussion for the Los Angeles regional town hall. Topics to be addressed:

HASC testified before a joint meeting of the Los Angeles City Council’s Energy & Environment and Ad Hoc on Waste Reduction and Recycling Committees regarding the proposed plan to implement a city-wide franchise system for trash removal.

Hospitals interested in learning about available resources related to targeted violence may contact the Department of Mental Health/Emergency Outreach Bureau/School Threat Assessment Response Team (START) for training, consultation and assessment at (213) 739-5565; (213) 738-4924; or ACCESS 1-800-854-7771.

DMH also offers three- to four-hour training sessions on threat management, focusing on a team approach, for interested hospitals. To schedule an on-site training for staff, email Tony Beliz, Ph.D at tbeliz@dmh.lacounty.gov and Mikesha Taylor at mtaylor@dmh.lacounty.gov. 

HASC requested that the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors delay taking action on the Clean Water, Clean Beaches Measure, which would establish an annual fee to pay for clean water programs. The measure, which is being proposed by the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, fails to address a variety of issues that include whether tax is permanent, lack of appeal process and it does not offer fee reductions for parcel owners who do on-site capture and treatment of water.

The California Emergency Medical Services Agency is currently seeking interested parties to enter into a public/private partnership to maintain the integrity of its Mobile Field Hospital (MFH) program, which provides up to 600 beds of acute care hospital surge capacity anywhere in the state within 72 hours.

EMSA’s MFH program was developed with an “all hazards” approach to California’s hospital surge needs during emergencies. The MFH program:

The Los Angeles City Council voted 9 to 3 last week to direct staff to pursue an exclusive waste shed. A motion by Councilman Tom LaBonge calls for exempting hospitals.

Healthy Way Los Angeles (HWLA) enrollment is at 197,529 as of Aug. 30. Of this total, 66,220 are assigned to a DHS medical home and 72,277 are assigned to a community (clinic) partner home. There are also 59,032 auto-enrolled general relief clients who are being assigned to a medical home.

HWLA enrollment did decrease from July to August due to redetermination as well as issues associated with a software transition.

The Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency invites hospital CEOs and other C-suite representatives, as well as emergency/risk management staff and IT recovery planners to attend Integrating Business Continuity Planning Into Your Emergency Management Program on Thursday, Sept. 13 in Carson.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the 2012-13 ($24.529 billion) Recommended Budget that closed a projected $75.8 million budget gap with one-time budget solutions. The Board also approved a staff recommendation that AB 109 prison realignment funds estimated at $272.4 million be set aside until its Supplemental Budget discussion in October when the Board will align its final budget with the state approved budget.

Two counties in the HASC region will serve as pilot sites for the state’s Dual Eligibles Demonstration, according to an announcement by the California Department of Health Care Services last week. Los Angeles and Orange Counties were selected as pilot sites, along with San Diego and San Mateo.

L.A. Care Health Plan recently announced that it is now providing health insurance to more than 1 million low-income residents in Los Angeles County through a number of programs that include Medi-Cal, Healthy Families and Medicare Special Needs Plan.

Since Healthy Way LA (HWLA) began enrollment July 1, a total of 27,044 new patients have been enrolled during the first 14 weeks, with the highest enrollment during this time period at LAC+USC (2,759 patients). 

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a reimbursement rate reduction for the Physician Services for Indigents Program (PSIP).

Hospital supplies are still needed for CareNow, Inc.’s upcoming free clinic Oct. 20-23 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

The Department of Health Services (DHS) has informed the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors that, due to the FY 2009-2010 state budget funding reductions to the Physician Services for Indigents Program (PSIP), the continued increase in claim volume, and a slight increase in payment per claim, DHS is proposing a reduction in the PSIP reimbursement rate from 18 percent to 12 percent for all outstanding claims FY 2010-2011, and a reduction in the rate for FY 2011-2012 to 14 percent of the Official County Fee Schedule. 

Hospital volunteers are being sought for CareNow, Inc.’s free clinic, scheduled to take place Oct. 20-23 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. In addition to physician and nurse volunteers, the organization is looking for help in the following areas:

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) has issued a health alert to area hospitals. In an effort to detect potential acts of terrorism in the period leading up to and following the tenth anniversary of 9/11, the LACDPH is reminding emergency rooms and hospital health care providers to remain vigilant for potential cases of bioterrorism, chemical terrorism and nuclear/radiological terrorism. 

For the period April 1, 2011 to June 30, 2011, the Recuperative Care Program, which serves both Los Angeles and Orange Counties, resulted in estimated savings of $495,720 for Los Angeles County hospitals using the program.

Los Angeles County launched its Medicaid Coverage Expansion (MCE) under the 1115 Waiver on July 1. Healthy Way LA (HWLA) is the local initiative that will provide coverage to adults between the ages of 19 and 64 with an income up to 133 percent of the FPL, among other qualifying requirements. Enrollment in the program is being administered by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS).

Under the recently approved 1115 Waiver, Los Angeles County will launch its Low Income Health Program, called Healthy Way LA. This program, which is part of Medicaid expansion, is meant to provide insurance coverage to adults at 0-133 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. 

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted this week to adopt recommended changes to the proposed $23.3 billion county budget for FY 2011-2012.

The $23.3 billion county budget is still subject to possible revisions until a state budget is enacted. In the meantime, the FY 2011-2012 budget will be $905 million and 101 positions less than the 2010-11 Final Adopted Budget. Estimated impact of expenditure reductions to health and social services programs for Los Angeles County as a result of state approved cuts is approximately $366.4 million for 2011-2012. The major cuts would reduce Medi-Cal, redirect Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Funds, reduce the California Work Opportunities and Responsibility to Kids grants, and include program reductions to the In-Home Supportive Services program.

Since the 2011-12 Recommended Budget release in April, the following departments resolved their operating budget shortfall; below is the current status of these budgets:

Health Services – The department’s Recommended Budget included a placeholder of $312.7 million. The department was able to mitigate its placeholder by including $290.1 million of estimated revenue from the 1115 Waiver in FY 2011-12, as well as other adjustments.
Mental Health – Based upon revised revenue projections, the department was able to completely mitigate its placeholder reduction of $14.7 million due to federal funds and increased sales tax realignment revenue, among other issues.
Public Health – The April Recommended Budget contained a $14.3 million placeholder reduction. The county recommends the placeholder reduction be replaced with $7.5 million in ongoing solutions and $6.8 million in one-time solutions.

FEMA P-767, Earthquake Mitigation for Hospitals, a free educational program offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its sponsoring partners at the end of May, drew 113 participants from HASC member hospitals throughout the region. Workshops took place in Fontana for Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, in Santa Ana for Orange County, and in Glendale for the Los Angeles region.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the HASC nomination of Gerald Clute (CEO, California Medical Center) to replace Dennis Lee (CEO, Methodist Hospital) on the Los Angeles County EMS Commission. Since July 2009, Clute has served as president/chief executive officer at California Hospital Medical Center. In addition, he has more than 36 years of health care experience, 20 of those years in acute care hospital administration.

The registration deadline for FEMA P-767, Earthquake Mitigation for Hospitals is Friday, May 13. The free educational program, offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its sponsoring partners, will take place in the Inland Area on Monday, May 23; in Orange County on Tuesday, May 24; and in Los Angeles on Wednesday, May 25.