Sunday, June 30, 2013

Tick Safety Tips for Kids at Summer Camp

Tick Safety Tips for Kids at Summer Camp

As Cheerleading Evolves, Injuries Mount

As Cheerleading Evolves, Injuries Mount

U.S. Women Delay Motherhood, Teen Births Historically Low: CDC

U.S. Women Delay Motherhood, Teen Births Historically Low: CDC

Dealing With Kids' Summer Dental Surprises

Dealing With Kids' Summer Dental Surprises

Phoebe Putney, FTC could reach settlement | Georgia Health News

Phoebe Putney, FTC could reach settlement | Georgia Health News

An innovative idea that’s crossing boundaries | Georgia Health News

An innovative idea that’s crossing boundaries | Georgia Health News

Those Left Out Of Medicaid Expansion Won’t Have To Buy Insurance – Capsules - The KHN Blog

Those Left Out Of Medicaid Expansion Won’t Have To Buy Insurance – Capsules - The KHN Blog

Mississippi Dems: We Were ‘Bamboozled’ On Medicaid – Capsules - The KHN Blog

Mississippi Dems: We Were ‘Bamboozled’ On Medicaid – Capsules - The KHN Blog

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Blue Cross incentive plan focuses on primary care | Georgia Health News

Blue Cross incentive plan focuses on primary care | Georgia Health News

Nurses say state shortchanges licensing board | Georgia Health News

Nurses say state shortchanges licensing board | Georgia Health News

Navigators Will Play Key Role As Marketplace Launch Nears - Kaiser Health News

Navigators Will Play Key Role As Marketplace Launch Nears - Kaiser Health News

New Child Well-Being Rankings Released - Governing Magazine


New Child Well-Being Rankings Released
BY J.B. WOGAN | JUNE 25, 2013  GOVERNING MAGAZINE

What state last year increased its percentage of children attending preschool, fourth graders reaching proficiency in reading and eighth graders reaching proficiency in math?

The surprising answer: Mississippi.

For the past 24 years, the Annie E. Casey Foundation has published child well-being rankings for every state. For most of those years,Mississippi has had a stranglehold on last place. Not in 2013. The Magnolia State saw improvements on eight of 16 indicators. Beyond the gains in education, Mississippi recorded fewer teen births per 1,000 teenagers and a lower percentage of children without health insurance, moving it to 49th on the foundation's state-by-state child well-being rankings (New Mexico fell to 50th).

The new child well-being rankings mark the first time the Annie E. Casey Foundation has made year-to-year comparisons across all 16 indicators. Before 2012, the foundation's researchers focused on 10 indicators, which gave more weight to health outcomes. The past two years includes data for four categories: economic well-being, education, family and community, and health. The nation made gains in all four education domains and all four health domains. The worst results were in economic well-being, where the country lost ground in three of four indicators. About 16.4 million children lived in poor families in 2011, a slight increase from 15.7 million in 2010, according to the report.

New Hampshire, which has historically led the country on child well-being, was first overall again this year. But within the specific categories, the foundation researchers noted some surprises. North Dakota, for instance, scored best across the combined economic indicators, with one of the lowest child poverty rates (15 percent), lowest proportion of children whose parents lack secure employment (22 percent), lowest proportion of children living in households with a high housing cost burden (21 percent), and lowest rates of teens not in school and not working (7 percent).

The foundation researchers who collected and analyzed the data knew North Dakota and its neighboring states were benefiting from a growth in the energy sector, but "how much that means to the well-being of families is kind of surprising," said Laura Speer, the foundation's associate director for policy reform and data.

While North Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate in the country, the fastest growing gross domestic product and the fastest growing personal income, the child-specific measures tracked by the Anne E. Casey Foundation actually got worse in the last 5 to 8 years. The latest data raise a question for Karen Olson, program director for the North Dakota Kids Count: Even with the boom in natural gas and oil, are residents really immune from effects of the Great Recession? Maybe not, according to Olson.

To some extent, the latest Kids Count data isn't reporting anything new. After all, the numbers are culled from existing public resources such as the U.S. Census Bureau's annual American Community Survey and the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a standardized test from the U.S. Department of Education. Nonetheless, packaging that information together and framing it in a state-by-state context can make an impact on local policymakers.

Eight years ago the foundation's Kids Count Data Book found that Delaware was the worst in the country in its rate of infant mortalities. In response, then-Gov. Ruth Ann Minner convened a task force to study the issue and make recommendations on how to lower the state's infant mortality rate. The state set aside $1 million in 2006 and another $2 million in 2007 to address infant mortality, establishing monitoring systems, launching public information campaigns and expanding prenatal care.

Infant mortality isn't listed among the 2013 Kids Count health indicators, but a related factor, low-birth weight, is. Between 2001 and 2005, an average of 9.4 babies out of every 1,000 had low-birth weights in Delaware, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over the next five years, the average fell to 8.9 per 1,000 babies. Also, the state reduced another factor related to infant mortalities -- the rate of premature births -- according to a six-year progress report by the Delaware Health Mother and Infant Consortium.

Janice Barlow, who oversees a state branch of Kids Count in Delaware, said that since 2005 the state has seen incremental improvements in the health of newborns, but progress has been slow. Even after nearly a decade of efforts to improve outcomes, Delaware's infant mortality rate was 7.7 deaths per 1,000 live births, higher than the national average of 6.1.

Of the ongoing effort, Barlow said: "It takes a lot of work and a lot of focus to have a change."

Unique Brain Pattern Could Predict Autism in Youngest Children | TIME.com

Unique Brain Pattern Could Predict Autism in Youngest Children | TIME.com

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

You Can Boost Your Baby's Vocabulary

You Can Boost Your Baby's Vocabulary

ADHD May Be Tied to Longer-Lasting Head Injury, Study Says

ADHD May Be Tied to Longer-Lasting Head Injury, Study Says

Medicaid Funding for Inmates' Health Care Squandered by Many States -- Stateline

Medicaid Funding for Inmates' Health Care Squandered by Many States -- Stateline

Parents, skip weight talk and focus on eating advice, study suggests - latimes.com

Parents, skip weight talk and focus on eating advice, study suggests - latimes.com

Reform's new Medicaid patients may need initial intensive care - FierceHealthcare

Reform's new Medicaid patients may need initial intensive care - FierceHealthcare

Ga. drops to 43rd in well-being of children study | Local & State | Macon.com

Ga. drops to 43rd in well-being of children study | Local & State | Macon.com

Health of U.S. children improves, but more live in poverty: report | Reuters

Health of U.S. children improves, but more live in poverty: report | Reuters

Working Poor Losing Obamacare as States Resist Medicaid - Bloomberg

Working Poor Losing Obamacare as States Resist Medicaid - Bloomberg

U.S. Unveils Health Care Web Site and Call Center - NYTimes.com

U.S. Unveils Health Care Web Site and Call Center - NYTimes.com

Monday, June 24, 2013

Gluten Allergy May Play Role in Gastro Woes in Kids With Autism

Gluten Allergy May Play Role in Gastro Woes in Kids With Autism

Kids' ER Visits Decline If Doctor Has Evening Hours: Study

Kids' ER Visits Decline If Doctor Has Evening Hours: Study

Kids' Sinusitis Might Not Need Antibiotics, New Guidelines Say

Kids' Sinusitis Might Not Need Antibiotics, New Guidelines Say

Minority Kids Less Likely to Be Diagnosed, Treated for ADHD: Study

Minority Kids Less Likely to Be Diagnosed, Treated for ADHD: Study

Maternal death rates highest in Georgia, Augusta | The Augusta Chronicle

Maternal death rates highest in Georgia, Augusta | The Augusta Chronicle

Officials Prepare For 'Biggest Open-Enrollment Season We've Ever Seen' - Kaiser Health News

Officials Prepare For 'Biggest Open-Enrollment Season We've Ever Seen' - Kaiser Health News

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Common Childhood Vaccine Won't Worsen Juvenile Arthritis: Study

Common Childhood Vaccine Won't Worsen Juvenile Arthritis: Study

Blood Test Might Predict Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Study Finds

Blood Test Might Predict Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Study Finds

AMA addresses care for dual-eligibles, promotes med school innovation - FierceHealthcare

AMA addresses care for dual-eligibles, promotes med school innovation - FierceHealthcare

Gwinnett Medical patients possibly exposed to TB | Georgia Health News

Gwinnett Medical patients possibly exposed to TB | Georgia Health News

Supreme Court Lets Regulators Sue Over Generic Drug Deals - NYTimes.com

Supreme Court Lets Regulators Sue Over Generic Drug Deals - NYTimes.com

Sibling Bullying Can Lead to Depression, Anxiety in Victims

Sibling Bullying Can Lead to Depression, Anxiety in Victims

Looking at a blood test for autism (video) | Georgia Health News

Looking at a blood test for autism (video) | Georgia Health News

Battle lines drawn in Va. Medicaid overhaul - Richmond Times Dispatch: Virginia News

Battle lines drawn in Va. Medicaid overhaul - Richmond Times Dispatch: Virginia News

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Breaking The Cycle Of Transmission With Flu Vaccines Aimed At Younger Populations

Breaking The Cycle Of Transmission With Flu Vaccines Aimed At Younger Populations

Rate Of Children Treated For Obesity-Related Conditions Shows Four-Fold Rise

Rate Of Children Treated For Obesity-Related Conditions Shows Four-Fold Rise

Primary Care Doctors Still in Short Supply in U.S.

Primary Care Doctors Still in Short Supply in U.S.

Malpractice reform key to reducing costs of defensive medicine - FierceHealthcare

Malpractice reform key to reducing costs of defensive medicine - FierceHealthcare

Florida’s Win: Feds Grant Medicaid Managed Care Waiver – Capsules - The KHN Blog

Florida’s Win: Feds Grant Medicaid Managed Care Waiver – Capsules - The KHN Blog

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Tobacco Ads Spark Teen Smoking, Study Finds

Tobacco Ads Spark Teen Smoking, Study Finds

TV Commercials May Spur Junk Food Habit in Kids, Study Finds

TV Commercials May Spur Junk Food Habit in Kids, Study Finds

Early, Severe Flu Season Caused Big Rise in Child Deaths: CDC

Early, Severe Flu Season Caused Big Rise in Child Deaths: CDC

Schools, agencies to pay higher health plan rates | Georgia Health News

Schools, agencies to pay higher health plan rates | Georgia Health News

Surgeon general to step down - Jennifer Haberkorn - POLITICO.com

Surgeon general to step down - Jennifer Haberkorn - POLITICO.com

House Members Talk Higher Medicaid Pay

House Members Talk Higher Medicaid Pay

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

More Evidence Links BPA to Childhood Obesity

More Evidence Links BPA to Childhood Obesity

Pediatric Emergency Department opens today at The Medical Center | Latest News | Columbus Ledger Enquirer

Pediatric Emergency Department opens today at The Medical Center | Latest News | Columbus Ledger Enquirer

Examinations of Health Care Overlook Mergers - NYTimes.com

Examinations of Health Care Overlook Mergers - NYTimes.com

Healthcare Reform Update: Medicaid expansion could occur in red states in coming weeks | Modern Healthcare

Healthcare Reform Update: Medicaid expansion could occur in red states in coming weeks | Modern Healthcare

Pilot Study Suggests Ways Primary Providers Can Deliver Specialty Care


Pilot Study Suggests Ways Primary Providers Can Deliver Specialty Care
By Rebecca Adams, CQ HealthBeat Associate Editor

Using telemedicine or physician assistants and primary care providers to deliver specialty care instead of specialists seems to give patients broader access to the services without compromising quality, according to an evaluation of initiatives in six states that are still in the early stages.
The 24-page study by the Center for Studying Health System Change for the Commonwealth Fund evaluated efforts to increase access to specialty care among patients, including those enrolled in Medicaid, in Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon and Tennessee. Each model, the study said, showed the potential to be used in other states.

“Some respondents found quality of care and patient outcomes to be the same, if not better” than when patients were treated by specialty providers. The programs have not been fully analyzed to determine cost savings but the study said that comprehensive evaluations by other groups are planned for the projects in New MexicoConnecticut andMinnesota. Each initiative had different ways of expanding access to specialty services.

Some of the early results included, for example, an increase in the Connecticut project in the percentage of diabetic patients that got retinopathy screening. The percentage grew from 10 percent to 40 percent. In that project, the program created a telehealth program in 2009 to look for early signs of blindness in people with diabetes. Medical assistants were taught to use retinal cameras to take images of patients. The images were then sent to ophthalmologists for diagnosis. Using telehealth for diabetic retinopathy saved about $28 a patient, or about 35 percent of the cost per patient when compared to an exam by a specialist, according to the report. The project is run by Community Health Centers Inc., the Yale Medical Group and the University of Connecticut. The community health centers care for about 130,000 patients.

In New Mexico, waits for rheumatology appointments at the University of New Mexico fell from six months to one month after a videoconference-based project was created. In that program — known as Project ECHO (an acronym for Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) — primary care providers were trained to act as quasi-specialists. Primary care doctors and other primary care providers ask specialists for advice on how to treat patients with specific conditions, and, over time, the primary care providers learn enough to treat many common concerns without having to refer the patients to specialists. One primary care provider in the project sent all patients with rheumatology needs to specialists before the training, but after the project was implemented, that rate of referral fell to about 10 percent of cases.

The quality of care seemed “to be the same, if not better,” said the study. The authors noted that patients treated for hepatitis C through Project ECHO had about the same outcomes as patients treated by specialists.

The report also said that in Oregon, the use of physician assistants helped orthopedic patients who didn’t need surgery to get therapy in a quicker way than waiting for specialty care. The physician assistants also were able to replace temporary splints for patients with routine broken bones with less of a wait than the patients would have had to endure to see an orthopedist. The use of casts early on helps to heal the bones.

Some advocates of the projects hope to expand them. But the study concluded that this could be tough to do, particularly without changes to current Medicaid payment policies.

The study said potential changes might include: paying providers to consult with specialists or treat patients remotely, allowing federally qualified health centers to provide more specialty care, funding the training of primary care providers in specialty care and changing, for example, the way coordinating patient care is paid for in managed care contracts.

Survey: 42% of Physicians are Dissatisfied

Survey: 42% of Physicians are Dissatisfied

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Flu Cases And Deaths Among Children Could Be Reduced By School-Located Vaccination

Flu Cases And Deaths Among Children Could Be Reduced By School-Located Vaccination

Link Discovered Between Formula-Feeding, Metabolic Stress And Increased Risk Of Later Disease

Link Discovered Between Formula-Feeding, Metabolic Stress And Increased Risk Of Later Disease

Even Mild Weight Loss May Lower Diabetes Risk in Obese Teens

Even Mild Weight Loss May Lower Diabetes Risk in Obese Teens

Sleeping on Back to Prevent SIDS Doesn't Appear to Hurt Babies' Ability to Roll

Sleeping on Back to Prevent SIDS Doesn't Appear to Hurt Babies' Ability to Roll

Infant suffocation: An avoidable tragedy | Georgia Health News

Infant suffocation: An avoidable tragedy | Georgia Health News

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Baby's Ability To Roll Unaffected By Sleeping On Back

Baby's Ability To Roll Unaffected By Sleeping On Back

'Sensory-Focused' Autism Therapy Shows Early Promise

'Sensory-Focused' Autism Therapy Shows Early Promise

Aetna regional chief sees ‘dynamic’ times ahead | Georgia Health News

Aetna regional chief sees ‘dynamic’ times ahead | Georgia Health News

Advocacy Group Seeks To Force Employers To Give Pregnancy Coverage To Dependents - Kaiser Health News

Advocacy Group Seeks To Force Employers To Give Pregnancy Coverage To Dependents - Kaiser Health News

Commentary: My fellow Republicans: Support Obamacare's Medicaid expansion | savannahnow.com

Commentary: My fellow Republicans: Support Obamacare's Medicaid expansion | savannahnow.com

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Infant Care May Help Explain Race-Linked Obesity Gap

Infant Care May Help Explain Race-Linked Obesity Gap

Summer Deadliest Time of Year for Teen Drivers

Summer Deadliest Time of Year for Teen Drivers

States to Lose $8.4 Billion Without Medicaid Expansion - Bloomberg

States to Lose $8.4 Billion Without Medicaid Expansion - Bloomberg

Miss. To Require Cord Blood Testing On Babies Born To Some Teenage Moms - Kaiser Health News

Miss. To Require Cord Blood Testing On Babies Born To Some Teenage Moms - Kaiser Health News

Ohio announces new childhood anti-obesity effort | www.ajc.com

Ohio announces new childhood anti-obesity effort | www.ajc.com

Prescription drug poisonings in children continue to rise | www.myajc.com

Prescription drug poisonings in children continue to rise | www.myajc.com

Monday, June 3, 2013

Physician career moves: List before you leap - amednews.com

Physician career moves: List before you leap - amednews.com

Serious work put into making primary care fun again - amednews.com

Serious work put into making primary care fun again - amednews.com

Baby's Sick: Get the Shots or Not? | dailyRx

Baby's Sick: Get the Shots or Not? | dailyRx

GOP governors’ endorsements of Medicaid expansion deepen rifts within party - The Washington Post

GOP governors’ endorsements of Medicaid expansion deepen rifts within party - The Washington Post

‘Managed Medicaid’ gets mixed grades | www.myajc.com

‘Managed Medicaid’ gets mixed grades | www.myajc.com

Research Shows How Ritalin Affects Brains of Kids With ADHD

Research Shows How Ritalin Affects Brains of Kids With ADHD

Website All About Child Health -- in Spanish

Website All About Child Health -- in Spanish

Whooping Cough Cases Rise as Parents Opt Out of Vaccine

Whooping Cough Cases Rise as Parents Opt Out of Vaccine

More Kids Being Poisoned by Prescription Drugs: Study

More Kids Being Poisoned by Prescription Drugs: Study

Concerns on kids rise as therapists balk at contract | Georgia Health News

Concerns on kids rise as therapists balk at contract | Georgia Health News