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Trying to find a story from a past AHA NewsNow? Use the button below to search the NewsNow archives by date or key word.
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OSHA issues H1N1 compliance directive 11/20/2009
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration today issued guidance to field staff conducting inspections to minimize high-risk occupational exposures to the 2009 H1N1 flu virus in health care and other settings. In response to complaints, OSHA said its inspectors will ensure that health care employers implement a hierarchy of controls, and encourage vaccination and other work practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "The CDC recommends the use of respiratory protection that is at least as protective as a fit-tested disposable N95 respirator for health care personnel who are in close contact (within 6 feet) with patients who have suspected or confirmed 2009 H1N1 influenza," OSHA said. "Where respirators are not commercially available, an employer will be considered to be in compliance if the employer can show a good faith effort has been made to acquire respirators." The CDC last month updated its H1N1 infection control guidance for health care settings, including the protection of health care personnel. The AHA is reviewing the OSHA directive.
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AHA adds special members-only Webcast on health reform 11/20/2009
The AHA will host a special members-only Webcast at 4 p.m. Tuesday focusing on the new, consolidated Senate health reform bill. The Webcast is part of the AHA's Health Reform Update Interactive series. AHA members who have not yet registered to participate in the Webcast series can do so online. For future Webcast dates, members can click here.
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Grants seek to insure Alaska Native/American Indian kids 11/20/2009
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will award up to $10 million in grants to help enroll qualified American Indian and Alaska Native children in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Authorized by the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, the grants are available to the Indian Health Service and tribal/urban Indian health programs. Applications are due by Jan. 15.
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CDC: Flu activity down slightly, but still widespread 11/20/2009
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today reported widespread flu activity in 43 states, down from 46. Anne Schuchat, M.D., director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said about 54.1 million doses of H1N1 flu vaccine have been made available as of this week, of which more than 44 million have been shipped to states. About half of the doses have gone to children, Schuchat said. As the holiday travel season approaches, the CDC has launched a flu prevention campaign encouraging people to travel only when well, wash their hands often, cover coughs and sneezes, and get vaccinated if recommended. For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu.
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'60 Minutes' to air segment on cost of end-of-life care 11/20/2009
CBS News' "60 Minutes" series Sunday will broadcast a segment on the cost of end-of-life care. In a preview of the show, CBS notes that Medicare last year spent $50 billion caring for patients in the last two months of life. The segment includes a visit to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH.
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Reid releases merged Senate health reform bill 11/19/2009
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) last night unveiled the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" (H.R. 3590), which merges health reform bills approved by the Senate Finance and Health, Education, Labor & Pensions committees. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the merged bill will cost $848 billion over 10 years and extend health coverage to 94% of legal U.S. residents by 2019, partly through a public insurance option from which states could opt out. By 2019, 24 million people would be left without coverage. The bill reduces hospital Medicare and Medicaid payments by roughly $106 billion by reducing market basket updates by 0.25% in 2010 and 2011 for inpatient and outpatient hospitals, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities and long-term care hospitals. For 2012 through 2019, market basket updates would be reduced by an annual productivity adjustment plus an additional reduction of 0.2%. AHA members this morning received a Special Bulletin with additional details on the bill. The Senate is expected to consider later this week a motion to proceed on debate of the bill.
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House passes bill to reform Medicare physician payment 11/19/2009
The House voted 243-183 late today to approve the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act (H.R. 3961), which would permanently reform Medicare's physician payment formula. Without congressional action, physicians face a 21% payment cut on Jan. 1 under the current Medicare physician fee schedule. Earlier this month, the Senate failed to advance a bill (S. 1776) halting the physician pay cut, with opponents arguing the bill would have added to the federal deficit.
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Senate HELP committee approves OSHA director nominee 11/19/2009
The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee yesterday approved the administration's nomination of David Michaels for assistant secretary of labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The nomination now goes to the full Senate for confirmation. Michaels is research professor and interim chair at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services' Department of Environmental and Occupational Health.
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Report highlights prevention strategies for adults aged 50-64 11/19/2009
Only about one in four Americans aged 50-64 regularly takes advantage of preventive health services such as screenings and immunizations, according to a report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report identifies recommended prevention services and model programs, policies and strategies that communities can adopt to promote broader use of these services in this age group, which will comprise 20% of the nation's population by 2015. The resource was produced in collaboration with the American Medical Association and AARP.
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CDC releases county-level obesity, diabetes estimates 11/19/2009
Wide sections of the Southeast, Appalachia, and some tribal lands in the West and Northern Plains have the nation's highest rates of obesity and diabetes, according to estimates released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In many counties in those regions, obesity rates exceed 30% and diabetes rates 10%, according to the agency's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. CDC said the data can help public health agencies, health care providers and policymakers focus prevention efforts on high-risk regions. Nationally, the agency estimates that 26% of adults are obese and 8% of residents have diabetes.
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