Q4_09-17-2018

BUREAU OF OPERATIONS Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are one of the largest groups of health care licensees in the state of Florida, and May 31, 2018, was the expiration date for nearly 108,000 of their licenses. Although the number of licensees who renewed online was up by 28.9% this year, Licensure Support Services and the Call Center received thousands of calls and emails with questions about the renewal process. Plans had been put in place ahead of time, and many Bureau of Operations (BOO) staff had undergone intensive cross-training with the Call Center, allowing them to assist in fielding these inquiries. Many volunteers stayed as late as midnight on multiple days answering emails and phone calls. BUREAU OF HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER REGULATION The Bureau of Health Care Practitioner Regulation (HCPR) conducted widespread outreach throughout the quarter to the public, stakeholders and licensed health care practitioners, primarily on the implementation of House Bill 21, controlled substance legislation aimed at combating opioid abuse in Florida. HCPR provided invaluable assistance in MQA’s efforts in implementing the legislation, starting with a telephone conference call on April 18, 2018, to introduce the key changes in the law. HCPR hosted a multidisciplinary workgroup charged with establishing standards for the prescribing of controlled substances for the treatment of acute pain on June 21, 2018. Members of the Boards of Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, Podiatric Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, Optometry, and the Council on Physician Assistants, along with legal counsel and staff, met in Orlando and collaborated on language offering guidance to health care practitioners authorized to prescribe controlled substances. Another example of HCPR’s targeted outreach was Executive Director Jennifer Wenhold’s attendance at the Florida Dental Convention June 21-23, 2018, in Orlando to help educate dentists on the new law and answer questions. HCPR staff also helped staff the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) or E-FORSCE call center to answer questions related to the new controlled substance law. Outreach continued on April 14, 2018, when Board of Nursing staff attended the Florida Nurses Association’s North Central Region Conference in Gainesville, Florida. The theme of the conference was “The Role of the Nurse in Emergency Preparedness.” The group of 40 nurses in attendance were given an overview of MQA, the Board, and the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact, among other topics. Likewise, Claudia Kemp, Executive Director for the Board of Medicine, and Kama Monroe, Executive Director for the Board of Osteopathic Medicine, attended the Federation of State Medical Boards’ (FSMB) annual meeting in April in Charlotte, North Carolina. The meeting provided an opportunity for executive directors, board chairs, staff, and interested parties to exchange ideas and discuss developments in their respective jurisdictions. The meeting sessions included presentations and panel discussions on disaster preparedness, physician wellness, and stem cell therapy. This focus on outreach allows HCPR to share MQA’s message as well as learn best practices from outside entities, strengthening MQA’s commitment to process improvement. BUREAU OF ENFORCEMENT During the fourth quarter of fiscal year 17-18, the Bureau of Enforcement (BOE) continued efforts to improve regulatory efficiency. BOE completed opening inspections for health care establishments within 8.37 days, a 49% decrease from the first quarter of fiscal year 15-16. BOE also completed 83.87% of priority 1 investigations within 12 days, a 98.5% increase from the first quarter of fiscal year 15-16. MQA Q4 2017-2018 5 BUREAU MESSAGES