Report: "What does the new health care law mean for Virginians?".

FYI - The Virginia Interfaith Center has just released a new report detailing the impact of the new health care law on Virginians. It is entitled "What does the new health care law mean for Virginians?".You can download a PDF version of the report at the URL below:http://www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org/Issues/HealthCare/tabid/460/Default.aspx

CNN Report

Click the following to access the sent link:

Children's quality of life declining, says report - CNN.com*

Virginia Poison Center’s 2008 Annual Report

As a FYI, the Virginia Poison Center’s 2008 Annual Report is now available. According to the report, in 2008, they responded to 38,267 calls for assistance; an increase of 1.8% over 2007. Three quarters of all patients were managed on site without need for further medical intervention. The majority of patients treated were children under 6 years of age. Incoming calls to the Virginia Poison Center increase each year. Despite this, and with no increase in funding, the Center continues to provide its life saving services twenty four hours daily to all callers free of charge. The complete 2008 Annual Report will be available for viewing or download from their Website at www.vapoison.org in a few days. Hard copies are available. Contact Evelyn Waring by phone at 804.628.3468 or email ewaring@mcvh-vcu.edu to request a copy.

Health Care Reform or No, Virginia Can Cover More Kids

New Report Details How and Why Virginia Should Maximize Federal Funding for FAMIS

RICHMOND -- A new law passed by Congress earlier this year provides an immediate opportunity for the state to improve the successful Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS) program and cover more of the 129,000 uninsured children in Virginia. But if the General Assembly and the Governor don’t take the required action, some of the funding could disappear in less than two years. A new report from The Commonwealth Institute details the changes in the law and how Virginia should leverage the maximum funding available to help protect the health of Virginia’s children......

Check out our new report:
Covering More Kids in Virginia

Instability and Tipover of Appliances, Furniture, and Televisions: Estimated Injuries and Reported Fatalities, 2008 Report

The complete CPSC data report can be viewed at http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia08/os/tipover.pdf.

Bedsharing and bassinets: 2 new studies assess the risks

The American Academy of Pediatrics revised its infant sleeping environment recommendations in 2005, and now suggests that room sharing without bed sharing is safest. However, bassinet safety has not been widely studied, and the U.S. government currently has no safety standards for bassinets. But two new studies on bed sharing and bassinet risks, upcoming in the Journal of Pediatrics, seek to shed light on these important safety issues.
Read the full article at: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/ehs-bab062308.php

Action for Healthy Kids

Action for Healthy Kids is pleased to announce the release of Progress or Promises? What's Working for and Against Healthy Schools a special report on the state of school wellness. This report is an important overview of the current state of school wellness and will guide the work of Action for Healthy Kids and its Teams and Partners for the coming years.
The release of Progress or Promises? What's Working for and Against Healthy Schools? is an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of school wellness. Together with its Teams and Partners, Action for Healthy Kids will continue to promote healthy eating and active living to children, youth, and schools.
http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/

Influenza Update

The ACIP update on the 2007-2008 influenza was reported that the season was more severe that had been observed than the 2003-2004 season. The report disclosed that was a relatively poor match between the vaccine and the circulating flu virus strains. However the vaccine was still 44% effective. There will be an expansion of children recommended for the influenza vaccination for the 2008-2009 season. Children 6 months of age to 5 years of age are already being recommended for vaccination. The six influenza manufacturers project about 150 million doses of vaccine will be available for the upcoming season.

Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases 2008

This four-part self-study series provides the most current information available in the constantly changing field of immunization. Together, the four sessions offer a comprehensive overview on immunization today. Session ONE discusses principles and general recommendations on vaccination. Sessions TWO, THREE and FOUR discuss specific vaccine-preventable diseases and their respective vaccines. Each of the four sessions is three hours in duration. Continuing Education credits will be provided. This Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases self-study program is offered free of charge in DVD and web-on-demand formats.

Investing in Disease Prevention Could Save Over $16 Billion in Five Years

RWJF-Supported Study by Trust for America's Health Suggests a Return on Investment of More than 5 to 1 In its report, Prevention for a Healthier America: Investments in Disease Prevention Yield Significant Savings, Stronger Communities, TFAH finds that an investment of $10 per person per year in proven community-based programs to increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and prevent smoking and other tobacco use could save the country more than $16 billion annually within five years. This is a return of $5.60 for every $1 invested.

Reducing teen mortality rates

New Data Illuminate Risky Behaviors Leading to Youth Mortality
Seventy-two percent of deaths among 10- to 24-year-olds in the United States are a result of one of four causes -- and many high school students engage in behaviors that increase their risks. To read more go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5704a1.htm

What Works Clearinghouse

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) collects, screens, and identifies studies of the effectiveness of educational interventions (programs, products, practices, and policies). It provides educators, policymakers, researchers, and the public with a central and trusted source of scientific evidence on what works in education.
Sponsor Agency: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences
Online at: http://www.whatworks.ed.gov

New and Expecting Fathers: Your Input is Needed!

The Department of Pediatrics' Division of Community Health Research is conducting a survey to learn more about the needs and experiences of new and expecting fathers.
The first year of a child's life is a critical time during which a father's positive influence can promote strong development and decrease a child's susceptibility to health, social, and behavioral problems. This survey aims to learn more about the experiences and concerns related to new fatherhood.
If you are currently expecting a child or have an infant under 6 months of age, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=7OKuynPYPRItBuzIGuXTyQ_3d_3d to participate. The survey will take 15-30 minutes to complete and answers are confidential.
Fathers who participate in the survey portion of the study can volunteer to be contacted for the second part of the study. If you are invited to the second part of the study, a project staff member may contact you by telephone or email to invite you to participate in a face-to-face or telephone interview. If you participate in the interview, you will receive $50.

For more information please contact study director, Dr. James Paulson, at paulsojf@evms.edu.

Advertising approved by the EVMS IRB, IRB # 07-11-WC-0263.

Getting Connected for Kids: Tips on Finding Data and Research to Improve Policy and Practice

This DC Action for Children guide has practical, easy-to-use advice on the policymaking process and how to influence it, as well as a round-up of the best sites, blogs and research tools for your work!
http://www.dckids.org/documents/downloads/DC%20Action%20Getting%20Connected%20for%20Kids.pdf

New Jersey Hospital-Based Language Services Lag, Study Finds

A study in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved suggests that New Jersey hospitals are not doing enough to meet the needs of patients with limited English proficiency (LEP), Health Behavior News Service reports.
http://www.rwjf.org/programareas/features/digest.jsp?c=EMC-ND142&pid=1142&id=7804

Telemedicine May Offer Cost-Effective Alternative to ED Care, Study Says

A study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, suggests that telemedicine is a cost-effective alternative to more than one-fourth of all pediatric emergency department (ED) visits, HealthDay reports.
http://www.rwjf.org/programareas/features/digest.jsp?c=EMC-ND142&pid=1142&id=7789

Report Analyzes Strategies to Redirect Non-Urgent ED Patients

A report released by the Center for Studying Health System Change suggests that increasing access to outpatient clinics, community health centers and private physician practices is the most effective method of reducing the use of emergency departments (EDs) for non-urgent care, CQ HealthBeat reports.

http://www.rwjf.org/programareas/features/digest.jsp?c=EMC-ND142&pid=1142&id=7777

New Report on State Secrecy and Child Deaths

On April 29, First Star and Children's Advocacy Institute (CAI) held a briefing on Capitol Hill to announce the release of their new report, State Secrecy and Child Deaths in the U.S. The report surveys all 50 states and the District of Columbia to determine if each state has a policy for public disclosure of child deaths, if the state's policy is codified in statute, if there's ease of access to the information, the scope of information, and whether the state has open verses closed abuse/neglect proceedings. The report uses letter grades for each state from A to F based on these factors. Ten states received an F, 28 received a C+ or lower, and 6 states received an A or A-. For more information, visit www.firststar.org.

Warning on Life-threatening Adverse Events/Death Concerning Tussionex

FDA is issuing this public health advisory to alert patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals to important information on the safe and appropriate use of Tussionex Pennkinetic Extended-Release Suspension. Tussionex is a prescription cough medicine containing hydrocodone and the antihistamine, chlorpheniramine that is made to be given every 12 hours (“extended-release”). Hydrocodone, the narcotic ingredient in this medicine that controls cough, can cause life-threatening breathing problems and death when given above or more frequently than the recommended dose. Tussionex should not be used in children less than 6 years old.
For more information - http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2008/safety08.htm#Tussionex

American Lung Association Update

Big Tobacco's Guinea Pigs: How an Unregulated Industry Experiments on America's Kids and Consumers - This report details how tobacco companies manipulate their products to recruit new youth users, create and sustain addiction, and discourage users from quitting.