|
FEATURE STORY
|
MAY IS NATIONAL ASTHMA AND ALLERGY AWARENESS MONTH!
In partnership with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), May is officially "National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month." It's a peak season for asthma and allergy sufferers, and a perfect time to educate your patients, family, friends, co-workers and others about these diseases. There is still much research that needs to be done to fully understand how to prevent, treat and cure asthma. Click here to learn more!
Asthma is one of the most common lifelong chronic diseases. There are 26 million people in the United States living with asthma, a disease affecting the lungs, causing repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. Although asthma cannot be cured, it is possible to manage asthma successfully to reduce and prevent asthma attacks, also called episodes. Read more from the CDC website.
|
|
ACU HIGHLIGHT
|
ONC HEAD DESALVO TO SPEAK AT ACU CONFERENCE
Dr. Karen DeSalvo, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, has confirmed her attendance at ACU's Annual Conference in June! Dr. DeSalvo is leading the federal effort to promote, adopt, and meaningfully use health information technology. She is a physician who has focused her 20-year career toward improving access to affordable, high quality care for all people with a focus on vulnerable populations and on improving overall health. She joins NHSC head Kimberly Kleine as well as Dr. Clement Bezold and Dr. Rishi Manchanda as keynote speakers during the conference. See the full agenda and register on the conference home page.
|
|
ACU'S JIM HOTZ, MD, TESTIFIES BEFORE CONGRESS
Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) was front and center at a hearing chaired by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging [press release]. The hearing, "Addressing Primary Care Access and Workforce Challenges: Voices from the Field" focused on the primary care access crisis, doctor shortages and strategies to boost the number of providers around the country. Jim Hotz, MD, ACU's Board of Directors and founder of Albany Area Primary Health Care (AAPHC) in Albany, Georgia, was one of nine who testified before the panel. Hotz described to the Senate panel how the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) is the single most effective policy innovation this country has developed to address the primary care workforce challenge.
ACU MEMBER APPOINTED TO NHSC NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
Dr. Felix Nunez has been named to the National Advisory Council of the National Health Service Corps. Dr. Nunez is a member of ACU's Board of Directors and was nominated to serve on the panel by the California Primary Care Association (also an ACU member!). The National Advisory Committee makes recommendations to the Secretary of HHS on NHSC priorities and policies. We are thrilled to have Dr. Nunez on the panel, and his three year term began in April. Congratulations Dr. Nunez!
ENROLLMENTS EXCEED TARGET FOR HEALTH CARE ACT
More than eight million people have signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act including what the White House said were a sufficient number of young, healthy adults needed to maintain the plan's viability. Read more here.
CMS DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR TO STEP DOWN
Jonathan Blum, principal deputy administrator at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will be stepping down from his position on May 16. He has been the lead for the Medicare program's activities since 2009. A replacement has not yet been named.
|
|
Clinical News & Resources
|
|
MAKING SENSE OF CHILDHOOD ASTHMA: Lessons For Building A Better System of Care
Most children do not have a chronic health condition that requires daily medication and constant monitoring. And although the numbers of children with chronic health problems have been increasing, the vast majority still experience only intermittent or temporary illnesses. Read more about this article here.
NEW TEST CAN DIAGNOSE ASTHMA, EVEN IN THE ABSENCE OF SYMPTOMS
Using just a single drop of blood, a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers has developed a faster, cheaper and more accurate tool for diagnosing even mild cases of asthma. Read more here.
INTEGRATING PHARMACY SERVICES - WEBINAR
ACU Member Sandra Leal, PharmD, lead a webinar for the National Center on Health in Public Housing on integrating clinical pharmacy into primary care. Although integrating pharmacy services into health center models is the ideal, there are barriers to successful integration. These barriers, challenges, and strategies to successful pharmacy services integration were addressed during the webinar, which will be archived on the NCHPH website.
CANCER VACCINE PROVES EFFECTIVE IN HIV PATIENTS
Vaccines against cervical cancer work well even in sexually active women with H.I.V., a new study has found. Read the NYTimes story here.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: A REVIEW OF CURRENT TREATMENTS
A review of the literature on treating multiple sclerosis (MS) aims to assist providers with evidence-based information on the latest treatments for this chronic disease.
|
FEBRUARY ARTICLE ON ASTHMA NOW AVAILABLE
In the February 2014 issue of the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved we discuss the costs of asthma and emergency department (ED) related visits and how they are disproportionately common among minorities, those of lower socioeconomic status, and the uninsured. How is the financial burden of ED care for asthma taking its toll on low-income populations? What challenges are there and how does it affect the uninsured and those on high-deductible health plans? Use this link to see the table of contents for the issue. Or, you can download the column to read more: "Emergency Department Charges for Asthma-Related Outpatient Visits by Insurance Status."
|
ACU Career Center
Search more than 1,900 healthcare jobs posted in the ACU Career Center, including these:
There are many opportunities for primary care providers in Florida, Tennessee, Missouri, and more. Search the ACU Career Center today.
|
This is a partial listing of upcoming conferences and webinars. For a more complete list, visit the ACU website.
Tuesday, May 6th, "Advancing Health Equity for Native American Youth" sponsored by the Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on the Promotion of Health Equity and the Elimination of Health Disparities Albuquerque, NM.
Monday, May 12, 2014, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. (EDT) - webinar, "The Community Guide for Community Health Centers" co-sponsored by the Public Health Foundation, National Association of Community Health Centers, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
May 19th - 21st, 2014 NNPHI Annual Conference: "Leading Change Through Innovative Solutions" sponsored by the National Network of Public Health Institutes, New Orleans, Louisiana.
May 20th - 22nd, 12th Annual Unity Conference - "Community Health Workers: Innovative Solution to Addressing the Triple Aims (Access to Care, Reducing Costs, and Promoting Healthy Communities)" sponsored by the Center for Sustainable Health Outreach, Hyatt Regency Baltimore, Baltimore, MD.
May 20th - 22nd, Safer Communities, A Healthier Nation 2014 Safe States Alliance Annual Meeting, Hyatt Regency (Atlanta), Atlanta, GA.
May 21st - 23rd, 11th National Conference on Immunization and Health Coalitions, sponsored by the Association of Immunization Managers, Seattle, WA.
May 29 - 30th, 9th Annual Texas Conference on Health Disparities - Role of Genomics in Eliminating Health Disparities, sponsored by the University of North Texas Health Science Center.
PARTNER CONFERENCE - National Network on Oral Health Access (NNOHA)
Registration is now open for the National Primary Oral Health Conference: "Building the Oral Health Foundation for Primary Care". The conference is August 17-20, 2014 at the Coronado Springs Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The conference is the best opportunity to share and learn quality improvement best practices, obtain clinical and administrative continuing education credits, and attend sessions on emerging oral health issues. View the draft agenda here.
Register today and we'll see you at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort this summer.
|
|
