The 10 insurers with the largest numbers of Medicare drug plan customers raised premiums an average of 10 percent this year. [Read article]
Federal News
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Biggest Medicare Drug Plans Raise Prices 10 Percent On Average
(03/12/2010)
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States’ Roles Will Shift In New NHIN Landscape
(03/12/2010)
"What is the motivation for providers to join a health information exchange if all they need is NHIN Direct to help them achieve meaningful use?" [Read article]
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NHIN Direct: Open Healthcare Records and Government as a Platform
(03/12/2010)
This is health reform in the trenches of technology, where there are enormous opportunities for cost savings and better care. There's really good thinking going on here. So don't believe what you read in the paper. [Read article]
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Report Examines Growth In Spending For Patient Care In Hospitals
(03/12/2010)
While hospitals account for one-third of the health care dollar, spending on hospital care has grown more slowly than spending on other health care services, according to an AHA The Cost of Caring report on the sources of growth in spending on patient care in hospitals. [Read article]
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Nurse Practitioners Will Not Solve The Primary Care Shortage
(03/12/2010)
Blog: There are some who believe that primary care offices don’t necessarily need to be staffed by physicians; nurse practitioners and physician assistants can help reduce the shortages. The problem is both nurse practitioners and physician assistants aren’t immune to the financial incentives swaying doctors away from primary care. [Read article]
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The Cost of Uncompensated Care with and without Health Reform
(03/12/2010)
Both the Senate and House health reform proposals will dramatically reduce the number of uninsured as well as the amount spent on uncompensated care. If health reform is not enacted, the number of uninsured will increase significantly, as will uncompensated care burdens. [Read article]
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Is HITECH Working?
(03/12/2010)
Early signs suggest that the HITECH program is pushing more physicians to adopt EHR systems, and that it is well on its way to accomplishing its long-term goals. [Read article]
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Senate Jobs Bill Expands EHR Incentive Eligibility
(03/12/2010)
Many hospital-based physicians puzzled by their apparent exclusion from EHR meaningful use incentives may find some relief in a provision included the latest Senate jobs bill, "The American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010 (H.R. 4213)," which passed on Wednesday. [Read article]
State News
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Primary Care Doctors Dwindling As Medical Students Opt For Specialties
(03/12/2010)
Even with the increased spotlight on wellness during the national health care debate, medical students are pursuing more financially lucrative areas of specialization, including orthopedic and cardiac care. [Read article]
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Is Wisconsin Ready for a High-Speed Experiment?
(03/12/2010)
Op-Ed: Though Google’s experiment could potentially benefit up to 500,000 consumers, there are many unanswered questions about this experiment and perhaps Google may want to use its own search engine to review Wisconsin’s outdated, complicated, unfair and burdensome regulations on the telecommunications industry. Two questions of most concern are what exactly is Google proposing to do and how much is Google willing to spend on this project in our state and if any jobs are created, what if any of those jobs are sustainable? [Read article]
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New Interactive Tobacco Map Launched
(03/11/2010)
An interactive map from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will give policy-makers and advocates a nationwide picture of continuing state efforts on key tobacco control. The “map” is actually three distinct maps, each focusing on a different aspect of tobacco policy: state-by-state breakdowns on smoke-free laws, cigarette tax rates and total tobacco control spending. [Read article]
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Wisconsin’s Air Dirtiest in Nation
(03/11/2010)
It's not something to be proud of: Wisconsin had the most unsafe air in the country yesterday. [Read article]
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CPR Class Could Be Required At High Schools
(03/11/2010)
New legislation (AB 725) being considered at the capitol would require schools to offer high school students instruction in performing cardiopulmonary and cardio-cerebral resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator. [Read article]
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Medical Care Vanishing In Rural Wisconsin
(03/10/2010)
Many hospitals in the state are forced to cut services. [Read article]
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I'm Just an Ambulance Driver Podcast Series
(03/09/2010)
Tune in monthly for relevant topics to EMS and the input of EMS providers and administrators alike. Hosted by EMSARN (Emergency Medical Service Agency Research Network for Quality & Safety Improvement). [Listen]
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Marketing Your Volunteer Fire or Ambulance Department
(03/09/2010)
Rural America relies heavily on volunteer fire and ambulance departments. With little to no tax base in these areas, it is difficult or impossible to generate the necessary funds to properly finance an emergency services organization. Rural communities have little choice but to form their own organizations, financed by local donations, spaghetti dinners, rib feeds, pancake breakfasts, and whatever other creative effort to raise a dollar comes to mind. [Read article]
Funding Opportunities
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Grants to Expand Substance Abuse Treatment in Targeted Areas of Need: Technology Assisted Care - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
04/27/2010
The purpose of this program is to enhance and/or expand the capacity of substance abuse treatment providers to serve clients who have been underserved because of lack of access to treatment in their immediate community due to transportation concerns, an inadequate number of substance abuse treatment providers in their community, and/or financial constraints, through the use of therapeutic techniques that involve innovative, creative and cost-effective advanced technology. [Funding]
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Geriatric Academic Career Award – HRSA
04/14/2010
The purpose of the Geriatric Academic Career Award (GACA) is to increase the number of junior faculty at accredited schools of allopathic and osteopathic medicine and to promote the development of their careers as academic geriatricians who emphasize training in clinical geriatrics including the training of interdisciplinary teams of health professionals. [Funding]
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Model State-Supported Area Health Education Centers - HRSA
04/12/2010
To improve the distribution, diversity, and quality of health personnel in the health services delivery system by encouraging the regional organization of health professions schools. [Funding]
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Basic/Core Area Health Education Centers – HRSA
04/12/2010
To improve the distribution, diversity, and quality of health personnel in the health services delivery system by encouraging the regional organization of health professions schools. The Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program assists schools in planning, developing, and operating area health education centers that will initiate educational systems incentives to both attract and retain health care personnel in scarcity areas. [Funding]
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Annual Rural Health Conference Scholarships – NRHA
03/31/2010
The National Rural Health Association has scholarship funds available for students and community members with a critical need for financial support with conference expenses. Scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to people who meet the eligibility criteria specified on the application and who are unable to attend the conference without such support. [Funding]
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Mattie J. T. Stepanek Caregiving Scholarship - Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving
06/01/2010
The purpose of the Scholarship is to provide financial assistance to family, professional, or paraprofessional caregivers of any age who are seeking training or education in specific skills, procedures and strategies that lead to more effective care at the same time that they serve to protect the health and well-being of the caregiver. [Funding]
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National Family Caregiving Awards - MetLife Foundation / National Alliance for Caregiving
05/07/2010
A total of nine awards will be given to organizations with established caregiving programs in the following three categories: Caregiver Education (3 awards); Caregiver Support (4 awards); and Older Caregivers Caring for Adult Children with Disabilities (2 awards). These awards will recognize the current work of community agencies and other organizations that support family caregivers as a significant part of their mission. [Funding]
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Shelter Grants – Mary Kay Foundation
06/30/2010
The Foundation observes National Domestic Violence Awareness Month by awarding grants to deserving women’s shelters across the United States. The Foundation awards a grant to at least one shelter in every state. [Funding]
WORH Updates
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Since July 1 of 2009, the New Physicians for Wisconsin Program at the WORH has assisted 3 communities recruit new primary care physicians. These communities are: Waupun, West Bend, and Madison. In addition to these placements, we have had physicians interview in New Richmond, Milwaukee, Beloit, Kenosha, Green Bay, West Bend, Amery, Sauk City, St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin Rapids, Racine, Oregon, West Bend, and Osceola. We are hopeful that several of these interviews will end up in the placement of a new physician in the respective community. Check out the Physician Recruitment News, and Physician Recruitment Tips & Advice which is the latest physician recruitment trends, newsworthy items, and/or offer tips & advice related directly to any/all aspects of physician recruitment. [Read article]
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The Wisconsin Office of Rural Health will be sponsoring the 2nd Annual Wisconsin Rural Health Summit on Monday, May 10th at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. Don’t miss this opportunity for all rural health sectors to discover ways that we can collaborate to improve rural healthcare in Wisconsin. [Read article]
