Safer mad cow rating could boost U.S. beef exports

Reuters

May 29, 2013

The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has upgraded the United States' risk classification for mad cow disease to its safest level, which could increase U.S. beef exports, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Wednesday.

The decision to rank the United States' risk as "negligible" instead of "controlled" came at the OIE's annual meeting in Paris. Its scientific arm earlier recommended the upgrade after reviewing U.S. safeguards.

The ranking puts the United States among countries said to have the lowest risk for the fatal, brain-wasting disease formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

The new risk category was a "strong foundation" for increasing U.S. beef and beef product exports, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement.

Vilsack said the United States would press its trading partners "to base their decisions on science, consistent with international standards."

The U.S. Cattlemen's Association, a trade group, has said the safer designation would be "a big step toward enhancing our export opportunities."

Four cases of BSE have been reported in the United States since 2003. The most recent was in April 2012.

U.S. safeguards include a ban on using ruminant parts in cattle feed and keeping spinal cords, brains and nervous tissue, the items most at risk of infection, out of the food supply. USDA tests about 40,000 head a year for the disease.

Whooping Cough Cases Rise as Parents Opt Out of Vaccine

HealthDay News
June 3

In New York, study found unvaccinated kids were 14 times more likely to get illness. Parents who opt out of vaccinating their children are putting their own kids and others around them at risk of serious illness, finds a study conducted in New York.

Almost twice as many parents in New York sought religious exemptions from vaccination in 2011 compared to 12 years earlier, and cases of whooping cough (pertussis) increased simultaneously, the study found.

"The reason for the rising rates for religious exemptions is unknown. Our preliminary results suggest that it's not for religious reasons alone," said study senior author Dr. Jana Shaw, an assistant professor of pediatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse.

Counties with exemption rates of 1 percent or more experienced higher rates of whooping cough in both unvaccinated and vaccinated children -- 33 cases per 100,000 children on average compared to 20 cases per 100,000 in counties with lower exemption rates, the study found. To read more about their findings click here.

Can Google Glass help doctors make crucial calls faster?

Boston.com
June 6, 2013

Everyone has been mocking Google's Glasseyewear for its dweeby aesthetic. But would the teasing subside if Glass, which connects wirelessly to the Internet and can respond to spoken commands, was used to save lives?

A Scituate entrepreneur, John Rodley, is working on a Glass app for use in hospitals. "I think Glass is a game-changer, and I kind of enjoy seeing people diss it," he says. Rodley paid $1500 to get his hands on the developer's version of the Glass device, and start crafting software for it. He showed off his progress so far in Cambridge last weekend at AngelHack, a competition for entrepreneurs and web developers.

"We built a system for rapid response teams at hospitals," he says. "In some cases, they are coordinating care with people who might be in other locations on a campus or inside a big building." Rather than wait until those people arrive at a patient's bedside, a nurse who is wearing Glass and using Rodley's app would be able to livestream video, along with vital signs, to the doctor or specialist who is on the way over. "It gives them the first-person view of what's happening at the bedside, along with data like heart rate and blood pressure. If they can't see it, they're not going to venture an opinion about the appropriate treatment until they get there," he says. The doctor can also use Glass to ask questions or communicate with the caregiver who is in the patient's room. To read the full article click here.

RWJF Launches Hospital Pricing App Challenge

Health Leaders Media 

June 5, 2013

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has launched a competition to develop applications and tools that will enhance and improve the way data comparing hospital prices is used.

The federal government's unprecedented release of hospital pricing data for inpatient and outpatient procedures with the last month comes with one overriding question: How will the information be used?

To find out, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has launched a competition among technology developers to improve consumer understanding and use of data that compare hospital prices. Winners of the RWJF Hospital Price Transparency Challenge will share $120,000 in prize money.

The challenge was announced at the Datapalooza IV, in Washington Monday.

Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published prices charged by more than 3,000 hospitals for the 100 most common inpatient procedures. The information showed extreme variation in pricing among U.S. hospitals—even those operating in the same communities. Experts say it underscores the urgent need for transparency in the health care system. To read more about the RWJF Hospital Price Transparency Challenge click here.

Infographic Playworks - positive findings

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
May 14, 2013

A safe and healthy recess has the potential to drive better student behavior, health, and learning, according to a new study of RWJF grantee Playworks. Specific benefits include reduced bullying, enhanced feelings of safety at school, increased physical activity and more time for classroom teaching. To read more of Playworks' findings click here.

Serious work put into making primary care fun again

American Medical News

June 3, 2013

Innovative clinics say redesigning the flow of care and freeing doctors from administrative hassles may boost physician satisfaction.

Amid alarming rates of physician burnout, hundreds of clinics nationwide are redesigning their practices with a goal in mind beyond improving the quality of care. They are aiming to make life as a primary care doctor enjoyable once more.

Twenty-three of these clinics are profiled in a report in the May/June Annals of Family Medicine that describes practice innovations that can ease the chaos, administrative overload, miscommunication and computerized busy work that too often characterize primary care. These clinics find that planning visits ahead of time, delegating more tasks to nurses and medical assistants, holding daily meetings and using standing orders for recurring items not only improves patient satisfaction but also creates happier doctors...

“All medical care, and especially primary care, is incredibly complex, creative work that requires willing, engaged participants and strong support to be successful,” Dr. Schutzbank said. “We use silly words like 'joy' and 'love' and 'hope' because that's what we need. We don't need more rules or checklists or regulations.” To read the full article click here.

Long-term care a looming crisis, but Colorado takes an important step

Solutions
June 10, 2013

Both Colorado and the United States face a crisis over long-term care for our aging population. (Baby boomers, this means you.)

In a few years, an unparalleled demographic shift will begin to place unprecedented demands on both our health care and long-term-care systems. When this shift reaches its peak in 2030, 61 million Americans will be between 66 and 84 years old. In that same year, 9 million people will be older than age 84.

As for Colorado, the number of households aged 65+ will increase by 123 percent between 2010 and 2030.

If we are to successfully manage the health care needs of our aging population, we need to pursue options that will cost less, protect people’s assets and life savings, keep people in their homes for as long as possible, and help to reduce the financial and emotional stress on family caregivers. The longer we wait to develop a strategy, the more costly those options will be and the more difficult they will be to implement.To read the full article click here.

Registration has opened for 2013 Annual Rural Health Conference

The 22nd Annual Colorado Rural Health Conference will be held October 17-18, 2013 at Hotel Elegante in Colorado Springs. This year's conference will provide participants with a wide range of educational topics, networking, resource opportunities and much more. Register today at the early bird discounted rate!

 
Early Bird Member Rate: $220
Early Bird Non-Member Rate: $270
Event Info:

• Date: October 17-18, 2013
• Hotel and Location:
  Hotel Elegantè Conference and Event Center (formerly Crown Plaza Hotel)
  2886 S. Circle Drive
  Colorado Spring, CO 80906
• Rates
  Single/double $98.00
  Group rate available thru September 15th
• Group Code: 656798
• Make your reservation
• Agenda coming soon!

Rural Health Excellence Award

The Rural Health Excellence Award is now open for nominations. Do you know someone who is doing amazing work in Colorado's rural communities? Nominate them for the Rural Health Excellence Award! Complete a nomination form and return to bo@coruralhealth.org by July 31!

This award is given annually by Colorado Rural Health Center to honor those who have made a notable contribution to health, healthcare, or a healthcare delivery system in rural Colorado. The award will be presented during the Annual Colorado Rural Health Conference October 17-18, at the Hotel Elegante in Colorado Springs. The winner and his or her family will be invited to attend the conference.

To be eligible for the award, a candidate must have made a significant contribution to the health, healthcare, or a healthcare delivery system in a rural Colorado community, area, or region. Healthcare providers, board members, administrators, volunteers and others are eligible for nomination. CRHC Board Members are not eligible for nomination while serving on the Board. Question contact Bridgette Olson at bo@coruralhealth.org.

 

 

Call for Sponsors and Exhibitors! Join Us at Colorado's Premier Conference for Rural Providers

WE NEED YOUR HELP! Without you, we would not be able to provide such high quality programming! Thanks to conference sponsors and exhibitors, CRHC is able to present excellent speakers and sessions.

Planning for the 2013 Annual Rural Health Conference is in full swing at CRHC and we need your help to host this annual networking and educational conference for rural providers. The Conference will take place October 17-18 at Hotel Elegante (previously Crowne Plaza) in Colorado Springs. The conference will be held on the main floor, with over 17,000 square footage reserved. Click here to review the sponsorship and exhibitor levels. Click here to register or email Bridgette to reserve your spot! 

Traditionally this conference is attended by rural hospital and clinic C-level executives/EDs, which account for approximately 40% of conference attendees. Directors/administrators (25%), managers (13%), specialty positions (17%), and MD/RN/FNP, etc (7%) also attend.   

A tenative agenda should be released in the coming weeks.  Currently there is 6 hours of networking time built into the schedule. With the many changes taking place in the healthcare industry we are drafting an agenda that is both timely and informative.  New topics being proposed include telehealth, a series on patient advocacy, marketplace impact on providers and patients and much more!

A detailed prospectus will be released once the agenda has been finalized.  If you have specific questions about the schedule, layout or benefits, please contact Bridgette Olson. Exhibit space filled quickly last year!