TAHQ NEWSLETTER

A quarterly publication of the
TEXAS ASSOCIATION
FOR HEALTHCARE QUALITY
P.O. Box 117612
Carrollton, Texas 75011-7612


Volume 2-2001 May 2001

This newsletter is the official source of news and information for members and friends of the Texas Association for Healthcare Quality (TAHQ). All materials herein were prepared by or with input from the TAHQ Board of Directors, local affiliate healthcare quality organizations, and other TAHQ members. For comments or questions, or to contribute articles or information, please contact Randy Boston, Communications Chair, at 512/338-9293 or by e-mail at randy@tahc.org or rtml@swbell.net.



TAHQ Announces Annual Educational Conference

TAHQ has planned a great educational conference, "Quality Strategies: The Bridge to Quality Healthcare", to be held Friday, August 24, 2001, at the North Austin Medical Center in Austin. The morning keynote speaker will be Dr. Josie Williams, MD, Director of the Texas Health Quality Alliance. The afternoon keynote address will be by Kathleen Angel from the Leapfrog Group.

Concurrent session speakers feature Susan Mellott, PhD, RN, CPHQ, David Thomsen, Director of Quality for the St. David's Medical Center, James Lloyd from the Texas HealthCare Information Council, Donna Rossa, RN, CPHQ, and Peter Rossa, PhD, RN, CPHQ. These concurrent sessions include such timely topics as Rapid-Cycle Improvement, current trends in health systems quality, JCAHO's pain management standards, and an introductory overview of the CPHQ exam. Nursing and CPHQ CEUs will be offered for conference attendance.

On Thursday evening prior to the conference, TAHQ will hold a social hour and membership meeting at the Wellesley Inn, which is located app. two blocks south of North Austin Medical Center. The social hour, which will be held from 6:00 - 7:00 PM in the open breakfast area of the Wellesley Inn, just off the main lobby area, will be followed by a membership meeting from 7:00 - 8:00 PM. This will be a great opportunity for members to meet other members, get acquainted with the latest new board members, and participate in the membership meeting process. Early registration for the next day's full-day educational conference will also be available during this evening event.

AND, as an added attraction, registered attendees at this year's August 24th educational conference will be eligible for drawings for one of two FREE REGISTRATIONS to next year's TAHQ annual educational conference. In order to qualify, you must attend this year's conference and be a TAHQ member. The first drawing will be held at the opening of the conference on Friday morning, with the second drawing to take place just prior to conference adjournment that afternoon. You must be present, registered for the conference and a TAHQ member, to win!

For your convenience, the forthcoming conference registration brochure will include not only registration information, but also registration and membership sign-up package deals that save you money, when you join TAHQ and register for the conference at the same time. Be watching for the brochure or go to the TAHQ website at www.txquality.org for more information on this special event. For questions or advance registration information for this year's conference, contact Lori Brandes, Education Chair, by phone at 512/288-8271, or by e-mail at lbrandes@flash.net.



TAHQ Board of Directors Holds Quarterly Meeting

The TAHQ Board of Directors met on Friday, April 27, 2001, in Fort Worth. Agenda items discussed at this quarterly meeting included, among other issues, reports from TAHQ Committees, progress made on strategic plans, website enhancements, the upcoming educational conference in Austin, and the slate of nominees for upcoming Board position vacancies and National Leadership Counsel positions.

Your TAHQ Board of Directors includes the following individuals: The next regular quarterly meeting of the TAHQ Board is scheduled for the evening of August 23, 2001, in conjunction with the annual educational conference and membership meeting in Austin. (See related article in this newsletter.) If you are interested in more information about the Board or in serving in a Board capacity, contact President-Elect Carol Lee Hamilton at 817/871-8619 or by email at clhclh2@flash.net .



Call for Nominations

Calling all TAHQ members - It’s time to vote!

But first, we need nominations for the two TAHQ Board of Directors’ positions that will become vacant this year. One position is President-Elect. The individual elected to this position will officially take office as TAHQ President for a one-year term in August, 2002, but will serve as President-Elect for a year prior, beginning this summer, and then, after serving as President for a year, will serve another year as Immediate Past-President until 2004. Thus, this is in essence, a three-year tour on the TAHQ Board of Directors.

The other position up for election this year is the Communications Chair. This two-year term of office begins this summer. The Communications Chair is involved in putting together the TAHQ newsletter, as well as other informational services provided to the TAHQ membership.

In order to qualify for either of these two positions, the prospective candidate must be a TAHQ member in good standing (i.e., dues paid) and be willing to serve as a Board member in the capacity for which nominated, including attendance at quarterly Board meetings and the annual members’ meeting.

If you would like further information, including more details on qualifications, or if you desire to nominate someone - even yourself - for one of these positions, please contact Anne MacDonald, Nominating Chair, by phone, 972/394-2478, or by e-mail at anne.macdonald@tenethealth.com.



NAHQ Fellows Available as Mentors
[Article provided by the NAHQ Office]

Finding and interacting with a colleague in healthcare quality can be one of the most rewarding relationships. Fortunately for NAHQ members, there are 32 members with experience and willingness to be mentors. These 32 men and women have achieved the designation of Fellow of NAHQ, or FNAHQ.

NAHQ's Fellowship program was unveiled in 1996 after several years of development by the Healthcare Quality Education Foundation (now called the Healthcare Quality Foundation). The objective of the program is to promote and acknowledge individual achievement of professional excellence in the field of healthcare quality. “The criteria for achieving fellowship serve as a clear blueprint for professional development and personal achievement,” says Virginia D'Addario, MSN, CCM, CPHQ, FNAHQ, chair of the Fellowship Review Board.

NAHQ members who wish to become Fellows should fill out the application for Fellowship, which can be obtained by visiting NAHQ's web page at www.nahq.org or by contacting Charlie Breit, NAHQ's Administrator, at 847/375-4809. The application is available via e-mail or as a printed copy. The deadline for submitting applications to NAHQ headquarters was April 13, 2001. It's also a good idea to start planning now to submit for 2002 - the application requires many pieces of information that you may not have readily available.

Applications are reviewed in several areas - such as published works, leadership/service, lectures/presentations, mentorship - by the Fellowship Review Board. Fellows are announced at NAHQ's annual conference, which this year is September 8-11 in Reno, NV. The original creators of the Fellowship program believed that mentoring was an activity that should be carried on beyond the selection process. “Upon being awarded Fellowship status, all Fellows agree to serve as mentors,” said D'Addario.

To assist NAHQ members in finding a mentor, all NAHQ Fellows and their contact information are listed below. DiAddario points out, “This is a real benefit to NAHQ members. I strongly urge you to contact a Fellow to find one who you think will be a good match with your professional interests."

NAHQ Fellows: Name, State, E-mail or other contact information:

NAHQ Leadership Council Participation

Would you like to become a part of the Leadership Council for the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ)? Each year, TAHQ is allowed eight (8) delegates to NAHQ’s Leadership Council, which meets in conjunction with the NAHQ Annual Conference.

The general purpose of the NAHQ Leadership Council is to represent the interests of NAHQ members, in this case, from the state of Texas, to the NAHQ Board of Directors, and to advise on issues pertinent to NAHQ activities. It is an excellent opportunity for professional growth and leadership development. In the past, Texas’ Leadership Council positions have been filled by TAHQ Board members; however, this year, we would like to extend the opportunity to one or two TAHQ members to serve with us at the annual Leadership Council meeting.

The 2001 NAHQ annual meeting and conference will be held in September in Reno, Nevada. If you are a current NAHQ and TAHQ member, and are planning to attend the Reno NAHQ conference, please contact Carol Lee Hamilton, TAHQ President-Elect, at 817/871-8619 or clhclh2@flash.net, or Anne MacDonald, Nominating Chair, at 972/394-2478 or anne.macdonald@tenethealth.com.



Local Association/Affiliate News

The Quality Tarrant/North Texas (QT/NT) local association and TAHQ affiliate, will meet on Thursday, July 12, 2001, from 3:30 - 5:00 PM at All Saints Medical Center in Fort Worth. The meeting will feature guest speaker Kalika Antao, CPHQ, Director of Credentialing for System Health Providers, Dallas. For more information on this meeting contact, Carol Lee Hamilton at 817/871-8619 or by e-mail at clhclh2@flash.net.



President's Message

From Gary Anderson, TAHQ President

This has been a very exciting year for all of us involved with TAHQ. As I near the end of my term as TAHQ President and prepare to pass the baton on to our President-Elect, Carol Lee Hamilton, I would like to share with you some of our strategic goals and accomplishments during this past year.

Membership Growth
We were excited to have Sherry Cummings of Austin join the TAHQ Board as our Membership Chair. We have made strides in acknowledging all renewing and new members with confirmation of their memberships. A membership package was developed to include welcome letters and membership cards. We have expanded our membership drive to include all Texans who are NAHQ members and Texas-based healthcare organizations. A TAHQ-hosted reception and business meeting were held in Dallas in conjunction with the NAHQ conference last fall. This provided an opportunity for exchange of information between the Board and TAHQ members on how to continually improve our organization.

Education
Texas was honored to host NAHQ’s 25th Annual Conference in Dallas last September. Many thanks goes to TAHQ President-Elect Carol Lee Hamilton, Fort Worth, for organizing the volunteers that assisted with the NAHQ conference. TAHQ members were able to participate in the event through moderating the CPHQ review course and main conference sessions. Also, as local healthcare quality associations have provided educational offerings, TAHQ has assisted by announcing such events through our quarterly newsletter and web site.

Plus, our own upcoming August 24th education conference in Austin is set to be one of our best ever. The day’s agenda is packed with current issues, as well as an opportunity for members to learn about and prepare for the CPHQ exam. I hope that you will join us at this annual TAHQ Conference. Lori Brandes, Education Chair, from Austin, and our Education Planning Committee have put together another excellent agenda and speakers. A member meeting and social hour will be hosted by the TAHQ Board the evening prior to the conference for networking and a TAHQ update. The next day’s full-day conference will be one of the best educational conferences that TAHQ has provided.

Nominating
We started out the year with several open Board positions, which have since been filled with individuals willing to serve. Anne MacDonald, from Carrollton, is our new Nominating Committee Chair and is preparing to assist with the upcoming year’s Board vacancies. She will be playing a key role in finding and submitting the names for the President-Elect position. Another important function will be seeking nominations for the 2001-2002 NAHQ Leadership Council. Serving in a leadership capacity is a wonderful opportunity to grow professionally. Please contact Anne, 972/394-2478, or anne.macdonald@tenethealth.com with any questions or interest in nominating yourself or someone else to serve.

Web Site
We have successfully developed our own TAHQ web site with links to other organizations and sites. This gives our membership and other interested individuals more exposure to TAHQ programs and opportunities to communicate. Many thanks go to Lori Brandes in getting the site up and running and for serving as the “Web-Master”. Please visit our web site at www.txquality.org and give us feedback on what you see and what you would like to see.

Local Associations
We continue to work with the expansion of our network with local associations. Anne Asnaashari, a CPHQ-certified professional from Houston, serves in the Board position of Local Associations Chair. Healthcare quality professionals in Austin, El Paso, East Texas, and Edinburg have begun forming local associations in those areas, following in the footsteps of Fort Worth, Dallas, and the Houston/Gulf Coast area. Growth and development of local associations will serve the needs of members both locally and across the state of Texas. Please contact Ann Asnaashari (713/776-5862) if interested in forming a local association in your area.

Newsletter
Our newsletter has served as the main vehicle of communication with the TAHQ membership. Our goal was to produce a quarterly newsletter, and it would not have been achieved without the hard work of Randy Boston, Communications Chair, from Austin, over the past two years. Under Randy’s direction, our newsletter has evolved in format, content, and scope. We have had a number of our members author articles. The newsletter has also included listings of new TAHQ members and new CPHQs to recognize those individual who have made a big commitment in the area of healthcare quality and professional development. In the near future, all members will have the benefit of being able to view in a timely fashion the most current TAHQ newsletter editions under the “Members Only” section of our web site.

Treasury
TAHQ’s continues to operate in the black! Many thanks to Pam Green, Board Treasurer, from Dallas, who has done an outstanding job of working to ensure that our financial record keeping is maintained and managed accurately. Pam has also assisted with membership renewals and in building our database of members and potential members updates. Pam is truly one individual to be recognized for keeping us on track.

Many thanks also go to Linda Liewer of Fort Worth for serving as the TAHQ Board of Directors’ Secretary and for keeping track of all our Board meetings and minutes, and to Jack Peterson, our Immediate Past-President, who is serving our organization well in the El Paso area. These individuals play crucial roles in keeping our organization together. Our history is vital to ensuring that we remember our past and know how many roads we have traveled.

As demonstrated through our many accomplishments, this has been one of TAHQ’s most productive years as a state association. I want to thank each of our hardworking members of the TAHQ Board of Directors for their diligent and conscientious efforts. Each past TAHQ President has come into office and set great goals and expectations and has brought the organization up to a higher level in its journey. Our journey continues, and I thank all who have contributed to its success. TAHQ is an organization of which the membership can truly be proud.

- Gary Anderson, MHA, CPHQ



Regulations Corner

By Randy Boston, R.N., M.A.
OSHA Delays Enforcement of Needlestick Regulations

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA") announced on April 12 that changes in its bloodborne pathogens standard intended to reduce needlesticks among healthcare workers, which were published January 18, 2001 (64 Federal Register 5317), were effective as scheduled on April 18, 2001. OSHA, however, will not begin to enforce the new regulations until after a ninety-day outreach and education program ends on July 17.

The new regulations, which were issued pursuant to the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act (P.L. 106-430), signed into law November 6, 2000, require healthcare employers to consider safer needle devices when they conduct the annual review of their exposure control plan. The rule also requires healthcare entities to involve front-line employees in selecting safer devices, to maintain a log of injuries from contaminated devices, and to maintain the privacy of individuals who have experienced needlesticks.

Additionally, as a point of clarification, use of the new OSHA form 300, which will replace the OSHA 200 Log, will not be effective until January of 2002. As previously stated, the needlestick regulation became effective on April 18; however, healthcare entities won't be required to use the new OSHA 300 logs until next year. In the meantime, healthcare entities are still required to establish and maintain a sharps injury log that contains, at a minimum, (1) the type and brand of device involved in the incident, (2) the department or area where the exposure incident occurred, and (3) an explanation of how the incident occurred. There is no specified format for the sharps injury log, but the log must protect the privacy of injured workers. The OSHA 300 log is currently accessible on the OSHA website, www.osha.gov . Click on "Recording and Reporting Requirement", and there you will find a link to the forms.

To read OSHA's press release on the rule, go to http://www.osha.gov/media/oshnews/apr01/national-20010412.html. To view the final rule in the January 18 Federal Register, go to http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a010118c.html.



BNE Establishes Online RN License Verification

The Texas Board of Nurse Examiners’ (BNE) web site now provides users the ability to verify RN licenses via the Internet. This allows employers 24-hour access to RN licensure status information. Users can not only access the information online, but can also print the information for inclusion in personnel files or to document facility RN licensure compliance. The link for the verification is listed on the BNE’s home page www.bne.state.tx.us. Licenses can be verified by license number, social security number, or last and first name combinations. As of April 1, 2001, the information available on Texas RNs through this process includes license status, expiration date, declared primary state of residence, city and state of residence, current Board action, Texas licensure date, advanced practice approvals, and related limited prescriptive authority for APNs.



For comments relating to this newsletter, or if you have an article or item of interest that you would like to submit for inclusion in the next edition, please contact Randy Boston, TAHQ Board Member and Communications Chair, at 512/338-9293, or by e-mail at randy@tahc.org or rtml@swbell.net.



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