The public hearing for the proposed regulation changes regarding vaccination for school entry was last week. Thank you to all who provided comments.
Thank you to Representative John Eplee, MD, FAAFP, who presented his support for meningococcal immmunization and Hepatitis A immunizations as a school requirement last week at the hearing.
Full information is available regarding: Proposed Regulation, Economic Impact Statement
Almost nine years after the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), 36 states and the District of Columbia have expanded their Medicaid programs. Fourteen states, including Kansas, have not. The latest issue brief from the Kansas Health Institute examines different state approaches to expansion, as well as enrollment and cost trends and the effects of expansion on health outcomes and state economies. The brief is available at https://bit.ly/2X3rgiL.
The following Registry ISS codes have been updated and available. Please share with your office staff.
In response to the increasing number of rural hospital closures, the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy administers the Small Rural Hospital Transition Project (SHRT). The program provides technical assistance (TA) through comprehensive onsite consultations to eligible hospitals that have 49 beds or less and located in a federally designated persistent poverty county. Core areas of technical assistance include: 1) financial operational assessment (FOA) and 2) quality improvement (QI) projects. A total of nine hospitals will be selected based on a competitive process. A minimum of three FOA projects and three QI projects will be selected in each core area. Interested applicants that meet SRHT readiness requirements and project expectations must submit the required Letter of Intent by September 15. If a sufficient number of applications is not received, SRHT on-site TA may be extended to small rural hospitals (49 beds or less) residing in non-persistent poverty counties. Should this option become available, additional information will be provided.
You are invited to participate in The Opioid Epidemic: Next Steps in Prevention & Treatment on Friday, July 19 at KU School of Medicine-Wichita, Roberts Amphitheater, Wichita. For more information, download the flyer or contact Tiffany Bonfiglio at tbonfiglio@kumc.edu or call 316-293-3533.
Registration is available online.
The Chronic Disease Self-Management for Cancer Survivors workshop is available for FREE for cancer survivors, those living with cancer, and their caregivers. This workshop meets weekly at WSU Old Town in Wichita from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, June 25- August 6. Pre-registration is required. Call or email Alissa Rankin: 316.978.3464 or alissa.rankin@wichita.edu. Please share this resource with your cancer patients [download PDF].
The Breastfeeding: Baby’s Natural Choice Conference will be held on Wed., Aug. 28, 2019 at the La Vista Conference Center, La Vista, Nebraska. Continuing education will be provided for physicians, nurses, lactation consultants, dietitians, social workers, licensed medical nutrition therapists and nurse midwives. This year’s conference will provide education on tongue-tie, infant latch, getting breastfeeding off to a good start, milk production, physical activity and breastfeeding, as well as the father’s role. The early bird fee of $115 is offered until July 31. Registration deadline is August 21. No walk-ins. Read more in conference brochure.
A great resource to help primary care and public health work together to improve the population health and reduce health care costs is the new book, The Practical Playbook II: Building Multisector Partnerships That Work which expands on the themes of the original textbook, providing examples of successful primary care/public health collaborations while offering tools and methods for family physicians and others who want to improve the health of their communities. Read more about this resource and how it can help you and your practice.
CDC has developed a comprehensive web section of immunization resources to help support healthcare professionals. CDC’s Resources for Health Care Providers web section offers a variety of immunization resources which are described below.
Be sure to check out the information and printable materials available at CDC’s Resources for Health Care Providers web section.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released final summary data for the sixth open enrollment period of the health insurance marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The latest issue brief from the Kansas Health Institute examines the results for the 2019 plan year, during which 89,993 Kansans — 8,245 fewer than the previous year — selected or were automatically re-enrolled in a marketplace plan. Read the full article.