Wednesday, October 16, 2002
Healthcare Revolution Needed HealthLeaders feature article by Bill Bysinger on the need to "invest in change and begin to create a collaborative environment that will deliver cost effectiveness, process efficiencies, faster reimbursement, and a higher quality of integrated data for a more seamless healthcare environment."
Creating a Culturally Inclusive Organization: A Resource Action Guide Published earlier this year, this guide from the Canadian Mental health Association "is a product of the fourth and final phase of the Cross Cultural Mental Health (CCMH) project funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage. Phase 4 of the CCMH project (1998-00) was hosted by CMHA Nova Scotia Division and consisted of the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the organizational change process toward greater ethnocultural inclusion at four CMHA project sites: CMHA Prince George Branch (BC), CMHA BC Division, CMHA Thompson Region (MAN), and CMHA NS Division. The purpose of the Resource Action Guide is to assist Divisions, Regions and Branches in moving forward toward greater cultural diversity and inclusion."
Intervention Improves Mental Health in Children of Divorce Medscape Medical News story on research reported in the Oct. 16 of
The Journal of the American Medical Association indicating that "active intervention with group and individual sessions reduced the frequency with which children of divorce developed mental disorders," inckuding reduced use of illegal substances, problem externalization, drug and alcohol use, and number of sexual partners, though "larger trials are necessary to confirm these findings and to establish public health guidelines." [Viewing
Medscape resources requires registration, which is free]. At the JAMA web site, you can also view a detailed abstract of the study and author information.
CMS named to enforce HIPAA transaction and code set standards HHS press release - "HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced today that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be responsible for enforcing the transaction and code set standards that are part of the administrative simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996." The release notes, too, that CMS will continue to enforce the insurance portability requirements of HIPAA.
Justice Dept. to Scrutinize Confinement of Mentally Ill New York Times article from this past weekend - "The United States Justice Department has opened a review of the Pataki administration's policy of releasing hundreds of patients from state psychiatric wards to locked units in nursing homes, seeking to determine whether conditions in the units violate federal civil rights laws, officials said yesterday. Lawyers in the department's civil rights division have begun interviewing officials, mental health experts and others in New York, and are considering whether to mount a full-scale investigation." [Viewing
New York Times resources requires registration, which is free].
Concern grows as funding cut for mentally ill (Tennessee) GoMemphis story on testimony before the TennCare Oversight Committee - "Tennessee is slashing services to mentally ill adults to balance its under-funded mental health budget, and state lawmakers fear the situation will only worsen as thousands of seriously mentally ill people are likely to be removed from the TennCare program."
Panel on juvenile justice system to meet (Louisiana) Story in
The Daily Advertiser research by the Annie E. Casey Foundation that is being presented to the Juvenile Justice Commission along with suggestions on "a public awareness campaign, programs to prevent abuse, community-based programs to handle nonviolent problems, local short-term residential facilities for 'ungovernable youth,' substance abuse treatment in juvenile facilities, early intervention programs and mental health facilities in public schools."
New drug approved for treating addicts Beacon Journal (Ohio) story on the Food and Drug Administration's approval last week of the drug buprenorphine, "which can be prescribed by primary care physicians to treat people addicted to heroin and other opiates."
As bad as we thought (Virginia) A
Daily Press follow up story on budget cuts announced by Gov. Mark Warner (see the
item here yesterday) that notes, near the end of the story, the "blistering" response of Valerie Marsh, executive director for the state chapter of NAMI. Warner had "earlier won praise from the mental health community for supporting and signing legislation to restructure the mental health system and create an independent office for the disabled," and, Marsh said, "a real leader would stand up for Virginia's most vulnerable citizens."
County drug addicts worse off than thought (California) San Mateo County Times story on a one-year progress report released Tuesday by the County's oversight committee for the Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act of 2000 (known as Proposition 36) which indicates that "non-violent drug offenders in San Mateo County are long-term addicts to both stimulants and alcohol and often need treatment for mental illnesses."
Money sought for crisis triage center (Nevada) Las Vegas Sun story on a task force study to be presented today to the Las Vegas City Council that "calls for county and local municipalities to chip in $1.27 million to help fund a regional crisis triage center" and "encourages the state to add more hospital beds and change admitting laws for mentally ill patients."
St. Paul police asked to change policies (Minnesota) Minneapolis Star Tribune story - "Mental health advocates meeting with St. Paul police officials today want new policies for police responding to violent confrontations involving mentally ill people, but department officials maintain that current procedures are adequate and effective."
