Legislative Network for Nurses articles from August 2004

Legislative Network for Nurses archives from August 2004

Democrats draw blood.(Slants & Trends)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... DEMOCRATS DRAW BLOOD. The American Nurses Association's July 27 partnership blood drive with the American Red Cross during the Democratic National Convention was a huge success, the organization said. Titled "Kick Back and Give Back," the event...

Democrats unveil health care platform at National Convention.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... While the American Nurses Association (ANA) has officially endorsed Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry (LNN, March 8, p. 33), the organization is not necessarily on board with the party's health care platform. Kerry has proposed a...

ACNM-supported Senate bill provides higher Medicare Payment for Midwives.(Legislative Outlook)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... Certified nurses midwives (CNMs) would receive higher Medicare reimbursement for providing "well women" care to some women, if recently proposed legislation becomes law. The Medicare Payment Update for Certified Nurse-Midwives Act (S....

Better coordination of emergency services is goal of Senate bill.
August 9, 2004... Emergency nurses and other emergency care providers would be able to provide better care to patients experiencing medical emergencies if a bill introduced this summer becomes law. While the Senate left for its summer recess without acting...

Group says plan requiring hospitals to document citizenship is too restrictive.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... Nurses and other health care providers can provide better care to patients when they are freed up from restrictive paperwork requirements, a coalition of hospital groups, which includes the American Hospital Association (AHA), Aug. 2 told the...

Study says retaining RNs is best way to improve patient safety in hospitals.
August 9, 2004... Placing a high priority on retaining the best nursing workforce is among the most important factors in improving patient care and safety, a new Commonwealth Fund study finds. While all hospitals across the country are trying to accomplish...

Covering kids and families program kicks off back-to-school activities.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... Nurses can be involved in helping more children get access to the health care they need by participating in the Covering Kids and Families Back-to-School Campaign. The campaign is sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The American...

Endowments.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * The Helene Fuld Health Trust recently awarded grants totaling $5.5 million to 10 baccalaureate nursing programs. The grants are intended to create endowments that will provide continuing financial aid to students seeking BSN degrees. Nursing...

ENA executive director.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) has announced that David Westman will assume the position of ENA executive director, effective Aug. 16. Westman succeeds Cheryl Smart, who has served as the ENA's interim executive director since...

Hospital Standards Advisory Group.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has created a Hospital Standards Advisory Group to provide feedback to JCAHO on the hospital field's experience with revised standards, rationales, elements of...

Health care.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice recently issued a joint report, Improving Health Care: A Dose of Competition, to inform consumers, businesses and policymakers on a range of issues affecting the cost, quality and...

Narcotic pain medications.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * The number of emergency department visits involving abuse of the narcotic pain medications oxycodone and hydrocodone has more than tripled since 1994, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported July 27. The drugs,...

Healthy lifestyles.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * Noting that chronic diseases account for three-quarters of U.S. health care costs and 70 percent of deaths, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Julie Gerberding July 27 urged the public health community and health care...

Preventable hospital errors.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * An average of 195,000 patients die annually from preventable hospital errors, according to a recent HealthGrades study. For the study, researchers examined data from 37 million Medicare beneficiaries in all 50 states over three years....

Needless deaths.(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * Donald Berwick, chief executive officer of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, recently told more than 1,000 health care leaders gathered at the Health Forum and American Hospital Association Leadership Summit in San Diego that it is...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.(Resources)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last month announced the launch of the Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Web site. The site includes information related to emergency preparedness and response, including...

The American Nurses Association's National Center for Nursing Quality.(Resources)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * The American Nurses Association's National Center for Nursing Quality has launched a new Web site that contains information on a number of topics that address the safety and quality of patient care and the quality of nurses' work lives. The...

The Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP).(Resources)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * The Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) announces the release of the latest issue of Clinical Proceedings called New Dynamics in Health Care: Hormone Therapy and Menopause Care. The publication addresses data from the...

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).(Resources)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released a tool to help state and local officials quickly locate alternate health care sites if hospitals are overwhelmed by patients due to a bioterrorism attack or other public...

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).(Resources)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has funded WebM&M, a Web-based patient safety resource and journal. The site features expert analysis of medical errors, interactive learning modules on patient safety and forums for...

The National Cancer Institute.(Resources)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * The National Cancer Institute is distributing newly updated materials that reinforce the importance of cervical cancer screening and regular Pap tests for all women. The materials include new screening guidelines released by the U.S....

Arizona.(State News)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * Arizona: Arizona State University (ASU) and the Mayo Clinic are partnering to increase enrollment capacity for nursing students statewide through the combined resources and clinical strengths of both institutions. Nursing students will...

California.(State News)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * California: Lawmakers July 28 made a strong statement to state and local public health agencies across California: There is a desperate need for better public education and prevention of Hepatitis C. The legislature swiftly passed a...

Indiana.(State News)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * Indiana: Registration is now open for two online courses offered by the Indiana University School of Nursing. "Teaching in Nursing," the first of three courses in the Teaching in Nursing certificate program, will run from Aug. 24 through Dec....

Pennsylvania.(State News)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania Health Department recently released a report containing recommendations and best practices for addressing the state's nursing shortage. The report is based on the findings of a panel of health professionals that...

Tennessee.(State News)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * Tennessee: The Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN) has signed an agreement to collaborate with a new nursing school in Kathmandu, Nepal. Vanderbilt will provide consultation services to administration and other members of the...

Washington.(State News)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * Washington: A new report by the office Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler finds that the state's hospitals and other health care providers provide more than $318 million per year in uncompensated care to the state's nearly...

The John A. Hartford Foundation.(Funding Opportunities)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * The John A. Hartford Foundation and the American Academy of Nursing are offering pre-and postdoctoral scholarship awards though the Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Scholars Program. The program offers grant support up to $50,000...

The Department of Health and Human Services.(Funding Opportunities)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) seeks proposals for grants for applied research addressing Adolescent Family Life program goals related to adolescent premarital sexual relations, pregnancy and parenthood. The goals include...

The American Society on Aging.(Funding Opportunities)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * The American Society on Aging (ASA) is now accepting applications online for the 2005 Healthcare and Aging Awards, sponsored by the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative. The awards recognize outstanding programs and services in health care...

The Health Resources and Services Administration.(Funding Opportunities)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has extended the deadline by one week for applicants for Rural Health Network Development Grants. The program supports development of rural health networks. Grant funds are used to...

CMS/Medicare Part B payment.(Federal Register)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * CMS/Medicare Part B Payment. Proposed Rule. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes to refine the resource-based practice expense relative value units and to make other changes to Medicare Part B payment policy. Comments...

CMS/Medicare Advantage program.(Federal Register)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * CMS/Medicare Advantage Program. Proposed Rule. The CMS proposes to implement and regulate the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. The MA program, part of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, attempts to...

CMS/Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit.(Federal Register)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * CMS/Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit. Proposed Rule. CMS proposes to implement the new Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. Comments are due Oct. 4. For more...

CMS/SNF PPS.(Federal Register)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * CMS/SNF PPS. Notice. CMS updates the payment rates used under the prospective payment system (PPS) for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) for fiscal year 2005. For more information, contact: Bill Ullman, (410) 786-5667. July 30 FR 45775.

CMS/interest calculation.(Federal Register)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * CMS/Interest Calculation. Final Rule. CMS changes the way it calculates interest on Medicare overpayments and underpayments to providers, suppliers, health maintenance organizations, competitive medical plans, and health care prepayment plans...

CMS/inpatient rehabilitation facility payment.(Federal Register)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... * CMS/Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Payment. Notice. CMS updates prospective payment rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities for fiscal year 2005. Contact: Pete Diaz, (410) 786-1235. July 30 FR 45721.