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LINCOLN—Governor Heineman released recommendations on Monday to address
Nebraska's current budget crisis. Facing a $334 million shortfall, Heineman
proposed cuts of 2.5 percent for most agencies in the current fiscal year and a 5 percent reduction,
saving $80 million in 2010. The governor's proposal cancels increases in
state aid for K-12 schools and Medicaid reimbursements scheduled for FY 2010-11.
To view the Governor's press release,
click here. To view the Governor's budget reduction recommendations,
click here.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today kicked off a national campaign to enroll 5 million eligible but uninsured children in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. “Our charge here today is to get all eligible children covered to ensure they are healthy throughout their childhood,” Sebelius told the National Children’s Health Insurance Summit in Chicago.
Sponsored by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the conference brought together state Medicaid and CHIP officials, local government, community-based organizations, safety-net providers and others to exchange proven strategies for finding and enrolling children in health programs. Participants included 69 organizations that were recently awarded $40 million to fund outreach projects in their local communities.
“With the nation’s unemployment rate at a staggering 9.8 percent and families losing their job-related health care, finding and enrolling eligible children could never be more important,” said Cindy Mann, director of CMS’ Center for Medicaid and State Operations.
— AHA News Now, November 4, 2009
November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. This year’s theme, "Preserving a legacy…treasuring memories,"
reminds us that every person we care for is a unique individual with a lifetime
of experiences, relationships and gifts to share. For more information, visit the Nebraska Hospice and Palliative Care
Partnership
Web site.
NORFOLK—Norfolk has set the standard.
During a special event recently at Faith Regional
Health Services, a large number of local
and area employers signed ESGR (Employer
Support of the Guard and Reserve) Statements of
Support (SOS).
"This is the first one of this kind that we've
done in Nebraska. Norfolk is the benchmark,"
said Bill Nelson, executive director of Nebraska's ESGR.
The ESGR was established in 1972 and is a volunteer organization within the
Department of Defense. Volunteers work with employers and members of the
National Guards and Reserves to provide information, informal mediation as well
as recognize outstanding employers. SOS statements provide a way for businesses
and others to demonstrate visible, public support for the civilian-soldiers who
now make up half of the U.S. armed forces.
"The SOS itself is a very important document—not only for us, but for the
employers," Nelson said. "It shows the public that you are a Guard and Reserve
friendly organization."
— Norfolk Daily News, October 29, 2009
LINCOLN—David E. Corbin, PhD, professor of health education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and adjunct professor of public health at University of Nebraska Medical Center was selected as the 2009 winner of the Mohan Singh award for the use of humor in health education and health promotion by the Public Health Education and Health Promotion section (PHEHP) of the American Public Health Association (APHA).
PHEHP is the largest section in APHA, which is the oldest, largest and most diverse organization of public health professionals in the world. PHEHP
selects six national awardees annually, including the Mohan Singh Award. The
award is named after Mohan Singh, the author of beloved, quotable, and laughable
maxims. Read more.
—
APHA press release, November 2, 2009
WAYNE/OMAHA—The opportunity to pursue a career as an allied health professional just got easier for students in Nebraska. Beginning with the next admission cycle, the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s School of Allied Health Professions (SAHP) will expand its participation in the Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) to Wayne State College (WSC).
Since the inception of the RHOP program, the SAHP, unlike the other UNMC colleges, has only provided RHOP positions for students at Chadron State College. The addition of 10 total positions in physical therapy, physician assistant, clinical laboratory science and radiography education programs represents a 40 percent increase in available RHOP positions.
Read more.
—
UNMC press release, November 4, 2009
The Nebraska Hospital Association's (NHA) e-newsletter, Rotunda Preview, will
cover the 101st Nebraska Legislature which convened for a budget-cutting special session
on November 4. The session was called by Governor Dave Heineman to address a projected $334 million revenue shortfall for the fiscal years comprising the state’s current two-year $6.9 billion budget.
Click here
to view the last issue of Rotunda Preview. If you do not currently
receive the Rotunda Preview/Rotunda Review, you may also subscribe
through this link.
WASHINGTON—Senator Ben Nelson said Wednesday it's "very likely" he cannot support the current Democratic plan for health care reform.
But Nelson said he has not yet determined how he would vote on procedural motions to begin floor debate and ultimately to invoke cloture, thereby shutting down a filibuster and allowing a final vote on the package.
The second procedural motion requiring 60 votes is likely to be decisive in determining the fate of the health care reform bill.
Read more.
— Lincoln Journal Star, November 4, 2009
WASHINGTON—To cut health care costs, the Obama administration has advocated moving away from fee-for-service payments, which reward providers for doing more procedures, to a coordinated system that pays doctors and hospitals for doing better. Under that vision, providers would be given a few years to move to performance-based medicine, in which fees and results are published, money is directed to evidence-based therapies, and harmful errors such as preventable infections are reduced. But many are worried that the president's hopes to constrain costs could result in tepid half-measures on Capitol Hill, the
Washington Post reports.
Read more.
— Washington Post, November 4, 2009
WASHINGTON—House leaders will hold a rare Saturday vote on the expansion of the U.S. health care system. Democrats are still locking down support among a handful of holdouts, with the biggest bloc dissatisfied with the measure's handling of abortion. In other news, a bill that Republicans expect to offer as an alternative to the Democratic package received its assessment from congressional budget analysts, who concluded that the proposal would barely dent the ranks of the uninsured.
Read more.
— Washington Post, November 5, 2009
Nebraska’s local health departments are receiving H1N1 flu vaccine weekly.
Right now, health departments are distributing vaccine to physicians’ offices,
hospitals and other locations for people identified by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention as high-risk for H1N1 flu complications.
Local health
departments will hold public clinics once enough vaccine is available.
Initially, the clinics will be open to people in the high-risk groups, and
vaccination is free. Once there is enough vaccine, clinics will be open to
everyone. Vaccine may also be available at drug stores, pharmacies and general
stores. There may be a cost for administering the vaccine at these locations as
well as at a physician’s office.
Click here to view the schedule.
— Nebraska Dept. of Health and Human Services, November 4, 2009
2010 National Patient Safety Goals (CL)
November 10, 2009 – Webinar
Staff Retention: The Basis for Staff Recruitment Webinar (CL)
November 10, 2009 – Webinar
Shaping the Retention Culture: A New Look at RN Retention
November 12, 2009 – Webinar
How to Manage Executive Compensation in Challenging Economic Times Webinar
November 12, 2009 – Webinar
Federal Grant Management Class
Offered
November 19-20, 2009 – Lincoln
SAVE THE DATE:
NHA Advocacy Day
March 9, 2010 – Lincoln
SAVE THE DATE:
2010 Lifespan Health Services Conference
May 11-12, 2010 – Kearney
Click here
for a list
of upcoming NHA audioconferences and Webinars.
Visit the
Events page on the NHA Web site for more information on any of the events.
If you have an event you would like listed in Newslink or on the NHA Web site,
submit it to Heather Bullock, Marketing and Events Coordinator, at
hbullock@nhanet.org. Send news items to Kelley Porter, Director of
Communications, kporter@nhanet.org.
NHA Newslink is published by the Nebraska
Hospital Association, 3255 Salt Creek Circle, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68504-4778.
Phone 402/742-8140, Fax 402/742-8191. Contact Kelley Porter, Director of
Communications, at 402/742-8151, or email,
kporter@nhanet.org.
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