RN Idaho - May 2018

May, June, July 2018 RN Idaho • Page 11
Elizabeth Montgomery, BS Ed.
Executive Director of the Inland Northwest SIDS/
SUID Foundation, Hospital and Health
Systems Educator - Northwest Region
info@inwsids.org
As the Executive Director of the Inland Northwest SIDS/
SUID (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome/Sudden Unexplained
Infant Death) Foundation in Coeur d’Alene, ID; a
nationally recognized non-profit dedicated to safe infant
sleep education and eliminating preventable sleep-related
accidental deaths, it is my privilege to invite you to become
part of an amazing program sweeping the nation’s hospitals
in response to the American Academy of Pediatrics
recommendations for Safe Infant Sleep released in 2012.
Hospitals are urged to become a National Safe Sleep
Certified Hospital in hopes to reduce infant mortality
due to sudden infant death and of course, to increase their
standard of care. The state of Idaho has a SUID death
rate of 89 deaths/100,000 births. Research shows that
up to 90% of these deaths are accidental due to placing
babies to sleep in unsafe sleeping environments and over
50% of these deaths are a result of bed-sharing.
The Cribs for Kids® National Safe Sleep Hospital
Certification program awards recognition to hospitals
that demonstrate a commitment to reducing infant sleeprelated
deaths by promoting best safe sleep practices and
by educating on infant sleep safety. By becoming certified,
Jenni Blendu, RN, MBA
President Idaho Association for
Home Care and Hospice
jblendu@healthrecoverysolutions.com
(208) 407-1454
Do you work in a primary care setting? If you work
with a physician who provides the essential service
of overseeing and providing guidance to patients on
home health services, new home health conditions of
participation affect you and your practice. You may
notice changes in how offices receive communication
regarding care of home health patients in response to a
new regulation effective January 13, 2018. The new Home
Health Conditions of Participation require:
Ҥ484.60(c)(3)(i) Any revision to the plan of care
due to a change in patient health status must be
communicated to the patient, representative (if any),
caregiver, and all physicians issuing orders for the
HHA [home health agency] plan of care” (Center
for Medicare and Medicaid, 2017, p. 25).
These conditions are a set of Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS) regulatory requirements that all
home health agencies providing CMS-certified home health
services must meet. The goal of the new requirements is to
improve interoperability between care settings.
In order to meet the spirit and letter of this new
regulation, home health agencies across the country will
begin to send “Plan of Care” updates to physicians who
are involved in the patient’s plan of care. The messages
will summarize the changes to the patient’s care so that
each physician is kept up-to-date; the physician will not be
SIDS Foundation
a hospital is demonstrating that it is committed to being a
community leader and is pro-actively eliminating as many
sleep-related deaths as possible.
The certification is of no cost to your hospital including
the required staff training. Cribs for Kids is making it
possible for Inland Northwest SIDS/SUID Foundation to
come to your hospital and support your team through the
certification process. This includes policy creation, staff
training, ordering materials and whatever else you may need.
Inland Northwest SIDS/SUID Foundation would be
honored to be a part of your certification process and to
partner with you to eliminate accidental sleep-related
deaths in Idaho. Please contact me as soon as possible to
begin the process: I am here to support you!
Please visit cribsforkids.org to learn more about the
certification or contact Liz Montgomery info@inwsids.org
or 208-557-4371. For more information on SIDS/SUID and
to get involved visit https://www.inwsids.org/index.html
New Home Health Conditions
of Participation
required to sign or take any other action on the message.
Usability and reducing administrative burden are priorities
for CMS, and the new requirement is intended to provide
significant improvements to collaboration across the
patient’s care team.
If you are interested in learning more about the
regulation, you may find further details within the
Interpretive Guidelines, pages 24-26:
• https://2whl0l41faj52syvna3ew4zl-wpengine.
netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/3819-F.
HomeHealthAgency.CoPs_IGs.pdf
If you have any feedback on the regulation, you may
contact CMS directly:
• Andrew M. Slavitt and Sylvia M. Burwell, Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7500 Security
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244
Reference:
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (2017). CMS-3819-F
Medicare and Medicaid program: Conditions of participation
for home health agencies interpretive guidelines. Retrieved
from https://2whl0l41faj52syvna3ew4zl-wpengine.
netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/3819-F.
HomeHealthAgency.CoPs_IGs.pdf
Welcome New
Board Member
We have a new Editorial
Board volunteer, Christine
Westrup, BSN. Here is
what she has to say about
herself & the opportunity
to serve on the editorial
board: “I currently work
at St. Luke’s Boise on
6E medical/surgical and
telemetry units. I’m excited
to be able to provide up to
Christine Westrup
date information to Nurses
in Idaho as well as staying informed myself! I hope to
bring light into nursing for our future nurses and to be
able to make powerful changes!” Welcome Christine!
We all have a role to play
in preparing Idaho for the
challenges of responding to
a public health emergency or
natural disaster. Please share
your nursing skills by registering
with the Medical Reserve Corps
in your area. Training is free.
Join us today!
www.volunteeridaho.org
That research paper isn’t going to write itself.
Visit www.nursingALD.com
to gain access to 1200+ issues of official state nurses
publications, all to make your research easier!
$1,000 sign-on bonus
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Morrow County Health District has an opening for a FULL-TIME
REGISTERED NURSE for Pioneer Memorial Hospital, a 21-bed Critical
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Must have or obtain Oregon license. Competitive wage, Excellent benefit
package. Come visit and check us out. For more information contact CNO
Terri Brandt-Correia at 541-676-2947. Background check and drug screen
required. Applications/complete job description available at
www.morrowcountyhealthdistrict.org or call 541-676-2949 EEOE
Program for
Recovering Nurses
Addiction Intervention and Recovery Services
for Nursing Professionals
Do you know a nurse or a colleague who needs help for
drugs/alcohol or mental health problems?
Please contact us for assistance. This program is an
alternative to disciplinary action offered by the BON.
For immediate assistance, please call us at 800-386-1695
www.southworthassociates.net