HEALTHY FOOD LEGISLATION
Councilperson Jan Perry introduced a motion in Los Angeles County to ensure the provision of fresh and healthy foods through the development of grocery stores and sit-down restaurants in under-resourced communities such as South Los Angeles. File 06-1085 would direct key city departments to explore financial and planning incentives to attract more grocery stores and sit-down restaurants providing fresh and nutritious food options. The motion was adopted and sent to Committee on June 23rd to report their recommendations within 60 days. The motion followed a request by Community Health Councils to City Council representatives after the fourth Ralphs supermarket closure in 18 months in South Los Angeles. It is similar to SB 1329 and AB 2384, which are moving through the state legislature. For a full description of these bills, go to Official California Legislative Information or click the California button above. In addition, CHC's REACH 2010 project African Americans Building a Legacy of Health is working on Standards of Quality to hold vendors and policymakers accountable to elevate the quality, freshness, and nutritional value of foods available at retail sites. The Standards will be released later this summer. If you would like more information on these projects, please contact Gwendolyn Flynn, Project Manager, gwen@chc-inc.org. NEW LEADERSHIP & POLICIES PROGRESS KDMC
CMS began its unannounced inspection of King Drew Medical Center on Monday, July 31, 2006. The hospital must pass 23 "conditions of participation" to continue to receive federal Medicare and Medicaid funding, about $200 million or half its annual budget. No criteria exist for how many standards need to be out of compliance before a condition is deemed "un-met." At KDMC, inspectors will place a great deal of emphasis on previously cited deficiencies and the corrective action plans that have been implemented. Inspectors are expected to be at the facility for several days and should make their recommendations on the hospital's status several weeks later. The Medical Center will host a Community Forum on August 19, 2006 10am-Noon at Hudson Auditorium, 12021 S. Wilmington Avenue, LA 90059 to share information about KDMC, recent improvements and plans for the future. Forum participants will include the new CEO at KDMC, Antionette Smith Epps, and KDMC leaders. Medical professionals and staff will be available to answer questions. Tours of the hospital will be available after the forum. Please RSVP to Elaine Saafir or 310.668.5201. New Leadership
In the past year, KDMC hired a new Chief Executive Officer; Chief Operating Officer; Chief Nursing Officer; five Clinical Nursing Directors; and new directors for Quality Management/Improvement, Health Information, Human Resources and Pharmacy. The Human Resources Workgroup revised 61 policies and procedures to conform to regulatory standards. KDMC also created a Patient Advocate position and assigned a staff person to follow up on complaints and grievances. A Clinical Team was established to respond to aggressive behavior by patients; as a result, no injuries occurred during "Code 9" incidents that require patient restraints. Staff can also access instant advice and technical assistance from a newly-formed Clinical Assistance Team. LAC-DHS allocated $14.7 million in 2005 for capital/infrastructure improvements at King Drew, including renovations for Operating Room suites, improvements to the psychiatric unit, and upgrades to the utility infrastructure in the main building.Measurable Improvements
The new policies are already demonstrating measurable improvements. In the Emergency Department, the number of patients admitted and awaiting an available bed was reduced by nearly 50% as of January 2006, achieving the hospital's target goal. In some months, 70% reductions were realized. Protocols in the ED expanded from 3 to 5 categories and specific re-evaluation criteria were added at each level so that sicker patients get checked more frequently.KDMC also reduced the average length of stay in post-anesthesia care by nearly half to 184 minutes, surpassing its goal of 240 minutes. 80% of clinics at KDMC converted from block appointments scheduling to staggered appointments, resulting in decreased wait times at ambulatory care clinics. The average time between a work order and the administration of an antibiotic dose had gone from 8 to 5 hours by January 2006.Passed Inspections
King Drew's Laboratory and Blood Bank passed their combined inspection by the American Academy Blood Bank/College of American Pathologists with no deficiencies in April 2006. Charles R. Drew University also successfully applied for re-accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education that month. A "sister clinic" to King Drew, the Hubert H. Humphrey Comprehensive Health Center, was evaluated and certified by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Organizations in March 2006. Learn more about the Campaign to Transform King Drew on their website or contact Suzanne Foster at Community Health Councils, 323.295.9372 x228.
|
