Legislative Network for Nurses articles from June 2004

Legislative Network for Nurses archives from June 2004

Medicare demonstration uses new, liberalized definition of 'homebound'.(Home health services, nursing aides)
June 14, 2004... Home health nurse groups have told LNN that a new, less restrictive Medicare definition of "homebound" is a step toward achieving greater freedom and independence for people with disabilities who require daily assistance. They added, however,...

VNAA campaign educates nurses on Medicare discount drug cards.(Visiting Nurse Associations of America, home care nurses)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Home care nurses will be better able to assist their patients with the new Medicare discount drug card program, thanks to a national awareness campaign from the Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA). The VNAA campaign is designed to...

VA commission says major changes necessary to recruit RNs, protect vets.(National Commission on Veterans affairs, registered nurses)
June 14, 2004... Legislative and policy changes are necessary to recruit and retain the nursing staff needed to maintain and improve quality care for veterans, said Linda Burns Bolton, chair of the National Commission on Veterans Affairs (VA). Burns Bolton is...

Medicare reform law protects more nurses by expanding scope of BBP.(Bloodnorne pathogens)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... More nurses will be protected by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) standard, thanks to the Medicare Modernization Act The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently sent a...

RN groups support house bill for nurse education funding.(Registered Nurse, College access and opportunity act of 2004, Americans for nursing shortage relief alliance)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Funding for nursing education would be included in the College Access and Opportunity Act of 2004 (H.R. 4283) if the Americans for Nursing Shortage Relief (ANSR) Alliance gets its way. The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), in...

Educational resources.(Nursing school, equipment donations, Nellcor)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), and Nellcor are continuing their partnership to facilitate the donation of Nellcor pulse oximeters and educational resources to...

"health care safety net".(economic and demographic aspects)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * America's "health care safety net" is under serious strain, but it is not irreparable, according to a report released May 27 by health policy experts at George Washington University (GWU). The report examines the characteristics of health...

Medicaid spending.(Likely effects of extension of federal medical assistance percentage, state governments)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * A new study by Families USA examines the aggregate impact of Medicaid spending on each state's economy for fiscal year 2005 and the potential stimulus to state economies if Congress extended the temporary increase in the Federal Medical...

Smoking.(Federal report, U.S. surgeon general)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * The latest federal report on smoking and health by the U.S. Surgeon General concludes that smoking causes diseases in nearly every organ of the body. The report expands the list of illnesses and conditions linked to smoking to include...

Complementary or alternative medicine (CAM).(Survey of usage by Americans)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * More than one-third of American adults are using some type of complementary or alternative medicine (CAM), according to a new survey by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and National Center for Health Statistics....

Hospital-specific quality reports.(On web)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * Beginning this summer, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) will publish on its Web site a new report highlighting accredited hospitals' quality information. The hospital-specific quality reports, which...

Influenza immunization.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * With only 36 percent of health care workers vaccinated for flu each year, the National Foundation of Infectious Diseases has published strategies to help increase influenza immunization rates in health care settings. The strategies are based...

Anthrax.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) June 7 announced the first test approved by the Food and Drug Administration for detecting antibodies to anthrax. CDC said the Anthrax Quick ELISA test, produced by Immunetics Inc. of...

Administration of propofol.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and the American Society of Anesthesiologists have developed a joint statement on the administration of propofol for sedation. See the World Wide Web at the following address:...

Employment rates.(Registered nurses employment prospects)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * Registered nurses and teachers are expected to gain the most new jobs--more than 600,000 in each profession by the year 2012, according to Occupational Outlook Quarterly, a publication of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This is the...

Breastfeeding.(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) recently commended the Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health and the Advertising Council for providing information about the benefits of...

NCLEX testing.(Test for licensing of nurses, South Korea, United Kingdom, Hong Kong)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) has selected the first three countries for purposes of offering the NCLEX examinations abroad for domestic nurse licensure purposes. NCLEX testing is expected to begin January 2005 in...

California.(Nursing homes staffing standards)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * California: More than one-third of California's freestanding nursing homes did not meet the state's minimum nurse staffing standards (3.2 hours or more per resident, per day), according to a new report released by the California HealthCare...

Connecticut.(Survey on patients' perceptions of medical care, standards)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * Connecticut: The survey on patient perceptions of care known as HCAHPS must yield detailed, actionable information hospitals can use to better patient care, Connecticut hospitals told officials from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...

Maryland.(State News)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * Maryland: Vacancy rates for registered nurses at Maryland hospitals declined to 10.8 percent in 2003 from 12.6 percent in 2002 and a record high of 15.6 percent in 2001, the Maryland Hospital Association (MHA) reported June 2. According to...

Directory.(Resources)(National Alliance for Health Information Technology )(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * The National Alliance for Health Information Technology has made its directory of health care information technology standards available to the public via the Web. The organization launched a beta version of the directory for members in...

The Health Resources and Services Administration.(Funding opportunities)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has posted a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a project titled "National Agenda for Geriatric Education: Progress Report for the Health Professions: Geriatrics Future's Project." This is...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.(Funding opportunities)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the availability of fiscal year 2004 funds for a cooperative agreement program with national medical and nursing associations or societies to promote and assist with the...

The Department of Health and Human.(Funding opportunities)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * The Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Acquisition Management is soliciting proposals from interested academic health centers in Region VIII (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming) to become...

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.(Funding opportunities)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation seeks nominations from consumers, community leaders, health professionals, government officials and others who have been personally inspired by people providing essential community health services. The...

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation.(Funding opportunities)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is accepting applications for the Fall 2005 Community Health Scholars Program (CHSP), a post-doctoral fellowship program designed to meet the growing needs of schools of public health and other health professions...

The John A. Hartford Foundation.(Funding opportunities)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs announce the availability of 10 new awards under the Hartford Geriatrics Leadership Scholars Program. The three-year training program is designed...

AHRQ/Ambulatory Care.(Agency for healthcare research and quality, measurement of patient's perception of the quality of medical care)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * AHRQ/Ambulatory Care. Notice. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) solicits the submission of instruments or items that measure patients' perceptions of the quality of ambulatory care from researchers, health plans, health...

OIG/Supplemental Compliance Guidance.(Federal Register)
June 14, 2004... * OIG/Supplemental Compliance Guidance. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Department of Health and Human Services, seeks the comments of interested parties on a draft supplemental compliance program guidance for hospitals developed by...

HRSA/Meeting.(Federal Register)(Health Resources and Services Administration )(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * HRSA/Meeting. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces the Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality will meet July 13-14 in Washington. Contact: Ann Koontz, (301) 443-6327. June 8 FR 32012.

CDC/Meeting.(Federal Register)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... * CDC/Meeting. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice will meet June 23-24 in Atlanta. Contact: Demetria Gardner, (404) 639-8096. June 4 FR 31615.

CMS/Home Health PPS.(Federal Register)
June 14, 2004... * CMS/Home Health PPS. Proposed Rule. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sets forth an update to the 60-day national episode rates and the national per-visit amounts under the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for home...

Miscarriage of justice.(Federal Register)
June 14, 2004... MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE. The American Nurses Association (ANA) has urged both President George Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell to intervene on behalf of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian physician who have been sentenced to death...

House bill educates nurses on latest care for stroke patients; ENA pleased.
June 28, 2004... Nurses and other members of stroke care teams would have access to the newest and best treatments and technologies if a bill passed June 14 by the House of Representatives becomes law. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) and the Emergency Nurses...

Senate bill would require Medicare to cover more preventive services.(Gerontological Nursing)
June 28, 2004... Advanced practice nurses and other health care providers working with seniors would be able to administer more preventive services that would be covered under Medicare, if a bill introduced in the Senate becomes law. Sen. Bob Graham...

Initiative encourages more nurses to become certified in caring for seniors.
June 28, 2004... More nurses may become certified in gerontological nursing, if a plan to modernize the process for taking the exam is successful. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) recently converted its paper-and-pencil gerontological nurse...

Nurses beware: 98.6 degrees may mean fever for seniors.
June 28, 2004... Nurses and other health providers who care for the elderly should be aware of recent research that highlights the early onset of fever in older adults. As people grow older, their body temperatures gradually decline, according to research...

JCAHO requires providers to take 'time out' to verify surgery, patient.
June 28, 2004... Nurses will be better able to prevent wrong-site surgery errors, thanks to a new universal protocol instituted by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). JCAHO was joined June 23 by the Association of...

Grants examine impact of emergency nurses on drunk driving fatalities.(Emergency Nursing)
June 28, 2004... Emergency nurses may be instrumental in reducing drunk driving accidents if grants announced by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) are successful. The Emergency Nurses Association's Institute for Injury Prevention/Emergency Nurses CARE...

Grant examines impact on RN staffing when patients moved to hallway beds.
June 28, 2004... Emergency department (ED) nurse staffing needs will be reassessed, and ED patient turnover may be increased as a result of a grant awarded by the Emergency Medicine Foundation (EMF) and Emergency Nurses Association Foundation (ENAF). Carolyn...

JCAHO solicits performance measures for certifying health staffing services.
June 28, 2004... The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) is inviting hospitals and other providers to propose performance measures for a certification program for health care staffing services it plans to launch later this...

The Department of Health and Human Services plans to unveil the strategic plan for its newly created health information technology (IT) office during a summit on health IT to be held July 21.
June 28, 2004... * The Department of Health and Human Services plans to unveil the strategic plan for its newly created health information technology (IT) office during a summit on health IT to be held July 21. Speaking at the Alliance for Health Information...

Nearly 82 million Americans under age 65 went without health insurance for all or part of 2002 and 2003, according to a report released June 16 by Families USA.
June 28, 2004... * Nearly 82 million Americans under age 65 went without health insurance for all or part of 2002 and 2003, according to a report released June 16 by Families USA. About half of them were uninsured for nine months or more and two-thirds for six...

The Hospital and Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS) announced that its 14th annual Home Care Salary and Benefits survey is now being conducted.
June 28, 2004... * The Hospital and Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS) announced that its 14th annual Home Care Salary and Benefits survey is now being conducted. Questionnaires have been mailed to agencies throughout the United States. The survey is a...

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) on June 15 released its annual June report to Congress on new approaches in Medicare.
June 28, 2004... * The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) on June 15 released its annual June report to Congress on new approaches in Medicare. The report looks at the Medicare Modernization Act's prescription drug and chronic care provisions. It...

The U.S. Army Nurse Corps has announced new pay incentives for Army Reserve psychiatric, medical-surgical, critical care, and perioperative nurses and nurse anesthetists.
June 28, 2004... * The U.S. Army Nurse Corps has announced new pay incentives for Army Reserve psychiatric, medical-surgical, critical care, and perioperative nurses and nurse anesthetists. The new benefits include educational loan repayment of up to $50,000;...

Children in hospitals often experience adverse patient safety events, such as medical injuries or errors, in the course of their care, according to a new study from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
June 28, 2004... * Children in hospitals often experience adverse patient safety events, such as medical injuries or errors, in the course of their care, according to a new study from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Those in vulnerable...

The American Nurses Association (ANA) Congress on Nursing Practice and Economics is seeking comments on the "ANA Principles for Delegation.
June 28, 2004... * The American Nurses Association (ANA) Congress on Nursing Practice and Economics is seeking comments on the "ANA Principles for Delegation." The principles note that RNs are responsible to the public for providing safe and effective nursing...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking comments on a draft infection control guideline for hospitals, long-term care facilities and other health care settings.
June 28, 2004... * The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking comments on a draft infection control guideline for hospitals, long-term care facilities and other health care settings. The guideline updates and expands the "1996 Guideline for...

The National League for Nursing's (NLN's) Assessment and Evaluation business unit has issued a request for proposals to perform a validity study for the NLN Pre Admission Exam for RNs (PAXRN).
June 28, 2004... * The National League for Nursing's (NLN's) Assessment and Evaluation business unit has issued a request for proposals to perform a validity study for the NLN Pre Admission Exam for RNs (PAXRN). The intent of the study is to validate the...

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has redesigned its interactive HCUPnet software tool to make it easier to obtain hospital care trend data for the country and for individual states.
June 28, 2004... * The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has redesigned its interactive HCUPnet software tool to make it easier to obtain hospital care trend data for the country and for individual states. The data represent 90 percent of all hospital...

In comments submitted June 21, the American Hospital Association (AHA) urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to seek ongoing input from health care providers.
June 28, 2004... * In comments submitted June 21, the American Hospital Association (AHA) urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to seek ongoing input from health care providers as it develops and implements the enumeration process for the...

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled last week that lawsuits brought by patients to remedy denial of benefits by health maintenance organizations (HMOs) must be heard in federal court.(Legislation)
June 28, 2004... * The Supreme Court unanimously ruled last week that lawsuits brought by patients to remedy denial of benefits by health maintenance organizations (HMOs) must be heard in federal court because the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act...

At a forum on health care disparities cosponsored by the RAND Corporation, Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) June 22 introduced legislation designed to address inconsistent health care quality and health care disparities.(Legislation)
June 28, 2004... * At a forum on health care disparities cosponsored by the RAND Corporation, Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) June 22 introduced legislation designed to address inconsistent health care quality and health care disparities. The initiative, called...

Maryland.(State News)
June 28, 2004... * Maryland: A group of nursing informatics students from the University of Maryland School of Nursing went to Washington on June 15 to present a project, "White House Medication Distribution Database," to the White House medical unit. The...

Massachusetts.(State News)
June 28, 2004... * Massachusetts: A Massachusetts health care and business coalition has proposed a six-point plan to tackle the state's health care workforce shortage, which includes nearly 7,000 current nursing vacancies. The plan by the Health Care...

Michigan.(State News)
June 28, 2004... * Michigan: The Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) has published a comprehensive economic research report, "The Business Case for Reducing Patient-to-Nursing Staff Ratios and Eliminating Mandatory Overtime for Nurses." This document is available...

North Carolina.(State News)
June 28, 2004... * North Carolina: A new report by a North Carolina nursing workforce task force includes 47 recommendations designed to prevent a nursing workforce crisis in the state. Without such action, the state forecasts a shortage of anywhere from 9,000...

The National Heritage Insurance Company's Education and Outreach Unit has developed a guide to provide nurse practitioners.(Resources)
June 28, 2004... * The National Heritage Insurance Company's Education and Outreach Unit has developed a guide to provide nurse practitioners, physician assistants and certified nurse specialists with Medicare Part B non-physician billing information. See:...

The Health Resources and Services Administration.(Funding Opportunities)
June 28, 2004... * The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has announced that $250,000 is available for 10 awards to provide nurse practitioner and nurse-midwifery students with clinical experience serving underserved populations, to introduce...

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.(Funding Opportunities)
June 28, 2004... * The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation solicits nominations for its Community Health Leadership Program (CHLP). CHLP honors 10 people each year for creating or enhancing health programs serving underserved communities. The award is...

The Department of Health and Human Services.(Funding Opportunities)
June 28, 2004... * The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) June 21 announced the availability of grants for programs to improve minority and women's health. HHS' Office of Minority Health (OMH) plans to award an estimated $3.4 million in fiscal year...

IHS/2004 Reimbursement Rates.(Federal Register)
June 28, 2004... * IHS/2004 Reimbursement Rates. Notice. The Indian Health Service (IHS) has approved rates for inpatient and outpatient medical care provided by IHS facilities for calendar year 2004 for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and beneficiaries of...

CDC/Infectious Agents.(Federal Register)
June 28, 2004... * CDC/Infectious Agents. Notice. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requests review of and comment on the "Draft Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infection Agents in Healthcare Settings 2004."...