It is so hard to imagine that our year is rapidly coming to the holiday season and eventual end of the infamous 2020. This year has been so chaotic and busy that it has flashed before our eyes like a dark night stranded in a war zone. Thank you to all of our heroes who have gotten us through thus far!
It’s November, and the fall leaves are fading. This is the month we normally spend our Thanksgiving holiday with family giving thanks for what we have and how blessed we’ve been over the past year. Thanksgiving this year — much like our national conference may be a little more virtual with limited gatherings of family and friends. We will all make adjustments but with hope in our hearts for a better year coming, we all can share what blessings we have! We certainly approached a virtual conference with trepidation! It wasn’t easy, but everyone did an incredible job, and we’re all so thankful for our speakers, sponsors and attendees who made the conference successful!
So while it may not be the same with the hugs of family, friends and great food during celebrations, take heart that we can still share and have a great time, just like our 2020 Conference “Transformation Begins Here!” (Who knew when we picked that theme that is would be so “spot on”!)
As I think through what I’m thankful for this year as president of AHVAP, it is all of you. When I go through the events of this year, the podcasts, regional meetings and conference, I have tears of thanks for our fearless leaders and members who volunteer their time and talent month after month. Despite the world spinning out of control, you have all stepped up and become my heroes of AHVAP!
Thank you again, and please remember what a blessing it is to have an organization such as ours where we can all share and promote our profession. Healthcare Value Analysis professionals are truly special!
–Laura L. Polson, BSN, RN-BC, CVAHP
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The 2020 Virtual Annual Conference & Supplier Showcase got off to a great start Monday, Oct. 19, with the CVAHP Exam Prep Workshop. Presenters, Anne Marie Orlando, Karla Barber, B.J. McCluskey and Beth Potter, with background support from Joyce Meisel and Meagan Bowker, guided attendees through an overview of the four Pillars of Healthcare Value Analysis. The interactive session provided information about terminology and a review of Structure and Governance, Methodology, Professionalism, and Business Ethics and Finance. Practice questions were included to help participants prepare for the CVAHP certification exam. Within the next few weeks, we hope to welcome seventeen newly certified members! Good luck to each of you!
Weren’t able to attend? Watch for an announcement about how you can access the workshop online to prepare for your CVAHP exam.
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AHVAP announces that final plans for its Healthcare Industry Advisory Council (HIAC) have been approved by the board of directors. Since the creation of the Affiliate Member category in 2018, many of these members have been envisioning additional avenues to support AHVAP and to advance its vision of “national recognition as the preeminent clinical resource in providing education, resources and networking to its membership and promoting Value Analysis in the healthcare community”.
The creation of the HIAC will assist AHVAP in meeting goals formulated in it’s one of its current three-year Strategic Plan goals of “Projecting Out On the National Stage.” Overall, the purpose of the HIAC is to advise the AHVAP leadership by making recommendations for enhancing communication among Affiliate members, recruiting new AHVAP members from across the healthcare industry and encouraging participation in committees, workgroups and task forces to build strong foundational programs and relationships. A key goal will be fostering relationships with AHVAP district representatives and regional directors to assist in supporting events and activities.
The HAIC will be led by current Affiliate Member Board Advisor Jeff Borgstrom with support from 2020 AHVAP leaders Laura Polson, President, Jeffiny Shutts, Board Liaison & Central Regional Director, Gloria Graham, IBEC Chair and Barbara Strain, Past President’s Council Advisor for Strategic Alliances.
More information about HIAC appointments, structure, meeting logistics and governance will follow in subsequent eNewsletters.
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The AHVAP Membership Committee is working on creating “New Member Orientation” and “Membership Benefits Refresher” programs and materials to enhance our member’s experience. We hope to launch this early 2021.
We are also looking into hosting Zoom calls for more networking across the association.
The Practice and Compensation Survey results are being compiled and will be made available to our membership later this year.
Stay tuned for more details on all of the above!
Please feel free to reach out to Erin or Terry (emails below) if you would like to provide input and feedback on how we can best serve our members or if you would be willing to participate in our committee. We meet on the 2nd Monday of each month at noon CST.
Warm Regards,
Erin Arnold and Terry McIntire – AHVAP Membership Committee Co-Chairs
Erin.Arnold@steward.org
Tmcintire@jpshealth.org
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Thanks to all Northeast AHVAP Members and Affiliates who attended the 2020 AHVAP National Conference Northeast Regional Meeting. We appreciate the great feedback provided for future Regional Meetings. We also had great attendance during the September 2020 Northeast Regional Meeting and also polled NE Members and Affiliates to how often the NE Region should hold meetings. Consensus identified quarterly NE Regional meetings, so please keep a look out for a future invite for a December 2020 NE Regional Meeting. Please feel free to reach out to either Jean Buscaglia-Yurkiewicz, District #9 Representative (Jean.Buscaglia-Yurkiewicz@rwjbh.org), Joyce Meisel, District #10 Representative (jameisel@comcast.net), or Sue Toomey, NE Regional Director (Susan.Toomey@lvhn.org), as we welcome any questions and interest in presenting information to the NE Region.
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Reuters
The European Commission proposed new tax and trade measures on Wednesday to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in the European Union and avoid shortages of goods and medical gear, saying the new rise in infections on the continent was “alarming.” As Europe again becomes the world’s epicentre of the pandemic, the EU executive urged the 27 EU governments to do more and in a more coordinated fashion to tackle the virus.
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NPR
It took Wisconsin more than seven months to reach 100,000 coronavirus cases. On Monday, just five weeks later, it reached 200,000. Wisconsin is now experiencing a massive upsurge in cases that rivals the numbers seen in much bigger states. Hospital beds are at about 85% capacity statewide. The state just opened a field hospital near Milwaukee that can accommodate more than 500 patients.
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Modern Healthcare
Eight-hospital Beaumont Health, which treated more COVID-19 patients than any hospital in Michigan, is on its way to stocking personal protective equipment in its warehouses for up to 90 days in preparation for a second surge of the pandemic. That's what the Southfield-based system estimates is needed to care for 1,200 hospitalized patients, the number of people the system cared for during the pandemic's peak in early April.
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Business Insider
The logistics industry has been buzzing about drone delivery for years, but aside from a few high-profile pilot programs and conceptual tests, the tech has failed to materialize as a real-world solution for moving goods. But drones are steadily coming closer to serving a practical use, according to Bala Ganesh, head of the Advanced Technologies Group at UPS.
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Fierce Healthcare
Hospital systems will not just have to pay higher costs for personal protective equipment and other medical supplies but also for public construction projects, a new analysis from Moody’s said. The analysis found that higher costs for materials and public spending constraints are going to likely increase the price tags for new construction projects for hospitals. At the same time, hospitals will face higher costs for PPE and other supplies as the supply chain shifts to more domestic manufacturing.
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The Hill
Calls are growing for the U.S. to reduce its dependence on China for key medicines and supplies as Americans face widespread shortages in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. While the U.S. supply chain's heavy reliance on Beijing for medical manufacturing has been glaringly apparent for roughly two decades, both lawmakers and administration officials say the virus has exposed just how vulnerable the country is as it leans on China and other nations to help provide the tools necessary to combat the pathogen.
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The New York Times
The patient who died on Tuesday morning at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center was rolled out of her room under a white sheet. One nurse, fighting back tears, stood silently in the hall as the outline of the body passed by — one more death in an eight-month-old pandemic that has no end in sight. “Those moments, they hit the soul,” said Jodie Gord, a nurse manager who oversees a team of about 120 people at the hospital in Milwaukee.
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