Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council

03/02/2022

The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) will release a new Research Brief, COVID-19 Hospitalizations in Pennsylvania – March 2020 to June 2021 on Thursday, March 3, 2022. The report examines rates of hospitalization and in-hospital mortality by month, with a closer look at differences by age and race/ethnicity. Additionally, the brief contains new quarterly data about county-specific rates of hospitalization and outcomes by patient characteristics. Find it tomorrow at www.phc4.org

02/28/2022

Know Your Risk for Heart Disease | cdc.gov

Know Your Risk for Heart Disease | cdc.gov

Certain health conditions and your lifestyle and family history can increase your risk for heart disease. Learn more about these risk factors.

02/25/2022

In Pennsylvania, 1 in 3 adults have high blood cholesterol. You can take action to keep your cholesterol in a healthy range & lower your risk of heart disease and stroke by eating heart healthy foods, not smoking, exercising regularly & staying at a healthy weight.

02/23/2022

Next month, in recognition of National Colore**al Cancer Awareness and National Kidney Month, we will share data specific to Pennsylvania hospitalizations for reasons related to these health issues.

02/22/2022

As many as 11 million Americans have heart valve disease, but only 1 in 4 adults know much about it. We’re working with Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day to raise awareness. Some facts to know and share this 👇

02/18/2022

Save the Date! The next Council Meeting will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 3, 2022. The calendar of meetings and agendas can be seen at https://www.phc4.org/council/calendar.htm

02/17/2022

Regularly monitoring your blood pressure, with support from your health care team, can help lower your risk for heart disease and stroke. You can check your blood pressure at the doctor’s office, at a pharmacy, or even at home! Learn more at https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/measure.htm

02/16/2022

PHC4 Data shows that 7,694 heart attack patients were treated with medical management in a Pennsylvania hospital during FFY2020 (October 2019 through September 2020).

*The in-hospital mortality rate for these patients was 7.1%.
*17.2% were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days.
*The average Medicare Fee-for-Service payment was $8,109.

02/15/2022

You have the power to take action to protect yourself against heart disease. Join The Heart Truth this to spread the word that when we take time daily to be heart healthy, those small acts help protect . www.nhlbi.nih.gov/ourhearts

02/14/2022

Judge’s wife of nearly 50 years, an award-winning Pa. nurse educator, dies at 72: ‘She was the best’

We share our deepest sympathies with the family and friends of Mary Beth Clark, who served for the past five years, as a valued PHC4 Board Member. In 2017, she was appointed to the Council by the Governor for her expertise in the application of continuous quality improvement methods in hospitals.

Mary Beth Clark passed away Feb. 10 from a brain hemorrhage. She was an Associate Professor of Penn State School of Nursing for more than 30 years.

02/11/2022

Did you know that the Super Bowl can be a high-risk time for heart attacks, especially for those already at increased risk? This , be mindful of ways to keep healthy, especially during times of too much stress and excitement!

https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2022/02/08/how-super-bowl-stress-can-impact-your-heart/

02/10/2022

Facts for PA:

Pennsylvania hospitals had 48,163 admissions for heart failure during FFY2020.

*The in-hospital mortality rate was 2.4%.

*22.4% of heart failure patients were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days.

*The average Medicare Fee-for-Service payment was $8,544.

02/09/2022

Be a rock star and a lifesaver. Learn the F.A.S.T. signs of stroke: http://spr.ly/6185KJkW7

02/08/2022

This week is . Congenital heart defects, or , are America's most common birth defect.

PHC4's Pediatric and Heart Surgery Report provides volume and risk-adjusted operative mortality data on pediatric and congenital heart surgeries performed in six children’s hospitals—five in Pennsylvania and one in Delaware. Included are results for ten widely performed surgeries meant to help families make important treatment decisions. The report also shows the total number of operations performed by each hospital and separately reports outcomes for infants less than 31 days old.

See the report at https://www.phc4.org/reports/cabg/pediatric/17/

02/07/2022

Please join PHC4 in welcoming Heather Nairn to the team! As Deputy Executive Director, her role will include public relations, legislative affairs, innovation, and development. Ms. Nairn's background and experience are in healthcare economics, strategy, and population health analytics.

02/07/2022

PHC4’s Cancer Surgery Volume Report shows the number of surgeries performed in Pennsylvania hospitals for 11 types of cancer—data that can help cancer patients and their families make decisions about cancer surgical care in the Commonwealth.

In state fiscal year 2020 (July 2019 through June 2020), Pennsylvania hospitals performed:
o 1,056 surgeries for bladder cancer
o 1,296 surgeries for brain cancer
o 11,867 surgeries for breast cancer (including inpatient and outpatient procedures)
o 3,389 surgeries for colon cancer
o 335 surgeries for esophageal cancer
o 528 surgeries for liver cancer
o 2,298 surgeries for lung cancer
o 519 surgeries for pancreatic cancer
o 2,800 surgeries for prostate cancer
o 904 surgeries for re**al cancer
o 296 surgeries for stomach cancer

02/03/2022

PHC4 data shows there were 30,676 hospital admissions for abnormal heartbeat in Pennsylvania between October 2019 and September 2020.

Among these patients, the mortality rate was 0.9%. 12.4% were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days. The average Medicare Fee-for-Service payment for these hospitalizations was $9,260.

Learn more about heart disease at https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/index.htm

02/02/2022

Wondering when to use a COVID-19 self-test?
• If you have COVID-19 symptoms, like a fever or cough, test right away.
• If you were a close contact of someone with COVID-19, wait at least 5 days to test.
• If you are testing before a gathering, test right before the gathering, or as close to the event as possible.
Learn how to interpret your results: https://go.usa.gov/xtVWW.

01/31/2022

February is American Heart Month

When we take care of as part of our self-care, we set an example for those around us to do the same.

01/28/2022

01/27/2022

Ana’s Story: Cervical Cancer

Ana’s Story: Cervical Cancer

01/24/2022

We can prevent cervical cancer—and many other cancers caused by HPV—when every boy and girl gets the HPV vaccine. Join us during Cervical Health Awareness Month and HPV Awareness Week to help end HPV cancers: https://go.usa.gov/xtkec.

01/21/2022

01/20/2022

PHC4 announces the release of its latest Special Data Requests Update. Inside this issue is information about PHC4's new executive director, the newest Hospital Performance Report and Financial Reports, research briefs about COVID-19 hospitalizations and maternal hospitalizations involving sepsis, the availability of new data for purchase (second quarter 2021 data), and more.
https://www.phc4.org/services/datarequests/newsletters/docs/specialdatarequestsupdate_jan22.pdf

01/18/2022

Snow isn't the only thing in the forecast this week! 2nd Quarter 2021 Data for Special Requests will be available for purchase soon! Watch for our coming announcment!!

01/17/2022

01/13/2022

If your organization prioritizes , join for a virtual workshop that will review the state of technology in maternal health in an effort to prevent maternal morbidity & maternal mortality.

For more information, visit: https://bit.ly/3DyaOwa

01/12/2022

January is National Cervical Health Awareness Month. Not one single woman ever needs to die from cervical cancer. We have the tools we need to prevent this disease so let’s use them. Learn more at https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical/index.htm

01/10/2022

We have the tools to fight Omicron. Get vaccinated and boosted, wear a mask, and get tested.

To find a vaccine near you, visit https://www.vaccines.gov/

01/10/2022

Timeline photos

Want to support Healthy People 2030’s vision of better health and well-being for all people? We invite you to provide feedback on 3 proposed new objectives! Learn more: https://health.gov/news/202112/healthy-people-2030-seeks-public-input-proposed-new-objectives

01/03/2022

Timeline photos

This week’s recommendation from the OMH Knowledge Center highlights A Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation, created by the Office of the Surgeon General. To find additional information, visit our online library catalog: https://bit.ly/3FGunUM

01/03/2022

Do you know the emergency warning signs of flu illness in children? CDC recommends that you obtain medical care right away if your child has these emergency warning signs of flu: https://bit.ly/3FhFPpX

01/01/2022

12/30/2021

Best wishes for a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2022!

PHC4 offices will be closed on Friday, December 31, 2021 and will reopen on Monday, January 3, 2021.

12/29/2021

The next meeting of the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council will be held at 10 AM on Thursday, January 6, 2022.

https://www.phc4.org/council/calendar.htm