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Friday, 31 May 2013

Princess Health and Low-Carb, Sugar-Free - Let's Have a Closer Look!. Princessiccia

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Do your mood and energy levels change all the time? You feel happy then you feel down? You have energy then you feel tired?
One of the very likely reasons is your inadequate carbohydrate intake.

This is the next in our 'back-to-basics' series, talking now about carbohydrates. Carbs, sugar, low-GI, these words might sound familiar, but would you actually be able to explain to someone what they are? As outlined before, if your health is important for you, it is vital that you educate yourself, so you can make informed decisions.

Let's go backwards, starting from the inside of our body:

-our cells need sugar, it is called glucose.
-glucose reaches the cells from the bloodstream, with the help of the insulin (the insulin is a carrier, it is like a small vehicle, used for transporting the glucose from the blood to the cells)
-the glucose found in the blood comes from what we eat - after eating carbohydrates, they get digested by our body and broken down to glucose, which is a simple sugar.

In the next article we will go through this process again, pointing out why it is not the same eating a wholegrain, a fruit, compared to eating a pack of biscuits. Why refined sugar found in most of the processed food is very dangerous - all these in the next article.

As for now, let's see why you should avoid weight-loss diets based on very low carbohydrate intake.

Why do we need carbohydrates?

As you've seen above, our cells need it. But what for?

- Carbs are essential for life. That is why they are one of the three macronutrients (together with protein and fat), which means we need higher amounts of it with our food.
- Carbs are the major source of energy.
- And one very important fact: the brain and the central nervous system needs continuous supply of glucose (coming from the carbohydrate we eat).

So what happens if you start a very low-carb diet and force yourself to cut out many important and healthy sources of carbohydrates?

You will start to have less energy, your mood will shift and soon you will be feeling down all the time, getting even to the point of depression. You might find yourself arguing with others with no reason, not having energy for your usual activities, and so forth.

Long term side effects can be anything related to the central nervous system...

What about the claim that eating less carbs will push your body to use the body fat?

Well, your body won't find what it needs in your body fat. There are glucose stores in your liver, your muscles, and of course, the excess glucose is stored in the form of fat.  But the process doesn't work the other way around unfortunately. You ate too much sugar, which forced your body to store the excess in the form of fat - that fat won't supply the glucose your brain needs. It is as simple as that. And all sort of problems will start to occur in your body when you cut out almost all carbs.

Yes, you might loose weight at the beginning following such a diet (and you most probably will), but is it really worth it? Not to even mention the fact that all weight lost during an unbalanced diet will come back at some stage.

Which carbs can you eat safely?

-Fresh fruit
-Whole grains
-Vegetables (all of them)

What about refined sugars, sugar-loaded food?

The big problem in people's diet is the processed, refined sugars found not only in sweets, but in many food nowadays, like canned food, salad dressings, wraps, and basically in almost everything what isn't  home made.

Before starting a weight loss diet, have a close look at your current diet. Think about it, or better write it down what you eat every day, what you have for mains, what you have for snacks etc.

If you find food with processed sugars in your diet, start with cutting them out, and without changing anything else, you will experience not just weight loss, but also increased and lasting energy, better looking skin, less cravings.

It is not easy though at the beginning, because sugar is very addictive. And we will talk about this in our next article.

In the next article we'll see:

-why eating refined sugar is not just dangerous, but highly addictive,
-how to quit eating sugar,
-why never use artificial sweeteners,
and more.

As always, whether you want to loose weight or not, regular exercise should be a vital part of your life. Exercise should be always on the top of your daily to-do-list. Come along to one of our ZUMBA classes and experience exercising the fun way. CLICK HERE
































































































































Wednesday, 29 May 2013

Princess Health and Judge orders Medicaid managed-care firm to pay for school health services, including $8 million in claims; appeal possible.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Judge orders Medicaid managed-care firm to pay for school health services, including $8 million in claims; appeal possible.Princessiccia

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Medicaid managed care company Kentucky Spirit must cover preventive care services provided by local health departments in schools, a judge has ruled.

Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd of Frankfort said the company must pay $8 million for the services already provided by school nurses, which would be only .07 percent of its estimated profit for 2013, according to the updated earnings report of Centene Corp. of St. Louis, the parent company for Kentucky Spirit. The company is the only one of the five managed care organizations in Kentucky  that had disputed the coverage of school health services.

Kentucky Spirit stopped providing coverage for school health services last summer, saying its state contract didn't require payment for such services,but Shepherd noted that the state reimbursed health departments for school services before it transitioned to managed care, reports Tom Loftus of The Courier-Journal. �Kentucky Spirit is not free to disregard this longstanding interpretation of Medicaid eligibility and unilaterally re-interpret these to the detriment of local health departments,� Shepherd wrote.

Health departments and school districts will now find some relief because many school nurse programs were threatened by cutbacks and closings as a result of Kentucky Spirits failure to pay for services. �It�s great news because there have been dozens of districts that have had to either say they are going to cut back on nurses, or that they are going to close clinics, or that they are going to dip into their reserves to try to cover the additional costs,� Kentucky School Boards Association spokesman Brad Hughes told Loftus.

Gov. Steve Beshear said Kentucky Spirit had �sought a loophole� in its contract to avoid paying for school health services covered by Medicaid, writes Loftus. Centene released a statement later Tuesday saying that the company is reviewing options and considering an appeal.

This isn't the only payment Centene is trying to avoid. A ruling is expected soon in a lawsuit the company filed against the state last year seeking to end its contract a year early, saying the state rushed to privatize Medicaid in 2011 and provided incorrect cost information to the bidders, causing the firm to lose about $120 million.

Appalachian Regional Healthcare, the largest health-care system in Eastern Kentucky, filed suit in April of this year against Kentucky Spirit for $5.9 million in unpaid claims. This suit is still pending, and was filed just before Centene raised its full-year forecast for premium and service revenue to $10.1 billion to $10.4 billion, Reuters reports.

Tuesday, 28 May 2013

Princess Health and Sick of all the bad facts about Kentucky's health? Here's encouraging news about oral health and drug treatment.Princessiccia

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Despite the plethora of bad news about Kentucky's poor health status, there are many positive initiatives for Kentucky's oral health and substance abuse treatment, which were stories buried under health news headlines about Medicaid expansion and low health rankings.

The Kentucky Board of Dentistry recently established the position of public heath dental hygienist, permitting hygienists to go into Kentucky schools to assess teeth on the front lines, which will provide basic preventive dental care to underserved kids with tooth problems through local health departments, Al Smith, left, reports in an opinion piece for the Lexington-Herald Leader.

"These hygienists will be able to do school fluoride varnish programs, place sealants, refer kids in pain, and promote dental health programs (like brushing and better nutrition) in the schools without being supervised by a dentist," Dr. Rankin Skinner, director of the Clark County Dental Health Initiative, told Smith. "I think this is a major step in developing dental health program like ours across the state and moving our kids towards better health in general."

The initiative, comprising 17 dentists and 127 volunteers, was selected as a national model by a national association of all the health departments. "It isn't often that a private volunteer program in Kentucky sets a national standard," Skinner told Smith.

Meanwhile, in Florence, Kentucky's first lady, Jane Beshear, a Democrat, joined her Republican co-chair of Recovery Kentucky, Lexington homebuilder Don Ball, to celebrate the Brighton Recovery Center's fifth birthday and nearly 800 graduates.

Brighton is one of the 10 new homes for Recovery Kentucky, a program that is also becoming a national model, Smith writes. Since its inception during the Fletcher administration, the program has provided supportive housing and addiction recovery programs to over 10,000 men and women, writes Smith.

Beshear said the next steps are for her and Ball to create more drug-free housing and jobs for graduates of the program, Smith reports. This goal creates hope for other successful initiatives and shines a ray of light at the end of a dark and dreary tunnel.

Princess Health and Pikeville Medical Center joins Mayo Clinic Care Network.Princessiccia

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Pikeville Medical Center President Walter May and Dr. 
Stephen Lange, Mayo Clinic's Southeast medical director
Pikeville Medical Center joined the Mayo Clinic Care Network last week, extending the clinic's knowledge and expertise to PMC staff, which the hospital says will improve health care delivery for 420,000 Appalachians while allowing them to stay close to home.

Some of the resources that will now be available to PMC physicians and providers include its online point-of-care information system and electronic consulting that connects physicians with Mayo Clinic specialists about diagnosis, therapy or care management, says a PMC news release.

�Pikeville Medical Center is honored that we have been asked to become a member of Mayo Clinic Care Network,� says Walter E. May, president and chief executive officer of PMC. �I have admired Mayo Clinic for many years and tried to make Pikeville Medical Center more like the Mayo Clinic. This new agreement will take our hospital to the next level.�

The primary goal of the Mayo Clinic Care Network is to offer Mayo Clinic expertise close to home so that patients only travel when necessary, says the release. The network was launched in 2011 and has member organizations based in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Puerto Rico and Mexico. See details about specific hospitals in the map below.



�We are pleased to welcome Pikeville Medical Center and its more than 2,000 employees into our Mayo Clinic Care Network family,� says Stephen Lange, M.D., southeast medical director of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. �Our mission is to work collaboratively to improve the quality of health care and value for our patients. We are very excited to work together with Pikeville to find bold and innovative ways to enhance the quality of life for the patients in that region of the country.�

PMC serves 420,000 people and 15 counties in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia, and the hospital is currently undergoing a $150 million expansion.

Princess Health and Religious business owners and corporations have filed half the lawsuits over health reform mandate to cover contraception.Princessiccia

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By Molly Burchett
Kentucky Health News

Some religious business owners are filing suit against the government, saying the health-reform law violates the constitutional freedom of religion by mandating employee contraceptive and abortion-inducing drug coverage; the lawsuits are expected to land in the U.S. Supreme Court, and a case filed by Hobby Lobby is the first of this kind to be heard by a federal appeals court.

Challenges to the mandate that will require businesses with more than 50 employees to provide no-cost coverage of all contraceptives, sterilization procedures, plus education and counseling, are not just coming from Catholic entities with a religious, moral objection to contraception. About half of the cases have been filed by corporations, reports Robert Barnes of The Washington Post.

There are now 60 cases involving 190 individuals representing hospitals, universities, businesses, schools and people opposed to the mandate, says the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. The Becket Fund maps the cases, as shown below; for the interactive version, click here.

Since the law mandates contraceptive coverage, groups such as Catholic bishops have accused the Obama administration of waging war on religious liberty, reports Barnes. In February, the administration announced an exemption for faith-based organizations from covering employees' contraception costs because the conceptions would be covered by a third party. Self-insured organizations like Catholic schools sued, arguing that the accommodation would not apply to them because there is no third-party insurer to cover contraception. But those cases have been dismissed in court because such organizations are given a one-year grace period to comply with the mandate, reports Laura Bassett of the Huffington Post.

Businesses don't qualify for faith-based exemption from mandates

Hobby Lobby's David and Barbara Green

Business do not meet the new exemption either, because they are not religious organizations. However, some businesses like Hobby Lobby, which was founded and is still owned by an evangelical Christian family that believes life begins at conception and already covers contraceptives through existing employee health coverage, are fighting the law's mandate to cover abortion-inducing drugs or devices, like morning-after and week-after pills.

"They ought to be able � just like a church, just like a charity � to have the right to opt out of a provision that infringes on their religious beliefs," said Kyle Duncan, who argued the case Thursday before the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of the Green family, and a sister company, Christian booksellers Mardel Inc, reports The Associated Press.

Other suits have been filed by religious business owners of diverse enterprises, from a company that makes wooden cabinets to owners of Panera Bread restaurants, reports Barnes, but all the cases base their arguments on the First Amendment guarantee of free exercise of religion and on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. The Hobby Lobby case also specifies that the mandate violates freedom of speech and the Administrative Procedure Act because it was imposed without prior notice or sufficient time for public comment.

In the early stages of litigation, lower courts have split on the issue. Some have rejected Hobby Lobby's request for an exemption to the mandate, and requests by other businesses for a temporary injunction, saying for-profit businesses aren't covered by the faith-based exemption. However, courts in St. Louis and the Seventh Circuit have granted temporary injunctions. (Read more)

Princess Health and Website eases application process for SNAP, formerly food stamps, and promotes healthy food .Princessiccia

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With a federal grant, the state Department for Community Based Services has launched a customer service website to promote healthy foods by assisting the families receiving food benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called food stamps.

The portal allows people to check their eligibility for SNAP and apply for benefits with a shorter application that will be followed by a DCBS interview. They can also check their benefit status, report changes and receive electronic notices.

The agency says an online application eliminates any transportation issues a family may have with visiting a DCBS office, and encourages applications. �Modern improvements like this make it easier for families to apply for benefits and ultimately increase access to healthy food,� said Audrey Haynes, secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which houses DCBS.

�SNAP helps people of all ages afford healthy food,� said DCBS Commissioner Teresa James. �For some of our DCBS customers, it means the difference between having a family meal or nothing at all. This website makes applying for benefits, making updates or accessing information even easier since customers don�t have to make an office appointment or even pick up the phone to get help.�

Since the portal�s launch on March 11, DCBS has received more than 1,000 electronic applications. Click here to learn more about SNAP. 

Monday, 27 May 2013

Princess Health andH+P Racing: May 25-26th, 2013.Princessiccia

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Another great couple days for the team- here are the results:

Ottawa Half Marathon
Brendan destroyed the 1/2 marathon- opening with a 34:22 10K, and finishing in 1:15:15- good enough for 4th overall out of almost 12 000 runners, and 1st in hisAG


Sulphur Springs 25K
Val had an amazing race- despite multiple injuries, placed 3rd overall for females!


Helen also had an awesome race, placing 22nd overall for females!

Dave destroyed the 25K, placing 8th overall and 2nd in his AG with a time of 1:47!

Mike proved all his hard work is paying off- he placed 14th overall in 1:52!

Val, Helen, Dave and Mike post-race

Woodstock Triathlon

Luke had a great return to triathlons, winning his AG at the Woodstock Tri!

 Wahiawa Pineapple Run

 Jordan PB'ed in the 10K, running 37:31 and placing 3rd overall at the Wahiawa Pineapple Run

Here are some additional pics from the race weekend:






Friday, 24 May 2013

Princess Health and Health insurers could exclude one in four Americans from coverage because they don't have bank accounts .Princessiccia

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By Molly Burchett
Kentucky Health News

Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. graphic
A new study says if corrective action isn't taken, health-insurance companies could exclude 27 percent of qualifying Americans now eligible for premium-assistance tax credits under the health-reform law because they plan to require customers to pay premiums automatically through a bank account. More than 1 in 4 of these people do not have a bank account.

If insurance companies won't do business with them, that will undermine efforts to expand health coverage and equalize access to health care, denying coverage to the more than 8 million "unbanked" Americans, says the report from tax firm Jackson Hewitt.

Unbanked households are those that lack any kind of deposit account, checking or savings, at an insured depository institution, so requiring a checking account for coverage could also worsen the existing disparities in both health-care access and health status of minority groups. African Americans and Hispanics are over 40 percent more likely than whites to be "unbanked," says the report.

Most health plans accept a credit card for the first month�s premium payment and thereafter require monthly payment from a checking account. An estimated 30 percent of U.S. households are "unbanked" or underbanked, with the highest rates among non-Asian minorities and lower-income, younger and unemployed households; underbanked households hold a bank account but also rely on alternative financial services, and one in five households use such check-cashing stores and money lenders instead of a traditional bank, says the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

This all goes against the basic ideals behind the health care law's "comprehensive reforms that improve access to affordable health coverage for everyone and protect consumers from abusive insurance company practices. The law allows all Americans to make health insurance choices that work for them while guaranteeing access to care for our most vulnerable, and provides new ways to bring down costs and improve quality of care," says the White House website.

Law doesn't protect Americans from discrimination

Federal officials are wary taking action that may discourage insurance companies from participating in the exchanges, current and former state health officers who have pressed the U.S Department of Health and Human Services for a ruling told Varney.

�I think there is a dawning awareness that this is a large problem,� Brian Haile told Varney; Haile is senior vice president for health policy at Jackson Hewitt Tax Service and has called on federal official to set a uniform standard requiring all insurers to accept all forms of payment.

Neither the health law nor other laws require insurance companies to accept all forms of payment, says Sarah Varney of Kaiser Health News. Alternative forms of payment include credit cards or pre-paid debit cards that people without bank accounts often use, and although health insurance companies are evaluating these options, they are not required to do so, reports Varney.

�I�ve not seen any specific guidance that says you have to be able to accept these types of payments,� Ray Smithberger, Cigna�s general manager of individual and family plans, told Sarah Kliff of The Washington Post.

Insurance carriers take a risk by accepting credit cards and pre-paid debit cards because transaction fees can run as high as 4 percent and pre-paid cards are popular among low-wage workers, Haile told Varney. 

�If you accept re-loadable debit cards, are you in fact getting folks with lower health status?� Haile told Varney. �That�s a real risk when you�re in the insurance business. So you can�t be the only one picking up those risks.�

The Jackson Hewitt report calls for immediate action by federal policy makers to ensure insurers cannot discriminate against the 'unbanked' through their payment acceptance policies by creating a system-wide rule requiring all forms of payment must be accepted.

"Given the dilemma presented to insurance companies by the strong financial incentives to discourage non-bank payment mechanisms, insurers are unlikely to resolve this issue without federal action," says the report.

Thursday, 23 May 2013

Princess Health and Fort Campbell works to address post-traumatic stress disorder, common ailment of Afghanistan-Iraq veterans.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Fort Campbell works to address post-traumatic stress disorder, common ailment of Afghanistan-Iraq veterans.Princessiccia

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Research shows almost 14 percent of veterans returning home from Iraq and Afganistan suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and as an estimated 2 million veterans are coming home, Fort Campbell has quickly acted by reaching out to the medical community in Kentucky to help address the challenges of PTSD.

Top behavioral health and brain injury research experts came to Ft. Campbell on Tuesday to teach civilian behavioral health professionals about the military's current PTSD and brain injury research and treatments, reports Kristin Hall of The Associated Press.

PTSD can be one of war's ugly side effect, and it is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event in which ther's potential for grave physical harm, such as "violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, and military combat," says the National Institute of Mental Health. Not properly treating PTSD symptoms can lead to alcohol or drug use, spouse or child abuse, depression or suicide

The clinics at Ft. Campbell will focus on PTSD and brain trauma treatment and will each have 13 mental health professionals to offer more personalized, focused care, which is expected to reduce "cases of psychiatric problems, spouse or child abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, suicides and drug use," like the pilot program at Fort Carson in Colorado, reports Adam Ghassemi of News Channel 5.

Some Kentucky veterans, like Mike Jeffrey who spoke about his physical and mental battles after his two tours in Iraq at a Veteran's Recognition Program, are addressing other problems associated with PTSD, which are that many veterans won't talk about it, and they both families and veterans lack awareness about treatment options. Jeffrey talked about the struggles he had when returning home and his "baby steps" toward normalcy.

�I woke up and had kicked down my apartment doors overnight without knowing it,� he said. �It was hell just living with myself,� reported Tracy Harris of The News Democrat. Jeffrey started counseling for his PTSD and is now using a service dog trained specifically for veterans, Seal Team.

�Seal Team is his security blanket,� said Jeffrey's wife, Shelly, who contacted four service dog organizations before finding K-9 trainer Mike Halley, a Vietnam veteran living in Florida, reports Harris. In addition to suggesting use of a service dog, Jeffrey said veterans shouldn't bury their own experience with PTSD, which many are reluctant to talk about.

�We all grew up in the suck-it-up-and-drive Army,� he said. �But you can only suck it up for so long,� said Jeffrey.

Efforts like the ones made by Ft. Campbell and Mike Jeffrey represent progress in treatment of mental health issues. And while these efforts alone won't address the problem, work within local communities can make a world of difference for struggling veterans.

Retired Maj. Gen. Mark Graham said "there is no quick way to eliminate the stigma often attached to seeking out mental health care, but the key is partnerships with the communities," writes Hall.

The story of returning veteran's is a big one that may be hard to cover, so click here for journalism tips. Click here to learn more about PTSD programs in Kentucky, or click the link below to watch news coverage about the behavioral health clinics in Ft. Campbell.

Ft. Campbell Opens Behavioral Health Clinics To Fight PTSD - NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather & Sports

Princess Health and Ky. is already short of doctors, dentists; how will its health-care system handle expansion of Medicaid and private insurance?.Princessiccia

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By Molly Burchett and Al Cross
Kentucky Health News

In the wake of Gov. Steve Beshear�s recent decision to expand Medicaid under federal health reform, there is concern that Kentucky's health-care system will not be able to care for the newly insured.

Health reform means that an estimated 308,000 new Kentuckians will qualify for Medicaid, and 332,000 more will qualify for subsidies to buy private insurance through the state insurance exchange that will start taking enrollments Oct. 1.

But Kentucky already has a health care provider shortage, especially in rural areas. A study for the state estimates that it needs 3,790 more doctors just to meet current demand, to say nothing of what will be needed to care for those who haven't been a regular part of the health-care system, reports Laura Ungar of The Courier-Journal.

The report by Deloitte Consulting made 11 recommendations, including authority for nurse practitioners to prescribe less risky drugs without a written agreement with a doctor, and one that would be even more controversial, putting limits on medical malpractice awards, said Ungar.

The report also recommended expanding and increasing Medicaid reimbursements in rural areas, to encourage more physicians to take Medicaid patients.

It did not mention complaints by health-care  providers about getting paid by the managed-care Medicaid system that the state began in November 2011; Gov. Steve Beshear said when he announced Medicaid expansion that those problems are being worked out.

"Consultants said 61 percent of the 3,790 'full-time equivalent' physicians needed (which includes primary care doctors and specialists) were in rural counties," reports Ungar. Jonathan Felix of Deloitte said, �Primary care, dental care and behavioral health are all big needs in the state.�

The report said the state needed 183 more primary-care doctors, even before Medicaid expansion, but a 2012 Kentucky Physician Workforce Needs Assessment report by the University of Kentucky said the state needs 557 more primary-care physicians and 1,655 more total physicians to meet the national ratios for physicians to population.

The consultants said the state already needs 612 more dentists. It now has 1,711.

Complicated provider shortage problem, no easy answer

About 192 federally identified areas in Kentucky � including 47 counties � have shortages of health professionals, Ungar reports. Kentucky counties who will have the most non-elderly residents eligible for Medicaid often have fewer primary-care doctors per person, according to data analyzed by The Courier-Journal. Ungar notes that Casey County, for example, ranks in the bottom third for doctors per capita, but it has the highest portion of newly eligible residents at 13.5 percent.

�We can�t grow physicians fast enough to meet the need, in the rural areas especially,� Susan Zepeda, president and chief executive officer for the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, told Ungar.

Nationally, there is a primary-care shortage, partly because such doctors make less money than most, and low reimbursement rates exacerbate that. A 2012 study in the journal Health Affairs said 21 percent of office-based physicians in Kentucky did not accept new Medicaid patients in 2011, Ungar notes.

The health reform law will raise the Medicaid fees to match what Medicare pays primary-care doctors, but only for two years. Kentucky's Medicare rates are about 72 percent of the Medicare rates, compared to a national average of 59 percent, says an Urban Institute study. But the time limit leaves some practitioners wary.

�If I choose to increase the number of Medicaid patients, and two years down the road that payment drops back to two-thirds, all of a sudden I�m going to have an awful lot of trouble keeping my doors open,� Reid Blackwelder, a family practitioner and incoming president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, told Michael Ollove of Stateline. 

A report last year by the non-partisan Center for Studying Health System Change said the temporary nature of the pay raise could limit its effectiveness, particularly in Kentucky and other states that are expecting the largest percentage increases in Medicaid enrollees and that have low numbers of primary-care physicians.

�I�m not sure who�s going to pick up all those patients into their practices,� Julianne Ewen, a nurse practitioner in Lexington and president of the Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives, told Ungar. Legislation to let nurse practitioners prescribe non-scheduled drugs without a doctor agreement failed in the state Senate this year.

While some policy analysts have touted nurse practitioners as a solution to the rural primary-care shortage because they often provide primary care in rural and isolated areas that do not have doctors nearby, they would not be covered by the two-year reimbursement increase. Ewen said the reimbursement is only $23 for a lower-level visit by an established patient.

A possible long-term solution includes greater reliance on community health centers, some say. And hospital officials said they plan to continue expanding primary care and employ telemedicine. Ruth Brinkley, president and chief executive officer of KentuckyOne Health, said her system is looking to open new primary care offices and hire more staff.

Dr. David Dunn, vice president for health affairs at the University of Louisville, said the university is increasing physician training in such areas as family medicine and geriatrics and using funds from its new partner, KentuckyOne, to expand the nursing work force with professionals, such as advanced nurse practitioners.

Health providers and advocates agree that getting more people insured should produce a healthier population in the end. But they said much remains unknown, including how many of those eligible for coverage under health reform will sign up for it. The state estimates that 188,000 of the 308,000 newly eligible will enroll, but some think that estimate is low.

Wednesday, 22 May 2013

Princess Health andH+P Racing: May 18th-20th, 2013.Princessiccia

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Once again, another huge week of racing for the H+P team.  Here are the highlights!

Victoria's Duathlon

Ed Cyr had a great race, finishing 4th overall, and winning is AG
Florian Ong performed extremely well, placing 7th overall and 3rd in his AG
Vance Lai had a great return to action, placing 54th overall and 13th in his AG
Kevin Grotheer put together a good result despite a winter away from training, placing 10th in his AG



Horseshoe Lake 50K
H+P TT record holder, Lucas, WON this event by over 15 minutes.  WOW!




24-Hour World Championships
This result actually took place the weekend of May 11th-12th, but a HUGE congrats goes out to Charlotte Vasarhelyi, who covered just under 194K in very tough conditions.  This distance was good enough for breaking into the top 60 in the world!

Monday, 20 May 2013

Princess Health and Don't get burned, bitten or bamboozled this summer; here are safety tips for dealing with the sun, insects and sales pitches.Princessiccia

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By Molly Burchett
Kentucky Health News

Summer is finally here, and after one of the coldest Kentucky springs, who doesn't want to be outside swimming, skiing, fishing, barbecuing or soaking up rays on the beach? While summer may bring much-anticipated fun in the sun, it's important to take some  safety precautions to make sure you and your family are not getting too much of a good thing.

Sunscreen can protect you from cancer, but don't spray it

The sun is bad for your skin, and exposure to its harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays can increase your risk for skin cancer, which is the most common cancer in the U.S., says the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's critical to protect yourself and your children from sun damage because just one blistering sunburn in childhood more than doubles the odds of developing skin cancer later in life, says the Mayo Clinic.

Fortunately, it�s never too late or too early to lessen your risk of sun damage by using sunscreen, and the Environmental Working Group has recently released its 2013 Guide to Sunscreens, which rates more than 1,400 sunscreens, lip balms, and SPF moisturizers and cosmetics for safety and effectiveness.

This year, EWG says 184 sunscreens, 25 percent of those on the market, met its criteria of offering adequate UV protection and posing few safety concerns. You can click here to view that product list, or here to check out the EWG findings for moisturizers, lip balm and makeup.

EWG also created a somewhat surprising list of things NOT to bring on vacation because they are unsafe or do not provide adequate UV protection:
  • Spray sunscreen: These sprays may pose serious inhalation risks, and they make it too easy to not apply enough sunscreen or to miss a spot.
  • High-SPF sunscreens: These products may tempt people to stay in the sun too long, which can increase the risk of other kinds of skin damage, and EWG recommends that consumers avoid products labeled higher than SPF 50.
  • Oxybenzone: Used in half of sunscreen products, this chemical penetrates the skin and can adversely impact health in several ways; in the body, it acts like the female hormone estrogen and can cause allregic reactions.
  • Loose powder sunscreen: Tiny zinc particles in these products can also end up in your lungs when you breathe them in during application, which irritates the lungs.
  • Retinyl palmitate: Some sunscreens contain this chemical, which is a form of vitamin A, but when applied to sun-exposed skin, it may speed development of skin tumors and lesions.
  • Combined sunscreen/bug repellents: Studies show this combination leads to increased skin absorption of the repellent ingredients.
  • Sunscreen towelettes: Whether they really work is unknown.
  • Tanning oils: They are simply a bad idea and can ultimately lead to behavior that increases risk of developing skin cancer.
So, check the ingredients for your sunscreen, avoid high-SPF's or sprays and make it a habit to wear sunscreen during sports or whenever you're outside. Be sure to reapply often to ensure UV protection, particularly if you get wet or sweaty. Click here to read EWG's "Nine Surprising Facts about Sunscreen."

Hats and clothing: Choose the right kind

Children are more vulnerable to sun damage, so in addition to actual sunscreen, the best sun protections for them are a hat and shirt (which also protect adults). The CDC recommends avoiding straw hats that let sun through the holes, and to wear a hat with UV protection or a wide brim to shield the face, head, ear and neck. If you do chose to wear a baseball cap, protect your ears and neck with clothing, sunscreen (with at least SPF 15) or spend lots of time in shade.

Wear clothing to protect exposed skin. The CDC says loose-fitting long-sleeved shirts and long pants made from tightly woven fabric offer the best UV protection. Darker colors may offer more protection than lighter colors, and a wet t-shirt offers much less UV protection that a dry one.

Sunburn treatment: People with fair skin or light-colored hair are more likely to be sunburned. If you get sunburned, remember that "The skin heals but is forever damaged," writes University of Kentucky nursing Professor Mollie Aheshire. "The more frequent and more severe the burns, the more damage there is," along with risk for cancer and premature aging. "If a sunburn is blistering and covers a large portion of your body; is accompanied by a high fever, extreme pain, confusion, nausea or chills; or does not respond to at-home treatment within a few days . . . see a health-care provider." Mild sunburns can be treated with over-the-counter pain relievers, cold compresses and moisturizing creams � aloe vera or hydrocortisone lotions. "If blisters form, do not break them," Aheshire writes. "Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Treat peeling skin gently. Stay out of the sun until redness and pain resolve." (Read more)

Sunglasses: Not just to help you see now, but to keep you seeing longer

Besides being dangerous for your skin, UV rays are dangerous to your eyes and can cause vision disorders, premature aging of the eyes or even blindness. It is important to wear sunglasses to protect eyes from sun damage, although a new survey from the American Optometric Association shows that only 40 percent of consumers cite this protection as the primary reason for wearing sunglasses, says a Kentucky Optometric Association press release.

To help reduce the risks of harmful UV exposure on the eyes, children and adults should start wearing protective sunglasses as as early as possible, and parents should ensure that babies are protected by sunglasses too, says the release. When choosing sunglasses or protective contact lenses, make sure that they block more than 95 percent of UV-A and more than 99 percent of UV-B radiation, says the KOA, and sunglasses should have a frame that fits close to the eyes so the UV rays can't sneak around the sides.

Insect repellent: Bugs can bug you, but don't over-react to them

Although nothing can ruin a relaxing summer picnic faster than bugs, take precautions to ensure you're using the right type of bug repellent-- one that's been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency -- and that you're using it wisely.

Not only are bugs annoying, they can also carry dangerous diseases, and for the safe and effective use bug repellents, always read the product label before using the product, EPA says. It says to follow these bug-repellent safety tips:
  • Repellents should be applied only to exposed skin and/or clothing. Do not use them under clothing.
  • Store insect repellents safely out of the reach of children.
  • Do not apply near eyes and mouth, and be use sparingly around the ears.
  • When using sprays, spray on the hands first and then apply to the face, not directly to the face.
  • Never use repellents over cuts, wounds or irritated skin.
  • Do not spray in enclosed areas and avoid spraying near food.
  • After returning indoors, wash treated skin and clothes with soap and water.
  • Do not use any product on pets or other animals
  • Most insect repellents do not work on lice or fleas. 
  • Click here to search for a repellent that's right for you.
Beware if you want to use a wearable repellent that's not sticky and has to be continuously resprayed, such as Off!'s clip-on mosquito repellent. It works once the cloud of mosquito protection is built around the wearer, says Brighid Moret of The Washington Times, but it's not a good option for an active or young child. The manufacturer warns on the label that a chemical on the product's enclosed disk is harmful if swallowed, directly inhaled or absorbed through the skin, and young children should not wear it.

Whether you're going on vacation or a "stay-cation," these tips can help protect you and your family from the sun and bugs in order to safely make the most of your summer. Click here for more sun safety tips from EWG.

Sunday, 19 May 2013

Princess Health and How To Increase Your Fruit And Vegetable Intake?. Princessiccia

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How to get easily even more than your recommended  '5-a-day'?

Is this term familiar to you? I'm sure it is, we can see now on the packages of fruits, vegetables, and unfortunately even on processed food such as commercial fruit juices.

Few facts:

1. The human body needs plenty of plant based food.

2. Scientists still haven't found the 'secret' of plant foods, they only agree on the fact that people eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, or exclusively a plant based diet, are much healthier, have more energy and less health problems.

3. During the last century, the food industry started to rocket, more and more processed, unhealthy (but very tasty and addictive) 'food-like-products' appeared in stores, and people started to eat less and less real food, fruits, vegetables.

4. About 10 years ago even the World Health Organization realized, that the number of diseases increased despite of the modern medical technologies. Most people eat very little, or no fruit and veg at all. So they started the '5-a-day' campaign, mainly to get people eat more of the healthy food.

5. Unfortunately, the food industry managed to label their not-so-healthy products with '1 of your 5 a day' claim, even though the processed food will never actually meet the requirement.

The most important fact: We need much more than 5 portions of fruit and veg a day!

How to make sure you have at least 5 portions of fruit and veg easily, and achieve a better overall health?

The answer: fruit/veg smoothies! They are so tasty, and healthy at the same time!

If you start your day with a tasty fruit+veg smoothie, you can actually kick-start your day having all the 5 portions to breakfast! And believe me: once you start eating more fruit and veg, your body will start to crave more fruit and veg. Isn't it amazing?

Since I started to have a smoothie for breakfast, incredible changes started in my body: I have more energy, my skin looks better, my hair is shiny and has volume, my eyes are glowing, and I know it benefits many of the invisible parts of my body as well.

What do my smoothies contain? 

Only fruit + veg (optional: raw, cold pressed hemp protein powder)

What's the trick?

I always add two big handfuls of raw spinach to my smoothies. Unbelievably enough you won't taste the spinach at all! It will color your smoothie green of course, so adding it to the smoothie you will always get a green looking smoothie regardless of the fruits added.

Step 1: Buy a high speed blender.
Step 2: Always have at hand one of the base fruits: banana, apple, pear, mango or peach. These will give the creamy texture to the smoothie.
Step 3: Add any other fruits you prefer.
Step 4: Add the spinach (or experiment with other green leafy vegetables)
Step 5: Always have agave nectar at hand, in case you feel the need for some extra sweetness.
Enjoy!

The correct order for an easy-blending is:
Add some water first (usually 1/2-1 cup), then the soft fruits, then the hard fruits. Pulse these until they get almost creamy, then add the leafy greens and blend the whole thing on high for about 30 seconds.

And finally here are three of my favorite smoothies:

1./
1 banana
1 cup raspberry
2 big handful spinach
1 cup water
You can choose any other berries, strawberries, blackberries, or blueberries.
You can also double the portion, if you are very hungry.

2./
2 pear
1 cup blueberry
2 handful spinach
1 cup water

3./ 
1 mango
1 cup strawberries
2 handful spinach
1 cup water

You can add less or more water, depending how creamy you like your smoothie.
You can add raw protein powder to any of these in case you feel the need. 
As I said, your body will reward your choice in many ways. And you will soon notice the changes in your habits too!

Don't forget the exercise though in the meantime. Join one of our ZUMBA classes in Dublin 2, Dublin 6 or Dublin 8. For details, CLICK HERE



























































































































Friday, 17 May 2013

Princess Health and U of L's Trover medical campus ranked among best for rural medicine education and addresing rural physician shortage.Princessiccia

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The University of Louisville School of Medicine Trover Rural Campus in Madisonville was rated third best in the nation for preparing medical students to practice in rural areas, which is critical to the state since most of Kentucky's rural counties are considered to be short of health professionals.

�From the president and the deans to the individual faculty and staff, our team has proven the value of a collaboration of a rural campus and an urban university. The beneficiaries are our students and the rural Kentucky communities who receive these new doctors who are well prepared to care for them,� Dr. Bill Crump, right, associate dean for the Trover campus, said in a UofL press release.
  
The study by researchers at the University of Colorado, which will be published in Academic Medicine in August, ranked 35 programs across the nation and found that 62 percent of Trover graduates practice medicine in rural areas, says the release.

�This national recognition is the fulfillment of Dr. Loman Trover�s vision outlined almost 60 years ago of providing first class medical education in a small town with the goal of producing more physicians for rural Kentucky, and is a testament to the strong support we�ve had from the Louisville Campus over the past 15 years,� said Crump.

Nationally, there is a physician shortage in rural areas because only 3 percent of medical students report want to practice rural medicine, while 16 percent of Americans live in rural areas. This problem is especially large in Kentucky, says the release, since a majority of the state's 59 counties classified as rural are considered to be short of medical professionals..

�Our Trover campus is vital to fulfilling this mission and especially critical now because our state faces such a significant shortage of physicians, especially in rural areas. Dr. Crump�s leadership of the program is one of the reasons for its success. We view the program as a model that has the potential to be implemented in other areas of Kentucky,� said School of Medicine Dean Dr. Toni Ganzel.
Princess Health and At least one in eight teens, and perhaps one in five, have a mental-health issue; ADHD tops, substance abuse also high.Princessiccia

Princess Health and At least one in eight teens, and perhaps one in five, have a mental-health issue; ADHD tops, substance abuse also high.Princessiccia

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The most comprehensive report yet on mental disorders in children shows attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed problem in those aged 3-17, and the most common health issues for teenagers include addiction to drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

An estimated 13 to 20 percent of U.S. children experience a mental disorder in a given year, says a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and children are increasingly suffering from and being hospitalized for mood disorders like depression; that hospitalization rate has increased 80 percent from 1997 to 2010, says the report. And, while 3.5 percent of children under 18 have behavioral problems, almost 7 percent of them are diagnosed with ADHD.

About 4.7 percent of teens, or 1.7 million children aged 12�17, have disorders involving abuse and dependence upon alcohol, drugs or tobacco, says the report. Alarmingly, two-thirds of teenagers had an illicit drug use disorder, one million teenagers abused drugs or alcohol, and more than 695,000 were addicted to tobacco.

�This first report of its kind documents that millions of children are living with depression, substance use disorders, ADHD and other mental health conditions,� CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said. �No parent, grandparent, teacher or friend wants to see a child struggle with these issues. It concerns us all. We are working to both increase our understanding of these disorders and help scale up programs and strategies to prevent mental illness so that our children grow to lead productive, healthy lives.�

Thursday, 16 May 2013

Princess Health and Knox County converting ambulance tax, taking 3/8 of health tax and asking library for same in order to save hospital.Princessiccia

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The Knox County Fiscal Court and the Knox County Board of Health reached a deal Monday to aid its debt-laden county hospital's recovery from bankruptcy by diverting, at least temporarily, 37.5 percent of local health tax revenue to the hospital, asking the local library to do likewise and converting an ambulance tax into a hospital tax.

The proposed agreement is "revenue neutral" and would not create any additional tax for Knox County residents while allowing the Knox County Hospital in Barbourville to stay open, writes Jeff Noble of The Times-Tribune in Corbin.

To save the hospital, the hospital board needs a tax of about 8 cents per $100 worth of property, County Judge-Executive J.M. Hall said. The deal would convert a 5-cent ambulance tax to a hospital tax, and the county health board has agreed to shift 1.5 cents of its 4-cent tax to the hospital. The library board is considering similar action, which would make up the total 8 cents, Hall told Noble.

Health Department Director Susan Liford said the two-year deal with the health board will begin in January 2014 and will be re-evaluated at the end of that period. The health department will be diverting $300,000 to $400,000 a year to the hospital, Noble reports.

"The board felt like we needed to help the hospital, and they were very adamant they did not want to put the health department in jeopardy and have no one here lose their jobs," Liford told Noble. "I think it�s the moral thing to do. And we need our hospital."

The hospital has a debt estimated at $23 million, though the Knox County Fiscal Court purchased it out of bankruptcy by in 2004 for just $7.2 million, according to documents analyzed by the Barbourville Mountain Advocate, Knox County's weekly newspaper. Last July, the fiscal court took over hospital operations of the hospital, borrowing $6 million to fund them, after the former owners filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. (Mountain Advocate graphic; click on it for larger version)



Princess Health and UK HealthCare hosts 'Women, It's About You' conference June 1.Princessiccia

Princess Health and UK HealthCare hosts 'Women, It's About You' conference June 1.Princessiccia

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On June 1 UK HealthCare will present its fifth annual "Women, It�s About You" conference, which is designed to educate women with the most up-to-date information about health topics ranging from mammograms to nutrition to financial abuse.

This year's conference will feature 15 presentations on the following women's health topics:

  • Menopause, presented by Dr. Kathy Dillon 
  • Memory and aging, presented by Dr. Gregory Jicha 
  • Women's heart health, presented by Dr. Susan Smyth 
  • Eye health, presented by Dr. Eric Higgins 
  • Physical fitness, presented by Richard Watson 
  • Gynecologic cancer, presented by Dr. Lauren Baldwin 
  • Financial abuse of women, presented by Susan Lawrence 
  • Weight loss, presented by Dr. Stephanie Rose 
  • Skin care and cosmetic procedures, presented by Dr. Amit Patel 
  • Stroke, presented by Lisa Bellamy 
  • Diabetes, presented by Sheri Legg and Beth Holden 
  • Nutrition, presented by Rachel Miller 
  • Mammography, presented by Dr. Margaret Szabunio
  • Pelvic Prolapse, presented by Drs. Rudy Tovar and Mark Hoffman.

    Participants will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of health screenings, including blood pressure and stroke-risk assessment, says a UK HealthCare press release. The event, which will take place at the Embassy Suites hotel on Newtown Pike in north Lexington, costs $10 and also includes a continental breakfast, a luncheon with entertainment, giveaways and an exhibitor fair. Click here for more information or to register by the Friday, May 17 deadline.
    • Princess Health and Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky seeks nominations for its board of directors and Community Advisory Committee.Princessiccia

    Princess Health and Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky seeks nominations for its board of directors and Community Advisory Committee.Princessiccia

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    The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky is accepting nominations for qualified persons to join its board of directors and Community Advisory Committee.

    The 15 directors are responsible for preserving the foundation�s endowment and upholding its charitable mission of addressing the unmet health care needs of Kentuckians. Nominations are being accepted for three seats, including one to be selected by the directors and one by the governor.

    The third seat will represent Supreme Court District 6: Bath, Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Carroll, Fleming, Gallatin, Grant, Harrison, Henry, Kenton, Lewis, Mason, Nicholas, Oldham, Owen, Pendleton, Robertson, Shelby, Spencer and Trimble counties. This director will be chosen by a Community Advisory Committee subcommittee, comprising five members who help run organizations addressing the unmet health care needs of Kentuckians.

    The foundation is also accepting Community Advisory Committee nominations in anticipation of electing two new committee members. The 31 members provide advice and recommendations to the board, serve as community liaisons, serve on foundation committees, take part in the annual policy forum and appoint or nominate directors.

    Please complete the nomination form and attach a resume or bio. Self-nominations are allowed.  The deadline for receipt of nominations is July 15. Mail to Mary Jo Dike, Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, 1640 Lyndon Farm Court, Suite 100, Louisville, KY 40223, or email to mdike@healthy-ky.org. For more information call 502-326-2583 (toll-free 1-877-326-2584).
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