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Health Reform Continues to Gather Steam at
the White House and on Capitol Hill
Both chambers of
Congress are hard at work in an effort to pass comprehensive
health care reform bills before the August recess. The
committees of jurisdiction continue to work behind closed doors
with reports of "early, broad agreement" on some issues. The
Senate Finance Committee has begun to make some of their work
public, releasing two new “policy options” documents in just the
last week (visit
the committee web site to read more).
At the other end of Pennsylvania Ave, President Obama met with
private industry representatives who pledged to reduce health
care spending by $2 trillion over the next decade. NACHC is
actively involved in the health reform process, continuing to
work with the Congressional committees and leadership to ensure
health center priorities are understood and included as the
debate heats up and legislation is developed. Stay tuned for
updates coming soon.
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H1N1 Flu Case Count Increases
The total number of
H1N1 Flu cases in the U.S. has risen to 5,123, with 5 deaths
attributed to the outbreak. High call volumes and increased
patient visits related to the virus are still being reported at
health centers.
Sixteenth Street Community Health Center
in Milwaukee is among the centers on the front lines because of
the outbreak; that health center has treated roughly 25 percent
of the state’s total of H1N1 Flu patients, according to a
spokesperson. The latest information is available at the
NACHC website.
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The 2009 Farmworker Conference Concludes a
Success
Congratulations and
thanks to this year’s Migrant Health Award winners:
Family HealthCare Network
(Migrant Health Center Award); Susana Castro,
Community Health Partnership of Illinois
(Outstanding Migrant Health Center Board Member Award); Miguel
Esquivel, Board Member of the
Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic
(Outstanding Migrant Health Public Service Award); and Ventura
Gonzales, Jr., CEO of
Vida y Salud Health Systems, Inc.
(Lifetime Achievement
in Migrant Health Award). Find other highlights from the
Farmworker Health Conference at
NACHC’s Health Center News and Happenings blog.
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NYC Health Official Tapped to Head CDC
The process of
filling key Obama administration posts related to health – on
hold during the lengthy confirmation process of HHS Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius – rolled on last week. Dr. Thomas Frieden, New
York City's health commissioner, was
named by the White House
Friday to run the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Frieden previously
worked at CDC for 12 years, and he has led the health department
of the nation’s largest city since 2002. On his watch, New York
implemented bans on indoor smoking and trans-fats and a
requirement that restaurant menus include calorie counts. The
WhoRunsGov.com profile
of Freiden identifies him as a leading proponent of electronic
medical records conversion for Community Health Centers.
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May's Advocate of the Month Hails from South
Dakota
Announcing the May
National Community Health Advocate of the Month: Larry Lucas, a
Board Member at Horizon Health Care, Inc. in Howard, South
Dakota. As a member of the South Dakota House of
Representatives, Larry knows firsthand the importance of
grassroots advocacy and making the commitment to advocating for
health centers. Among the many claims to advocacy fame earning
Larry this recognition: attending numerous health center events,
regularly sounding off on the importance and need to support
health centers at the state capitol and acting as the lead
health center spokesman whenever the call comes in at the state
and local level. Thanks so much for everything you do, Larry
Lucas!
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In the Media Spotlight:
NACHC Board
Chair-Elect Anita Monoian lent insight to
Medscape Medical News
columnist Wayne
Guglielmo for his column on rural, frontier and urban physician
shortages. Dr. Michael Brooks -- COO at
West End Medical Centers
in Atlanta -- talked about Community Health Centers and health
reform on
CNN.
HealthyConcerns.com
highlighted the naming of Women's Health Heroes by Our Bodies,
Ourselves; the list of worldwide honorees includes the
Fair Haven, Connecticut Community Health Center
Midwifery Group! There's a great video at
Our Bodies, Our Blog
-- if you only watch one thing on YouTube today, watch this. Our
Health Center News and Happenings blog
recaps media attention for Community Health Centers in
California, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Rhode Island, Utah
and Washington.
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Quote of the Week:
“The fact of the matter is the
most significant driver by far of our long-term debt and our
long-term deficits is ever-escalating health care costs. And if
we don't reform how health care is delivered in this country,
then we are not going to be able to get a handle on that.”
-
President Obama, May 13, 2009,
after meeting with House Democratic Leadership regarding health
reform
Source:
NACHC Newsletter, 5/19/2009 |
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