Rural Health IT Workforce Program

Want to improve health care in rural communities? Be a part of the Rural Health IT Workforce Program.



HRSA-13-251 solicits applications for the Rural Health Information Technology (HIT) Workforce Program, which supports formal rural health networks that focus on activities relating to the recruitment, education, training, and retention of HIT specialists.

The program will also provide support to rural health networks that can leverage and enhance existing HIT training materials to develop formal training programs that will provide instructional opportunities to current health care staff, local displaced workers, rural residents, veterans, and other potential students.

These formal training programs will result in the development of a cadre of HIT workers who can help rural hospitals and clinics implement and maintain systems, such as electronic health records (EHR), telehealth, home monitoring and mobile health technology, and meet EHR meaningful use standards.

Apply at Grants.gov by April 15.

Save the Date: Consumer Health IT Summit on 9/10/12

Save the Date: September 10, 2012 – Consumer Health IT Summit
Expanding Access to Health Information

Are you working to advance consumer access to health information? Last year 1,400 people tuned in to the Consumer Health IT Summit to hear about new public and private sector efforts to make health information more easily available to consumers and to engage them in using their data to improve their care and well being. This year we are celebrating the progress we've made together and preparing to take it to the next level with the 2012 Consumer Health IT Summit. Look for:

• Announcements about new policies and federal initiatives
• Examples of trailblazing companies that are enabling widespread consumer access to health information
• Compelling consumer tools that help people to make use of their data
• Creative approaches to motivate and support consumer engagement in health
• Exciting developments related to the "Blue Button"

The 2012 Consumer Health IT Summit will bring together federal leaders including: Todd Park, U.S. Chief Technology Officer and Farzad Mostashari, National Coordinator, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, and inspiring leaders from the private and non-profit sectors. ONC’s Pledge Program has grown more than ten-fold since last year—the 2012 Consumer Health IT Summit is a chance to learn from and share your experiences with others who are leading the charge to empower consumers to be better partners in their health.

Details:
Monday, September 10, 2012
10:00AM – 3:30PM EDT
Hubert H. Humphrey Building
200 Independence Avenue S.W.
Washington, D.C., 20201

2012 Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI)

The USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) is seeking nominations for the 2012 Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI), the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement, bestowed by the President of the United States on America's leading innovators. The National Medal of Technology and Innovation Nomination Evaluation Committee, a distinguished, independent committee appointed by the Secretary of Commerce, reviews and evaluates the merit of all candidates nominated through an open, competitive solicitation process.

Learn more here.

Established by the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980, the medal was first awarded in 1985. On August 9, 2007, the president signed the America COMPETES (Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science) Act of 2007, amending Section 16 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980.

All completed nominations must be submitted to the USPTO by 5:00 p.m. (ET), Mar. 31, 2012.

President Obama Honors Outstanding Early-Career Scientists

Congratulations to those on this list!

President Obama today named 94 researchers as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.

The Presidential early career awards embody the high priority the Obama Administration places on producing outstanding scientists and engineers to advance the Nation’s goals, tackle grand challenges, and contribute to the American economy. Sixteen Federal departments and agencies join together annually to nominate the most meritorious scientists and engineers whose early accomplishments show the greatest promise for assuring America’s preeminence in science and engineering and contributing to the awarding agencies' missions.

“It is inspiring to see the innovative work being done by these scientists and engineers as they ramp up their careers—careers that I know will be not only personally rewarding but also invaluable to the Nation,” President Obama said. “That so many of them are also devoting time to mentoring and other forms of community service speaks volumes about their potential for leadership, not only as scientists but as model citizens.”

This is Community Health Center Week

Secretary Sebelius announces National Health Center week. The second week of August is dedicated to recognizing the role that community health centers play across our nation. Millions of Americans, of all ages, receive primary and preventive care at community health centers. The Affordable Care Act provides $11 billion to expand community health centers over the next five years.



Learn more about community health centers here.

7th Annual Government Health IT Conference & Exhibition

The 7th Annual Government Health IT Conference & Exhibition, June 14 -15 in Washington, DC, brings together thought leaders, executives, clinicians and policymakers either employed by or contracted with the federal or state government to affect an improved health system within the United States through the effective use of IT and management systems. Save when you register for the early-bird rates offered for the Government Health IT Conference & Exhibition through May 14. Government employees will pay only $50 for the full conference.

The conference features three tracks: Overcoming Barriers to Achieving Interoperable Systems, InterAgency Initiatives Leading the Way Ahead for Health IT and Industry Solutions. Session topics include the role of privacy and security in interoperability, lessons learned about Medicaid providers’ adoption of certified EHR technology, and solutions for overcoming barriers to health IT adoption in underserved communities. Earlier this week, HIMSS confirmed Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, national coordinator for health IT, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as the closing keynote speaker.

Online health insurance finder tool

HeathCare.gov now offers an insurance finder tool that can help you get coverage. You can explore your coverage options and search your state for the best health plan that will suit your needs.

Find out which private insurance plans, public programs and community services are available to you. To access this insurance finder tool, visit: http://finder.healthcare.gov/

This tool will help you find the health insurance best suited to your needs, whether it's private insurance for individuals, families, and small businesses, or public programs that may work for you. It was created to help consumers under the health insurance reform law, the Affordable Care Act.

Under the new law, people who have been denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition and who have been uninsured for at least six months may qualify to buy insurance. Learn more about the plan.

Reducing your home radon levels

We're having some work done in our house because our radon levels in the basement are too high. Our current radon mitigation system is not working well. It's an old system, so it's not too surprising. The fan has been replaced, but the soil suction radon reduction system needs to be redone. There are four types of systems: subslab suction, drain tile suction, sump hole suction, or block wall suction. According to the EPA, active subslab suction (also called subslab depressurization) is the most common and usually the most reliable radon reduction method.

Many people are living with high radon levels and they don't even know it. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer (smoking is #1).

The EPA says, "it's a good idea to retest your home every two years to be sure radon levels remain low." When's the last time you tested your home? If you have a mitigation system, are you sure your fan is working? I've seen people live in homes where the mitigation system fan had burned out and the radon levels were in the 30s and 40s.

Another common problem related to radon is this: People check the radon levels in an unfinished basement and everything seems OK. Then, they finish the basement and compartmentalize certain sections. This could cause radon to build up in specific areas and become a problem. Therefore, always recheck the radon after you finish your basement.

To learn more about radon, visit the EPA website at http://www.epa.gov/radon

Preventing Medical Identity Theft and Medicare Fraud

Did you catch the free webcast titled, "Preventing Medical Identity Theft and Medicare Fraud."

Medical identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information (like your name, Social Security number, or Medicare number) to obtain medical care, buy drugs, or submit fake billings to Medicare in your name.

The HHS is fighting back and they had a live webcast today. They also have a free PDF brochure (click here to download) to help you fight medical identity theft and Medicare fraud. I'm glad to see that the government is investing some resources to inform consumers and healthcare professionals about this significant problem.

Report Fraud to the Inspector General.
email: HHSTips@oig.hhs.gov
Call: 1-800-HHS-TIPS / (1-800-447-8477) TTY: 1-800-377-4950

http://www.stopmedicarefraud.gov

New Food Safety Consumer Web Site

HHS and USDA Unveil New Food Safety Consumer Web Site at www.foodsafety.gov

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack, the co-chairs of the Obama Administration’s Food Safety Working Group, unveiled a new consumer Web site today at www.foodsafety.gov. The site is designed to help consumers and families get all the latest information on food safety and food recalls in one convenient place.

The new site will feature information from all the agencies across the federal government that deal with critical food and food safety information, including preventive tips about how to handle food safely, alerts on life-saving food recalls, and the latest news from the key agencies...

To read the entire press release, click here.

FDA and tobacco regulation

Now that the FDA is regulating the manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco products, should we expect anything to change? So many people are addicted to the nicotine found in cigarettes and they have such a difficult time quitting. According to this CNN story:

Last week, the FDA opened its new Center for Tobacco Products, which will enforce advertising restrictions and set public health strategies to reduce illnesses and deaths caused by tobacco products. The new center was established shortly after the passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which enables the FDA to review new tobacco products before they can be sold.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates cigarette smoking leads to 443,000 deaths each year. Smoking accounts for at least 30 percent of all cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society.

So, how will the government establish public health strategies around tobacco? How will the FDA use it's new authority to reduce smoking prevalence in this country? What will we see come out of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act?

CMS rating hospitals based on readmission

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is now rating hospitals based on readmission data and mortality. Should healthcare providers get rated based on readmission statistics? New ratings on 4,000 hospitals will show up on the CMS "Hospital Compare" Web site which can be found at: http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov

CMS officials have suggested that readmission data - how frequently patients return to a hospital after being discharged - may be "a possible indicator of how well the facility did the first time around. Readmission rates will help consumers identify those providers in the community who are furnishing high-value healthcare with the best results."

As physicians, we are pushed to get patients out of the hospital quickly. Now, any patient who "bouces back" will harm our reputation. Is that fair? What about those non-compliant patients who refuse to adhere to their medication regimens? They are likely to "bounce back" if they get discharged on many critical meds and never fill their prescriptions. Maybe healthcare providers will be more motivated to fire these types patients. If that happens, then no one may want to care for them.

CMS has been tracking the outcomes of hospital care since 2007 when the "Hospital Compare" website provided 30-day mortality rates for heart attack and heart failure.

Is Canada's health system better?

There's an interesting article on CNN titled, "Reality check: Canada's government health care system." According to CNN, the story highlights include the following points:

• Woman with tumor said wait would have been too long; she got costly U.S. treatment
  
• Canadian man with cancer says he was put on fast track for treatment
  
• Sen. Mitch McConnell says U.S.-run program would mimic Canada's problems
  
• Some doctors who spoke to CNN say McConnell doesn't have facts right on waits

Here's a snippet from the story: "The Senate's top Republican, Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, asserted several times on the Senate floor last month that a government-run health insurance option, which President Obama and Democrats want, could lead to a government-controlled health care system like Canada's."

I know many Canadians who have traveled to the U.S. to get an MRI or other type of imaging study. Some travel to the U.S. for surgery. If you can afford the luxuries associated with U.S. healthcare (and even concierge medicine), then why not? Right? What happens to all those patients who are unable to afford the luxuries of such healthcare? At least in Canada, you have some level of healthcare coverage. Here in the U.S., millions of people live without any level of healthcare coverage. Why? Because they're not old enough to qualify for Medicare and they have too much to qualify for Medicaid. These days, so many doctors don't accept Medicaid, so what benefit is that anyways?

What will healthcare look like after we go through major reform? Will we mimic the Canadian system on some level? Many are predicting a tiered healthcare system where a basic, universal plan will be available to everyone, and then those who can afford more will basically get more. Who determines what types of medical tests you deserve? The same person who complains of symptoms such as dyspnea, headache, and a cough may get one type of workup in Canada (few, if any tests) and another totally different battery of tests (necessary or unnecessary) here in the U.S. Why such disparities? Do we live in such a litigious society here in the U.S.? (Don't answer that last question) To read the entire CNN story, click here.

Feds Raiding Siemens Medical

So it appears that the feds raided Siemens because of a DoD (Department of Defense) contract to sell medical imaging IT to the US military. You may have heard that Siemens has been accused of fraud and bribery scandals in recent years. Last year, Siemens agreed to pay $1.3 billion to settle bribery charges. Yikes!

Kathleen Sebelius

Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius has been appointed the nation’s ninth HHS secretary. She won by a 65-31 Senate vote.

Joining Government with Industry to Discuss Health Issues

What happens when you combine government with industry to talk about health issues related to quality of care, compliance, cost, and partnerships? You end up with roundtable reports published by the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA). They have some recent roundtable reports where industry representatives discussed some important quality and compliance issues with the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG).

The most recent HCCA/OIG roundtable report is titled:

A Report on the HHS Office of Inspector General and Health Care Compliance Association Roundtable on Hospital Board of Directors’ Oversight of Quality of Care
Driving for Quality in Acute Care: A Board of Directors Dashboard

Past HCCA/OIG roundtable reports include:

A Report on the Office of Inspector General and Health Care Compliance Association Roundtable on Long-Term Care Board of Directors’ Oversight of Quality of Care
December 6, 2007

A Summary of the Government-Industry Roundtable on the
Role of Governance in Compliance Programs
June 16, 2004, Office of Inspector General

HCCA/OIG Rountable Report
Building a Partnership for Effective Compliance
July, 2001

HCCA/OIG Physician Roundtable Report
Building a Partnership for Effective Compliance
July, 2000

CIA Survey
August 2001