Home / Archived For May 2012

Thursday, 31 May 2012

Princess Health and Coventry, ARH at impasse over Medicaid; state says service will not be interrupted for 25,000 affected.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Coventry, ARH at impasse over Medicaid; state says service will not be interrupted for 25,000 affected.Princessiccia

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Though negotiations between Appalachian Regional Healthcare and Coventry Cares appear to be futile, the state is taking steps to make sure there won't be an interruption in care for the Medicaid recipients who will be affected by the impasse.

"The cabinet will assure the judge that, in the event that a notice is received from Coventry that ARH will not be in their network as of July 1, members will be able to call the Department for Medicaid Services to switch" to another managed-care organization, said Jill Midkiff, spokeswoman for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Coventry Cares is one of four companies chosen by the state to provide care to Medicaid recipients. The move to managed care � intended to save money � has been rocky, with providers complaining about delayed payments from the companies and cumbersome pre-approval processes for treatments. ARH sued Coventry, and another managed-care company, saying they owed the hospital chain more than $18 million for services. But Coventry says the state allowed another managed care company not to include ARH in its network, which means a lot of higher-risk, higher-cost patients covered by Coventry.

ARH operates eight hospitals and health clinics in Eastern Kentucky and serves 25,000 Medicaid patients, reports Valarie Honeycutt Spears for the Lexington Herald-Leader. Coventry agreed to extend its contract with ARH until June 30, but will likely not extend it again. A Coventry document filed in court last week says "it appears unlikely that these differences can be bridged." (Read more)


Princess Health and Improvements to Rx monitoring systems worth the expense, study finds; using systems influence doctors' prescribing decisions.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Improvements to Rx monitoring systems worth the expense, study finds; using systems influence doctors' prescribing decisions.Princessiccia

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A plan for an ideal prescription drug monitoring system was published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, with its authors concluding spending more money to improve systems is worth the expense.

To improve databases, the paper's authors recommended "standardization of the type of information submitted to the databases, and a move toward the use of bar-coded prescription paper to more quickly log entries, or a robust e-prescribing system that would eliminate paper and the resulting prescription fraud and 'doctor shopping' that contributes to illicit use of these controlled substances," reports research-reporting service Newswise. (Read more)

Forty-three states, including Kentucky, now have databases to monitor prescriptions for pain relievers and another five states have passed laws to create them, reports Mary Wisniewski for Reuters. Part of the reason for the push is prescription drug abuse is an increasingly big problem, with more people dying from prescription drug overdoses each year than cocaine and heroin combined. Kentucky is a hot spot, with nearly 1,000 people dying from prescription drug overdoses in 2010.

On July 12, a new law will take effect in Kentucky that will make it mandatory for a physician to consult the state drug-monitoring system before writing a prescription for certain drugs for a new patient. Doing so can influence how a doctor chooses to prescribe. A study by the emergency department of the University of Toledo's College of Medicine found "doctors or pharmacists who reviewed state prescription data changed how they managed cases 41 percent of the time," Wisniewski reports

The study found 61 percent of prescribed either no opioid medicine, or less than originally planned, while 39 percent decided to prescribe more. (Read more)

Wednesday, 30 May 2012

Princess Health and Significant management improvements at Passport Health Plan, audit finds.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Significant management improvements at Passport Health Plan, audit finds.Princessiccia

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Passport Health Plan has improved significantly since a 2010 audit uncovered wasteful spending and other problems, a new audit has concluded.

The managed care organization that cares for Medicaid recipients in Jefferson and 15 surrounding counties "has made significant improvements in accountability and financial record-keeping," a press release from Audrey Tayse Haynes, the new secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. "Patient satisfaction with the health care provider remains high," she states.

"The audit is a follow-up to former State Auditor Crit Luallen's scathing report of November 2010 in which Luallen found lavish spending by Passport's former executives on travel, meals and other expenses," reports Tom Loftus for The Courier-Journal. "It also questioned transfers of about $30 million of reserve funds to the major health-care organizations represented on Passport's board of directors."

Gov. Steve Beshear ordered a plan to correct the problem, which involved replacing Passport's executives, among other changes. Though there has been improvement, "after having exclusive rights to the region for about 14 years, Passport will have to bid against other managed care organizations if it wants to be among those that will serve it in 2013," Loftus reports.

Still, since the state has switched to managed care for the rest of the state and severe problems have surfaced with the three companies that have been hired to serve those recipients, Passport's reputation has improved substantially. State Auditor Adam Edelen said in February the state was unprepared for the quick transition to managed care in the rest of the state. (Read more)
Princess Health and Task force to consider middle-school sports regulation.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Task force to consider middle-school sports regulation.Princessiccia

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A task force made up of legislators, educators and athletic officials will examine what guidelines should be in place for sports at the middle school level, which are not regulated in Kentucky.

The task force was created by the 2012 General Assembly to "discuss 'best practice' guidelines for middle school sports and to take into consideration non-profit organizations that oversee some individual teams," reports Valarie Honeycutt Spears for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

"It remains to be seen" what the task force could recommend, Rep. Bob Damron, D-Nicholasville, told Spears. But Damron, who sponsored the resolution creating the task force, said "in the long run that's probably a good direction to have one entity standing for middle school athletics."

The Legislative Research Commission will name task force members by Aug. 1. Recommendations to legislative committees are expected by Dec. 7. (Read more)

Princess Health and New treatment first offered in Louisville is helping asthma sufferers.Princessiccia

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Shannon Denson, who has severe asthma, gets bronchial
thermoplasty. Courier-Journal photo.
Asthma sufferers can now benefit from an innovative treatment that was first offered at University Hospital in Louisville.

Patients like Shannon Denson are seeing improvement thanks to bronchial thermoplasty, "a minimally invasive, three-step procedure using heat to open airways in adults with severe asthma so they can breathe more easily," reports Laura Ungar of The Courier-Journal.

"Over the years, airways become very narrow. This opens them up," said Dr. Tanya Wiese, an interventional pulmonologist with University of Louisville Physicians, which partnered with UH to offer the treatment.

The treatment is not a cure but it does improve the condition of the lungs, which is good news since asthma rates are high in Kentucky. In the Ohio Valley, almost 15 percent of Kentucky adults said they had asthma, making it the seventh-highest rate in 2010, a survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. (Read more)

Sunday, 27 May 2012

Princess Health and.Princessiccia

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H+P Sucess Story

H+P athlete Dale just started into running in late 2011.  He wanted to pursue a new hobby and a higher level of fitness in the process.  After following through with a few beginner running groups, Dale ran his first 10km in January 2012 in a time of 54 minutes.

Not bad for just starting out in the sport of running!  But Dale was not satisfied.

After following through with the H+P Monday Night Interval Sessions and Coach Sean's Personal Training Plan, Dale set out to race the Yonge Street 10K on April 22nd, 2012.

With a goal time of running sub-50 minutes, Dale completely exceeded expectations running an amazing 43:43, taking over 10 minutes off his personal best over the course of 4 short months.  

Dale also placed just inside the top 10 percent of a field just under 6000 runners, and placed 25th in the very competitive 50-54 AG category.

Congratulations Dale, way to make the entire team proud!

Dale finishing the 2012 YS10km in a PB time of 43:43

Friday, 25 May 2012

Princess Health and U of L profs get $6.3 million to continue spinal cord research.Princessiccia

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Susan Harkema, a University of Louisville professor, talks
about epidural spinal stimulation. Courier-Journal photo.
Two University of Louisville professors have received a $6.3 million grant to continue their work helping paralyzed patients restore movement by using electrical stimulation.

The grant was awarded to Susan Harkema and Dr. Jonathan Hodes from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.

Last year, they received much acclaim when they published a study in the journal The Lancet "showing that the use of continual, direct, electrical stimulation of a patient's lower spinal cord using technology designed for pain relief can allow a person using a wheelchair to stand and bear weight," reports Laura Ungar for The Courier-Journal.

With these new grant funds, Harkema said they will "be able to built a stimulator that will allow the individual to take advantage of these advances in their homes and communities."

One of the initial case studies involved Rob Summers, a former baseball player from Oregon who was paralyzed below the chest after a car accident. After the therapy, he was able to get to a standing position and stand as long as four minutes. "He was also able to take steps with help and move his toes, ankles, knees and hips." Harkema said he continues to improve.

Nationwide, more than 5 million Americans live with some type of paralysis, and more than 1.3 million have spinal-cord injuries. (Read more)

Princess Health and Federal panel says PSA screening for prostate cancer does more harm than good, but no better test is available.Princessiccia

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Prostate cancer cells. Getty Images photo by Abbey Michael.
An influential federal panel says testing healthy men's prostate-specific antigen levels to detect prostate cancer does more harm than good.

The PSA test can lead to unnecessary biopsies for men who turn out to be cancer-free. Those biopsies can also lead to men being treated for cancers that are so slow-growing (a characteristic of most prostate cancers) that they didn't need to be detected.

An estimated 1,000 to 1,300 men die annually from complications associated with treatments that are initiated because of PSA screening, reports Alice Park for Time magazine. Moreover, treating harmless prostate tumors increases the chances of making men impotent or incontinent.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force published the recommendation in the Annals of Internal Medicine. In 2009, the panel also recommended that women delay routine mammograms until the age of 50. That was controversial, and "The task force's recommendation goes against two decades of widespread use of the PSA test, a $35 blood test," Park reports.

"The recommendation is not just counter to what the lay public has been taught about cancer prevention but what physicians have been taught as well," said Dr. Michael LeFevre, co-vice chair of the USPSTF and a professor of family and community medicine at University of Missouri. "We've been told for decades to be afraid of cancer and that the only hope is early detection and treatment. So it's hard for physicians and patients alike to accept that not all cancers need to be detected or need to be treated and that there are harms associated with screening, not just benefits."

Through PSA testing, physicians "were finding the cancer earlier, so the time from diagnosis to death was longer, but the patient wasn't actually living longer," explained Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.

But there isn't a better test to replace the PSA, and Ian Thompson, chairman of urology at the University of Texas Health Science Center, said to reject it completely is unwise. He said U.S. death rates from prostate cancer dropped between 30 and 50 percent since the screening became commonplace in the early 1990s, though those numbers could also have been influenced by more effective treatments. Thompson said he didn't want to go back to the "bad old days" when doctors only found prostate cancer when it was already unable to be cured, reports Liz Szabo for USA Today.  (Read more)

Princess Health and Louisville comes in third to last in fitness and health ranking of 50 largest cities.Princessiccia

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Rowing under California's Bay Bridge (Photo by City Kayak)
In a fitness ranking of the country's 50 largest cities, Louisville ranked an abysmal 48th, sitting just above Detroit and Oklahoma City.

These were some of the results of the American College of Sports Medicine's 2012 Fitness Index. Cities were assessed on preventive health behaviors; levels of chronic disease; health care access; and community resources and policies that support physical activity such as bike lanes and parks.

Minneapolis-St. Paul was ranked first for the second year in a row, scoring 77.2 out of a possible 100 points. Louisville got just 32.1 points, but it did climb up one ranking slot over 2011's assessment.

The index is gaining notoriety and "might well become the scorecard for cities looking to attract health-conscious companies and people to settle in for a spell," reports Melissa Healy for the Los Angeles Times. "It draws on parks and recreation data from the Trust for Public Land, on nutrition and health behavior collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and on federally tallied school report cards to learn about school policies that promote fitness." (Read more)

Thursday, 24 May 2012

Princess Health and.Princessiccia

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NEW LEARN TO RUN GROUP!

New learn to run group starts in TWO WEEKS!

8 week program designed to help you reach your summer fitness goals-June 14th-August 2nd!

Every Thursday at 6:30pm!

Designed and led by experienced runners, this program will introduce you to the sport of running at your own pace & injury free!

Registration Deadline: Monday, June 11th 2012

E-Mail: gillianwillard@gmail.com


Princess Health and Nursing home chain says it will lease its Kentucky facilities because legislature didn't pass bill to filter lawsuits.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Nursing home chain says it will lease its Kentucky facilities because legislature didn't pass bill to filter lawsuits.Princessiccia

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A major nursing-home chain says it will lease all of its Kentucky properties to a Texas company because a bill to insulate nursing homes from lawsuits did not pass the General Assembly this year,

Extendicare Health Services owns Pembroke Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Shady Lawn Nursing Home in Cadiz and 19 other facilities in Kentucky, reports Nick Tabor of the Kentucky New Era in Hopkinsville. The company has been riddled with problems. A 2009 study ranked three of its Kentucky facilities among the country's worst nursing homes.

"The combination of a worsening litigation environment and the lack of any likelihood of tort reform in the state of Kentucky has made this the prudent decision for our company and its unitholders," said Tim Lukenda, president and CEO of Extendicare.

In this year's legislative session, nursing homes lobbied for a law that would have created medical review panels to evaluate potential lawsuits against nursing homes, personal-care homes and some facilities for the intellectually and developmentally disabled. The goal of the panel was to help eliminate frivolous lawsuits against the long-term care industry.

The Pembroke facility has been sued 20 times in Christian Circuit Court since 2002, and seven of the suits are still pending, Tabor reports. The others were dismissed, most with confidential settlements. (Read more)

Princess Health and Care in rural hospitals is just as good as that in urban hospitals, study concludes.Princessiccia

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While rural Americans have less access to primary care and have worse health outcomes, the care at rural hospitals is equal to, if not better, than that at urban hospitals, a National Rural Health Association report says.

The study also found rural health care is not more expensive than urban care. "However, urban residents rarely out-migrate to rural settings for either routine or advanced treatments or care yet many rural patients are referred to or voluntarily travel to urban providers based on the myth of better care," a summary of the study says.

The study was compiled by iVantage Health Analysis, a private health-care research company. It collected data on Medicare costs and health outcomes for doctors and hospitals for 12 months and divided the results into rural and urban groups based on zip codes, to give a picture of the state-by-state importance of rural hospitals.

In Kentucky, nearly half of its Medicare beneficiaries lived in rural counties in 2010. Nationwide, just 21 percent of them do, though there were western states with much higher percentages. In Wyoming, for example, 69 percent of Medicare beneficiaries live in rural places. Spending per Medicare beneficiary in Kentucky was nearly $8,000 in both urban ($7,851) and rural ($7,879) settings in 2010. That spending is high compared to the rest of the country, however; only nine other states had higher spending.
The study could have wider wider ramifications given changes in the federal health-care reform law and the move toward accountable care organizations, in which doctors and other providers are encouraged to team up to give coordinated care for a population of people and be paid financial incentives to do so.

"Value in health care is created by doing a few things well and not by trying to do everything," the summary reads. "The rural findings may just suggest that by national selection, rural has figured out what it does well and has optimized those services for the patient's benefit." (Read more)
Princess Health and University Hospital's trust to pay for indigent care lacks oversight, state auditor finds.Princessiccia

Princess Health and University Hospital's trust to pay for indigent care lacks oversight, state auditor finds.Princessiccia

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An audit of the trust that disburses more than $30 million in state and local funding to provide indigent care at University Hospital has found there is a lack of oversight. There is no evidence taxpayer dollars were abused, however.

"The audit, released by state Auditor Adam Edelen, found that the board structure wasn't suited for proper oversight and the agreement between University Medical Center, which runs the hospital, and state and local governments to administer the money is outdated," reports Laura Ungar of The Courier-Journal.

The audit also found there is insufficient record keeping. "The responsibility for providing a safety net for our most vulnerable is a critical one shared by the university, city and commonwealth," Edelen said. "While this audit underscores the need for modernization and reform of the governing structure, it does not provide justification for those who desire a retreat from that mission." (Read more)

Princess Health and Agriculture commissioner visits six counties to promote local food, better nutrition in school lunches.Princessiccia

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State Sen. David Givens, R-Greensburg, watches
as Commissioner James Comer speaks at Green
County High School.(Greensburg Record-Herald)
To encourage child nutrition and healthier school lunches, state Agriculture Commissioner James Comer visited six Kentucky school districts earlier this week. He met with school boards in Owsley, Jackson, Knox, Marion and Metcalfe counties, and visited Green County High School, according to a news release from his office.

Many Kentucky children consume more than half of their daily calories at schools. During a typical school day, 4 in 10 American students buy and eat snack foods and drinks, the Pew Health Group found. More than 23 million children and teens in the U.S. are overweight or obese.

"Children who are overweight and obese are at greater risk of chronic ailments that can damage their quality of life and even shorten their lives," Comer said. "Schools can help students eat better, but many schools simply don't have the resources, the equipment or the training necessary to serve healthy meals on a consistent basis. I want to talk to local leaders about how the Kentucky Department of Agriculture can help."

"Just a small amount of money would enable many school districts to make healthy and nutritious foods available to their students," he said. "The KDA can help these schools wade through federal bureaucracy and find the necessary funding. We can also help with our Farm-to-School Program, which connects schools with local producers who can provide fresh Kentucky Proud foods. That's food for our kids, and it helps local farmers make a living." (Read more)

Wednesday, 23 May 2012

Princess Health and Obama administration spent $25 million on health-care law publicity campaign, part of it exaggerating, McConnell complains.Princessiccia

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The Obama administration spent nearly $20 million on mailings to seniors touting the federal health-care reform law and another $5 million on postcards to small business owners informing them of a tax credit under the law, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a floor speech today. He said the Government Accountability Office found that the mailing to seniors "overstated the law�s benefits."

"These are just a few of the way the administration is quietly promoting its own failed policies; how it's trying to change people's minds about the president's policies with their own money," McConnell said. "The larger point is the fact that we've got a nearly $16 trillion debt, the largest tax hike in history right around the corner, chronic unemployment, and sky-high gas prices, and this President things it's a good idea to spend $20 million to promote Obamacare."

McConnell's remarks can be heard in their entirety by clicking on the video above.

Princess Health and WHAT CHILD BIRTH, POTTY TRAINING, AND YOUR HUNGER HAVE IN COMMON. Princessiccia

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One of the most incredible experiences I�ve had is going through labor and delivery of my three children. I remember the intense pain I felt through my pelvis as if I was being ripped apart at the sacrum, similar to the picture of the Levi -brand jeans being torn apart from the right and left side by horses. It felt as if my iliac bones were being ripped out of my body. It would be similar pain to that of being sawed in half at the waist. I couldn�t catch my breath, there was no position that removed the pain, and there was no break between contractions. I remember crying and wondering how I was going to make it through hours of this debilitating pain.
Eventually I did get an epidural. However, it didn�t quite work that well. My right side continued to have the excruciating perpetual pain around my spine and hips, so they upped the epidural so much that I couldn�t feel anything. Not one thing. When it came to pushing the nurses had to tell me when to push. I had no idea if I was having a contraction, how hard the contraction was, and I didn�t have a clue as to what to do. I just pushed as hard as I could, hoping it was enough to end the misery.
I know this is gross, but you know that feeling you get when you are going to go number-2? That feeling tells you what to do, when to do it, and how hard you need to work to get it done?  It�s a feeling of impending need, a feeling of pressure, or a sense of prioritization- otherwise you�re going to shit your pants. During labor and delivery, your body gives you similar feedback, but with pain that is magnified by five-billion three hundred-thousand seven-hundred and ten, or so.  Because I chose to receive an epidural with my first two children, I was never exposed to that feedback and didn�t understand the capacity of the human body to communicate its needs- until the delivery of my third child.
Come to find out later that the pain I experienced with my first two children is called �back-labor�.  My third labor and delivery was a very different experience, however. There was no back pain, there were normal breaks between contractions, and I could breath.  As a contraction would rise I could mentally prepared to relax through the pain. The pain was entirely in my stomach and would build up like a wave that lasted a few minutes. In order to get through the wave of pain, I imagined I was floating on my back like a limp peace of seaweed. The moments I tensed up, the pain was much worse. I quickly learned to submit to the fact that there was no getting out of the delivery and I would have to allow the body to do the work it needed to safely deliver my baby. I willingly stepped aside and went through about 6 hours of this deep relaxed state, allowing my body do what it needed to prepare for delivery.
I regret that I agreed to get an epidural because the pain was manageable (compared to back-labor) with meditation.  But, I am deeply grateful to the nurses because they knew when to turn the epidural down and I ended up have 100% of my feeling back an hour before delivery.  Those nurses gave me the opportunity to understand how incredible the human body is. I could feel everything, and the most amazing feedback my body was giving me was the sensation to push. It came in three-dimensions: how hard, how long, where the pressure was, and when to push.  It was a life altering experience for me. The sensations were so loud and clear that, this time, I was yelling at the nurses and telling them when and what was going on.
My husband and I are done having children, but I would love to go through that experience again. There have been times that I recreate that pain in my mind and I put myself in that meditative state, but it�s not the same. Without the pain or not having a choice in the matter, I�ve found it difficult to duplicate the level of consciousness required to separate my ego from dictating my body.   I wish I could go back and choose to go through the entire labor and delivery without an epidural. But with what experience I was given, the gift was in being exposed to how incredible the body is at taking care of itself through something as miraculous as creating a human being, and then delivering it without killing me or my children. What a mind-blowing piece of art that our intelligence isn�t capable of duplicating.
Are we as humans intelligently capable of duplicating the perfect feedback and guidance that our bodies give to us? Do we need a monitoring device to tell us when to poop and how hard to push? Do diet businesses (that are more concerned about selling products and their profit margins) really know more about our hunger rhythms than your body?  Is there another single human being with adequate super powers to tell you when your body needs to eat, of how much, and what it is craving? Are diets that manipulate food by calories capable of understanding how seasons influence changes in hunger with change in weather and pressure, moon cycles, menstrual cycles, stress and sleep fluctuations, and let us not forget impact on hunger with exercise and activity levels?
To all of the women reading this, has any diet ever explained to you why you are hungrier before your period and why you�re less hungry after you period, and did they adjust your food intake for that reason? Do diets accommodate for any dynamic change in hunger rhythms and do they continue to weigh you as if the water weight you gain each month is fat? My point is that the diet and nutrition industry (which is driven by the need to make money) is so misguided and off when it comes to understanding your body�s own intelligence. I don�t think our conscious intelligence has that capacity, nor the humility.
There is no static diet that can fulfill the many dynamic influences of your body�s need for food hormonally. But there is one perfect system, and that system is hard-wired into your body as a sense of hunger.
Hunger is more than just physical urge to eat. There is timing or a sense of urgency to eat. As you get hungrier the sense of amount of food increases, and then there�s craving for certain flavor, texture, and food substrate (fat, protein, carb, water, salt, fiber, nutrient, etc.). Have you ever considered your body�s dictation rather than the food and diet industries control? I give you this challenge: For the next few weeks, eat only when your body tells you to eat. Eat what your body is craving, but not a bite more than what is necessary to remove hunger. This means you should never be even close to full. This is similar to how you would eat if you were rationing food as of more isn�t an option.  Never get too hungry, avoid fullness at all cost, and eat what your body is craving- NO GUILT OR JUDGMENT OF THE FOOD.
Take notes of changes in energy level, body temperature, sleep, sex drive, acid reflux, and anything that changes as you use your own body rhythms to guide eating. To help I�ve attached the hunger-scale I created for people I coach. You can use your own words to describe hunger and understand that for those of you who are morbidly obese hunger will manifest differently than it does for people who are leaner. For example you might get a headache, burning throat, or quick onset of exhaustion, but not necessarily urgency.
Unfortunately, because we�ve allowed the food and diet industry to dictate when and how much we should eat, many people have completely lost trust in their body, and have lost touch with what hunger feels like and what it�s like not to be full. The more you practice and commit to only eating with your body�s feedback, you�ll notice you naturally feel much better and you naturally lose excess fat without needing to pay for a diet.  The other thing you�ll notice is how less you have the urge to binge.
There are many benefits to using your body to know when and how much to eat. But until you try it, you�ll never know. So take my challenge and let me know after a couple of weeks how amazing your body is and how amazing it�s always been. Like trusting that your body knows when it needs to poop, you have to gain trust that your body knows when it needs food too. Think of it like potty training, but with hunger.

Tuesday, 22 May 2012

Princess Health and Injury prevention policies in Kentucky lacking, study finds.Princessiccia

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Kentucky scored a dismal 3 on a scale of 10 in a safety study that assessed states against the the top 10 injury indicators in the country. The state had the 10th highest injury rate, with 76.6 Kentuckians per 100,000 dying from intentional or unintentional injuries.

Injuries are the third leading cause of death nationally, and the leading cause of death for Americans between ages 1 and 44.

The survey assessed states on whether they:
� Have primary seat belt laws.
� Require mandatory ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers, including first offenders
� Require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets.
� Require booster seats to at least the age of 8.
� Require children to wear bicycle helmets.
� Allow people in dating relationships to get protection orders.
� Receive an A in the Break the Cycle Report, which examines teen dating violence.
� Have a strong concussion law.
� Have an active prescription drug monitoring program.
� Have a strong policy in emergency departments that allows researchers and officials to understand injury trends.

Kentucky got points for having a seat-belt law, a strong concussion law and a drug monitoring program. The state was close to getting credit for the booster seat indicator; it requires the seats for children until they are 7. Kentucky also reported more than 85 percent of injury discharges in its emergency departments, but the indicator only gave credit to states that do it more than 90 percent of the time. But Kentucky was far was perfect when it came to teen dating violence, receiving a F grade in the Break the Cycle report.

Because of its injury rate, the study concluded Kentuckains pay $26.8 million in lifetime medical costs due to fatal injuries and $3.3 billion for total lifetime work loss due to fatal injuries.

The study shows how injury prevention policies can help save lives. The report points out that after Kentucky repealed its universal helmet law in 1998, motorcycle deaths rose by 50 percent. (Read more)

Princess Health and Revealing patient safety issues and medical errors are goals of Facebook page set up by ProPublica.Princessiccia

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Photo by iStockphoto.com/selimaksan
Interested in creating a venue for those who have been harmed while undergoing medical treatments, ProPublica, the nonprofit, investigative news organization, has set up a Facebook page on the issue.

"Group members have already shared stories of personal disability or the death of a loved one due to surgical mistakes, becoming infected with deadly drug-resistant bacteria and dental mishaps � including cases they claim were not properly addressed by health care providers," Daniel Victor and Marshall Allen report. The page will be moderated by Victor and Olga Pierce.

The page is also open to doctors, nurses, regulators, health-care executives and others interested in discussing medical errors, their causes and solutions. Question-and-answer sessions with experts will be posted, along with links to the latest reports and policy proposals. (Read more)


Princess Health and BLOWING OUT SOMEONE ELSE'S CANDLE TO MAKE YOUR'S SEEM BRIGHTER. Princessiccia

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Other people�s criticism, or judgment of what is wrong or bad about somebody or something, is merely a reflection of their need to control and dictate rules, guidelines, and boundaries. They are enforcing apon other's the principles by which they use to feel better about themselves.
Their criticism is also a reflection of what makes them feel insecure. Otherwise they wouldn�t take the time and effort to impose their opinion with the intent to put other�s down.  It is this type of controlling person that attracts chaos, and expresses criticism that constantly wreaks havoc, attracts conflict, and draws attention towards to their need for attention and control.
Could it be that their bias is what they think gives them value, that they like the control they feel when people submit to their judgments, or that criticizing others puts them higher-up in a pecking order? Is their offensive attack to protect and control something they don�t want to lose? Even if what you do has no bearing on what they do, if (in their mind) it conflicts or competes with their bias, they�ll feel the impulse to protect their ego, and justify an offensive attack - thus, blowing out someone else�s candle to make theirs brighter.
I understand this reaction. This is the premise for why we war, why there�s prejudice, why we feel justified in hurting others, why ideals judge, hate, and fight to seek value above other ideals. This is why people who have low self-esteem feel the need to put others down in order to pump them-selves up. As if putting someone else down really improves self-esteem!
If a person was confident in themselves and what they do, would they:

�         Start rumors, lie, and put effort into seeking allies that construe faults conflict and controversy?

�         Spend more time trying to discredit the work of others, than they do crediting their own work?

�          Need to justify or defend their beliefs or actions?
Their energy and motive is no longer in the integrity of the work they do, but instead to the corruption of their shallow ego to offend the work of other�s. 
If they were secure in their view, would they feel the urge to attack other people�s belief?
How many of you have been overly criticized by someone you love and want approval from?  Is their disapproval the truth of who you are or is it merely a reflection of the ideology they think you should adhere to? Is their criticism a way to control you, to put you beneath them, and a way for them to feed their ego? One of the most common reasons people emotionally eat is out of insecurity, or to compensate for lack of approval. Eating is a form of self-approval and an easy means to feel secure when insecurity ensues.
But what if you are that critic? Is it your entitled right to force others to remove your insecurity? Instead of forcing other�s to fulfill you are you forcing your insecurity on your body? Do you criticize yourself and enforce diet restrictions to control your feelings of insecurity? Is it your body�s job to make you feel better about yourself?
Consider your internal battles and question if you are the critic, if you are your own opponent, and if you are a martyr to your own abuse. Is the battle you have with other�s really a battle within yourself? If you are secure in yourself, secure in what is authentic and what makes you independently valuable, is there really a threat? Is there a need to put others or yourself down? No.
Before you criticize yourself and others seek what you are compensating for. Are you defending something that needs no apology or are you taking offense to something because you feel insecure? Question why you feel threatened and why you need something outside of yourself to feel better.
If you are blowing out someone else�s candle, it really doesn�t make yours burn brighter, but in fact, it just makes your surroundings darker.


Monday, 21 May 2012

Princess Health and School nurses in Fayette cut as public-health dollars shrink.Princessiccia

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Takirah Sleet, 7, and school nurse Michelle Marra assess her
lunch to manage Takirah's diabetes. (H-L photo by Pablo Alcala)
As public health and education dollars shrink, school nurses are caught in the middle. The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is among those scaling back its school-nurse program due to cuts, even as "more students with greater medical needs are appearing in classrooms," reports Mary Meehan for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

The cuts and the need present a difficult scenario: "In order to be educated, a student has to be healthy. How do you make that happen?" asked Mary Burch, president of the Kentucky School Nurse Association.

Schools nurses are not mandated in Kentucky, and the way school districts address the issue varies widely. Some districts use a nurse consultant to train school staff. The National Association of School Nurses recommends one school nurse for every 750 students. With 40,000 students, Fayette County falls short of meeting that level of care. The Fayette County school board helps to increase funding to keep nurses in place. About $600,000 would need to be reallocated. (Read more)

Princess Health and HPV-linked cancers on rise, more prevalent in Kentucky.Princessiccia

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The human papillomavirus, which is generally blamed for causing cervical cancer, is being linked to the formation of several other kinds of cancer, and Kentuckians are getting these diseases in unusually high numbers, reports Laura Ungar of The Courier-Journal.

HPV is being linked to cancers of the vagina, vulva, penis, anus and lung, as well as the head and neck. "It's turning out to be a pretty bad actor ... an extensive health problem," said Dr. Daniel Metzinger, a gynecological oncologist with University of Louisville Physicians.

Kentucky's rates for HPV-related cancer are among the highest in the country. Part of the reason may be that smoking is a risk factor and Kentucky has the nation's highest smoking rate, Ungar reports. "I'm seeing more of it for sure," said Metzinger. "It used to be a disease we'd see in older people. Now, we see it in younger and younger people."

One way to protect against the virus is to be immunized with the HPV vaccine. A federal committee recommends vaccinating 11- and 12-year-old girls through to women up to age 26. Boys and men should also be immunized from age 11 to age 21. The immunization must occur before the patient is sexually active, since HPV is sexually transmitted.

In 2010, just 49 percent of adolescent girls nationwide received at least the first of the vaccine's three doses, and only a third had gotten all three, which are required for full effectiveness. In Kentucky that year, only 25 percent of adolescent females had gotten the first dose, and fewer than 11 percent have received all three doses, according to Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky.

National Cancer Institute numbers show more than half of sexually active people are infected with HPV at some point. Usually, it goes away on its own within a few years. "But it can also set the stage for cancer," Ungar reports. "Across the nation, about 26,000 new cancers attributed to HPV occur each year, with 18,000 in women and 8,000 in men." (Read more)


Princess Health and Health-care costs are a serious problem, nine of 10 adults say.Princessiccia

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Nearly nine of 10 American adults say the cost of health care is a serious problem (chart) and about two-thirds of the general public believe that cost has gone up in the last five years.

These are the results of a poll released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Harvard School of Public Health and National Public Radio.

The poll asked additional questions of Americans who said they have had a serious illness, medical condition, injury or disability in the past year. More than 40 percent said the cost of their medical care caused a "very serious" (20 percent) or "somewhat serious" (23 percent) problem for their or their family's finances.

"The rising cost of medical care affects everyone, but people who have been unwell know firsthand that an illness or injury can mean financial hardship or ruin," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the RWJF. "These findings confirm how thinly individuals and families have been stretched. Having access to high-quality, affordable, comprehensive health coverage is crucial, but we know that even with insurance, rising health care costs leave many Americans with the burden of higher out-of-pocket spending." (Read more)

Princess Health and HBO's 'Weight of the Nation' examines the obesity epidemic.Princessiccia

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A compelling four-part documentary delving into the obesity epidemic sweeping the country is being aired on HBO and can be watched free by clicking here. A reporter wanting to write a series of stories on the issue would find "weight of the Nation" a good reference.

The program is divided into four parts. The first segment, "Consequences," looks at the scope of the epidemic and the ramifications of being overweight or obese. "Choices" looks at the science behind how to lose weight, how to maintain weight loss and prevent weight gain. The third part, "Children in Crisis," looks at how the problem is affecting American children, exploring the decline of physical activity, school lunch, the demise of school recess and how marketing of unhealthy food targets children. The final segment, "Challenges," looks at the major forces driving obesity, including agriculture, economics, evolutionary biology, food marketing, racial and socioeconomic disparities, physical inactivity, American food culture, and the influence of the food and beverage industries.

The documentary is on a detailed website that answers questions that range from "What is obesity?" to "How do I know if I'm overweight or obese?"

The project is a presentation of HBO and the Institute of Medicine in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, with support from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation and health insurer Kaiser Permanente.

Friday, 18 May 2012

Princess Health and Healthy food is less expensive than junk food, study finds.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Healthy food is less expensive than junk food, study finds.Princessiccia

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Though it's widely believed that healthy food is more expensive than junk food, a new government analysis shows that does not have to be the case.

"In fact, carrots, onions, pinto beans, lettuce, mashed potatoes, bananas and orange juice are all less expensive per portion than soft drinks, ice cream, chocolate candy, French fries, sweet rolls and deep-fat fried chicken patties," reports Nanci Hellmich for USA Today.

"We have all heard that eating a healthy diet is expensive, and people have used that as an excuse for not eating a healthy diet . . . but healthy foods do not necessarily cost more than less healthy foods," said Andrea Carlson, an economist and co-author of the report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service. "The price of potato chips is nearly twice as expensive as the price of carrots by portion size."

Carlson and colleague Elizabeth Fraz�o analyzed national pricing data on more than 4,000 foods and ranked them according to price based on calories, weight and portion size. The foods were placed in five food groups: grains, dairy, protein, fruit and vegetables. Another category was added for unhealthy items, which did not fall into any of the other calories or were high in sugar, sodium and/or saturated fat such as cookies, desserts, granola bars and many cereals. They found:

� Given portion size, the ranking from least expensive to most expensive is: grains, dairy, vegetables, fruit, protein and less healthy foods. Protein and less healthy foods cost nearly the same.

� Meat, chicken and fish are the most expensive sources of protein but there are low-cost options like eggs and beans.

� Fruit and vegetables are lower in cost overall than unhealthy foods.

� Grains, such as bread, oatmeal, pasta and rice, are the cheapest foods no matter how the portion is measured. (Read more)
Princess Health and For first time, annual health costs for families exceed $20,000.Princessiccia

Princess Health and For first time, annual health costs for families exceed $20,000.Princessiccia

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For the first time, the average annual costs of workplace-provided health insurance and other costs for a family of four has exceeded $20,000, a new study has found. Costs are $20,728 this year, an increase of $1,335 over 2011.

An average family will pay $5,114 in premiums for a preferred provider organization plan, plus $3,470 in out-of-pocket costs like co-pays and prescriptions,  Jeffrey Young reports on The Huffington Post. The rest of the costs are paid by employers, according to the report released by Milliman, a firm that consults with companies on employee benefits.

"The rate of increase is not as high as in the past but total dollar increase was still a record," the report states. "The dollar amount of the increase overshadows any relief consumers might derive from the slowing percentage increase."

The report also found health-care costs vary among 14 metropolitan areas Milliman analyzed. Miami and New York City are most expensive where costs are 20 percent higher than the national average. Louisville and Lexington were not among the areas studied. (Read more)

Princess Health and National effort to combat Alzheimer's disease begins; as research continues, there are preventive steps you can take.Princessiccia

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Country singer Glen Campbell, who has Alzheimer's disease,
stands with wife Kim during a national conference Tuesday.
Associated Press photo by Charles Dharapak.
With numbers expected to jump to 16 million Americans by 2050, research is being conducted in earnest to find a way to ward off Alzheimer's disease.

One plan of attack is testing therapies before people show symptoms of memory loss, since the disease starts attacking the brain at least 10 years before memory problems appear. An international study will see if an experimental drug can halt the disease in "people who appear healthy but are genetically destined to get a type of Alzheimer's that runs in the family," reports Lauran Neergaard for The Associated Press. In another study, researchers will see if a nasal spray that shoots insulin to the brain can help patients with early memory problems.

Part of the challenge in combatting the disease is researchers are still not sure what causes it. "The chief suspects are a sticky gunk called bata-amyloid, which makes up the disease's hallmark brain plaques, and tangles of a protein named tau that clogs up dying brain cells. One theory: "Amyloid may kick off the disease while tau speeds up the brain destruction," Neergaard reports.

Given the expected increase in the number of people with Alzheimer's, the Obama administration has adopted a national strategy to fight the disease, part of which is a website that is a "one-stop shop for families" to offer information about dementia and links to community resources. Today, there are 5.4 Americans with Alzheimer's or related dementias.

There are steps people can take to protect their brains from the disease, including intellectual and social stimulation to help build "cognitive reserve." Doing crossword puzzles, for example, can help. So can physical activity. "Any time your heart is healthier, your brain is healthier," said Dr. Elizabeth head of the University of Kentucky. Diet is another consideration, since foods that are heart healthy are brain healthy, including omega-3 fatty acids found in fish. (Read more)

Tuesday, 15 May 2012

Princess Health and How to take local action to improve health at the local level is outlined at Frankfort conference.Princessiccia

Princess Health and How to take local action to improve health at the local level is outlined at Frankfort conference.Princessiccia

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By Tara Kaprowy
Kentucky Health News

A recipe for how to improve health at the local level in Kentucky was the capstone of a day-long seminar in Frankfort Monday, with experts stressing that partnerships are key and funding will remain tight.

Communities must mobilize, prioritize, "effectivize" their actions, publicize and evaluate, measure and report performance, Trudi Matthews, director of policy and public relations at HealthBridge, summed up at the end of the Kentucky Health Quality Collaborative Conference.

The gathering was hosted by Kentucky Voices for Health in partnership with the Friedell Committee for Health System Transformation. "No single actor or set of stakeholders can solve what's wrong," Matthews said. "We really need to think across silos. We really have to collaborate."

When it comes to funding, governments "have made it very clear they will not increase the number of dollars that will be put into health care," said keynote speaker Dr. Robert Graham, national program director for Aligning Forces for Quality. "We're in a perfect storm," agreed Sue Thomas-Cox, branch manager for chronic disease prevention at the Kentucky Department for Public Health. "Federal, state and local governments don't have enough money . . . so we must work together."

Luckily, health care happens at the local level, Graham said, with hospitals and clinics unique to communities, health insurance agents locally based and consumers grounded in their communities. While there is "no particular model for how to get (change) started," Graham said, the first step is getting all stakeholders � purchasers, insurance agents, providers, consumers, faith-based organizations � around the same table. "You've got to make sure there is a balance of interests," he said. 

Also key are local boards of health and health departments, whose members and staff are charged with safeguarding the health of the people of a county, under state law, and have the advantage of being "relatively untainted by the illness-for-dollars disease," pointed out Dr. Forrest Calico, a rural health consultant and longtime worker in the field.

Health departments must ensure they don't spread themselves too thin, said Dr. Steve Davis, acting commissioner for the Department for Public Health. "One of the biggest reasons why we have not moved the health needle in Kentucky is we need to be an inch wide and a mile deep," he said. Communities need to "come up with five or six things and let's hammer, hammer, hammer it," he said. Of those priorities, Davis pointed out the importance of tackling chronic disease: "That's what's killing our brethren and eating our financial lunch." For adults, he would like to see an increase in breast, cervical, colon and lung cancer screening, as well an increase in immunization rates especially for flu and pneumonia.

For children, Davis has six priorities: reduce preterm and low-birthrate babies; improve injury-prevention programs; decrease tobacco use; reduce obesity; increase immunization rates; and improve oral health.

To get more accomplished, health departments need to team up with local organizations to avoid duplication of services, which Davis said accounts for $300 billion in unnecessary spending nationwide. He added the goal is to make "1 plus 1 equal 3," with health departments needing to adopt a "do or assure" philosophy.

But there are challenges in health departments, with some local health board members failing to "roll up their sleeves," Davis said. "You can go in with nothing in your head and leave with nothing in your head," agreed Henry Bertram, chair of the Pendleton County and Three Rivers District Board of Health.

A survey of health departments showed just 46 percent of local boards of health have a vision for the next three years to improve the health status of their community and just 44 percent say they are tracking compliance for the 10 essential services they are charged with providing. And the real numbers might be worse, because the survey was voluntary.

While about half of the state's health departments are committed to working toward achieving national accreditation, only three departments � Franklin, Northern Kentucky and Three Rivers District � have actually applied for it. 

Also crucial for communities is using data to identify priorities, take action and measure performance, whether using county-specific numbers at www.kentuckyhealthfacts.org or using national data.

"We don't want to get stuck in analysis paralysis," but communities can use the data as "a story you can use as leverage," said Jan O'Neill, community engagement specialist for County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. The County Health Rankings evaluate the morbidity and mortality rates for nearly every county in the country and rank them within a state.  The rankings can act as a motivator for counties interested in effecting health changes, but "We have to be aware of their limitations" given their margins of error, especially for small counties, pointed out Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues. 

O'Neill spoke of San Bernadino County in California, which used its low ranking to spur change. The county focused on its built environment, pressing hard for Walk or Wheel to School programs, community gardens and a kids community health center. O'Neill pointed out the changes are about more than infrastructure. "It's the relationships," she said. "It's the human capital ... It's many not all doing it all, but bringing what you do best. That's what mobilizing looks like."

Jodi Mitchell, executive director for Kentucky Voices for Health, said she is "starting to see a tide of change" already in Kentucky. What's important is to keep momentum building and, equally vital, ensure people are willing to participate. "If you're not at the table," she said, "you're on the menu."

Kentucky Health News is a service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based in the School of Journalism and Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
Princess Health and 531 deficiencies found in 80 Kentucky nursing homes in first quarter of 2012; worst one had 29; five had none.Princessiccia

Princess Health and 531 deficiencies found in 80 Kentucky nursing homes in first quarter of 2012; worst one had 29; five had none.Princessiccia

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State inspectors found 531 deficiencies in 80 Kentucky nursing homes in the first quarter of this year, with one facility accounting for 29 of them alone: Life Care Center of Morehead. In five nursing homes, no deficiencies were found.

The information was released by Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform, a nonprofit organization that advocates for nursing home residents and obtains the data regularly through open-records requests to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and distributes it statewide. The information is posted as part of Medicare's nursing-home comparison data.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the average number of deficiencies for a nursing home inspected in the U.S. is eight and the average in Kentucky is seven. Inspections assess a facility on the care of residents and how that care is administered; on how staff and residents interact; and on its environment. Certified nursing homes must meet more than 180 regulatory standards. The state Office of Inspector General website has more data, such as the results of inspections and the ownership of each facility.

Nursing homes with 10 or more deficiencies in the first quarter were:
� Life Care Center of Morehead (29 deficiencies)
� Kindred Transitional Care & Rehab-Fountain Circle in Winchester (24)
� Signature Health of Pikeville (19)
� Hearthstone Place in Elkton (15)
� Martin County Health Care Facility in Inez (14)
� Wesley Manor Nursing Center in Louisville (13)
� Pembroke Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Pembroke (13)
� Highlands Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Louisville (11)
� Mountain Manor of Paintsville (11)
� Cumberland Valley Manor in Burkesville (10)
� Klondike Care and Rehabilitation Center in Louisville (10)

The five nursing homes with no deficiencies were:
� Clark Regional Medical Center in Winchester
� Nazareth Home in Louisville
� Essex Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Louisville
� Barren County Health Care Center in Glasgow
� Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Center in Lexington (initial inspection; under new ownership)

For more information about Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform, click here.


Princess Health and Newspaper reporting contest for rural health coverage; deadline June 24.Princessiccia

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Journalists who have reported about rural health in the past year should start sifting through their clippings. The Kentucky Rural Health Association is awarding four writers $100 each for their efforts.

Entries will be judged on their relevance to rural health; the quality of the reporting; impact on health-care policy; and new insights that might have been generated by the reporting.

The contest features two divisions, daily and non-daily, with two categories in each division: series and single story. The contest period ranges from July 1, 2011 to June 15, 2012. Entries must be received by June 24. Winners will be announced during KRHA's annual conference in Aug. 16-17 in Bowling Green.

Entries can be submitted to David A. Gross, 222 Medical Circle, Morehead KY 40351. For more information, contract Gross at 606-783-6468 or e-mail at dagross@st-claire.org. (Read more)


Princess Health and Tobacco virus may be used to combat Parkinson's disease.Princessiccia

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A tobacco crop affected by drought. Courier-Journal photo
by David R. Lutman.
University of Louisville researchers say a virus that attacks tobacco plants may be used to develop a vaccine for Parkinson's disease.

The answer lies with the tobacco mosaic virus, which causes antibodies that "may be protective against Parkinson's," said Dr. Robert Friedland, a clinical and research neurologist at U of L.

Friedland's findings come after more than 60 studies have shown that smokers seem to have a reduced risk for developing Parkinson's, a motor system disorder that can cause tremors, stiffness and impaired balance. 

But Friedland and Dr. Honglei Chen, an investigator with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health, warn the findings should not be considered an excuse to smoke. Friedland's research is partly funded by the NIH, but not by any tobacco companies, reports Laura Ungar for The Courier-Journal. (Read more)

Monday, 14 May 2012

Princess Health and Coventry changes course, will pay for addiction-treatment drug.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Coventry changes course, will pay for addiction-treatment drug.Princessiccia

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Reversing its decision, likely after it was pressured to do so, a Medicaid managed-care organization will continue to pay for a drug used to treat drug addiction.

Coventry Cares said it "decided to change course after talking to representatives of a chain of addition treatment clinics that threatened last week to sue Coventry," reports Beth Musgrave for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Last week, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services sent Coventry a letter expressing its displeasure about the MCO's move, saying it would be a contractual violation. The drug in question is Suboxone, an expensive treatment option for addicts dependent on taking opioids such as Oxycontin and Vicodin. Coventry had said it was aligning its coverage in keeping with Medicaid policy, moving to only cover the full price of the drug for pregnant or recently pregnant women and youth under 21.

After the MCO discussed the issue with SelfRefind, the chain of addiction treatment clinics in question, "Coventry understands their concerns," said Coventry spokesman Eyles. "As a result, we will continue covering Suboxone and similar medicines for all Coventry members while we work through the cabinet's process to determine whether these drugs should be covered for certain categories of Medicaid recipients or everyone." (Read more)

Saturday, 12 May 2012

Princess Health and 100 Kentucky hospitals join network to improve patient safety, fight hospital-acquired conditions such as infections.Princessiccia

Princess Health and 100 Kentucky hospitals join network to improve patient safety, fight hospital-acquired conditions such as infections.Princessiccia

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To help hospitals reduce preventable readmissions and hospital-acquired infections, 100 of Kentucky's 131 hospitals have joined the Kentucky Hospital Association's hospital engagement network. The group's goal is to help hospitals find ways to improve patient safety, reduce readmissions and hospital-acquired conditions such as infections, and share learning among hospitals.

The network hopes to reduce the incidence of adverse drug events; catheter-associated urinary tract infections; central-line-associated bloodstream infections; injuries from falls and immobility; obstetrical adverse events; pressure ulcers; surgical site infections; venous thromboembolisms or deep vein clots; ventilator-associated pneumonia; and preventable readmissions.

The two-year project is supported by a contract with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as part of the "Partnership for Patients" campaign, launched earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The goal for the project is to reduce preventable  readmissions that occur within 30 days of discharge by 20 percent and hospital-acquired infections by 40 percent (compared to 2010) by the end of 2013.

"The commitment to patient safety and quality by hospitals across Kentucky has resulted in lives saved, fewer complications and reduced costs," said Mark J. Neff, chair of the KHA board of trustees and president and CEO of St. Claire Regional Medical Center in Morehead. For a list of hospitals participating in the network, click here.

Friday, 11 May 2012

Princess Health and Hopkinsville paper examines doctor shortage, reasons for it.Princessiccia

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Albert Delaney waits for his wife Agnes in Hopkinsville.
(Photo by Kentucky New Era's Tom Kane)
Nick Tabor of the Kentucky New Era examines Christian County's doctor shortage, with the area averaging just one primary care physician for every 2,000 people. It's the latest health story in the small daily newspaper, which is committed to quality health reporting.

The shortage creates problems for residents, who must either travel to another area to see a doctor or go without preventive services because there is no one to see until serious illness occurs. When that happens, that "puts an undue burden" on the local hospital's emergency room.

The shortage is affected by the fact that "primary care physicians, which rural areas need in higher volumers than specialists, are entering the job market at alarmingly low rates," Tabor reports. "More medical students are becoming specialists, as these jobs promise better salaries and hours." Secondly, it is difficult to recruit doctors to rural areas. "Little old Hopkinsville is up against Boston and Chicago and all of these bigger cities," said Teresa Bowers, Jennie Stuart Medical Center's physician recruitment director. "They're not throwing darts at a map and saying, 'I'm going to Hopkinsville.'"

The problem is not a new one. A 2007 report by the Kentucky Institute of Medicine shows there have been shortage issues for decades. "Even if all the barriers that have prevented a sufficient and well-dispersed supply of physicians were suddenly to disappear, the task of recruiting and educating an ample cohort of doctors would take years to accomplish," it reads.

The problem is liken to worsen, however, if the federal health-reform law is upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, as 30 million more Americans will have insurance to see the doctor. A recent report found medical school enrollment is up by 30 percent, but more residency placements are needed to accommodate the influx. (Read more)

Princess Health and Medicaid managed-care firm Coventry plans to stop paying for expensive drug that curtails addiction.Princessiccia

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Coventry Cares, one of the four firms that manage patient care for the state Medicaid program, has once again hit the headlines, this time for its plans to stop paying for medicine that helps addicts keep their opioid addiction at bay. State officials quickly condemned the move Thursday and called it a contract violation, reports Beth Musgrave of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Coventry decided to stop paying for buprenorphine, more commonly known as Suboxone, which helps curtain cravings for drugs such as Oxycontin and Vicodin. A 30-day supply of the drug can cost more than $450, Musgrave reports.

"They will be at risk for relapsing and going back to using illegal opioids," Dr. Michelle Lofwall, an addiction specialist and assistant professor at the University of Kentucky, told Musgrave. "Whenever you are using illegal opioids, there is a risk of overdose and death."

Coventry said it will no longer offer the coverage because only pregnant women, women who recently gave birth and those under the age of 21 are eligible for addiction treatment in Kentucky's Medicaid program. "What we've done is align our coverage with the cabinet's Medicaid policy," said Matt Eyles, a Coventry spokesman.

However, the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services said the decision violates the contract and "cannot take this unilateral action without the cabinet's approval," said Jill Midkiff, a cabinet spokeswoman. 

A company that operates addiction treatment centers across the state was planning to file suit over the move Friday, but, after learning of the cabinet's reaction, "We are going to give them the chance to work this out," Anna Whites, an attorney who represents SelfRefind.

Coventry already caused controversy this week when it informed Baptist Health System wants to renegotiate its contract. The move comes just a week after Coventry and Appalachian Regional Healthcare came to a temporary agreement after Coventry threatened to terminate its contract and ARH sued Coventry. The company has also told King's Daughters Medical Center in Ashland it will terminate its contract after May 26. (Read more)
Princess Health and Cancer battle of UK faculty member to air on KET.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Cancer battle of UK faculty member to air on KET.Princessiccia

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A documentary chronicling a former University of Kentucky faculty member's battle with cancer will air six times in May on KET.

Nancy Clauder, an oboist whose research focused on arranging and performance, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2008 when she went to the doctor with what she thought were symptoms of the flu. She was diagnosed with the disease, a rare, blood-related cancer with no cure. Clauder underwent a stem cell transplant, endured high-dose chemotherapy and lost her ability to play her instrument for six months, a UK press release says.

Eventually, she was able play again and recorded a CD with artists from UK and the Lexington Philharmonic. "This is the right time, and I'm so grateful that there was the opportunity to do it through UK, and a grant research program, because I would not be able to afford the musicians," she said.

The documentary "The Ascending Journey" will air at 4 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. May 13; at 10:30 p.m. Thursday, May 17 on KET2; midnight Monday, May 21 on KET2; 5 a.m. Monday, May 28 on KETKY; and 9:30 p.m. May 30 on KETKY. (Read more)
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