Homeland Security News Wire (August 19, 2013)

CDC (August 20, 2013)

Los Angeles Times (August 27, 2013)

U.S. News and World Report, Health (August 30, 2013)

Newsday (August 30, 2013)

Medscape Family Medicine (August 30, 2013)

Health Day (September 3, 2013)

Medscape Medical News (September 3, 2013)

10TV.com (FL) (September 3, 2013)

NJ.com (September 4, 2013)

Class Action Suit Filed Against Dr. Scott Harrington, Accused of Exposing Patients to HIV, Hepatitis
KJRH-TV (KS) (September 4, 2013)

"Dear Colleague" Letter for Healthcare Providers on 2013-2014 Flu Season
Last week Assistant Surgeon General of the US Public Health Service, Anne Schuchat, MD, wrote a letter to healthcare providers on flu vaccination. It includes information about CDC's current vaccination recommendations and the effectiveness of flu vaccines. The letter is available for distribution to providers in your area. More CDC influenza resources can be accessed here and information on how to address misconceptions. 

Vaccines on the Go: What You Should Know App

This free app on iTunes contains information about vaccines, the diseases they prevent, and common vaccine safety concerns. Downloading the app gives users access to: 1) games, like hangman, memory and matching; 2) links to resources, including videos, Q&A sheets, and booklets; 3) graphics related to typical disease timelines; and 4) places for saving notes or questions for medical appointments.  

 

Un Amor Perdido (A Lost Love): Spanish Influenza PSA

A new Spanish language motion comic book, available here, is based on a true story of a Hispanic couple expecting their second child. The story of Jorge and Monica is a tragic reminder of the importance of the annual flu vaccination for pregnant women and their families.   

 

New Laboratory Informatics Self-Assessment Tool

CDC and the Association of Public Health Laboratories have recently released a laboratory informatics self-assessment tool to help state and local public health laboratories assess their own informatics capabilities and gaps across a broad range of topics. The self-assessment tool is the first resource aimed at measuring informatics capabilities in public health laboratories in a systematic and comprehensive manner. Most of the identified capabilities and guidance are universal in nature and, consequently, can provide valuable assessment and direction to clinical laboratories. The tool is currently available to the public as a downloadable PDF.  

The Georgia Health Policy Center recently released "Leading Through Health System Change: A Public Health Opportunity," a new tool to help public health organizations adapt to the changing healthcare environment. The tool's interactive website can be used to examine the basics of healthcare reform and create a simple implementation plan for improving population health.

 

Mobilizing Community Partnerships in Rural Communities 

This new NACCHO guide shares the experiences of organizations that lead effective collaborations in rural communities. These organizations include a non-profit corporation that emerged from a partnership, a behavioral healthcare provider and network, and a collaborative network based in a critical access hospital. The stories from the field are followed by a compilation of lessons learned that include brief descriptions of factors supporting the success of partnerships and lists of critical concerns during the strategic planning process.  

 

NEW: Billing For Clinical Services Toolkit and Website

NACCHO, with funding from the CDC, created a toolkit with resources, templates, and tools for LHDs to use while developing the capacity to bill third party payers for immunization, STD, TB and HIV services. More than 200 resources have currently been collected from state billing guides, CMS, state health departments, LHDs, insurance companies, and vendors of products such as electronic medical records and billing clearinghouses.  The toolkit can be found on NACCHO's new billing website along with other resources such as webinars, training opportunities, and information on peer networking.

 

NACCHO wants to talk you about your LHD billing experiences and needs! Please contact akitlas@naccho.org and we will work with you to schedule a time to discuss LHD billing.