DCPCA Welcomes Green Door as an Associate Member!
We are pleased to welcome Green Door as a new Associate Member of DCPCA.  Green Door is a community program that prepares women and men with behavioral health disorders to work and live independently in the District of Columbia.  Click here  for more information about our Membership Program or contact Maisha Armstrong for more details.  
Today's Alert
Serious patient safety questions raised in Maryland, D.C. hospitals. So what's the fix?
P.G. Community College to ban smoking, tobacco
CDC urges U.S. health workers to be vigilant as Ebola virus's toll grows in Africa
Limitations of new health plans rankle some enrollees
Insurers returned $9B to consumers under O-Care
Why we think ignorance is bliss, even when it hurts our health
Surgeon General issues call to action to prevent skin cancer
Germaphobe? Skip the handshakes (VIDEO)
EVENTS
July 30, 2014

September 17, 2014

 

Quality Improvement MOC Learning Collaborative

October 2014

 

SAVE THE DATE - DCPCA Annual Policy Forum

November 12, 2014

HEALTH CENTER 
JOB POSTINGS

 

Family Practitioner, Mary's Center
 
Director of Nursing
Unity Health Care

Physician-Family Practice
Unity Health Care 

Grant Writer,

Providence Health Foundation
Providence Health Foundation
Catholic Charities  
Mary's Center
La Clinica Del Pueblo
La Clinica Del Pueblo

Serious patient safety questions raised in Maryland, D.C. hospitals.  So what's the fix?

By Tina Reed, The Washington Business Journal, July 29, 2014

Could one of the nation's biggest health care initiatives be doing more harm than good?  According to Dr. David Classen, Chief Medical Information Officer at Pascal Metrics, heavy focus on the adoption of electronic medical records has taken focus away from patient safety measures and could be one reason why rates of preventable medical errors have remained unchanged over the past decade.

P.G. Community College to ban smoking, tobacco

The Washington Informer, July 28, 2014

Looking to reduce tobacco use among its student population, Prince George's Community College is launching its "Breathe Free" campaign, which bans the use of tobacco products on campus and provides cessation support for students.



CDC urges U.S. health workers to be vigilant as Ebola virus's toll grows in Africa

By Caelainn Hogan, The Washington Post, July 28, 2014

Although there is only a small chance of Ebola spreading to the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning U.S. health workers to take extra precautions to avoid contracting the deadly disease. 

Limitations of new health plans rankle some enrollees

By Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News, July 28, 2014

As newly insured consumers start to use health insurance plans purchased through exchanges, many are running into roadblocks that are preventing access to care.  In some cases, consumers who purchased plans with carriers they had previously used are finding their provider networks are more limited than before.

Insurers returned $9B to consumers under O-Care

By Ferdous Al-Faruque, The Hill, July 24, 2014

Thanks to an Affordable Care Act provision capping profit margins for health insurance providers, insurers across the country have returned nearly $9 billion to consumers since 2011. 

Why we think ignorance is bliss, even when it hurts our health

By Shankar Vedantam, NPR, July 28, 2014   

As the U.S. health care system transforms to become more quality oriented, many health care providers and researchers are looking to identify what keeps patients from seeking various tests and treatments.  According to one study, focusing too heavily on test outcomes could be a large part of the problem, with researchers stating that "scaring people more about the implications may scare them away from getting tested."

Surgeon General issues call to action to prevent skin cancer

Press Release, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, July 29, 2014

As National UV Safety Month comes to a close, the U.S. Surgeon General has released a new Call to Action declaring skin cancer as a major public health problem.  "While many other cancers, such as lung cancer, are decreasing, rates of melanoma -- the deadliest form of skin cancer -- are increasing," said Assistant Secretary for Health Howard K. Koh, M.D., M.P.H. "As a skin oncologist who worked in this field for many years, I have cared for both the young and old with skin cancers. Almost all of these cancers were caused by unnecessary ultraviolet radiation exposure, usually from excessive time in the sun or from the use of indoor tanning devices."

Germaphobe? Skip the handshakes (VIDEO)

CNN, July 28, 2014

Looking to protect yourself from germs?  A new study suggests opting for a fist-bump over a handshake may help.

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