Oregon Department Of Human Services Selects APS Healthcare To Manage Expanded Statewide Medicaid Program

APS Healthcare, a leading provider of specialty healthcare solutions, has been selected by the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Medical Assistance Programs, to manage its statewide Medicaid disease and medical care management programs. The integrated program will assist Oregon’s Medicaid and SCHIP fee-for-service clients to access healthcare, minimize catastrophic health events and improve health outcomes through education and interventions that help promote behavior change.

DVIF&G’s SEEDS Program Provides A “Link To Life” For Cancer Patients

In a few weeks, Delaware Valley Institute of Fertility & Genetics (DVIF&G) will celebrate our first successful birth as a result of our SEEDS program.

SEEDS (Semen, Embryo & Egg Depository & Storage) is a six-year-old program that provides cancer patients, both male and female, with the technology and services required to help preserve their fertility.

When a patient is diagnosed with cancer, it is crucial to consider how the cancer itself and the subsequent treatments will impact fertility. Whether or not the cancer affects the reproductive system directly (as in the case of cervical or testicular cancer), radiation and chemotherapy treatments can have serious consequences on future fertility. DVIF&G’s team of experts works quickly with the oncology team to carefully craft a plan that safeguards the patient’s reproductive potential through the SEEDS program. DVIF&G coordinates the extraction and freezing (cryopreservation) of oocytes from the female patient, freezing of sperm from the male patients, and developing and freezing embryos for the couple through in vitro fertilization (IVF) or in vitro maturation (IVM). IVM, with its brief course and minimal exposure to hormonal stimulation, is an ideal treatment method for fertility preservation in female patients.

Program Targets Black Churchgoers In St. Louis To Donate Blood

A program that targets predominantly black churches in St. Louis appears to have increased blood donations to help fight sickle cell disease, particularly from first-time donors, the AP/Columbia Missourian reports. Sickle cell disease, in which blood cells are abnormally shaped, affects one in 400 black infants and is the most common genetic disease among blacks.

Five years ago, Michael DeBaun, a sickle cell specialist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, created Sickle Cell Sabbath at 13 black churches in the area. Through the program, congregations learn about sickle cell disease and how blood transfusions and bone marrow transplants can help treat the disease. The program also encourages churches to sponsor blood drives.

NPR Features Discussion With Planned Parenthood President About Gift Certificate Program

NPR’s “Tell Me More” on Monday included a discussion with Cecile Richards — president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America — about Planned Parenthood of Indiana’s sale of gift certificates that can be used at its clinics to pay for reproductive health care services, including abortion services. Richards said, “[W]omen are always the first to really make sacrifices for their families, and oftentimes this means ignoring their own health care needs. So we thought gift certificates were a good way to provide financially strapped women an opportunity to get affordable family planning and other services,” especially in light of the poor economy. According to Richards, 97% of Planned Parenthood services are for preventive care, such as family planning services, cervical cancer and breast cancer screenings, and gynecological exams. She added that one in four women has visited a Planned Parenthood clinic and that the organization provides three million birth control prescriptions annually.

Washington, D.C.-Based Whitman-Walker Clinic Announces Staff, Program Reductions

The Whitman-Walker Clinic — a not-for-profit health organization that is the largest HIV/AIDS service provider in the Washington, D.C., area — on Tuesday announced that it will be reducing some staff and programs, the Washington Post reports. The clinic announced that it plans to close its office in Northern Virginia, which provides services to 1,100 clients, and shut down an eight-bed residential addiction program in the district. The clinic also announced that it will lay off 45 employees.

Four Out Of Five Incoming Prison Inmates In North Carolina Tested For HIV Under New Program

Four out of five inmates newly incarcerated in North Carolina prisons in November were tested for HIV through a new program launched by the Department of Correction and the Division of Public Health, the Raleigh News & Observer reports. The corrections department began the program on Nov. 1 in conjunction with the health division. According to the corrections department, of the 2,163 people who entered prisons in North Carolina in November, 1,784 received HIV tests. Ten inmates who previously were not aware of their HIV status were diagnosed with the virus last month, the News & Observer reports. Providing HIV/AIDS treatment to inmates costs the prison system about $1,700 per inmate monthly.

Papers Examine Effects Of Expanded Eligibility In Public Health Insurance Program For Older Children, Medicare Spending; More

“Has Public Health Insurance for Older Children Reduced Disparities in Access to Care and Health Outcomes?” Journal of Health Economics: The paper examines the effects of expanding public health insurance programs for older children. The paper analyzes data from the National Health Interview Survey from 1986 to 2005 and finds that income became a less important predictor of the health statuses of children ages nine to 17 in recent years. In addition, the report finds that while eligibility for public health insurance programs improves current utilization of preventive care, it has little effect on a person’s current health status. In addition, the paper finds some evidence that Medicaid eligibility in early childhood has positive effects on future health, which suggests that early and adequate care puts children on a course for better health as they grow (Currie et al., Journal of Health Economics, December 2008).

CMS To Launch One-Year Personal Health Record Pilot Program For Medicare Beneficiaries In Arizona, Utah

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Wednesday said that a one-year Medicare pilot program that will encourage beneficiaries to create online personal health records will reduce paperwork and prevent unnecessary medical procedures, Cronkite News/Arizona Daily Star reports. In January 2009, the pilot program will launch in Arizona and Utah, and CMS is partnering with Google Health, HealthTrio, NoMoreClipboard.com, and PassportMD to offer no-cost or low-cost PHRs, which will allow beneficiaries to maintain and share their medical histories with health care providers, pharmacies and others.

Unique Collaborative Research Program Between Novartis And Leukaemia Physicians Across Europe Moves CML Management Forward

Data on 2,500 patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) and results from state-of-the art monitoring are providing new insights into the management of the condition, according to one-year data from a unique collaborative research programme designed to optimise the treatment and monitoring of patients throughout Europe.

The European Treatment and Outcome Study (EUTOS) for CML is collecting data in a pan-European registry to provide a picture of the ‘real world’ incidence and management of the condition, in addition to implementing systems to standardise and increase access to molecular and pharmacological monitoring, and a major education programme to encourage clinicians to follow evidence-based CML recommendations.

Agilent Technologies Creates Specialized Training Program In China For Melamine Analysis In Milk, Milk Products

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) announced today it has created a specialized training program to address the current melamine crisis in China. The program will be available in early October and is part of Agilent University, a multifaceted education program for Agilent’s customers in China.

The four-day training program will cover melamine-testing methods using new, specialized sample-preparation components on gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS), liquid chromatograph (LC), and liquid chromatograph/triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (LC/MS/MS) instruments. The program will be offered in Agilent training centers and customer sites in China.