One-step Process:

Fellow candidates must meet all requirements prior to applying and sitting for the Board of Governors Examination. A completed Fellow application, including all requirements and $250 fee, must be submitted.

Requirements:

• Current Member and three (3) years tenure as an ACHE Member
• Master’s degree (or other post-baccalaureate degree) required
• Five (5) years of Healthcare Management Experience
• Demonstrate 36 hours of healthcare-related CE within the last three (3) years of advancing to Fellow —12 hours must be ACHE Face-to-Face (F2F)
• Two (2) examples of community/civic participation and two (2) examples of healthcare participation
• References: One Fellow (must be structured interview), the second reference may be from a senior-level executive (VP or higher) in your organization—or it may be from a second Fellow

Advance to Fellow and then Recertify Every Three Years

*Starting January 1, 2017, advancement to Fellow candidates must meet all requirements prior to applying and sitting for the Board of Governors Examination. The number of references required dropped from three to two; one must be a structured interview from a Fellow and the second may be a senior-level executive (VP or higher) in your organization who does not have to be a member of ACHE OR a Fellow may serve as a second reference. All other requirements remain the same. Visit ache.org/mbership/credentialing/FACHE_FAQ_2017.pdf for additional information.

Rep. Joe Sanfelippo, R-New Berlin, will continue to chair the Assembly Committee on Health next session, according to a Wednesday statement.   Rep. Samantha Kerkman, R-Salem, will serve as vice chair of the committee.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Burlington, also reappointed Rep. Paul Tittl, R-Manitowoc, to serve as chair of the Assembly Committee on Mental Health. Rep. John Jagler, R-Watertown, will vice chair the committee.  Rep. Tom Weatherston, R – Caledonia, will chair the Assembly Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care. Rep. Warren Petryk, R-Eleva, will vice chair that committee.  Rep. Kevin Petersen, R-Waupaca, was tapped to chair the Assembly Committee on Insurance and Rep. Cindi Duchow, R-Delafield, was picked for vice chair.

Vos also announced new committees for next session, including one focused on science and technology and one on regulatory licensing reform.

See more committee leadership appointments.

On Nov. 14, 2016, ACHE’s Board of Governors made an important decision designed to maintain and enhance the value and credibility of attaining Board Certification in Healthcare Management through the FACHE^®designation. The process for advancing to Fellow will change beginning Jan. 1, 2017.

Starting Jan. 1, 2017, candidates who wish to advance to Fellow must meet all of the credential requirements prior to submitting an application and sitting for the Board of Governors Exam. Additionally, the number of references required will decrease from three (3) to two (2); one (1) must be a structured interview from a Fellow and the second may be a senior-level executive (VP or higher) in the candidate’s organization. This person does not have to be a member of ACHE. However, a Fellow may still serve as the second reference. All other requirements remain the same.

You can share a succinct overview of changes with your chapter in this Quick Reference Guide.

Those who wish to submit an application under the current requirements, may do so through December 31, 2016. Beginning Jan. 1, 2017, all new applications for advancement will only be accepted under the new process.

Questions? View our Changes to the ACHE Advancement FAQ or contact our Customer Service Center at (312) 424-9400, Monday-Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Central time or email contact@ache.org.

 

Are you seeking a post graduate fellowship? ACHE’s CareerEDGE SE, our career management tool specially designed for students, now includes guidelines and samples for writing personal statements and resumes. CareerEDGE SE is an innovative and comprehensive tool designed to help you prepare to navigate the ever-changing healthcare marketplace. Additional resources include healthcare management salary and placement statistics, assessments and more!

 

For questions about CareerEDGE SE or ACHE’s Career Resource Center contact CareerEDGE@ache.org.

 

With Republicans set to take control of the White House and Congress, major changes are likely in store for the country’s healthcare system. Obamacare, Medicaid and Medicare could all be in for overhauls.

How far will lawmakers go? Will people with pre-existing conditions get to keep their coverage? What about the 22 million Americans, and 200,000 Wisconsinites, who have gained health insurance? How would the industry react to a transition period? Are they ready to start over?  Learn more at a Wisconsin Health News Panel Event Jan. 12 at the Madison Club.  Panelists:

• Coreen Dicus-Johnson, CEO, Network Health Plan
• Donna Friedsam, Health Policy Programs Director, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
• Mike Wallace, CEO, Fort HealthCare

Register now.

November 23, Wisconsin Health News

Wisconsin hospitals spent $1.7 billion in 2015 to support programs and services that had a positive impact in the communities they serve, according to a new report produced by the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

That includes more than $1 billion they lost caring for patients in the Medicaid program. They also lost $1.6 billion on Medicare.

Hospitals reported spending $65 million on activities and programs aimed at improving community health.  They spent $177 million on graduate medical education for physicians and nearly $12 million on education and clinical experiences for nurses.

The 14 hospitals that operate nursing homes reported losses totaling nearly $13 million, a slight decrease from 2014.

Charity care was also down, from $278 million in 2014 to $176 million last year. That’s despite a 21 percent increase in the number of patient visits that qualified for free care, from 1.3 million to 1.6 million.

“The fact that there were more cases, and the cost decreased, may reflect the fact that more services are provided in the less costly outpatient setting than in the hospital, which is consistent with what we are seeing with all patient care,” according to Brian Potter, a senior vice president at WHA.

Potter also said that while more people have gained coverage, many patients still struggle to meet their co-pays and deductibles. “That continues to be a real concern for hospitals,” he said.

Read more.

The Medical Examining Board approved a revised version of a rule defining telemedicine Wednesday. It now heads to Gov. Scott Walker’s office and then the state Legislature for approval.

 

The board has spent the last year drafting the rule, scrapping its original proposal after healthcare providers raised concerns. The final rule clarifies that a physician-patient relationship can be established through telemedicine and provides guidelines on equipment and technology as well as internet diagnosis and treatment.

 

“The two different versions of the telemedicine rule are pretty stark,” said Mark Grapentine, senior vice president of government relations at the Wisconsin Medical Society. “One was super-detailed and lengthy, the other one is much more flexible and probably useable by the board itself.”

 

The Alliance of Health Insurers also backed the rule.

 

“Telehealth is a means to improve upon the high-quality healthcare system we already enjoy, particularly by improving patient access, regardless of distance and mobility,” Executive Director R.J. Pirlot wrote in testimony.

 

Claudia Tucker, vice preisdent of government affairs for Texas-based TelaDoc, said they’re pleased that the board accepted their recommendations to address HIPAA concerns and said they also support the latest version of the rules.

 

But some testimony questioned whether the rule could be construed to prohibit other healthcare professionals from providing care through telehealth.

 

Linda Roethle, vice president of regional business development at Bellin Health, said that more than just physicians and physician assistants should be covered under the rule, including nurse practitioners, clinical psychologists and clinical social workers.

 

“Please do not create any additional barriers for patients,” she wrote in her testimony.

 

Tine Hansen-Turton, executive director of the Convenient Care Association, recommended language stipulating that nurse practioners can practice telehealth. The association represents clinics located inside retail locations like grocery stores and pharmacies.

 

“Wisconsin’s retail clinics are primarily staffed by nurse practitioners,” Hansen-Turton wrote. There are 35 retail clinics in the state, according to her testimony.

 

Dr. Kenneth Simons, board chair, said the board can’t create rules for professions it doesn’t oversee.

 

Read the rule.

Heathcare organizations called on Gov. Scott Walker’s administration and lawmakers to consider the impact that self-funding the health plan for state and local employees could have on Wisconsin’s healthcare market.

Fourteen groups, including the Wisconsin Counties Association, Wisconsin Hospital Association and the Wisconsin Medical Society, sent a memo to lawmakers Monday cautioning that the “potential repercussions” of self-insuring “could be far-reaching” and “significant” for the state’s taxpayers and economy.

The Department of Employee Trust Funds has issued a request for proposals to self-insure the health plan for state and local employees. In such an arrangement, the state would take on the risk for the roughly 250,000 state and local employees, as well as their families, currently covered under the program.

The proposal could reduce the number of HMOs serving the program. It could also save the state up to $42 million, according to one report. A different report said the move could save $20 million or cost the state up to $100 million. Walker has said any savings would go to education.

The 14 organizations called on the state’s Group Insurance Board, members of the Joint Finance Committee and Walker to “fairly compare” the results of the RFP to the current system, evaluate “possible significant risks to state taxpayers” and assess whether self-funding protects the competitive strength of the state’s health insurance market.

“The State Group Health Program has been remarkably successful in using choice and competition to control costs, improve quality and maintain financial stability and value for taxpayers,” they wrote. “Any alternative the state considers should be held to this high standard.”

Walker spokesman Tom Evenson wrote in an email that the governor appreciated the input and will take it in consideration.

“In the end, we will move forward with a plan that is best for Wisconsin,” he said.

The Group Insurance Board is next scheduled to meet Nov. 30.

Read the memo.

 

The day after the election saw the highest number of people signing up for health insurance through Healthcare.gov since the beginning of the month, as consumers show an intense interest in buying plans on the individual market both nationwide and in Wisconsin.

More than 100,000 people signed up for coverage last Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters last week. He called the sign-ups an “indication of the intense demand” for the coverage offered under the law.

Caroline Gomez-Tom, program manager for the Milwaukee Enrollment Network and navigator program manager at Covering Wisconsin, saw a similar spike in interest and enrollment last Wednesday.

Gomez-Tom said they’ve noticed that those calling and booking appointments have raised questions about the future of the Affordable Care Act, given the calls for repealing and replacing the law from President-elect Donald Trump and congressional Republicans.

Gomez-Tom said naviagators have assured consumers they’ll still be able to enroll in 2017 plans.

She added there’s strong interest in renewing policies. In previous years, they’ve “kind of had to shake the trees” to make sure people who need to renew coverage come back for help, Gomez-Tom said.

“People want to get in, and they want to get in early enough before Dec. 15, so they’re not dealing with a rush,” she said. “Because of that, we’re dealing with a rush, which is good.”

Consumers during the last few weeks have sometimes had to spend up to 30 minutes at wait pages, which pop up when a high number of users are on the website. Gomez-Tom said they didn’t see those wait pages last year until the final day people could buy or renew insurance for a policy that began at the start of the year.

She attributes the interest to “consumer savviness” as enrollees and others are beginning to understand how the market works.

“People are coming to us rather than us having to do that significant amount of outreach to get them into our offices,” Gomez-Tom said.

Joy Tapper, executive director of the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership, said despite questions about the future of the law, there are affordable plans that will remain in place in 2017.

She added that people with pre-existing conditions can still get insurance, that subsidies are available for consumers and that tax penalties will likely remain in effect for next year.

“Any change will be complex and take time,” she said.

Donna Friedsam, health policy programs director at the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute as well as principal investigator and director of Covering Wisconsin, said there’ll likely be a transition period no matter what type of policy is purused.

She added that the election hasn’t had any impact on what’s currently in the marketplace, regardless of future changes.

“Whether it’s Obamacare or Trumpcare, the navigators and the assistors are there to make sure consumers understand what’s available to them and can use it effectively,” she said. “I don’t see that mission going away.”