This is the inaugural issue of an e-newsletter intended to give you some useful tips on how to accurately complete your Hospital Annual Report.  This e-newsletter service was identified through an online survey MHA conducted about one month ago to help determine your training needs.  Thank you to all those who participated in the survey.  From your responses, we have identified topics of interest to cover in subsequent e-newsletters.

We will be sending several e-newsletters over the next two months covering specific points of interest (or frustration) in preparing the Hospital Annual Report (HAR).  The following topics will be covered in separate issues:

· Methods of HAR Preparation

· Useful Tips and Tools using Excel

· Important Changes and Updates in the FY2005 HAR

· Expense Allocation Methodology

· Suggestions on Payer Class Reporting

· Clinic Reporting

· Determining Detail Outpatient Charges

MHA, in conjunction with MDH staff, are planning for four direct education sessions this year.  The first two are as follows (Look for additional sessions in May): 

    Wednesday, April 5, 2006, at MHA

    10:00 am — 11:30 am

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    Thursday, April 6, 2006,  WEBINAR (conference call + online slides)   

    11:00 am—12:00 noon

To register for either one of these, please contact Jenny Sanislo at jsanislo@mnhospitals.org or call (651) 641-1121.

Aside from the newsletters and training sessions, please feel free to contact us if questions or concerns arise while working on the HAR 2005.

Dear Hospital Annual Report Preparer,

Sincerely,

Joseph A. Schindler

Senior Director of Data & Finance Policy

Minnesota Hospital Association

Phone:  (651) 641-1121  

Fax:  (651) 645-0002  

Hospital Annual Report

Information and Education Events for 2006

To remove your name from our mailing list, please click here.

 

Questions or comments? E-mail us at jpeters@mnhospitals.org or call 651-659-1422.

 

To contact the Minnesota Department of Health with questions or comments, e-mail amy.camp@health.state.mn.us or call 651-201-3575.

 Joseph A. Schindler

· Determining Detail of Payer Breakouts was the most difficult section, with 56% of respondents rating it moderately (3) to extremely (5) difficult.

· Receiving utilization numbers from services partners provided through a contractual arrangement was rated the least difficult, with 71% of respondents rating it a 2 or 1 out of 5 for difficulty.

 

March 21, 2006