MHA has drafted a response to the Maryland Health Care Commission on a series of questions to help identify Certificate of Need (CON) issues for the commission's work group to address. MHA also has established a member work group to address CON matters and provide recommendations to the commission. The MHA work group will meet January 8 to discuss our responses and a final comment letter will be sent to the commission by its January 26 deadline (this deadline was originally January 13). If you have comments or questions about the letter, contact Brett McCone.

MHA and the HSCRC will host a Medicare Performance Adjustment Methodology webinar Thursday, January 11, at 1:45 p.m. HSCRC Director, Clinical and Financial Information, Chris Peterson, and Health Policy Analyst, Laura Mandel, will review the methodology and answer questions. The session is of interest to hospital executives responsible for managing total cost of care, including financial leads, population health leads, chief medical officers, and others. To participate in the live presentation at MHA, RSVP to Tracy Blanchard by Monday, January 8. To view the presentation remotely, register here.

The Maryland Association of Healthcare Executives' first educational event of the year will explore some of the innovative models of behavioral health care that are being piloted in Maryland. A panel of speakers will explore ways to avoid the use of emergency departments for patients in behavioral health crisis. MHA Vice President of Policy and Data Analysis Nicole Stallings will be on the panel. The January 18 event is at the Sheraton Columbia Town Center Hotel. Click here to learn more and register.

The Maryland Department of Health anticipates that the Maryland Primary Care Program will begin next summer, pending federal approval. Meanwhile, the state has already held several regional meetings to enhance understanding of the program and will hold one later this month in Southern Maryland. The meetings address questions specific to each area of the state. Hospitals are being asked to share the invitation and registration details with their primary care providers and key leaders interested in advanced primary care.

The American Hospital Association will hold a members-only webinar at 3 p.m. January 9 on promoting a culture of cybersecurity. The third in a six-part series for hospital and health system leaders on managing cybersecurity risk in health care, the webinar will feature former Federal Bureau of Investigation Cyber Division Senior Executive John Riggi and will explore the process for creating a culture of security, assessing the effectiveness of hospital cybersecurity programs, and understanding cyber risk in payment models and business practices. Click here to register.

The AHA's Hospitals Against Violence initiative will host a webinar at 1 p.m. January 10 on how hospitals can partner effectively with law enforcement in their community to maximize safety for patients and providers. Leaders from the International Association for Healthcare Security & Safety and AHA's American Organization of Nurse Executives subsidiary will discuss and build on the recent IAHSS guidelines for collaborating with law enforcement with practical steps and scenario-based examples. Click here to register.