I look forward to a great year, working with fantastic friends, and personally meeting those of you whom I do not as yet know.

Sincerely,

Chris Milligan
President Northeast Ohio HFMA

Sponsorship Update

A big thank you to all of our sponsors! We have been fortunate to have a significant increase in sponsorship support this year. This will allow us to continue with our quality programming and networking throughout the year. Please take notice of our updated sponsorship list in this newsletter, as well as the links to all on our website as an easy reference to reach them. A new feature has been implemented to meet with all of our sponsors quarterly to share information on upcoming programs, networking opportunities and ensure that our benefits offered meets our sponsors needs. Our first meeting was Tuesday, September 12 at Great Lakes Brewery. This was a great exchange of information and ideas. I especially appreciate several folks who are getting involved in committees this year, which is a great way to actively help us in chapter development. I hope to spend time with all sponsors at our next meeting, to be scheduled in January. If you have questions regarding sponsorship opportunities, please contact Karen Joyce at 216-444-5936.

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Committee Corner

By Steve Rybka

THE GHALI COMMITTEE

The 2006-2007 GHALI Committee has announced the chapter will be returning to Quail Hollow Country Club in Painesville, Ohio, May 21-23, 2007. After reviewing the surveys from the last meeting, Co-Chairs Bill Watson and Dave Lang both concluded that the Quail Hollow facility was almost perfect for our needs. Add to that the announcement that the Country Club is currently building a brand new club house and dining room makes it even more attractive for our group.

So mark the dates, make your plans, invite your spouse or guest to join us, make it through the winter, and we'll see you in May in Painesville.

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Upcoming Events

Listed below are the remaining events planned for the 2006/2007 program year. Details and dates are announced as soon as they are available. Check the events calendar section of www.neohfma.org for updates on events.

View the upcoming Holiday Party Invite!

Corporate College East - be prepared to be impressed!

We are very excited to announce that some of our upcoming programs will be held at Corporate College East. If you have not yet been to Corporate College East, be prepared to be impressed! Said to be Greater Cleveland's best venue for seminars, business conferences and events, Corporate College East's state-of-the-art design, ergonomic features, and cutting-edge technology are best in class. The facility, located on Richmond Road, overlooking I-271, includes 107,000 square feet with high-speed Internet service, video conferencing, wi-fi, and an integrated sound system in all of its spacious and comfortable meeting rooms. People from the Cleveland area will also recognize that Corporate College East's catering is provided by Sammy's. Sammy's is no doubt one of the premiere caterers in Cleveland. Sammy's will be providing the food during the breaks and lunches associated with our programs. Mark your calendar now to join for the upcoming programs at Corporate College East:

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Rapid Cycle Cost Reduction - July 25

By Joyce Gusman

Chip Caldwell of Caldwell and Associates joined members at the Great Lakes Brewery to provide insight on deploying Lean-Six Sigma to improved financial turnarounds and patient optimization. Chip provided some key points in a witty fashion, and kept the audience engaged. He emphasized focusing on process, not resources and adding resources only after rapid cycle test.

Afterwards, members gathered to taste test Great Lakes products while networking with fellow members.

HFMA Membership Appreciation Outing - September 26

By Joyce Gusman

On a brilliant September day, members convened at Grey Hawk Golf Club in LaGrange. The morning session began with a presentation by John Fenner of Fenner Consulting. He covered material regarding Hospital-Employed Physicians and the opportunities and challenges involved with this topic. John gave a well rounded presentation, covering the history of employment scenarios and the importance of building good relationships between Hospitals and their physicians, regardless of the employment situation. Fenner's depth of knowledge in this field was evident. To learn more go to www.fennercorp.com.

Next up were Larry Vuillemin and Norm Douglas from Heart to Heart Communications, providing a humorous and touching presentation on the need for effective communication and how it is critical in all aspects of our lives. Larry, an attorney and Norm, a priest, while unlikely associates, provided real life stories about how different situations in their lives found them thinking more clearly, and realizing what is really important in life. This was an inspiring presentation and hopefully all walked out with at least a slightly different, more positive, perspective. For more on Heart to Heart go to www.h2hc.org.

A catered lunch on the patio, and golf for some finished up the day. Those not golfing were given a gift certificate as a token of HFMA's appreciation for their volunteerism.

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Kudos to You!

Raymond E. Martin has joined HumanArc as Vice President of Business Development. Ray is also new member of the NEO HFMA chapter. Welcome Ray!

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Healthcare Organizations Rank High on AARP Best Employers List

Used with permission from HFMA News

Six of the top 10 employers named by AARP this year as the Best Employers for Workers Over 50 are healthcare organizations. The first-ranked employer is Mercy Health System of Janesville, Wis., a system with 63 facilities, including three hospitals. The not-for-profit organization offers numerous flexible work options, including weekend-only work, nursing "float" options (work at different facilities and/or departments), work-at-home opportunities, "seasonal work" programs that allow staffers to go on leave for extended periods while maintaining benefit eligibility, and on-call assignments that involve a limited number of hours per month that can be expanded and/or contracted based on the employee's availability.

The remaining top 10 finishers are Lee Memorial Health System of Fort Myers, Fla.; Bon Secours Richmond Health System of Richmond, Va.; Leesburg Regional Medical Center and The Villages Regional Hospital in Leesburg, Fla.; Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Conn.; Volkswagen of America in Auburn Hills, Mich.; Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.; Oakwood Healthcare System, Inc. in Dearborn, Mich.; First Horizon National Corporation in Memphis, Tenn.; and Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. in Nutley, N.J. AARP also announced four winners of its Bernard E. Nash Award for Innovation, chosen among the 50 best employers, for success in at least one of these areas: flexible work options, recruitment, retiree work opportunities, and training and development. Three of the four winners were healthcare organizations: Bon Secours Richmond Health System of Richmond, Va.; Scripps Health of San Diego; and Lee Memorial Health of Fort Myers, Fla.

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Specialty Hospitals Aren't Threatening Community Hospital Profit Margins, Says MedPAC

Used with permission from HFMA News

Even in markets where physician-owned hospitals captured more than 10 percent of admissions, community hospitals' profit margins appeared stable through 2004, according to a new report by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. Using two additional years of data and a larger number of physician-owned specialty hospitals, MedPAC issued an updated report on the cost of inpatient care at specialty hospitals. The number of physician-owned specialty hospitals doubled from 2002 to 2004, primarily in parts of the country with above-average population growth and without certificate-of-need laws, according to the report. Specialty hospitals' inpatient services are not less costly than community hospitals, with inpatient costs at orthopedic/surgical hospitals running about 20% higher. Both types of specialty hospitals, however, have 20% to 25% shorter lengths of stay. And even though specialty hospitals took profitable procedures away from community hospitals, the study found that competing hospitals found ways to compensate by cutting staff, increasing their own profitable services, and increasing prices.

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Puzzle - Semantics

By Joyce Gusman

In most words containing the letter "O" between two consonants, the O is either pronounced as a long O or a short O. Can you name a common word in which O appears between two consonants and the O is pronounced like a short "i"?

E-mail or fax your answer to Joyce Gusman at jgusman@humanarc.com. All correct answers will be included in a drawing and one lucky entrant will receive a $25 gift certificate to Giant Eagle.

Previous puzzle: Books
Answer: 4 books
Winner: Atana Collins, from UHHS, who won the gift certificate to Applebees.

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