Announcement

President's Report
by: Rod Betit (September 22, 2006)

Summary: Federal Court Finds in Bartlett’s Favor --On September 15, 2006 the U.S. District Court for Alaska issued a decision supporting Bartlett Hospital’s request to void a State Plan Amendment as not having been properly filed by the State. The Court agree

Full Story: PRESIDENT’S REPORT September 22, 2006 On September 15, 2006 the U.S. District Court for Alaska issued a decision supporting Bartlett Hospital’s request to void a State Plan Amendment as not having been properly filed by the State. The Court agreed with Bartlett and has asked Bartlett legal counsel to file a proposed judgment declaring the State Plan Amendment invalid. Once the State Plan Amendment is invalidated, the State will be required to follow the immediate prior State Plan which Bartlett estimates should provide $400,000 in additional Medicaid reimbursement for one or two past years. ________________________________________ Ron Adler recently reported to ASHNHA that the Alaska Psychiatric Institute has been running at full occupancy. Some requests for admission are being delayed during this period. It would be helpful to get feedback from CEOs as to any adverse impact being seen on local resources in your community as a result of the pressure being put on API. This information will be helpful as we go into the Legislative Session to make the case that local community behavioral health funding is not adequate. Ron is crafting a long term strategy for dealing with the API situation and has asked for help from the ASHNHA Acute Care Committee in putting that together. Kanute Rarey, Acute Care Committee Chair, will be organizing that meeting in the next few weeks. ________________________________________ No response has been received yet from Gubernatorial Candidates Tony Knowles or Sarah Palin on ASHNHA’s position statements on Certificate of Need, Physician Shortages, and Worker Compensation Reform. When responses are received they will be circulated to the Board of Directors for information and use. If you desire a copy of these statements please contact Rod Betit at rbetit@ashnha.com . ________________________________________ ________________________________________ On September 20, 2006 Rod Betit, ASHNHA President, and Dr. Richard Mandsager, Director Alaska Division of Public Health, presented the final report on strategies for increasing physician supply in Alaska to President Mark Hamilton, University of Alaska, and Commissioner Karleen Jackson, Alaska Department of Health & Social Services. The report was commissioned by President Hamilton and Commissioner Jackson in January 2006. The report highlights the current physician shortage in Alaska (estimated at 375 physicians statewide), and recommends short term to long term strategies for addressing the shortage. Recommendations include expanding the size of the Alaska WWHAMI program (partnership with University of Washington Medical School), increasing physician residency programs in Alaska, creating a physician recruitment office in the Alaska Department of Health & Social Services, providing funding to offer ‘relocation incentives’ to physicians willing to bring their practice to Alaska, funding a loan repayment program in return for a fixed term of practice in Alaska, and a host of other recommendations. These recommendations would complement other strategies being considered to augment Alaska’s nursing, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, radiology technician, pharmacy assistant, and other allied health workforces. Both President Hamilton and Commissioner Jackson expressed enthusiastic support for the recommendations presented in the report, and committed to work towards garnering support for implementing them. A joint press release from President Hamilton and Commissioner Jackson will officially release the report sometime during the next two weeks. Copies of the report have been printed and will be mailed to all ASHNHA Board members next week. I think this is the best product created thus far that addressed this very critical public health problem and want to thank President Hamilton and Commissioner Jackson for their leadership and foresight in creating this Task Force. ________________________________________ Upcoming Meetings of Interest: • ASHNHA 2007 Winter Meeting - March 8 & 9, 2007. Meetings will be held at the Baranof Hotel. Board meeting will occur on March 9. • AHA Annual Meeting - May 5 through 9, 2007 in Washington, D.C. • National Rural Health Association Meeting - May 14 through 17, 2007 in Anchorage, Alaska. • ASHNHA 2007 Annual Meeting – to be held in conjunction with education sessions August 6 through August 9, 2007 in Petersburg. The ASHNHA meeting will take place on August 8 & 9. If there are other meetings you would like posted please let Rod know at rbetit@ashnha.com

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September 22 2006.pdf