WASHINGTON (AP) — Changing the way it does business, Medicare on Friday unveiled a far-reaching overhaul of how it pays doctors and other clinicians.
The goal is to reward quality, penalize poor performance, and avoid paying piecemeal for services. Whether it succeeds or fails, it’s one of the biggest changes in Medicare’s 50-year history.
The complex regulation is nearly 2,400 pages long and will take years to fully implement. It’s meant to carry out bipartisan legislation passed by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama last year.
Ooops we jumped the gun with initial headline Appeals Court Rules in Ridgewood’s Favor against Valley Hospital Expansion
September 29,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Appeals Court Agrees to hear Ridgewood against Valley Hospital Expansion Case.
The Valley Hospital had filed suit against the Ridgewood Planning Board for rejecting its proposal to nearly double in size, arguing the board illegally sided with neighborhood opponents rather than permitting an upgrade for “an inherently beneficial regional hospital.”
The lawsuit was filed in state Superior Court in Hackensack . It was an attempt by Valley to end a protracted and costly stalemate with the village and force its expansion plans have been defeated two times .
While Valley wasted its efforts on its “May way or no way” approach its competitors have expanded, renovated and in one case, reopened a hospital in Westwood.
According to Ridgewood resident John Hersperger , “I’m not surprised the Appellate Division agreed to review the lower court’s decision against the Village in the ordinance case. Valley’s lower court victory was short-lived and (knock wood) should be its last. Why? Because the legal grounds for any court to force a municipality to squeeze in a development of this size on such a small parcel simply don’t exist. Valley needs the Appellate Division to create new legal precedent to support their expansion. Such a change would have implications statewide, with healthcare businesses imposing development wherever they please.”
Pete Mckenna President of Concerned Residents of Ridgewood concurred , “The appellate division has not made a decision on the merits, but has decided to review the Judge’s decision. I agree with John’s comments that this Judge’s ruling was without precedent and that the Village’s case to appeal is strong and we are optimistic the Village will prevail in this matter.”
Ridgewooood NJ, Once again, much was accomplished with this new and improved council! Of course somethings never change ,Rurik Halaby came to the mic twice to insinuate that Ms. Knudsen( pronounced once correctly, second time with a hard k!) should be transparent about her raffle win and her sons becoming Ridgewood police officers. Thankfully Susan called for a point of order and Bernie Walsh made reference to Roberts Rules and that personal comments made to a council member from the floor are not allowed. It probably won’t stop future rants.
Richard Calbi from the Water Department gave a good report on the chromium 6 that has been in the news. According to Ridgewood Water Ridgewood is below the level considered dangerous even though the EPA has made no formal recommendations or issued guidelines.Currently Ridgewood Water is below the California guidelines and those issued by The World Health Organization.
Matt Rogers reported on the status of Affordable Housing, the water suit filed by Glen Rock, Midland Park and Wyckoff and the Valley Hospital appeal.
Affordable Housing: a status conference is scheduled for October, otherwise all is quiet on that front.
Ridgewood Water: a possible trial in November if a scheduled mediation in October is not successful.
Valley Hospital: Appeals Court Agrees to hear Ridgewood against Valley Hospital Expansion Case. It sounds too good to be true but after a long battle it another opportunity for the new council to make their mark. What happens next is any bodies guess.
The status of suit filed against the Planning Board was not mentioned.
A discussion about parking at the council level was very productive as they are looking at immediate remedies to improve parking before any construction is initiated.
Ramon Hache gave a Field’s Committee update and possible solutions to remediate Maple Field. One suggestion is to infuse the current field with millions of rubber pellets or replace the current field.Another idea was to build berm to protect the field better from floods . What was not mentioned is that these pellets will go into the drains, the brook and on the kids! As we all know Maple Field is in an active flood plain. Perhaps an analysis as to what would be the cost of replacing it with natural grass vs. new artificial turf and or its remediation? No easy solution for this one .
Discussion on the placement of art in the village. The Library might be making a presentation soon on their plans to build a performing arts center, approx. cost , 5 million dollars! They are seeking help from the Village to bond this amount .Not sure how that will be received. Love the library but other issues may be higher on the agenda.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood PD, FD, and EMS units responded to a reported “pedestrian struck” at the intersection of Godwin Avenue and Sherman Place on the evening of Saturday, 09/23. EMS & FD personnel, with the assistance of a paramedic team from The Valley Hospital, attended to an adult male who was critically injured in the incident. He was transported by ambulance to Hackensack University Medical Center’s (HUMC) main campus. A second patient, a young female, sustained only minor injuries, but was also transported by ambulance to a hospital. Godwin Avenue between West Ridgewood Avenue and Ackerman Avenue remained closed as of 2130 hours due to an on-going accident investigation in connection with the incident.
(Pictured from left): Nancy Barrett-Fajardo, Director, Medical/Surgical Services, The Valley Hospital; Martin Kafafian, CIANJ Chairman Valley Receives Best Practice Award from CIANJ and COMMERCE Magazine
September 24,2016
the sstaff of the Ridgewood bog
Ridgewood NJ, The Valley Hospital was recently recognized with a Best Practice Award by The Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ) and COMMERCE Magazine. The award winners were chosen from a total of 100 submissions from chief-executive-officers, managing partners and business owners. The award’s focus is on leadership and collaboration and the submissions were judged based on which were the most clever, extraordinary and innovative.
Valley’s winning submission was one of a select few chosen by a panel of judges including Dennis Bone, Director, Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship at Montclair State University; Rob Field, Former Commander, U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight squad; Bill Hanson, President, NAI James E. Hanson; Debbie Hart, President, BioNJ; Dean Paranicas, President and CEO, Healthcare Institute of New Jersey; and Siamack Shojai, Dean, William Paterson University.
By Susan K. Livio | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on September 22, 2016 at 7:15 AM, updated September 22, 2016 at 5:02 PM
TRENTON — Ask hospital leaders whether New Jersey’s nonprofit hospital CEOs earn too much money, and they will confidently say no. Their compensation packages are based on what other CEOs are making in a highly competitive market.
But a tax court judge last summer sharply disagreed with that assessment, describing this method of comparison as a “wholly self-serving” justification.
State Tax Court Judge Vito Bianco ruled Morristown Medical Center should lose its tax-exempt status — in part because of its parent company CEO’s $5 million-a-year pay package.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood’s planning board has appointed Chris Martin, of Morrison Mahoney, as the new planning board attorney during the Sept. 6 meeting. Martin replaces Gail Price, who worked for the Village of Ridgewood for many years . Price had been criticized by residents for a perceived all to cozy relationship with Valley Hospital and was challenged when her husband Richard Brooks ran for council.
According to the Morrison Mahoney website , “Chris is the Liaison Partner for the Parsippany Office and has tried numerous cases to verdict involving products, professional and commercial liability matters. Chris has argued before the New Jersey Supreme Court pertaining to construction matters and before the Appellate Division on insurance coverage issues. He has had numerous trials as a Prosecutor and has also worked in the Office of the Attorney General for the State of New Jersey.”
Ridgewood NJ, A late afternoon Sunday, 09/04 bicyclist vs. pedestrian crash on the Saddle River Area Bike Path in Ridgewood sent the adult male cyclist involved in the collision on a short ambulance ride to The Valley Hospital with multiple injuries. Ridgewood PD and EMS responded along with a unit from the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division. The pedestrian involved in the crash refused transport to the hospital after being evaluated on the scene by Ridgewood EMS EMTs.
“High Performing” is a second tier ranking. Valley was not ranked or rated in any of those adult specialties. Sorry Audrey, a little research goes a long way. “In addition to broader specialty categories like orthopedics and urology, U.S. News evaluates hospitals in certain common medical procedures and conditions. Rather than a numerical ranking, hospitals are given a rating of high performing, average or below average in each category.”
Audrey is overpaid for running a single hospital not a system. Why aren’t they paying Village property taxes? Where’s our new Council in this? $4mn is 10% of the annual Municipal budget. Would mean property tax cuts for residents.
Photo Caption: Shown at Pony Power’s Therapeutic Riding Center are (left to right) Wendy Lupo, Director of Development, Pony Power Therapies; Judy Tamburro, Volunteer, Valley Home Care; Dana Spett, MSW, Founder & Executive Director Pony Power Therapies; and Dyana Thompson, Clinical Manager, Maternal and Child Health and Butterflies Palliative Care & Hospice Program, Valley Home Care.
August 23, 2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgwood NJ, Children and their family members who receive services through Valley Home Care, including the Butterflies Program for children with serious or life-limiting illnesses, are benefiting from a unique recreational opportunity with therapeutic benefits offered not in a medical office or home-care setting, but on a fully accessible farm in Mahwah.
The children, their siblings and their parents recently wrapped up a weeklong summer extended-day program at Pony Power Therapies that included horse-assisted ground activities for children and parents, as well as riding sessions for the children.
During the therapeutic horseback riding sessions, riders are paired with a team of trained volunteers and certified instructors who tailor the riding experience to the abilities and needs of the individual rider. Therapeutic horseback riding at Pony Power provides both physical and emotional benefits to children, such as increased strength and muscle development as well as fostering feelings of self-confidence and pride. Importantly, the project also allows siblings to enjoy a range of activities together regardless of limitations. The parents also spend time with the horses engaged in activities that encourage them to work on their own self-care and to serve as a source of support for each other.
Riding can help increase strength and muscle development and foster feelings of self-confidence and pride. The young riders work on balance, body positioning, communication, critical thinking and partnership skills. Most importantly, the children enjoy a unique, shared experience with their brothers and sisters, as it’s one of few recreational activities that is completely inclusive, regardless of a person’s limitations. When engaging with horses during ground activities, children and parents learn how to stay present and focused; they experience life in the moment without the worry of usual stresses or concerns. Plus, tailored sessions help parents build upon current skills and develop new skills for handling the emotional difficulties that can come from caring for an ill child.
For five years, Pony Power Therapies and The Valley Hospital have partnered to provide integrative health and wellness programming to the children and families of Valley Home Care. From therapeutic riding sessions for patients and siblings during the school year to week-long summer programming for families to horse-assisted ground activities for Valley staff, the organization’s comprehensive and holistic approach has empowered hundreds of patients and their “teams” — parents and professional caregivers. Valley’s financial support of the program allows Pony Power to continue facilitating Valley families’ physical and emotional growth, as well as introducing the power of ponies to adults battling serious illnesses.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood firefighters quickly extinguished a fire that occurred inside of a document shredding truck that was operating in the parking lot of The Valley Hospital on Monday morning, 08/22. No injuries were reported in the incident and the truck sustained very minor damage. Ridgewood Fire Chief James Van Goor, who was present at the incident, stated that firefighters and truck’s driver were unable to determine what caused the fire.
While not necessarily improper, administrators and board members might be forced to choose between what’s best for the hospital and what’s best for their private interests.
By
ANDREA FULLER and
MELANIE EVANS
Aug. 21, 2016 12:31 p.m. ET
Nonprofit hospitals have extensive business ties that can pose conflicts of interests for their administrators and board members, a Wall Street Journal analysis of newly released Internal Revenue Service data shows.
While having relationships with companies doing business with a nonprofit hospital isn’t necessarily improper—as long as the deals are disclosed and at market rate—administrators and board members sometimes may be forced to choose between what’s best for the hospital and what’s best for their private interests.
“Just because something is legal doesn’t mean that it’s appropriate,” said James Orlikoff,a Chicago-based hospital governance consultant. “You run the real risk of violating the public trust.”
Ridgewood NJ, In April Ridgewood joined over two dozen other municipalities, including Teaneck, Englewood, Wayne, Paterson, Pequannock and North Bergen challenging the tax exempt status of their local hospital
Like Ridgewood many of these municipalities are looking for new sources of cash to lower their high property taxes, local officials have now filed tax appeals challenging the tax-exempt status of 35 nonprofit hospitals according to NJ Advance Media for NJ.com .
The litigation continues to gain momentum in response to last year’s precedent-setting tax court ruling and settlement which required Morristown Medical Center to pay Morristown $15.5 million in lieu of property taxes. The judge in that case found the hospital operated like a for-profit entity and should share the cost of public safety and other municipal services.
While the Morristown case took 5 years to see it through ,so far two of the 35 cases have been settled already, resulting in additional revenue for the city of Elizabeth and Edison Township.
The settlements have already paid off for local taxpayers.The property tax rate has declined in Morristown by 2 cents this year, as a direct result of the “historic” agreement reached with Morristown Medical Center’s parent company, Atlantic Health Systems.
Ridgewood has quietly pursued Valley Hospital on the same grounds .It has been often repeated that Valley’s current 15 1/2-acre main campus would owe about $4.5 million in taxes if it were fully assessed. That is before the major increase in size by the proposed renovation double its size .
The N.J. Hospital Association says the tax-exempt status of these hospitals have been challenged:
Clara Maass Medical Center (Belleville)
Jersey City Medical Center (Jersey City)
Monmouth Medical Center (Long Branch)
Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus (Lakewood)
Saint Barnabas Medical Center (Livingston)
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (Newark)
Holy Name Medical Center (Teaneck)
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center (Englewood)
Hunterdon Medical Center (Raritan Township)
Bayshore Community Hospital (Holmdel)
Hackensack UMC Palisades (North Bergen)
Jersey Shore University Medical Center (Neptune)
Raritan Bay Medical Center (Old Bridge)
Raritan Bay Medical Center (Perth Amboy)
Riverview Medical Center (Red Bank)
Chilton Medical Center (Pequannock)
Overlook Medical Center (Summit)
Newton Memorial Hospital (Newton)
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (Rahway)
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (New Brunswick)
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset (Somerville)
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (Hamilton)
Trinitas Regional Medical Center (Elizabeth)
CentraState Medical Center (Freehold)
Virtua Memorial Hospital (Moorestown)
St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center (Paterson)
St. Joseph’s Hospital Wayne (Wayne)
JFK Health (Edison)
Shore Memorial Hospital (Somers Point) The Valley Hospital (Ridgewood)
Capital Health (Hopewell)
Kennedy University Hospital (Stratford)
AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center City Campus (Atlantic City)
AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Mainland Campus (Galloway)
Princeton Healthcare System (Plainsboro & Princeton)
Ridgewood NJ, A two (2) vehicle crash at the intersection of North Maple Avenue and Linwood Avenue in Ridgewood resulted in one (1) driver being transported by ambulance to The Valley Hospital on Monday evening, 08/15. The victim was reportedly suffering from chest pains due to the deployment of her vehicle’s steering wheel mounted air bag. Ridgewood PD, FD and EMS responded to the incident. Both vehicles were removed from the scene by a tow truck(s). A crash related fluid spill was attended to by Ridgewood FD personnel.
Ridgewood NJ, Valley Hospital continues to raise objections to Horizon’s OMNIA two tier hospital rating designations .
In and email Valley Pointed out , “Horizon’s OMNIA plan set up a two-tiered system that rewards some hospitals with Tier 1 designations and essentially punishes others by designating them as Tier 2 and imposing higher copays on many patients. Horizon’s scheme uses huge hospital systems as its Tier 1 base, while excluding some of the state’s best and highest-rated hospitals.
There was no public process or known criteria by which hospitals and physicians were ultimately assigned to a tier, nor is there any public path to move to another tier. And Horizon still refuses to publicly divulge its mysterious selection process.
It’s no wonder why a recent poll indicated that voters and Horizon customers indicated strong trust concerns with New Jersey’s insurance giant. According to an Anzalone, Liszt, and Grove research poll,1 61 percent agree that Horizon “puts profits ahead of people,” while 55 percent of Horizon’s customers who were surveyed also agreed. In fact, 57 percent of those polled also agreed that Horizon “has too much influence and power in New Jersey,” while 61 percent of Horizon’s own customers who were surveyed said the same thing.”
