CHA-MN Annual Meeting on November 7

The Catholic Health Association of Minnesota will be hosting their Annual Meeting on Thursday, November 7th at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Edina.  Featured speakers include Kathy Curran, Senior Director of Public Policy from the CHA-USA – Federal Issues and Priorities for Congress; Fr. Tom Kopfensteiner, Senior VP of Mission from the CHI – Ethical Challneges Facing Catholic Health Care; and  M. Therese Lysaught, a visiting scholar with CHA-USA – Being a Catholic Presence in the Changing Face of Health Care.

The Annual Meeting is fully sponsored by CHA-MN with complimentary lunch and hospitality, no fee to attend, but pre-registration required through chamntoby@aol.com or 651.503.2163.

Allina Assumes Ownership of Regina Medical Center

For almost 30 years, Regina Medical Center has built an extremely close working relationship with Allina Health.  With two clinics located on their campus and an additional clinic in Prescott, Wisconsin, Regina has become clinically integrated with Allina Health’s electronic medical records system and specialty care services.  Five years ago, Allina Health became a 25 percent owner of Regina Medical Center and Regina’s physicians aligned their practices with Allina Medical Center.  On August 1, Regina reached a milestone with the completion of the next step in their journey toward a long-term association with Allina Health. Allina Health assumed full ownership of Regina Medical Center. (more…)

Benedictine Health Center plans new look for elder care

Ground will be broken in late August or early September for an $11.2 million addition to the Benedictine Health Center in Duluth that also will introduce a new concept in elder care to the Northland. (more…)

CentraCare Health names regional hospitals president

CentraCare Health has named Craig Broman as President of Regional Hospitals, effective Jan. 1, 2014. He will continue as St. Cloud Hospital President, a job he has held since December 2002.

In his new position, Broman will work to coordinate and enhance the operations of the CentraCare hospitals in Long Prairie, Melrose, Monticello and Sauk Centre.  Broman has extensive experience with regional systems in the western United States, where he led hospitals, clinics and nursing homes from 1980 until 2002.   Until January, responsibility for the regional hospitals will remain with Jim Davis, CentraCare’s vice president corporate services, who will retire at year-end. (more…)

HHS Final Rule Still Requires Action in Congress, By Courts, Says Cardinal Dolan

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ final rule on its mandate that requires employee health insurance for contraceptives, including abortion-causing drugs, and female sterilization does not appear, on first analysis, to eliminate “the need to continue defending our rights in Congress and the courts,” Cardinal Timothy Dolan ofNew York said July 3.

Cardinal Dolan issued the statement, after reviewing the ruling HHS made public June 28. (more…)

Keehan Responds to HHS Final Rules

Attached is an overview of the final rules governing the HHS contraception mandate. The document issued on June 28, 2013, is 110 pages. The first 82 pages are responses to the comments received during the official comment period.  (more…)

Religious Coalition for Conscience Protection to Address HHS Mandate

A group of national religious leaders and scholars, including Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore and Russell D. Moore of the Ethical and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, will release an open letter calling for religious freedom in light of the finalized Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate, July 2, during a 2 p.m. EST media conference.

The leaders will call HHS to expand conscience protections to cover any organization or individual that has religious or moral objectives to covering, providing or enabling access to the mandated drugs and services. They will also ask Congress to take measures to prevent future breaches of religious freedom. (more…)

U.S. Bishops Want to Give ‘Careful Analysis” to HHS Final Rules

The final rules issued June 28 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services implementing its mandate that employers provide coverage of contraceptives “will require more careful analysis,” New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan said in a statement.

The cardinal, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the 110-page ruling is “long and complex” and the bishops will “provide a fuller statement when that analysis is complete.” (more…)

State rolls out MinnesotaCare 2.0

“It’s really a huge win for Minnesota,” Sen. Tony Lourey, DFL Kerrick, says of changes to the MinnesotaCare program for the working poor. “It’s a really big deal.” (Staff photo: Peter Bartz-Gallagher)

Significant changes were made to the state’s insurance program for the working poor during the 2013 legislative session (more…)

Highlights of the Health and Human Services Bill

The 2013 Minnesota Legislative Session concluded their work on May 20th.  Provided here are the highlights from the Health and Human Services Bill (HF 1233). (more…)