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LINCOLN—The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will receive a grant of almost $1.5 million from the Health Resources and Services Administration over the next three years for finding ways to improve dental care for children under eight.
“This funding provides us with a great opportunity to reach parents and children and teach them about good dental care,” said Jackie Miller, Chief Administrator of the Division of Public Health. “The grant will enable us to encourage families to have a dental home for their children, which will ensure that care is delivered in a coordinated and family-centered way by a dentist.”
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more.
— Nebraska Dept. of Health and Human Services press release, November
25, 2009
Millions of unemployed Americans face the prospect of a huge increase in health insurance costs due to the expiration of the government's COBRA subsidy. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed in February, launched a temporary government program to subsidize the cost of buying health insurance through a former employer's plan after a layoff. However, the COBRA subsidy was designed to last no more than nine months for each person who was unemployed. Hundreds of thousands who got this subsidy when it was first made available in March are slated to roll off the program December 1.
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— Los Angeles Times, December 1, 2009
LINCOLN—There's an ominous piece of equipment at the east end of the main therapy gym that's creating quite a buzz among Madonna staff. The Lokomat is a robotic-assisted walking therapy device that is currently being utilized by six of Madonna's physical therapists (PTs) and one rehabilitation associate (RA) following two days of intense training. These individuals must complete many hours of practice time to become "certified" users.
Read
more.
—
The Independent, November 27, 2009
McCOOK—Community Hospital and the City of McCook are working together to make recycling more accessible to the public, according to Kyle Potthoff, Public Works Director.
A recycling trailer, which was acquired by the city from federal surplus for approximately 25 percent of the cost of a new one, will continue to be parked on hospital grounds to allow the public the option of recycling 24 hours a day. The trailer was placed on hospital grounds earlier this year for a trial period.
Read more.
—
McCook Gazette, November 23, 2009
OMAHA—A research team at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) has developed a new mouthwash formulation that may provide long-term protection against tooth decay.
The team, led by Dong Wang, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmaceutical science in the UNMC College of Pharmacy, has developed a novel drug delivery system to carry antimicrobial agents directly to teeth. Their study was published in the November issue of
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
One of the major factors to dental cavities is overpopulation of acid-producing bacteria in biofilm that is present on the tooth surface, eventually causing dental decay. Dr. Wang’s formulation would bind to the tooth surface and gradually release antimicrobials against cavity-forming bacteria such as
Streptococcus mutans.
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—
UNMC press release, December 2, 2009
WASHINGTON—Senators prepared to cast their first votes on health care reform and Democrats increasingly expressed optimism that they would succeed in passing a bill before Christmas, the
Washington Post reports. Republicans are targeting key sections of the bill, including the nearly $400 billion in tax increases that would finance the legislation's 10-year, $848 billion cost. GOP lawmakers also are expected to propose significant changes to medical malpractice laws. To manage the expected Democratic amendments, Majority Leader Harry M. Reid and other leaders are urging their colleagues to focus only on top priorities for floor consideration, the
Post reports.
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— Washington Post, December 2, 2009
WASHINGTON—As the Senate puts the finishing touches on its health care reform package, big problems already loom for the final negotiations with the House. And chief among them will be how to pay for it.
To be sure, abortion and a public option will grab plenty of headlines and lead to lots of rhetoric on each side. But reconciling those issues could seem easy when compared with the yawning differences between negotiators over a funding mechanism.
Thus far, the White House, House and Senate have each embraced a different financing plan for its proposal—and each one is an anathema to the other players and their allies among powerful interest groups.
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— Politico, December 1, 2009
WASHINGTON—Senate Democrats had to delay votes on the first set of amendments to the health care bill in the face of stiff Republican opposition, the
Los Angeles Times reports. Party leaders, scrambling to pass a bill by Christmas, had hoped to approve a proposal to expand access to mammograms and other preventive services. Instead, lawmakers tussled over the bill's potential impact on Medicare, reports the
Times. Democratic leaders propose to offset the cost of expanding insurance coverage to some 31 million people in part by cutting future Medicare payments to hospitals, nursing homes and other providers.
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— Los Angeles Times, December 2, 2009
The current wave of pandemic H1N1 appears to have peaked, with four weeks of declines in several key indicators, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced. But despite the decrease, the outbreak is continuing to take a heavy toll of hospitalizations and deaths, especially among children. Widespread activity of H1N1 was reported in 32 states in the week ending November 21, down from 43 states the week before and 48 a month ago.
Read more.
— Los Angeles Times, December 1, 2009
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will review in first-quarter 2010 how the nation can more quickly develop and produce medical countermeasures for public health emergencies, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced
Tuesday. “These are the treatments, vaccines, prophylaxis, diagnostics, personal protective equipment, and non-pharmaceutical aids like ventilators that help reduce the spread of infections, reduce health consequences, and ultimately save lives,” Sebelius
said at an American Medical Association conference on health system readiness.
HHS’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response will lead the review, which Sebelius said will “look for the fastest ways to move to new technologies that will let us quickly produce countermeasures that are more dependable and more robust. Not just for flu and not just for infectious diseases, but for all the public health threats we face today.”
— AHA News Now, December 1, 2009
Building a Foundation for Best Practice Nursing Succession Planning
December 9, 2009 – Webinar
Fifty Tips to Reduce Medication Errors: Complying with CMS and The Joint Commission Standards
December 10, 2009 – Webinar
RAC Audit Compliance for Critical Access Hospitals Webinar (CL)
December 10, 2009 – Webinar
SAVE THE DATE:
NHA Advocacy Day
March 9, 2010 – Lincoln
SAVE THE DATE:
2010 Lifespan Health Services Conference
May 11-12, 2010 – Kearney
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