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January 31, 2008Achieving a US Health Care System 'Second to None'From EurekAlert! - Breaking News: All candidates running for office in 2008 should commit to an agenda to create a health care system for the United States that is second to none the American College of Physicians (ACP) said in its annual report on The State of the Nation's Health Care. In its report, ACP offers a five-point Candidate's Pledge designed to gain candidate commitments to support a series of recommendations. The recommendations result from a new ACP evidence-based policy paper, Achieving a High-Performance Health Care System with Universal Access: What the United States Can Learn from Other Countries. Propose immediate action items that President Bush and the 110th Congress can take to help - transition to a high performing health care system. Create workforce and payment polices to increase the numbers of primary care physicians, recognize the value of primary care, and support care organized through a patient-centered medical home. By providing ACP's members---125,000 internists and medical students nationwide---with a Web-based tool to evaluate the candidates' positions (www.acponline.org/advocacy/where_we_stand/election) based on ACP's benchmarks for a high performing system, it hopes to challenge the candidates to embrace ACP's proposals and to help our members evaluate the candidates accordingly. Primary care physicians would receive higher compensation commensurate with their critical role in helping patients get high quality and efficient care. Patients and their physicians would have electronic health records to provide them with evidence-based treatment guidelines, laboratory and diagnostic test results, medication lists, and medical histories at the point of care. Posted by Michael at 7:52 PM | TrackBack Health Care Opinion Leaders' Views on the Presidential Candidates' Health Reform PlansFrom The Commonwealth Fund: The 13th Commonwealth Fund/Modern Healthcare Health Care Opinion Leaders Survey asked a diverse group of experts for their perspective on the health care reform proposals of the 2008 presidential candidates. Survey participants strongly support reform proposals that applied a mixed private/public market approach. Additional favored policy strategies for reform include a requirement for individuals to obtain health insurance, new private market regulations, and a requirement for employers to provide coverage or contribute to a coverage fund. Alternatively, respondents think proposals that focus on tax incentives to purchase individual private health insurance are not an effective method for controlling the rising costs of health care or achieving universal coverage. Health care opinion leaders call for the next president to simultaneously address universal coverage and quality, efficiency, and cost containment policies to move our health care system toward high performance. Also available are two related commentaries, Reform Is No 'Either-Or': We Must Fix the Payment System Along with Access by Darrell Kirch, M.D, president and chief executive officer of the Association of American Medical Colleges, and Tough Choices Ahead: Candidates Ignore Pain of Needed Cuts to Health Costs by Dallas L. Salisbury, president and CEO of the Employee Benefit Research Institute and a member of The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System. Posted by Michael at 7:45 PM | TrackBack The Enhanced Reading Opportunities StudyFrom MDRC: According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a majority of ninth-graders in low-performing high schools begin their freshman year with significant reading difficulties. This report presents early findings from the Enhanced Reading Opportunities (ERO) study, a demonstration and random assignment evaluation of two supplemental literacy programs --- Reading Apprenticeship Academic Literacy and Xtreme Reading --- that aim to improve the reading comprehension skills and school performance of struggling ninth-grade readers. The supplemental literacy programs are full-year courses targeted to students whose reading skills are two to five years below grade level as they enter high school. This report focuses on the first of two cohorts of ninth-grade students who are participating in the study and discusses the impact that the two interventions have had on their reading comprehension skills. On average, across the 34 participating high schools, the supplemental literacy programs had a statistically significant impact on improving student reading comprehension test scores. The average student in the study sample started the year reading at a grade-level equivalent of 5.1. Those students assigned to the ERO classes were reading at a 6.1 grade equivalent by the end of the year, compared to a 5.9 grade equivalent for students in the control group. Despite the improvement in reading comprehension, however, 76 percent of the students who enrolled in the ERO classes were still reading at two or more years below grade level at the end of ninth grade. First-year implementation was not without its challenges. The ERO classes did not begin until six weeks into the school year on average, and implementation fidelity was classified as poorly aligned with the program model in 10 of the schools. Posted by Michael at 7:42 PM | TrackBack Final TANF Rules Include Modest Improvements; Further Action Needed to Restore the Safety NetFrom Center for Law and Social Policy: by Elizabeth Lower-Basch. This week, the Department of Health and Human Services placed on public display the final rules implementing the changes to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program made by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. The rule includes several modest but positive changes affecting the work participation rate requirements, but does not change the overall focus on documenting participation. Many of the changes respond to concerns that CLASP and numerous other organizations submitted in response to the interim final rule. 1 pages. Read more from this post. Posted by Michael at 7:39 PM | TrackBack Summary of TANF RulesFrom Center for Law and Social Policy: by Elizabeth Lower-Basch. The final rules implementing changes in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program made by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 are scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on February 5, 2008; this summary is based on the pre-publication version made available for public inspection. 7 pages. Read more from this post. Posted by Michael at 7:38 PM | TrackBack Time to Apply for the Sector Skills Academy!There's still time to submit applications for the Sector Skills Academy, an initiative sponsored by the Aspen Institutes's Workforce Strategies Initiative and Public/Private Ventures. The Academy is a year-long program involving three 3-day workshops, as well as mentoring, technical assistance, and peer support, designed to support and help grow sectoral workforce development strategies. As an integral part of the Academy, each participant will have the opportunity to reflect on and refine his/her vision, strategy and implementation plan for a specific sectoral initiative, compatible with his/her own organization's vision and goals. The application deadline is March 3, 2008. More information about the Academy is available at: www.sectorskillsacademy.org. Questions about the application process or the Academy can be sent to: wsi@aspeninstitute.org. About Skills Sector Academy Interest in sector-oriented workforce training is growing dramatically, largely because such approaches hold the potential to improve employment opportunities for low-wage workers, while also supporting business competitiveness. That potential has prompted a variety of institutions---including community-based organizations, community colleges, labor-management partnerships and business associations---to launch new initiatives. Several states, such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Illinois, have developed workforce development systems that are organized around a sectoral approach. To build on the momentum of sector work and to strengthen, sustain and grow the field, the first Sector Skills Academy was initiated in June 2005 by three well-known organizations in the sectoral workforce development field: The Aspen Institute Workforce Strategies Initiative, the National Network of Sector Partners, and Public/Private Ventures. The Academy consists of three workshops over roughly a 12-month period that allow participants to acquire new skills, engage in peer exchange and benefit from relationships with mentors. Academy participants are known as "Marano Fellows," in honor of the late Cindy Marano, a respected leader in the field of sectoral workforce development who at one time headed NNSP. Posted by Michael at 12:05 PM | TrackBack January 30, 2008Two-Thirds of Illinois Public Schools Provide Comprehensive Sex EducationFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: A study of sex education in Illinois public schools found that one out of three teachers did not meet a very forgiving definition of comprehensive instruction, researchers from the University of Chicago Medical Center report in the February 2008 issue of the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. Only 65 percent of teachers who responded to the survey covered the four basic topics required to be rated "comprehensive:" abstinence until marriage or older, HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases, and contraception. When the researchers added a widely recommended fifth topic--where to get condoms, birth control and health related services---only 42 percent of sex education teachers passed the comprehensiveness test. The survey also found that 30 percent of the State's sex-education teachers had never received sex-education training, well above the national average of 18 percent. Although most teachers with training reported that they felt, "very comfortable" teaching adolescents about sex, only 56 percent of those who lacked such training said they felt as comfortable. "Our children learn many of the skills they need to be healthy citizens and to take responsibility for their own health in school," she said. "Working with college students, I have witnessed this firsthand. The most frequently taught topics, covered by 96 percent of teachers, were HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Only 32 percent of teachers brought up homosexuality or sexual orientation, 34 percent taught how to use condoms, 37 percent taught how to use other forms of birth control, 39 percent discussed abortion and 47 percent taught students where to access contraception and sexual-health services. Posted by Michael at 11:08 PM | TrackBack CCDBG State Plan Reported Activities to Support Limited English Proficient (LEP) and Immigrant CommunitiesFrom Center for Law and Social Policy: This paper provides examples of activities that states reported within the Child Care and Development Block Grant program to better serve immigrant and LEP communities. CLASP reviewed FY 2006-2007 CCDBG state plans for references to initiatives that would support immigrant families and/or providers, Limited English Proficient (LEP) families and/or providers, English Language Learners, or linguistic and cultural diversity. We find that state reported activities in these areas were often vague and few states reported carrying out multiple strategies. Posted by Michael at 10:59 PM | TrackBack Study shows variety of approaches help children overcome auditory processing and language problemsFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: A study comparing four intervention strategies in children who have unusual difficulty understanding and using language found that all four methods resulted in significant, long-term improvements in the children's language abilities. The aim of the study was to assess whether children who used commercially available language software program Fast ForWord-Language had greater improvement in language skills than children using other methods. Read more from this post. Posted by Michael at 10:53 PM | TrackBack Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America Applauds Resolution Naming Feb. 11-16 National Drug Prevention & Education WeekFrom Ascribe Newsfeed: As the national voice for 5,000 drug prevention organizations around the country, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) applauds Senators Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) for introducing a resolution today designating February 11-16 as National Drug Prevention and Education Week. National Drug Prevention and Education Week encourages parents, youth, schools and communities to carry out prevention and education activities to reduce and stop drug use. "On behalf of our 5,000 members, I applaud Senators Biden and Grassley for focusing national attention on the critical role that drug prevention and education - especially when combined with comprehensive community coalitions - plays in keeping kids drug-free," remarked General Arthur T. Dean, Chairman and CEO of CADCA. For example, nearly 6 percent of 12th graders have used over-the-counter cough and cold medications in the past year for the purpose of getting high, and one in ten 12th graders has reported non-medical use of the powerful painkiller Vicodin within the past year. These problems do not simply pose serious health risks, but they are also closely linked to low educational achievement and increased risk of illegal activity and crime. By utilizing multiple strategies across multiple sectors of the community, community coalitions work with the community to organize and develop comprehensive plans to achieve population level changes in local drug problems. CADCA's mission is to build and strengthen the capacity of community coalitions by providing technical assistance and training, public policy advocacy, media strategies and marketing programs, conferences, and special events. For more information about CADCA, visit http://www.cadca.org. AScribe Newswire distributes news from nonprofit and public sector organizations. Posted by Michael at 10:50 PM | TrackBack LA84 Foundation Awards $2.2 Million to 28 Sports Programs for Youth in Southern CaliforniaFrom Ascribe Newsfeed: The LA84 Foundation today announced $2,238,199 million in grants to support sports programs serving more than 57,000 youth in Southern California. Nearly half of the money will go to organizations providing after-school sports programs in elementary, middle and high schools where budget constraints have forced cuts in school-funded programs. Posted by Michael at 10:49 PM | TrackBack HUD Delivers $49 Million to Support Homeless Programs in ChicagoFrom HUD Press Releases: U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson presented Chicago Mayor Richard Daley with $49 million in grants to support more than 150 homeless programs in the Windy City. The grants announced today will support the full spectrum or "continuum of care" for homeless individuals and families - from street outreach and emergency shelter to transitional and permanent housing. Â Jackson made the presentation at a Northside apartment complex that provides permanent supporting housing to homeless persons with disabilities. In addition, the funding will provide critically needed services including job training, child care, substance abuse treatment and mental health. For a detailed local summary of the projects awarded funding, visit www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/budget/2007/07_illinois_totals.xls. Nationally, HUD is awarding a record $1.5 billion to more than 6,000 local housing and service programs. HUD's Continuum of Care programs provide permanent and transitional housing to homeless persons. In addition, Continuum grants fund important services including job training, health care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and child care. Emergency Shelter Grants provide funds for the operation of local shelters and fund related social service and homeless prevention programs. By helping to support emergency shelter, transitional housing and needed support services, Emergency Shelter Grants are designed to move homeless persons away from a life on the street toward permanent housing. For six years, ending chronic homelessness has been one of President Bush's national goals. Total funding to these projects is more than $14.6 million, a commitment that directly supports the national goal of ending chronic homelessness. Posted by Michael at 12:34 AM | TrackBack January 29, 2008State Education Spending: Current Pressures and Future TrendsFrom Urban Institute: Education expenditures are one of the largest spending areas for state and local governments, and per-pupil expenditures have been growing over time. We examine trends in state aid for education and overall education spending and decompose the existing drivers behind growing state costs. We then explore how predicted future demographic trends will affect education spending levels, as the percent of the population that is of school age falls. We conclude that there will continue to be a large state role in education funding, but demographic changes may lead to reduced political support for schools in the future. Posted by Michael at 7:58 PM | TrackBack Current Approaches to Improving the Value of Care: A Physician's PerspectiveFrom The Commonwealth Fund: Payers are trying new ways to bring rapidly increasing health care costs under control, from pay-for-performance programs and public reporting of quality and cost information, to tiered provider networks and consumer-directed health plans. A new Commonwealth Fund report assesses these strategies. Posted by Michael at 7:51 PM | TrackBack New CDC Study: Well-Funded Tobacco Control Programs Can Reduce Number of Smokers by MillionsFrom PR Newswire: As state legislatures across the country convene their 2008 sessions, an important new study provides powerful evidence of the direct relationship between increased funding for state tobacco prevention and cessation programs and declines in adult smoking. The study, being published in the February 2008 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, examined state tobacco prevention and cessation funding levels from 1995 to 2003 and found that the more states spent on these programs, the larger the declines they achieved in adult smoking, even when controlling for other factors such as increased tobacco prices. The researchers also calculated that if every state had funded their programs at the levels recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) during that period, there would have been between 2.2 million and 7.1 million fewer smokers in the United States by 2003. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids estimates that such smoking declines would have saved between 700,000 and 2.2 million lives as well as between $20 billion and $67 billion in health care costs. These studies, along with reviews by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences, the President's Cancer Panel and numerous other experts demonstrate conclusively that state tobacco prevention and cessation programs work to prevent kids from smoking and help adults quit, thereby saving lives and health care dollars. This overwhelming evidence that state tobacco prevention and cessation programs work and deliver so many health and financial benefits leaves elected leaders with no excuse for failing to fund such programs in every state at CDC-recommended levels. Right now, the states are spending less than 3 percent. Posted by Michael at 7:39 PM | TrackBack Tough Choices Ahead: Candidates Ignore Pain of Needed Cuts to Health CostsFrom The Commonwealth Fund: Commentary on The Commonwealth Fund/Modern Healthcare Health Care Opinion Leaders Survey on the Presidential Candidates Health Reform Proposals by Dallas L. Salisbury, president and CEO of the Employee Benefit Research Institute and a member of The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's tenure saw the first proposals for universal health insurance. The creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 was seen by most as major reform, but by 1968 President Nixon was talking of a health care cost crisis, demanding more reform and proposing a universal coverage program. The nation experimented with managed care just long enough to determine that although it did hold down costs, it also limited individual choices and allowed tough decisions on care that consumers did not like. Researchers at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, suggested in that debate of the early 1990s that the answer was an individual mandate, an end to employment-based coverage and major changes in the tax treatment of health insurance benefits. Most would support the option of purchase into the federal employee program. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) does not favor a mandate, but did say in New Hampshire that his first preference was a single-payer system---he just doesn't think it could become law. As recently as the final New Hampshire Republican debate the candidates condemned the "socialist" proposal of an individual mandate "coming from the Democrats." Republicans mainly suggest that moving to an individually based system where individuals have to pay more will bring a market solution: lower spending. Posted by Michael at 7:36 PM | TrackBack Child Support: Ripple Effects Throughout the CommunityFrom Center for Law and Social Policy: The child support program helps families become stronger and more self-sufficient. The program has other bridges into the community as well---to employers, financial institutions, property owners, health insurers, and many other sectors. For example, the Milwaukee County child support program answered over 8,000 employer questions between January and September 2007. A substantial number of our military personnel are non-custodial parents, and pay child support though payroll allotments. The child support program has the authority to attach a lien against any real or personal property for past-due support. That means if someone tries to sell or trade a car, the dealer needs the child support program to respond efficiently to clear the title. Again, the lending institutions and real estate agents are counting on the child support program to complete paperwork in a timely manner to make a closing date. Again, financial institutions need a well-run child support agency as a partner. Child support programs have the authority to request drivers and other license suspensions and reinstatements. Both citizens and motor vehicle agencies need to know that the child support program has the capacity to respond promptly, provide accurate information, and help solve problems. Child support programs also can request the State Department to suspend passports for nonpayment of child support. The child support program needs resources to ensure that this system works smoothly and efficiently so that business travelers and other citizens can travel ontime with valid passports. The county is averaging 30-35 real estate transactions each week, closing or re-financing. Last week, the county filed 23 claims involving foreclosure actions. Posted by Michael at 7:31 PM | TrackBack Destined to cheat? New research finds free will can keep us honestFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: It is well established that changing people's sense of responsibility can change their behavior. Surprisingly, the link between fatalistic beliefs and unethical behavior has never been examined scientifically -- until now. In two recent experiments, psychologists Kathleen Vohs of the University of Minnesota and Jonathan Schooler of the University of British Columbia decided to see if otherwise honest people would cheat and lie if their beliefs in free will were manipulated. Read more from this post. Posted by Michael at 7:30 PM | TrackBack Are Employers Willing to Hire and Retain Older Workers?From Urban Institute: Older adults' employment is attracting attention as many baby boomers approach traditional retirement ages. This fact sheet examines employers' current attitudes toward older workers and the likely future demand for their services. They view older white-collar workers as more productive than younger white-collar workers. Yet, employers express concern that older workers may be less creative, less willing to take initiative, less willing to learn new things, and less able to perform physically demanding jobs. In some cases, age--wage rate relationships reflect historical seniority arrangements instead of relationship of age and experience to productivity. Most employers report that older workers' high productivity offsets their higher costs. Posted by Michael at 7:30 PM | TrackBack Do Married Couples Prosper with Age?From Urban Institute: Using data from the Federal Reserve Board's Surveys of Consumer Finances (SCFs), we follow one segment of a cohort over its life cycle, married couples as the husband ages from 36 - 44 in 1989 to 51 - 59 in 2004. We find that middle-income and lower-middle-income married-couple households experienced modest income growth but rapid growth in net worth. Overall, the evidence documents significant gains in income and wealth as married couples aged from their late 30s to their 50s. Posted by Michael at 7:27 PM | TrackBack The Potential Impact of Increasing Child Support Payments to TANF FamiliesFrom Urban Institute: The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 includes incentives for states to increase the amount of child support that is "passed through" to families on welfare, rather than retained to offset welfare expenditures. Beginning October 1, 2008, the federal government will share in the costs of a $100 per month pass-through for families with one child and a $200 per month pass-through for families with two or more children. This brief discusses the potential benefits and costs to families, states, and the federal government if all states implemented a $100/$200 pass-through and disregard. Posted by Michael at 7:22 PM | TrackBack The Debenture Small Business Investment Company Program : A Comparative Analysis of Investment Patterns with Private Venture Capital EquityFrom Urban Institute: The SBIC program provides venture capital and mezzanine finance to start-up and expanding small businesses through SBICs, and is intended to fill the gap in smaller debt/equity financings, and to expand the reach of venture capital into underserved urban and rural markets. We find that debenture SBIC investments varied substantially from comparable private venture capital. Total financings by SBICs are much less likely to be in high-tech industries than those made by venture capital firms, are more dispersed regionally, and appear more likely to be in low- and moderate-income areas. Posted by Michael at 7:21 PM | TrackBack Child Support: Restored Federal Funding Needed to Implement to Implement New Child Support Pass-Through OptionsFrom Center for Law and Social Policy: by Vicki Turetsky. Effective next year, new state options included in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) will allow states to pay up to 100 percent of collected child support to current and former TANF families - up to $2 billion more money for families every year. States and advocates alike support the new DRA distribution options. However, a cut in federal funding for child support enforcement also included in the DRA threatens state implementation of these new options. The third fact sheet in this series examines this issue. 2 pages. Read more from this post. Posted by Michael at 7:16 PM | TrackBack Workforce Leaders Academy 2008 Now Accepting ApplicationsNow in its forth year, the Workforce Leaders Academy is a year-long peer-learning community engaging executive and senior practitioners in New York City in a combination of retreats, seminars and action-based projects. The Academy provides opportunities for learning, reflection and exposure to prominent leaders from around the country who are advancing the workforce development field. Built upon current effective leadership development practices, as well as the input of researchers and peer-selected leaders in the field, the Academy examines key issues in workforce development, such as: * Connecting strategy to economic and labor market data; The 2008 Workforce Leaders Academy is now accepting applications. Join a select group of executive and senior management professionals from New York City's community-based organizations, public agencies and educational institutions in the 2008 Workforce Leaders Academy. Posted by Michael at 6:22 PM | TrackBack January 28, 2008Marijuana Withdrawal as Bad as Withdrawal from CigarettesFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: Research by a group of scientists studying the effects of heavy marijuana use suggests that withdrawal from the use of marijuana is similar to what is experienced by people when they quit smoking cigarettes. Abstinence from each of these drugs appears to cause several common symptoms, such as irritability, anger and trouble sleeping - based on self reporting in a recent study of 12 heavy users of both marijuana and cigarettes. Admissions in substance abuse treatment facilities in which marijuana was the primary problem substance have more than doubled since the early 1990s and now rank similar to cocaine and heroin with respect to total number of yearly treatment episodes in the United States, says Vandrey. He points out that a lack of data, until recently, has led to cannabis withdrawal symptoms not being characterized or included in medical reference literature such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, (DSM-IV) or the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition (ICD-10). What makes Vandrey's recent study unique is that it is the first study that compares marijuana withdrawal symptoms to withdrawal symptoms that are clinically recognized by the medical community - specifically the tobacco withdrawal syndrome. "Given the general consensus among clinicians that it is harder to quit more than one substance at the same time, these results suggest the need for more research on treatment planning for people who concurrently use more than one drug on a regular basis," says Vandrey. None of the subjects intended to quit using either substance, did not use any other illicit drugs in the prior month, were not on any psychotropic medication, did not have a psychiatric disorder, and if female, were not pregnant. Posted by Michael at 10:18 PM | TrackBack Mental Health Screenings, Risk Behavior Interventions Needed in Juvenile Justice SystemFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: Kids who have been arrested and are depressed are more likely to use drugs and alcohol and engage in unsafe sexual activity that puts them at greater risk for HIV, according to new research from the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center. Findings of the study, published in the January issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, suggest the need for depression screenings as part of the juvenile intake process in order to determine appropriate mental health, substance use and HIV risk behavior interventions. "We know that symptoms of depression may be a factor that is linked to both drug and alcohol use and sexual risk-taking behaviors," said lead author Marina Tolou-Shams, Ph.D., of the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center and an assistant research professor of psychiatry at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. "However, juvenile offenders aren't routinely screened for emotional difficulties, such as depression or anxiety -- rather, everyone tends to focus more on their conduct or behavioral problems." The current study is one of the first to examine the link between substance use, mental health and sexual risk among high-risk youth who have an arrest history but may not have been detained or incarcerated. They found that juvenile offenders with significant symptoms of depression, such as feelings of loneliness or worthlessness, reported much greater drug and alcohol use. They were also more likely to use these substances during sex, used condoms less, and had more psychiatric hospitalizations and suicide attempts than arrestees without depressive symptoms. Posted by Michael at 10:15 PM | TrackBack New Study Shows Fully Funded Tobacco Control Programs Reduce Number of SmokersFrom Ascribe Newsfeed: A new study in the American Journal of Public Health adds to the overwhelming evidence that comprehensive tobacco control programs save lives. The study indicates that the U.S. would have between 2.2 million and 7.1 million fewer smokers if states had funded their tobacco control programs at the levels recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) between 1995 and 2003. "It's time for Governor Schwarzenegger and the California legislature to marshal the political will to fully fund these life-saving programs," said Paul Knepprath, Vice President of Government Relations for the American Lung Association of California. Conducted by researchers from the CDC's Office of Smoking and Health and research and technical service firm RTI International, the study finds that state spending on comprehensive tobacco control programs results in fewer adults smoking. CDC now recommends that California spend $441.9 million each year on comprehensive tobacco prevention and cessation programs. As the number one cause of preventable deaths in the U.S., tobacco takes a toll on the economy, health care costs, and lives. - In 2003, New York State's adult smoking rate declined by 12 percent in just one year - from 21.5 percent in 2003 to 18.9 percent in 2004 - according to the New York State Department of Health's Adult Tobacco Survey. In contrast, adult smoking rates nationwide declined just four percent from 2002 to 2003. The recommended spending levels reflect overall state population, the prevalence of tobacco use, the proportion of the population that is uninsured and a number of other factors, including the cost and complexity of conducting mass media to reach targeted audiences. Posted by Michael at 10:13 PM | TrackBack California Lags Nation in Tracking Students' Educational Progress, RAND Study FindsFrom Ascribe Newsfeed: While California has basic tracking system architecture in place to allow the state's educators to closely follow the progress of students from kindergarten to post-secondary education, officials must overcome political and financial barriers, according to a RAND Corporation study. The study shows that by developing such a data system -- known as a "student unit record" data system -- California policymakers and educators will be better equipped to create policies and adopt changes that decrease student dropout rates, encourage a smoother transition from secondary to post-secondary education and increase student retention in college. "Such a system would enable California to answer important questions, such as how to improve course articulation between high school and college, what classes of students may need special intervention, and whether students are prepared to meet future labor demands," said Georges Vernez, the report's lead author and a senior social scientist at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. But the study finds that California would need to overcome a number of challenges to integrate a student unit record system, such as eliminating the protective mindset that each of the state's four education segments has developed. - The California School Information System, a mandated public K-12 system that has limited enrollment and demographic student data. The sequence might be: integrating the four existing systems "as is"; adding data elements now collected at the school and campus levels; and linking the K-20 student data file to other state and federal data systems, such as preschool, employment and private universities. AScribe Newswire distributes news from nonprofit and public sector organizations. Posted by Michael at 10:11 PM | TrackBack Underserved Children to Benefit From Annual Give Kids a Smile EventsFrom Ascribe Newsfeed: February is National Children's Dental Health Month and on Feb. 1, more than 51,000 dental professionals will provide free dental services to more than 500,000 children from low-income families, at more than 2,000 sites nationwide. Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease affecting American children, five times more common than asthma according to a report by the U.S. Surgeon General. "The ADA and dentists across the nation are engaged in creating public awareness of this critical need and trying to extend access to dental care to more low-income children. The ADA launched its national Give Kids A Smile program to combat what the U.S. Surgeon General called "a silent epidemic" of dental disease and to encourage parents, health professionals, policymakers and everyone who cares about children to address this important health issue. Because of inattention and other barriers to oral care, more than half (52 percent) of children ages six to eight have tooth decay, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in its Healthy People 2010 oral health update. Give Kids A Smile events are offered by groups of dentists in their private practices and by individual dentists in a variety of locations, coast to coast. JADA, a monthly journal, is the ADA's flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit the Association's Web site http://www.ada.org/. AScribe Newswire distributes news from nonprofit and public sector organizations. Posted by Michael at 9:32 PM | TrackBack A Prescription for Our Nation's Ailing Health Care SystemFrom The Commonwealth Fund: The last time health care reform was on the national agenda, a fictional couple named Harry and Louise helped ensure its demise with the refrain, "There has to be a better way." The couple, who appeared in advertisements sponsored by the Health Insurance Association of America, decried what some viewed as the bureaucratic nature of the 1993 health care reform proposal and urged viewers to contact their congressional representatives to vote against it. The ads put a human face on the issue for millions of Americans. Nearly 15 years later, the U.S. health care system---despite some incremental reforms---is, if anything, worse off. Today, Harry and Louise might very well be among the 47 million uninsured Americans who are struggling to pay for needed medical care, possibly bankrupting themselves in the process. Or they might be one of millions of Americans unable to obtain the coordinated, quality care enjoyed by residents of so many other countries and instead experiencing lost medical records, redundant tests, and poor oversight of chronic health conditions. Or they might already be victims of one of the thousands of medical errors that occur in the United States every year---most of which would be preventable with better information systems and more reliable care processes. One thing is for certain: On the eve of a presidential election in which health care promises to play a prominent role, Harry and Louise, as well as others like them, still do not have access to a high performance health system. Posted by Michael at 2:42 AM | TrackBack Presidential Oratory Can Trump Ideology for Voters, Research Shows Most Highly Educated Voters Swayed by RhetoricFrom Ascribe Newsfeed: To influence voters, especially those without strong ideological beliefs, presidential candidates should pay as much attention to their oratorical skills as to their stances on issues, according to research by Vanderbilt University political scientist Christian Grose. "We find that most voters prefer more sophisticated speech in their presidential candidates," said Grose, who has co-authored an article on the importance of rhetoric and persuasion in presidential campaigns. Sometimes, however, voters can be convinced to vote contrary to their issue preferences if a candidate's rhetoric is impressive enough." The findings also show that highly educated voters are more likely than those with fewer years of schooling to be influenced by complex speech. To evaluate the quality of emotional connections by various candidates, the researchers used the Roderick Hart's Diction algorithm, which attempts to measure the tone of speech. The researchers also used data from the National Election Survey, 1976-2004, to determine whom people voted for in the general presidential elections and whether or not they were in agreement with the candidates on the issues. "When a voter is close to a candidate on the issues, yet that candidate is a poor speaker, the voter will still vote for that candidate," Grose said. Even though the research focused on general elections for the presidency, the race for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination is pertinent to these findings, according to Grose. Barack Obama has succeeded in moving up in the polls in part due to what some perceive as superior rhetorical skills compared to Sen. AScribe Newswire distributes news from nonprofit and public sector organizations. Posted by Michael at 1:51 AM | TrackBack January 24, 2008ACTION Campaign to Combat Substance Abuse Meets Initial Goal to Enlist 500 Agencies NationwideFrom Ascribe Newsfeed: In the four short months since its launch in October 2007, the University of Wisconsin-Madison-based ACTION Campaign to combat substance abuse has already met its initial goal to enlist 500 agencies nationwide. Among the partners are the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), the Legal ACTION Center, the Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx), the National Council on Community Behavioral Healthcare (NCCBH), and the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC). Previous research completed by NIATx suggests that one small improvement in each of the 500 agencies is expected to make a difference in the lives of 55,000 people affected by substance abuse. Bill Rowan, program director for Outpatient/Intensive Outpatient Counseling Services at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, was among the first to enroll his agency in the Campaign. Rowan and his staff have used the step-by-step instructions provided through the ACTION Web site and technical assistance calls to conduct a walk-through of their agency admission process and test a promising practice to reduce the waiting time between referrals and access to service. Johnson is pleased with participant response to the campaign tools. ACTION Campaign tools and technical assistance are free to all who register at http://www.actioncampaign.org. Posted by Michael at 7:29 PM | TrackBack Campaign for High School Equity Urges Senate to Hold Schools Accountable for Increasing Graduation RatesFrom PR Newswire: The Campaign for High School Equity, the only coalition of leading civil rights groups to focus on high school education reform, today urged policymakers to ensure productive futures for all students by holding school systems accountable for getting students successfully to graduation. One third of American students -- about 1.2 million each year -- leave high school without a diploma, and graduation rates for poor and minority students are even lower. At a congressional briefing today, speakers discussed the significant need to include meaningful graduation rates in federal school accountability requirements and outlined the personal and societal costs associated with high school dropout rates, especially among poor and minority students. Graduation rate information should be used to inform decision-making and to improve policy and practice around strengthening student outcomes. For those statistics to be valuable, NCLB needs to ensure that educators and policymakers actually know how many students are graduating. Schools cannot be considered successful if large percentages of their students, particularly those who are of color and/or low-income, are dropping out or being pushed out. Members of the Campaign include the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, the National Council of La Raza, the National Indian Education Association, the National Urban League, and the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center. The Alliance for Excellent Education serves as the Campaign's convener and coordinator. Posted by Michael at 7:29 PM | TrackBack Less Education May lead to Delayed Awareness of Alzheimer's OnsetFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: A review of epidemiological data has found evidence that people who spend fewer years in school may experience a slight but statistically significant delay in the realization that they're having cognitive problems that could be Alzheimer's disease. Scientists at the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reviewed data on 1,449 Alzheimer's patients from their center and 21,880 patients from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC), a collaboration of approximately 30 Alzheimer's disease research centers nationwide. "We may have a group of people who are at risk for slightly delayed detection of Alzheimer's disease," says lead author Catherine Roe, Ph.D., a neurology research instructor at the ADRC. In an earlier study of patients with a form of Alzheimer's disease linked to a genetic mutation, Roe and other Washington University researchers found patients with more years of education were likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease earlier. This suggested to the researchers that those with lower education levels may be slower to notice the early signs of disease, only going to see a specialist after their symptoms become impossible to ignore. "People with higher education levels may be more likely to have a job or a hobby that highlights early cognitive impairment as well as better access to medical care," Roe says. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked fourth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Posted by Michael at 7:25 PM | TrackBack Project to Develop and Sustain New Methods To Improve Undergraduate Education: Goal is to Spark Scholarship of Teaching and LearningFrom Ascribe Newsfeed: The Teagle Foundation and The Spencer Foundation today announced a funding commitment of $1,493,920 for a program based at Duke University in support of efforts to systematically strengthen undergraduate education at major research universities. When the project is completed, it will offer valuable new insights into best pedagogical practices and help spark new interest in the scholarship of teaching and learning. That requires continuous experiment and evaluation," said W. Robert Connor, president of the Teagle Foundation. "Bob Thompson and his colleagues at Duke will bring leadership and insight to this process." The participating faculty at ten major research universities, to be selected through a competitive process, will focus on teaching and learning initiatives that develop the core intellectual skills of a liberal education: writing and critical thinking. Over a three-year period, the universities involved will develop initiatives that specify student learning outcomes, evaluate those outcomes and then use the results to revise and improve educational practices. The project is to begin immediately, funded initially by a $493,920 grant to Duke University, and subsequently by $1,000,000 in grants to the ten participating campuses. From the first, the Foundation has been dedicated to the belief that research is necessary to improvement in education. The Foundation is thus committed to supporting high-quality investigation of education through its research programs and to strengthening and renewing the educational research community through its fellowship and training programs and related activities. AScribe transmits news releases directly to newsroom computer systems and desktops of major media organizations via a supremely trusted channel - The Associated Press. Posted by Michael at 7:22 PM | TrackBack U.S. Department of Labor Announces $1.25 Million to North Carolina to Help Trade-Affected Workers Pay for Health InsuranceFrom PR Newswire: The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1,250,000 National Emergency Grant to the state of North Carolina to help provide assistance in paying health insurance premiums to approximately 1,800 dislocated workers who are eligible for the Health Coverage Tax Credit. The assistance is available through the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Reform Act of 2002. "This $1.25 million grant will help provide health care coverage for these workers as they transition to new careers," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. The TAA Reform Act of 2002 established mechanisms by which trade-certified individuals and members of other eligible groups can receive assistance to partially cover the costs of qualified health insurance coverage. The primary mechanism is a federal tax credit administered by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Payments made through this grant will cover up to 65 percent of the cost of health insurance premiums during the one to three months required for the IRS to enroll, process and begin providing payments for eligible individuals. National Emergency Grants are part of the secretary of labor's discretionary fund and are awarded based on a state's ability to meet specific guidelines. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755. The Labor Department is committed to providing America's employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. Posted by Michael at 7:18 PM | TrackBack Language Barriers in Health CareFrom The Commonwealth Fund: Approximately 47 million people in the United States speak a language other than English at home, and more than 21 million have problems speaking or understanding English, according to the 2000 census. When seeking health care, patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) often have worse access to care and lower satisfaction levels compared with English speakers. A special supplementary issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine (Nov. 2007), which includes three Commonwealth Fundsupported articles, examines language barriers in health care. While it has been shown that interpreting for LEP individuals can improve doctor--patient communication and facilitate the delivery of high-quality care, little is known about the relative effectiveness of different interpreting methods. The interpreter can be located in the room with the provider and patient (proximate interpretation), or outside the room and linked to the physician and patient via telecommunication (remote interpretation). The authors find that "encounters were more accurately and quickly interpreted with RSMI than with the more commonly used methods" of remote consecutive medical interpreting, proximate consecutive medical interpreting, and proximate ad hoc interpreting (a common method that uses family or friends of patients or untrained hospital staff). For example, the researchers' analysis shows the non-RSMI interpreting approaches were associated with a 12-fold greater rate of potential medical errors of moderate or greater clinical significance, compared with RSMI. Patients with language-concordant providers received usual care. In "Providing High-Quality Care for Limited English Proficient Patients: The Importance of Language Concordance and Interpreter Use," Quyen Ngo-Metzger, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, and colleagues find that LEP Chinese and Vietnamese patients in cities throughout the United States reported receiving less health education and worse interpersonal care when compared with patients with language-concordant providers. Posted by Michael at 7:09 PM | TrackBack American Dental Association Honored for Older Adults Oral Health ProgramFrom Ascribe Newsfeed: The Associations Advance America Awards program has named the American Dental Association (ADA) to its 2008 Honor Roll, a national awards competition for innovative projects sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives & The Center for Association Leadership, Washington, D.C. It focuses on improving and maintaining good oral health for older adults throughout their lives. The oral health initiative includes providing older adults, their families, caregivers and dental professionals with education and other free resources to increase the awareness of and need for better oral health. It is an honor and an inspiration to showcase this activity as an example of the many contributions that associations are making to advance American society," said AAA's Committee Chair Matthew D'Uva, CAE, president of SOCAP International. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer and professional products. For more information about the ADA, visit the Association's Web site at http://www.ada.org/. AScribe Newswire distributes news from nonprofit and public sector organizations. We provide direct, immediate access to mainstream national media for 600 colleges, universities, medical centers, public-policy groups and other leading nonprofit organizations. AScribe transmits news releases directly to newsroom computer systems and desktops of major media organizations via a supremely trusted channel - The Associated Press. Posted by Michael at 7:07 PM | TrackBack ZERODIVIDE Raises $1,000,000 for Technology Programs in Underserved California CommunitiesFrom ZERODIVIDE: AT&T is presenting its $1 million grant at an event attended by representatives from Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, the California Public Utilities Commission and the San Francisco Mayor's office. "We are pleased to be able to provide this support to ZeroDivide and its mission to bring technology and other resources to communities across California," said Ken McNeely, President, AT&T California. "Our support for this organization goes back many years, and it gives us great pleasure to see the tremendous impact the Community Technology Foundation has had, and will continue to have now as ZeroDivide." The Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC), an independent media organization, will use ZeroDivide funding and support to create new media tools for other nonprofit organizations. "Investment from ZeroDivide and corporations like AT&T, is critical to BAVC's ability to bring technological innovation and efficiency to non-profit organizations and the public sector," said Ken Ikeda, BAVC's Executive Director. As a foundation, ZeroDivide provides more than just funding; through community, philanthropic and corporate partnerships, the organization helps nonprofits find new revenue sources to become more self-sustaining. "Whether the divides are social, economic, political or cultural, technology can help overcome these divides. By redefining the role of philanthropy, we are bridging the digital divide, reshaping communities and moving toward a ZeroDivide." ZeroDivide(TM), formerly The Community Technology Foundation, invests in community enterprises | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
