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During the session interim, the�Legislative Hotline will be distributed monthly.� In addition to state issues, we will include relevant information on federal and local affairs.� The Legislative Hotline will return to a weekly distribution when Session resumes in January of 2005.

To view the legislative information below, click on the subject of interest to go directly to that area or scroll down to view the entire document.

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STATE
East Baltimore Capital Budget Request
Computational Sciences Building
New Leadership for Maryland's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene House Health and Government Operations Committee
Senate Finance Committee
Department of Business & Economic Development
Medical Liability Reform

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STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION

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STATE ISSUES

East Baltimore Capital Budget Request

On September 17, Dr. Miller and Mr. Peterson presented the Johns Hopkins Medicine FY 2006 capital budget request to the state's new Capital Budget Director, Chad Clappsaddle and other staff from the Departments of Budget and Management and Legislative Services. The hearing's purpose was to formally request the Governor's support for the projects in the master plan. It focused on the entirety of the $1.2 billion East Baltimore master plan and the financial challenges that Johns Hopkins faces, including narrow operating margins, restrictive HSCRC hospital rates, and a disproportionate share of uninsured and underinsured patients. The Governor included $25 million, $5 million a year for five years beginning in FY 2006, to support the new Children's and Maternal Hospital as part of his FY 2005 five-year capital improvement plan. Detailed funding levels for the master plan will not be available until the Governor introduces the FY 2006 capital budget in January 2005.

Computational Sciences Building

Johns Hopkins' other capital request this year is $3 million for a Computational Sciences Building for the Whiting School of Engineering. Nicholas Jones, Dean of the School of Engineering, testified on September 16 at a hearing before the Maryland Higher Education Commission Finance Policy Committee. On September 23, Dr. Jim McGill and Dean Jones testified before the State Department of Budget and Management. The $3 million request for the Computational Sciences Building will allow for the construction of a 60,000 square foot building that will serve as the interface for interdisciplinary research within the Whiting School of Engineering. The Governor has included $2 million for the project as part of his FY 2005 five- year capital improvement plan. As with the East Baltimore Capital Budget request, detailed funding levels will not be available until the FY 2006 capital budget is introduced in January 2005.

New Leadership for Maryland's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Governor Ehrlich has named S. Anthony "Tony" McCann Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene following Nelson Sabatini's retirement. Acting Secretary McCann, who must be approved by the Senate in the 2005 legislative session, took over the helm on October 5. Although he is a newcomer to state government, he has 23 years of federal government experience. As Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for 1986 to 1989 he was chief budget, management and procurement official overseeing a $400 billion budget and a staff of 117,000. McCann then served as Assistant Secretary at the Department of Veteran Affairs where he advised the Secretary on medical care and research, housing, and educational assistance. Most recently he was Director of Financial Affairs for the Smithsonian Institution, where he oversaw a $100 million budget. In addition, he has served as Commissioner on the President's Task Force to Improve Health Care Deliver for Our Nation's Veterans and as Deputy Director of the American International Health Alliance. The Acting Secretary earned his B.A. from Lake Forest College and his M.A. from Syracuse University. He and his wife live in Silver Spring.

Former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, Van T. Mitchell, has been tapped to become Principal Deputy Secretary. Mitchell, who has represented Charles County in the House since 1995, has served as Chairman of the Joint Oversight Workers' Compensation and on the House Health Subcommittee of the Economic Matters Committee. From 2003-2004 Mitchell oversaw a $3 billion budget as Chair of the House Health and Human Resources Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee. He was also Joint Chair of the Joint Audit Committee in 2003, which had oversight for all legislative audits of State agencies.

Rounding out the new leadership team at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will be Deputy Secretary John Folkemer. He has 25 years of experience in the State Medicaid Program and has been the Executive Director of the Department's Office of Planning and Finance. In that role he developed and managed $4 billion in Medicaid provider reimbursement and administrative budgets. Additionally, he has served as State Medicaid Director.

House Health and Government Operations Committee

The House Health and Government Operations (HGO) Committee, which has jurisdiction over all health matters that are brought before the House of Delegates, accepted our invitation to tour two of our medical campuses. Issues of particular interest to them for the upcoming legislative session include patient safety and long term care. Consequently, the visit was tailored to meet their needs while garnering support for Johns Hopkins request for capital funds for the State's only dedicated Pediatric Trauma Center.

Bayview's Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) was the first stop on tour, where HGO members and their staff toured the PACE facility, met program participants and staff and gain greater insight of this comprehensive program for the dually eligible population.

The Committee then traveled to the East Baltimore campus where they heard a complete overview of patient safety efforts at Johns Hopkins. This was followed by a presentation of the campus master plan and rationale for facility replacements. The visit concluded with a comprehensive tour of the Pediatric Trauma Center.

Senate Finance Committee

On September 29th the Senate Finance Committee came to Baltimore to visit both the University of Maryland Medical Center and Johns Hopkins. The two academic medical centers hosted a luncheon at the Center Club at which the committee was provided a joint presentation on how the AMC's are powerful economic engines for the State. Issues of particular interest to the committee, which were addressed during the presentation, were HSCRC rate setting and acquisition of new technologies, Medicaid reimbursement rates, serving the uninsured or underinsured, and medical liability reform.

After the luncheon the Finance Committee traveled to JHH where they toured the Pediatric Trauma Center, saw a demonstration of the Provider Order Entry System followed by a presentation of the campus master plan and rationale for facility replacements.

Department of Business & Economic Development

On October 6th Government affairs staff for the Department of Business and Economic Development came to Hopkins for a tour of facilities at both the Homewood and East Baltimore campuses. Brian Levine, Director of Government Affairs, and Rhonda Ray, Assistant Secretary for the Department, had a breakfast meeting with Craig Townsend, Alsoph Corwin Professor of Chemistry, and Albert H. Owens, Jr., MD, Chief Executive Officer, FASgen. Drs. Townsend and Owens discussed how companies are created through research discoveries made at Johns Hopkins University. Brian and Rhonda were also treated to a tour of the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility. From there the DBED staff was driven past Eastern High School on the way to the East Baltimore Campus. Once at the East Baltimore Campus, Pamela Paulk discussed our many programs in workforce development, they toured the Pediatric Trauma Center followed by a presentation of the campus master plan and rationale for facility replacements.

Medical Liability Reform

Deliberations on medical liability reform continue on the state level. The Governor's Task Force on Medical Malpractice concluded it meetings on November 1st. However, before the Task Force had formalized its recommendations, the Governor submitted draft legislation to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House for consideration. The Governor's draft legislation includes a number of reform measures, including strengthening the qualifications of medical experts, freezing the cap on non-economic damages at $650,000 and eliminating the double cap in wrongful death cases. The bill also provides for apology protection, limited immunity for emergency room practitioners, and that awards over $100,000 must be paid in the form of an annuity. While the three principals have had the legislation since the last week of October, negotiations on the legislation have not yet begun. The Senate Special Commission on Medical Malpractice is still meeting bi-weekly and is scheduled to finish their deliberations at the beginning of December. The Speaker of the House has been visiting hospitals across the State in an effort to educate himself and members of the House as to how the medical malpractice crisis is affecting hospitals and the physicians who practice there. The Speaker paid a joint visit to Johns Hopkins Hospital and Bayview Medical Center on October 14th and visited Howard County General Hospital on October 22nd. Discussions continue regarding the possibility of a Special Session before the end of the year in order to enact some form of medical liability reform and there is a push for such a session by November 18th. For a summary of the Governor's legislation please contact Heather Barthel at (443) 287-9926 or hbarthel@jhmi.edu.

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STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION
Please contact the Government Relations staff if you would like additional information. Your input assists us greatly in evaluating and formulating the position of Johns Hopkins on all legislation.

Government, Community, and Public Affairs
Johns Hopkins Institutions
901 S. Bond Street, Suite 540
Baltimore, MD 21231
phone 443-287-9900
fax 443-287-9898

FEDERAL Beth Felder	bfelder@jhu.edu
Maggy Huson	mhuson@jhu.edu
STATE Heather Barthel	hbarthel@jhmi.edu
Mickey Geisler	mgeisler@jhu.edu
Sheila Higdon	shigdon@jhmi.edu
Jim Kaufman	jkaufma@jhmi.edu
Bret Schreiber	bschreiber@jhu.edu
Cathy Ximenez	cximenez@jhmi.edu
CITY Joseph Smith	josephsmith@jhu.edu
COMMUNITY Salem Reinor	sreinor@jhu.edu