(St. George, UT) - The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) has kicked off a new long-term care project that serves the residents of Washington, Iron, Beaver, Garfield and Kane counties. This long-term care program, called Molina Independence Care, is the most recent of three projects implemented under the UDOH's Long Term Care Managed Care Initiative umbrella which also includes the Flexcare program in Salt Lake, Davis and Tooele Counties and theWeber MACS program in Weber, Morgan and Davis Counties.

The UDOH Initiative is aimed at promoting greater choice, independence and quality care for Medicaid enrollees with long-term care needs. The three programs strive to add expanded service options in support of the participants' health, safety and quality of life. This takes place by coordinating the services enrollees receive and involving enrollees, their families and other care givers with decisions regarding the enrollees' care. Molina Health Care will manage this project in conjunction with the Five County Area Agency on Aging.

Helen Robins, a 96-year-old resident of St. George, has been able to move into an assisted living center as an enrollee of the Molina Independence Care Program and is thrilled to be in her new home. "The Molina Independence Care program has been a blessing for Helen and our family," said Beverly Metcalf, Robins' daughter. "I had heard about the program in Salt Lake County and was so happy when I received the letter about a program starting in our area of the State. I was the first to apply and can now walk to visit my mother as often as I can," said Metcalf.

"The decision to implement a third initiative program was based on the success of Utah's first and second Long Term Care Managed Care Initiative programs, FlexCare and Weber MACS," said John Williams, Long Term Care Unit Director, UDOH. FlexCare began in April 2000 and currently serves over 375 residents. Weber MACS started in October of last year and serves approximately 58 residents.

Carrie Dennis, Molina Independence Care Program Coordinator, is excited to initiate the next Long Term Care/Managed Care Initiative project in southwestern Utah. "This will add one more long-term care service option for our Medicaid eligible consumers and help fill a gap in our long-term care continuum," said Dennis.

Enrollment into these projects is only available to persons over 18 years of age currently residing in a nursing facility or hospital. Molina Independence Care will have the same eligibility criteria and provide a similar package of services as the other initiative projects, however they will tailor the program to their community. Molina plans to improve the quality of life for adults in their community who need long-term care by helping them access the most effective set of service options to meet their individual needs.

These UDOH Long Term Care Managed Care Initiative programs are tailored and implemented by the community. In an effort to expand the initiative across the State, the UDOH has been meeting with various local long-term care networks to present the idea and determine the community's readiness to implement such a demonstration project. The UDOH hopes to partner with other interested organizations to identify promising practices in support of the initiative. For more information please contact John Williams, Long Term Care Unit Director, at (801) 538-6021 or visit http://health.utah.gov/medicaid/ltc.html.

12:34:37 PM    

SALT LAKE CITY — Giving more hunters a chance to hunt on limited entry elk units in Utah will be among proposals Division of Wildlife Resources biologists will share at upcoming public meetings. If approved, the recommendations would take effect during Utah's 2005 big game seasons.

People are encouraged to attend the meetings and provide the biologists with their input and suggestions. Citizens representing Utah's five Regional Advisory Councils will take the public input received to the Utah Wildlife Board when it meets Nov. 4 in Salt Lake City to approve Utah's 2005 Big Game Proclamation.

Meeting dates, times and locations are as follows (please note that the Northern RAC meeting, which is usually held on a Wednesday, is being held on a Thursday):

• Central Region
  Oct. 12, 6:30 p.m.
  Springville Junior High School
  165 S. 700 E., Springville

• Northern Region
  Oct. 14, 6 p.m.
  Brigham City Community Center
  24 N. 300 W., Brigham City

• Northeastern Region
  Oct. 18, 7 p.m.
  Vernal City Office
  447 E. Main St., Vernal

• Southeastern Region
  Oct. 19, 6:30 p.m.
  John Wesley Powell Museum
  885 E. Main St., Green River

• Southern Region
  Oct. 20, 7 p.m.
  Cross Hollows Intermediate School
  2215 W. Royal Hunte Dr., Cedar City

2005 big game proposals

Finding ways to allow more elk hunters a chance at some of Utah's biggest bulls is among items the Utah Elk Management Plan Advisory Committee has been working on for the past five months.

The 15-person committee includes representatives from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife and other conservation groups; the Utah Farm Bureau; land managing agencies; and Utah's Regional Advisory Councils and Wildlife Board. Jim Karpowitz, big game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, is the committee's facilitator.

"The committee has worked hard to find ways to allow more people to hunt bull elk on limited entry units without negatively affecting the bull elk population we have," Karpowitz said. "I think the committee has come up with some great recommendations."

Among the recommendations that will be presented at the meetings are the following:

— Reduce the hunter cap on spike bull units from 19,000 to 11,000 permits and shorten the general season on spike units from 13 to nine days. "This would reduce the take of spike bulls and allow more of them to grow into mature animals," Karpowitz said. "A total of 11,500 hunters participated in the spike bull hunt in 2003."

— Bull elk on limited entry units are managed under three age class objectives. The committee wants to keep the three to four year age class, but would like to change the middle and highest categories. Units managed under the middle category would be managed for four to five year-old bulls, while units managed under the highest category would be managed for five to six year-old bulls. The middle category is currently five to six years and the highest category is seven to eight years.

"Lowering these age categories would still allow hunters a chance for a very nice bull but because we'd be managing for a slightly younger animal, we could offer more permits," Karpowitz said. "There are plenty of bulls on these units, so offering more permits should not affect bull numbers much."

— Increase hunting opportunity by managing additional units in the three to four year age class. "We want the public to let us know which units they would like managed under this age category," he said. "We're not recommending any specific units at this time."

— Provide a late season rifle elk hunting opportunity away from the rut. The late season hunt would happen in mid-November and would require that the general muzzleloader elk season start and end three days earlier than it does now. Part of the limited entry permits for 2005 would be used for this late season hunt.

"Fewer elk should be taken because this hunt would be held outside of the rut," he said. "The benefit to hunters is the chance to hunt elk when virtually no one else is afield. The long term benefit should be more elk and more limited entry permits for hunters in the future."

The committee is also recommending a premium limited entry elk opportunity. Premium limited entry elk permits would cost more, but those who drew them would be allowed to hunt all three seasons on the unit they drew a permit for. One premium limited entry elk permit would be offered for each of Utah's limited entry elk units.

For more information about the upcoming meetings, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR's Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.

12:32:20 PM