DC's new "Know Where You Stand" HIV ad campaign

Recent health Articles, Events, Jobs, and Resources.

CONTENTS

1. DCPCA News: DC RHIO – Amalga Trainings
2. CHC News: Avon Foundation awards Whitman-Walker Clinic a grant
3. Article: DC to give away free female condoms to fight HIV/AIDS
4. Article: AIDS virus can hide in bone marrow
5. Article: Senators try to lift ban on gay men donating blood
6. Article: Many women avoid calling 911
7. Article: Germs in gut may be to blame for big appetite
8. Article: Friend of cancer patient leads urgent search for donor cells
9. Article: Your health care legislation questions answered
10. Letter to Editor: A death that was inevitable
11. Obituary: Louise Grass; SOME volunteer
12. Update: DOH's new "Know Where You Stand" HIV ad campaign

ARTICLE SUMMARIES

1. DCPCA News: DC RHIO – Amalga Trainings
DC Primary Care Association, March 2010

Summary: DCPCA conducted hands-on training sessions last week for new users of the DC Regional Health Information Organization (DC RHIO) health information exchange (HIE) system. For many of the attendees, it was their first opportunity to use the live system and try their hand at looking across multiple community health centers and hospitals to find data on their patients. Eighty-three attendees represented all six of our early adopter health centers – Bread for the City, Family Medical and Counseling Service, Inc., La Clínica del Pueblo, Mary's Center for Maternal and Child Care, SOME, and Whitman-Walker Clinic. The attendees were enthusiastic about the new HIE system and the opportunity to practice using the DC RHIO in real scenarios. In addition to the training sessions for health centers, DCPCA conducted offsite training at Georgetown University Hospital with their emergency department doctors via conference call. The DC RHIO went live on March 1st. For more info, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Senior HIT Coordinator, at (202) 638-0252 ext. 202.  |  View photos

2. CHC News: Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund Awards Grant to W-WC
Whitman-Walker Clinic, News Release, March 8, 2010

Summary: The Avon Foundation awarded a $45,000 one-year grant to Whitman-Walker Clinic to increase awareness of the life-saving benefits of early detection of breast cancer. It's the ninth year that the program received Avon Foundation for Women funding to support its work on this important health issue and in recognition of the excellence of the program. In 2009, W-WC's Breast Health Initiative educated 1,000+ women with information about the importance of early detection of breast cancer, performed 550+ clinical breast exams, and referred 550 women for mammograms. This vital program will continue to provide breast cancer screening navigation in 2010. In addition, the Breast Health Initiative will provide onsite mammography at the clinic through its partnership with the George Washington University Mammovan. The Breast Health Initiative will also implement a peer health education program targeting underserved women in wards 6, 7, and 8.  |  Read release

3. Article: D.C. to be first U.S. city to give away free female condoms to fight HIV/AIDS
By Darryl Fears, The Washington Post, March 6, 2010

Summary: The District will become the first city in the U.S. to distribute female condoms free, part of a project that'll make 500,000 of them available in beauty salons, convenience stores, and high schools in parts of the District with high HIV rates. The distribution could begin within the next three weeks in parts of wards 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7, where a study showed that large numbers of African American heterosexuals engage in risky sexual behavior that could easily lead to infection. The move is an official acknowledgment of the futility of relying solely on the use of male condoms, which have been distributed District-wide for nearly a decade, to stem DC's epidemic of HIV/AIDS. Female condoms give women more power to protect themselves from HIV and sexually transmitted diseases when their partners refuse to use protection. The project is funded through a $500,000 grant from the MAC AIDS Fund, a subsidiary of MAC Cosmetics, which contributes to numerous city programs, including two of the District's needle exchange programs. The grant helped DC buy the condoms at wholesale prices from the Female Health Co. and provide them for distribution by social service organizations, including Planned Parenthood, the Community Education Group, and the Women's Collective.  |  Read article

4. Article: Researchers: AIDS virus can hide in bone marrow
USA TODAY, March 7, 2010

Summary: The virus that causes AIDS can hide in the bone marrow, avoiding drugs and later awakening to cause illness. The HIV virus can infect long-lived bone marrow cells that eventually convert into blood cells. The virus is dormant in the bone marrow cells, but when those progenitor cells develop into blood cells, it can be reactivated and cause renewed infection. The virus kills the new blood cells and then moves on to infect other cells. In recent years, drugs reduced AIDS deaths sharply, but patients need to keep taking the medicines for life or the infection comes back. While the drugs battle the active virus, some of the disease remains hidden away to flare up once therapy is stopped. One hide-out was found earlier in blood cells called macrophages. Another pool was discovered in memory T-cells. But those couldn't account for all the HIV virus still circulating. Finding these sources of infection is important because eliminating them would allow AIDS patients to stop taking drugs after their infection was over.  |   Read article

5. Article: Senators: Lift ban on gay men donating blood
USA TODAY, March 5, 2010

Summary: The time has come to change a policy that imposes a lifetime ban on donating blood for any man who has had gay sex since 1977, 18 U.S. senators said. Not a single piece of scientific evidence supports the ban, said Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who joined 16 other Democrats and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in writing the FDA commissioner. The lawmakers stressed that the science changed dramatically since the ban was established in 1983 at the advent of the HIV/AIDS crisis. Today donated blood must undergo two different, highly accurate tests that make the risk of tainted blood entering the blood supply virtually zero. The senators said that while hospitals and emergency rooms are in urgent need of blood products, healthy blood donors are turned away every day due to an antiquated policy and our blood supply is not necessarily any safer for it. Kerry compared the effort to lift the blood donation ban to legislation he backed in 2008 to end the law banning people with HIV from traveling and immigrating to the U.S. That ban was lifted last year.  |   Read article

6. Article: Your Health: Many women avoid calling 911
By Kim Painter, USA TODAY, March 8, 2010

Summary: If you think you're having symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, call 911. The emergency medical technicians who respond are trained to assess and treat patients right away. They also provide the quickest route through hospital doors and into the hands of doctors and nurses at a time when mere minutes can determine life or death, recovery or lasting disability. But the simple message to "call 911" clearly needs more attention. Just over half of women surveyed by the American Heart Association said they would do so if they thought they were having a heart attack. Instead, many women would call their doctors, take an aspirin, or get to a hospital on their own. About 80% would call if they thought someone else was having a heart attack. But failure to call 911 isn't just a female problem. Many men also respond to ominous symptoms with denial. People don't want to believe they're having a heart attack or stroke. Many people also fear calling attention to themselves, being wrong or embarrassed.  |   Read article

7. Article: Germs in gut may be to blame for big appetite
USA TODAY, March 5, 2010

Summary: Germs in the gut may help drive appetite, says new research into the link between obesity and bacteria. Previous studies showed that overweight people and normal-weight people harbor different types and amounts of microbes that naturally live in the intestine. To determine why, scientists are peering into mice. Researchers noticed that mice with an altered immune system were fatter than regular mice, and had a collection of disorders -- high blood pressure, and cholesterol and insulin problems -- called metabolic syndrome, often a precursor of heart disease and diabetes. Everyone is born with a sterile digestive tract that within days is flooded with bacteria from first foods and the environment. Altered immunity in these mice meant somewhat different bacteria grew in their intestines than in normal rodents -- driving bigger appetites, metabolic syndrome, and a low-grade inflammation believed key to obesity's illnesses. Researchers transferred bacteria from the fat mice directly into the germ-free intestines of normal newborn mice -- and those mice began eating more and developed inflammation and insulin problems. Restrict access to food and the altered mice don't gain weight, but still experienced the other symptoms. People are getting obese because they're eating more, but research suggests the reason they're eating more may not simply be that calories are cheap and available. Increased appetites may result from changes in intestinal bacteria.  |  Read article

8. Article: Friend of cancer patient leads urgent search for donor cells
By Nicole Norfleet, The Washington Post, March 6, 2010

Summary: Doctors had told Lindsay Rawot, 22, that her blood cancer treatments weren't working and that she would need a blood stem cell transplant, a procedure that takes cells from the blood or from the marrow of the pelvic bone. Her old roommate, Emily Roesing has spent weeks of lunch breaks and after-work meetings organizing a local drive for bone marrow donors, trying to help Rawot and others with similar health problems. Roesing has assumed the role of the event's promoter. She and her current roommates used a network of friends to try to mobilize the neighborhood and rally people around Rawot's cause. Roesing is hopeful that someone who goes to the event might be able to help her friend. The event took place Saturday at the Edmund Burke School. Rawot's brother wasn't a match for marrow donation, which put her in the same category as most patients who need a donor: She'll have to depend on a stranger. Only four out of 10 patients who could benefit from bone marrow transplants receive them. DKMS Americas is the bone marrow donor center organizing the drive. The organization spent about $100,000 to register more than 1,600 donors at other Rawot-inspired donor drives in New York City, Long Island, and Indiana University.  |  Read article

9. Article: Q&A: Your health care legislation questions answered
By Eugene Kiely and John Fritze, USA TODAY, March 7, 2010

Summary: Read the answers to nine questions you may have about President Obama's attempt to pass health care legislation: (1) What does President Obama mean when he says he wants an "up or down" final vote on health care? (2) What is reconciliation? (3) Why are Democrats using reconciliation? (4) How would reconciliation work? (5) When would this happen? (6) Is health care legislation guaranteed to pass through this process? (7) What are the potential problems in the Senate? (8) Hasn't reconciliation been used before? (9) How would the health care bill change if it went through this reconciliation process?  |  Read article

10. Letter to Editor: A death that was inevitable
By Joseph Wright (Upper Marlboro), The Washington Post, March 8, 2010

Summary: The most recent incident of misjudgment by DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel in the case of a two-year-old child points to how little progress has been made in improving the agency's level of service as was promised in the aftermath of the David Rosenbaum case in 2006 ["D.C. EMS faces review in death of girl, 2"]. The scope of practice for emergency responders doesn't include making independent transport decisions based on presumptive diagnoses. The decision not to immediately transport a two-year-old with respiratory symptoms is inexcusable. As a pediatric emergency physician, EMS medical director, and advocate for quality emergency medical services for children, Wright has stated often for the public record before the Council Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary just how little attention DC F/EMS has paid to preparing its workforce in the care of children. It was only a matter of time before a pediatric Rosenbaum case surfaced. (The writer is senior vice president of Children's National Medical Center.)  |   Read letter

11. Obituary: Louise L. Grass Board Member, Volunteer
By Adam Bernstein, The Washington Post, March 7, 2010

Summary: Louise Grass, 90, a lifelong Washingtonian and a past board member of the German Orphan Home and Swiss Benevolent Society, both in the District, died of renal failure Feb. 28 at the Washington Home hospice. Grass did volunteer work with the DC Society for Crippled Children, Meals on Wheels, and So Others Might Eat. She was a member of the Association of the Oldest Inhabitants of the District of Columbia, a civic group. Louise Lowe grew up in Washington's Foggy Bottom neighborhood and recalled playing on the White House lawn and in Lafayette Square as a child. She was a 1937 graduate of Western High School and during World War II did administrative and clerical work for the Army Map Service.  |  Read obituary

12. Update: Fenty Administration Announces New "Know Where You Stand" HIV Ad Campaign
DC Department of Health, News Release, March 5, 2010

Summary: Mayor Adrian Fenty and DOH officials announced a new campaign for DC residents to know where they stand in their relationships. The campaign is part of the District's continued focus on promoting HIV testing and the appropriate use of condoms as key to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. The campaign encourages people in relationships to ask three questions: Do we know our HIV status? Is it just the two of us in the relationship? Do we use condoms? Protecting your and your partner's health will also protect the health of all DC residents. The $75,000 multimedia public awareness campaign includes Metro, print, and bus stop shelter ads. It also includes a three-part radio ad series where a couple discusses the three questions over dinner. The campaign was developed from DOH scientific studies on the HIV health behavior of heterosexuals and men who have sex with men. The studies showed that about half of District adults didn't know their partner's HIV status, that many believed their partner was having sex with other individuals while in their relationship, and between one-third and one-half weren't using condoms. Residents are able to find free HIV testing and get free condoms by calling 311, visiting www.DCTakesOnHIV.com, or texting DCWRAP to 365247.  |  Read release

EVENTS

Mautner Annual Gala
Saturday, March 20th
Omni Shoreham Hotel
The theme of this year's gala is 20/20 Perfect Vision and features X, Y, AND Z. Buy tickets online. The Mautner Project works to improve the health of women who partner with women, including lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals, through direct and support service, education, and advocacy.

FREE Seminars on Living Well with Cancer
Seminar #3 - Transitions for Life
Saturday, March 27th, 8:30 - 11:30 am
The National Rehabilitation Hospital Auditorium
Washington Hospital Center's Campus
102 Irving Street NW
Adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers are invited to attend Washington Hospital Center's new 2010 series of three, free Saturday morning seminars on Taking Care, Taking Control. Registration and parking are free. Register online, or contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it at (202) 877-3915.

More Events...

JOBS

Health Quality Improvement Manager, DCPCA

Senior Policy Coordinator, DCPCA

Senior Grants Writer/Specialist, DCPCA

More Job Postings...

RESOURCES

Asking the Right Questions:
A Guide to the DC Council 2010 Oversight and 2011 Budget Hearings for Residents with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and their Families
The Arc of the District of Columbia, February 2010, Report, 56 pages
The guide provides information on current and upcoming DC Council oversight and budget hearings. In particular, the guide offers questions related to services for residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families that the public may wish to track during the hearings.

More Resources...

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Everyone Covered.

Everyone Cared For.

Anyone Can Help.

The Doctor's failure to cut costs

Recent health Articles, Events, Jobs, and Resources.

CONTENTS

1. CHC News: Choosing your own food at Bread for the City's pantry
2. Article: Black youth targeted in social media push on HIV
3. Article: The doctor's failure to cut costs
4. Article: Democratic leaders working to win over abortion opponents
5. Article: Cancer society casts more doubt on prostate tests
6. Article: DC FEMS faces review in death of two-year-old girl
7. Article: Fed career expert tells how to tap into health care job market
8. Article: DC slips on most-wired cities list
9. Article: Alexandria-potential test site for Google high-speed Internet
10. Letters to Editor: WHC's unjust firings of 11 nurses
11. Letters to Editor: George Will mischaracterizes mental health issues
12. Editorial Cartoon: Obama, Republicans, and health care

ARTICLE SUMMARIES

1. CHC News: Our new pantry experiment: Choose your food
By Jeff Wankel, Bread for the City, Beyond Bread, March 4, 2010

Summary: Pre-packaged groceries at Bread for the City include canned fruit and vegetables, rice, and meat in proportion with the size of a client's family. Recently, they've overhauled their pantry menu to feature an array of more nutritious items. The results of that Nutrition Initiative were really positive: healthier diets and higher client satisfaction. Now they're experimenting with pantry innovation, enabling client choice in their pantry menu. Bread envisions a food pantry in which people can select which foods they bring home, just like at a grocery store. Clients may already have sufficient amounts of certain kinds of food, but may be in greater need of others. Some clients have special dietary needs that make certain foods especially important, and others not helpful at all. And what's most debilitating about a low-income lifestyle is lack of control. One client and community activist explains that a lack of control over food is related to the problem of low self-esteem, and the feeling that you deserve only what's given to you -- because you feel so terrible about yourself. And, when given options, clients displayed a clear preference to avoid waste, and many even took pride in leaving food behind for others. [Wankel is a former DCPCA Community HealthCorps Volunteer, originally assigned to Bread for the City to develop their award-winning gleaning program.]  |   Read blog

2. Article: Ludacris, Foxx target black youth in social media push on HIV
By Steve Sternberg, USA TODAY, March 4, 2010

Summary: Actor Jamie Foxx and recording artist Chris "Ludacris" Bridges join the ranks of celebrities who have lent their popularity to push HIV prevention as part of a social media effort targeting young African Americans. The "i know" campaign is sponsored by the CDC, which aims to draw thousands of young people into a conversation about HIV using Facebook, Twitter, text messages, and a Web site. It launched with an event at Clark Atlanta University that was Webcast to students nationwide. If it works as the CDC hopes, young African Americans will no longer be passive consumers of HIV-prevention messages. Instead, they'll become vocal advocates armed with information that will help them protect themselves and one another from HIV. The CDC's national center of HIV/AIDS prevention is trying to create a movement. The initiative is part of a five-year, $45 million effort called Act Against AIDS. The broader effort was designed to refocus attention on the HIV epidemic here at home after years of addressing the crisis in Africa and elsewhere. Public health officials say one of their biggest challenges is to shatter the complacency bred by the misconception that, thanks to effective treatment, HIV is no longer an emergency.  |  Read article

3. Article: The Doctor's Failure to Cut Costs
By Pauline W. Chen, M.D., The New York Times, March 3, 2010

Summary: Dr. Howard Brody, professor of family medicine and director of the Institute for the Medical Humanities at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, writes that the medical profession has made little effort to curtail future medical costs. Physicians aren't innocent bystanders to spiraling health care costs, but have been complicit in their failure to take an active role in curtailing them. And certain doctors' groups have gone so far as to make their support for health care reform contingent on promises that their own income would remain unaffected. If physicians seized the moral high ground, Dr. Brody writes, we just might astonish enough other people to change the entire reform debate for the better. Read five questions and answers with Dr. Brody.  |  Read article

4. Article: Democratic leaders working to win over abortion opponents for health-care reform
By Alec MacGillis (and Lori Montgomery), The Washington Post, March 5, 2010

Summary: Democratic leaders in Congress are embarking on a delicate strategy to win over abortion opponents, a gambit that could determine whether the health care legislation becomes law. The effort depends on convincing as many as a dozen antiabortion Democrats in the House that abortion language in the Senate bill is more stringent than initially portrayed. But Democratic leaders must be careful that they don't drive away abortion rights supporters who are increasingly concerned that the measure would prove severely restrictive. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), the head of the antiabortion contingent, has repeatedly reaffirmed his opposition to the Senate terms, saying that House leaders have all but given up on his vote. But congressional leaders are still working behind the scenes to try to persuade some in the Stupak group. If the leadership loses antiabortion members, most of them Midwestern Roman Catholics who otherwise support the legislation, the only way to compensate would be to add votes from conservative Democrats who previously opposed the measure. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) expressed confidence that resistance from antiabortion members could be overcome. The leadership has two choices: It can try to revise the Senate language, which would be all but impossible under the process Democrats are using to pass a final bill, or it can try to convince some abortion opponents that the provisions are acceptable.  |  Read article

5. Article: Cancer society casts more doubt on prostate tests
By Mike Stobbe, The Associated Press, The Washington Post, March 4, 2010

Summary: The American Cancer Society is warning more explicitly than ever that regular testing for prostate cancer is of questionable value too, and can do men more harm than good. The cancer society hasn't recommended routine screening for most men since the mid-1990s, and that's not changing. But the organization is urging doctors to talk frankly with their patients about the risks and limitations of the PSA blood test when offering it. Two big studies last year suggested prostate cancer screening doesn't necessarily save lives, and any benefits can come at a high price. The widely used PSA test often spots cancers too slow-growing to be deadly. It can yield false-positive readings that result in unnecessary biopsies. And it can lead to treatments that can cause impotence and incontinence. Doctors don't know if the PSA truly saves lives the way people want it to. Some doctors and advocates are troubled by the new guidelines.  |  Read article

6. Article: D.C. EMS faces review in death of girl, 2
By Theola Labbé-DeBose, The Washington Post, March 4, 2010

Summary: DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services opened a review into the death last month of a 2-year-old District girl who was having breathing problems and wasn't immediately taken to a hospital. Emergency responders went to the 800 block of Southern Avenue SE shortly before 5 am on Feb. 10. Paramedics arrived minutes later, and the toddler was evaluated, but not taken to a hospital. About nine hours later, a 911 call was received from the same address for a child with breathing problems. The child was taken to Children's National Medical Center, where she died the next day. The inquiry was opened after a hospital social worker alerted department officials to the paramedics' earlier visit to the house. Several emergency workers who responded to the call have been placed on administrative leave while the review is underway.  |  Read article

7. Article: Expert on federal careers discusses tapping into health-care job market
By Derrick Dortch, The Washington Post, March 5, 2010

Summary: How can we anticipate which agencies will have upcoming jobs that'll come out of the health care reform bill? In terms of qualification for positions by education, do classes taken from institutions such as the graduate school help toward qualifying for these jobs? Follow the legislation and the bill as it's being written. On the Library of Congress Web site, Thomas tracks legislation. Find out the actual name of the bill that relates to health care reform and read through it. Write down what agencies are being placed in charge of specific tasks. There may be something in the legislation that discusses creating a new agency. You can also read through the Federal Register to find out what's going on. Using these tools, look at agencies and determine what's going on and what additional hiring they may be doing. If you want to target particular agencies, make a list and then on a weekly basis follow that agency and monitor what positions open up. Finding out about qualifications may be more difficult. Contact the human resources office of the agency that'll be affected by the changes and ask about positions and qualifications. Some agencies will hire only certain professionals, whether they're scientists, engineers, lawyers, program managers, program analysts, etc. (Dortch is president of the Diversa Group, a career counseling firm.)  |  Read article

8. Article: Washington slips on most-wired cities list
By Jeff Clabaugh, Washington Business Journal, March 3, 2010

Summary: The DC area slipped to No. 5 on Forbes Magazine's annual rankings of the country's most-wired cities, falling from third place last year. Raleigh, NC, ranked No. 1 this year on the list, which ranks cities based on broadband adoption, access options, and Wi-Fi hot spots. By category, the DC area ranked No. 16 on broadband adoption, or the percentage of home Internet users with high-speed access, with 66% home broadband penetration. The DC area ranked No. 10 for access options, or the number of companies providing high-speed Internet access, with 17 options counted by Forbes. It ranked No. 5 in the nation for public Wi-Fi hot spots per capita, with 4,840 public Wi-Fi locations. Raleigh's overall number one ranking was aided by Sprint's recent launch of its 4-G next-generation mobile broadband network in the city. Sprint is expected to launch 4-G Wi-Fi service in Washington, as well as Boston and New York, later this year. The rest of the top five most-wired cities were Atlanta, Seattle, and San Francisco. Baltimore ranked No. 8 overall. For more info, read: America's Most Wired Cities by Elizabeth Woyke, forbes.com, March 2, 2010.  |  Read article

9. Article: Alexandria a potential test site for Google high speed internet
By Markham Heid, The Washington Examiner, March 5, 2010

Summary: Alexandria is on the cusp of joining a nationwide bidding brawl to become one of just a handful of cities plugged into a new, supercharged form of Internet technology. Google Inc. is planning to test-drive an ultra-high-speed type of Internet connection service -- dubbed Google Fiber -- in one or possibly several cities across the country. The new technology will deliver information at speeds of one gigabit per second, or more than 100 times faster than the Internet connections most people now use in their homes or at work. Alexandria residents are pleading with city officials to respond to Google's request for information -- the first step in the bidding process. This technology could open the door to near-limitless possibilities, many of which won't be known until the service is widely available. But multimedia content such as online video that currently requires minutes to download would take mere seconds on a one-gigabit connection. Towns across the nation are clamoring for the opportunity to serve as one of the technology company's guinea pigs. Google's Web site says one or several sites will be chosen sometime this year. Between 50,000 and 500,000 people will have access to the trial service for a fee comparable to normal Internet service rates. The Alexandria City Council is scheduled to make a final decision next week in advance of Google's March 26 deadline.  |   Read article

10. Letters to Editor: Washington Hospital Center unjust firings of 11 nurses
The Washington Post, March 4, 2010

Summary: Hank Meyer (Greenbelt): What were WHC administrators thinking when they wasted little time sending pink slips to nurses who were unable to travel on snow-laden streets during our recent "Snowmageddon" ["D.C. hospital fires 11 nurses, 5 staffers for snowstorm absences"]? How many administrators failed to show up for their shifts, and how many of them were fired? I imagine that the former number bears no relation to the latter. In this era of shortages of qualified nurses across the nation, does it make sense to terminate a handful of hardworking professionals because they couldn't clean their driveways and streets of all the snow and ice? Is there something in their contracts that requires nurses to wake up five hours before their assigned shifts and start shoveling streets? // James Bort (Rockville): The solution to the firing or discipline of the 11 nurses at WHC who didn't report to work during the recent blizzards would appear to be fairly simple. The federal government should take control of the hospital, retroactively declare the nurses federal employees, give them five days off with pay at taxpayers' expense and then get them back to work. // Stuart C. Jeffrey (Gaithersburg): A letter from WHC President Harry Rider's to staff members after the February snowstorm absences insulted caring and competent nurses, some of whom have devoted decades of service to the facility. To say that these nurses didn't show the same commitment as most of their co-workers and that they're the few who turned away from their scheduled shifts and who tried -- and are still trying -- to turn the focus on themselves is a shocking attempt to justify these inappropriate firings by bad-mouthing employees. How does Rider think this'll help his hospital? What a slap in the face for these loyal nurses who tried in vain to get to work. Maybe the wrong people are being fired. Also read: " 21 District hospital workers fired for being blizzard no-shows" by Theresa Vargas, The Washington Post, March 4, 2010.  |   Read letters

11. Letters to Editor: George F. Will mischaracterizes mental health issues
The Washington Post, March 5, 2010

Summary: Scott Jakovics (Annapolis): George Will's op-ed, "Handbook suggests that deviations from 'normality' are disorders," on revisions to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is just one more example of his crusade to discredit science. In minimizing the utility of the DSM, he denies the more than 50 years of research and debate that has provided mental health clinicians with a tool to objectify and classify mental health diagnoses. The DSM provided a common language that has led to better understanding of the psychology and treatment of mental disorders. (The writer is a licensed clinical professional counselor in Annapolis.) // E. Clarke Ross (Landover) and Mike Fitzpatrick (Arlington): Will made simplistic and inaccurate assertions about the proposed revisions to the DSM. His assertion that every character blemish is being turned into a disorder is as ridiculous as saying that every stomachache is being turned into appendicitis. The current DSM provides clear, research-based criteria that distinguish impairments from character flaws. He also questioned the diagnostic criteria and treatment for bipolar disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. He would have done better to talk about the debilitating and at times life-threatening outcomes when the two disorders go untreated. It's crucial that a newspaper's prime real estate be used to enlighten people, rather than spreading the kind of misinformation found throughout Will's column. (The writers are, respectively, chief executive of Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.)  |  Read letters

12. Editorial Cartoon: Obama, Republicans, and Health Care
By Tom Toles, The Washington Post, March 5, 2010

Summary: President Obama, as the doctor, says: "Okay, let's close." The Republican, as the physician's assistant, says: "Second opinion." |  View cartoon

EVENTS

Budget Forum: What's in Store for FY11?
Monday, March 8th, 9:30 am
(registration and coffee at 9 am)
Charles Sumner School
1201 - 17th Street NW
Mayor Fenty's proposed budget for next year will be out in less than a month. The outlook is pretty bleak, with the District facing an enormous revenue shortfall as a result of the recession. The mayor and councilmembers face very difficult decisions over how to preserve important services such as education and health care. So, just how bad is the budget shortfall? What has been cut already? What revenue increases are being considered? How can DC residents and organizations get involved to make a difference in the budget outcomes? Speakers include: Ed Lazere, executive director, DCFPI; Eric Goulet, budget director, DC Council; Fitzroy Lee, chief economist, Office of the CFO; Dawn Slonneger, chief of staff, Office of Chairman Vincent Gray; and T.J. Sutcliffe, director of advocacy and public policy, The Arc of the District of Columbia. The event is sponsored by The Arc of DC, the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, the Fair Budget Coalition, and Think Twice Before You Slice, a project of the Center for Nonprofit Advancement and the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington. RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it at (202) 408-1080.

Mental Health System Redesign Workgroup
Tuesday, March 16th, 1 - 2:30 pm
64 New York Avenue NE, 5th Floor Training Room
For more info, contact the DMH's This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it at (202) 671-4078.

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JOBS

Grants & Contracts Manager
La Clínica del Pueblo
The grants and contracts manager supervises all grant preparation and reporting activities, and supervises staff that prepares and manages proposals for grants. BA/BS degree and three years experience in the field desired. Must demonstrate experience in successful submission of federal and state grant applications. Previous supervisory, budget, project management experience required. Bilingual-Spanish/English preferred. MS Office computer experience. Raisers Edge software, a plus. Salary: $48,249 - $51,868, plus benefits. Closing March 19, 2010. Submit writing sample with cover letter and resume to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or fax to (202) 332-0085. EOE

Health Quality Improvement Manager, DCPCA

Senior Policy Coordinator, DCPCA

Senior Grants Writer/Specialist, DCPCA

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Everyone Covered.

Everyone Cared For.

Anyone Can Help.

In obesity epidemic, what's one cookie?

Recent health Articles, Events, Jobs, and Resources.

CONTENTS

1. CHC News: Petition to extend tax relief for low income families
2. Article: Parity law requires comparabel mental health benefits
3. Article: DC rushing to fix problems with AIDS records at clinics
4. Article/Video: Nutrition experts battle industry groups over sugar
5. Article: In obesity epidemic, what's one cookie?
6. Article/Video: First lady talks obesity with school nutritionists
7. Article/Audio: Teen talks about her life after dropping out of school
8. Article: Migraines linked to higher risk of cardiovascular problems
9. Commentary: Marion Barry's battles are taking a toll
10. Editorial Sketch: "Say, ah…"
11. Factoid: Today in history: March 2, 1985
12. Video: Is the good life killing you?

ARTICLE SUMMARIES

1. CHC News: Petition to extend tax relief for low income families!
By Greg Bloom, Bread for the City, Beyond Bread, February 26, 2010

Summary: From Kathryn Baer, friend of Bread, comes word of her new effort to muster support for the new Child Tax Credit. This new policy, as part of the new economic recovery act, makes many more low-income families eligible for a tax credit. Because the credit is partially refundable, filers can get a check from IRS -- even though they owe no income tax. But this tax credit will expire at the end of the year unless it's extended. Since the tax credit broadly benefits the middle class, Congress is likely to extend it -- but it's possible that Congress could let the policy revert to the minimum income requirement established under the 2001 Bush tax cuts. Baer reports that the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says that 600,000 children would fall into poverty if this happens.  Bread encourages you to Sign the Petition to support a permanent extension of the current Child Tax Credit. For more info, read: District Moves To Modernize Unemployment Insurance, But Slowly by Kathryn Baer, Poverty & Policy, March 3, 2010; and Expiring Child Tax Credit Could Plunge 600,000 Kids into Poverty by Kathryn Baer, Poverty in America, Children In Poverty, February 26, 2010.  |  Read blog

2. Article: Parity law requires mental health benefits comparable to physical care benefits
By Sandra G. Boodman, Kaiser Health News, The Washington Post, March 2, 2010

Summary: Denise Camp was resigned to the double standard that had long applied to her medical bills, forcing her to skimp on other expenses so she could pay for mental health treatment. While visits to her internist for physical problems required a $20 co-pay, her weekly therapy sessions with a social worker cost $50 and trips to the psychiatrist who prescribed her medication were $75. A similar disparity applied to medicines: Drugs to treat the crippling depression that ended her engineering career cost her twice what she paid for an antibiotic. But recently, Camp's insurance coverage changed -- for the better. The 50-year-old Baltimore resident, who now runs a drop-in center for recovering psychiatric patients, is paying the same charge for physical and mental health treatments: a co-pay of $10 per visit and $25 for each prescription. Camp is among an estimated 140 million Americans, most of them covered by group insurance plans provided by employers, who are the beneficiaries of a sweeping new federal law designed to guarantee parity in insurance coverage. The law, which took effect for most plans Jan. 1, applies to groups of more than 50 employees and is designed to end what HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius called needless and arbitrary limits on care. Higher deductibles, steeper co-pays, and other restrictions are no longer allowed for mental health and substance abuse treatment. (This story was produced through a collaboration between The Post and Kaiser Health News.)  |  Read article

3. Article: D.C. rushing to fix problems with AIDS records at clinics
By Sandhya Somashekhar, Debbie Cenziper and Susan Kinzie, The Washington Post, March 2, 2010

Summary: The District's troubled HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Administration is scrambling to correct dozens of billing and record-keeping deficiencies discovered at metro area medical clinics that draw federal AIDS funding. Federal monitors found that some of the programs didn't appear to be tracking fundamental information about AIDS patients, such as lab tests, medications, and infection levels. Monitors also said in their report that clinics might have paid their bills by improperly tapping federal funds set aside for low-income AIDS patients without insurance. If the lapses aren't corrected, monitors could ask for the federal money back. The problems come at a time when District leaders are struggling to overhaul DC's $100 million-a-year program for people with AIDS. HAHSTA awarded $25M to nonprofit groups that delivered substandard care or couldn't account for any work at all. Councilmember David Catania has held a series of hearings in recent months to address the problems. AIDS advocates say the lapses described by federal monitors vexed some clinics for years, despite oversight that should have been performed by HAHSTA. A consultant hired by the District found similar problems at more than 20 AIDS programs in the region in recent years.  |  Read article

4. Article/Video: Nutrition experts battle industry groups over sugar
By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY, March 2, 2010

Summary: There's a heated debate going on over the health risks of consuming too much sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and other caloric sweeteners. Leading nutrition experts who believe that these sweeteners, including those used in soft drinks, tea, coffee, and other foods and beverages, add empty calories to people's diets and promote weight gain. Emerging scientific research indicates that consuming too much of these sweeteners may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems. Industry groups who represent sugar and high-fructose corn syrup say their products are natural and don't cause weight gain or health problems. They launched advertising and marketing campaigns. The American Heart Association is on the nutrition experts' side. The group recently issued a scientific statement saying that high intake of added sugars is implicated in many poor health conditions, including obesity, high blood pressure, and other risk factors for heart disease and stroke.  |  Read article/View video

5. Article: In Obesity Epidemic, What's One Cookie?
By Tara Parker-Pope, The New York Times, March 1, 2010

Summary: Weight loss doesn't require daunting lifestyle changes, but small changes that add up. This hopeful message, is also misleading. Small caloric changes have almost no long-term effect on weight. When we skip a cookie or exercise a little more, the body's biological and behavioral adaptations kick in, significantly reducing the caloric benefits of our effort. But can small changes in diet and exercise at least keep children from gaining weight? While some obesity experts think so, mathematical models suggest otherwise. The small changes theory fails to take the body's adaptive mechanisms into account. The rise in children's obesity over the past few decades can't be explained by an extra 100-calorie soda each day, or fewer physical education classes. Skipping a cookie or walking to school would barely make a dent in a calorie imbalance that goes far beyond the ability of most individuals to address on a personal level. This doesn't mean small improvements are futile, but people need to take a realistic view of what they can accomplish. A person's weight remains stable as long as the number of calories consumed doesn't exceed the amount of calories the body spends, both on exercise and to maintain basic body functions. As the balance between calories going in and calories going out changes, we gain or lose weight. But bodies don't gain or lose weight indefinitely. A cascade of biological changes kicks in to help the body maintain a new weight. And the body is more resistant to weight loss than weight gain.  |  Read blog

6. Article/Video: First lady talks obesity with school nutritionists
USA TODAY, March 1, 2010

Summary: First lady Michelle Obama says the people who prepare meals for schools have more influence over what kids eat than parents do. She said that's because kids who participate in school meal programs eat about half their daily calories at school. Some 31 million kids participate in school-based lunch and breakfast programs. The first lady addressed the School Nutrition Association members Monday at their annual meeting in DC. The organization is a partner in Mrs. Obama's new campaign to tackle the problem of childhood obesity. Statistics say one in three kids in the U.S. is either overweight or obese.  |  Read article/View video

7. Article/Audio: Teen Mother Talks About Her Life After Dropping Out Of School
By Kavitha Cardoza, WAMU 88.5 FM, News, March 1, 2010

Summary: After years of decline, teen pregnancy rate is on the rise again across the country. In 2007, the last year for which statistics are available for DC, 1,075 babies were born to teenagers here. A baby is difficult for any new mother. For these teenagers it can be overwhelming. And although dropping out of high school will probably lead to a bleak future, many of these young mothers do exactly that. In the first of a three-part series on pregnant and parenting teens in DC, Cardoza caught up with one of the dropouts at her Southeast apartment.  |  Read article/Listen to audio

8. Article: Migraines may be linked to higher risk of cardiovascular problems
By Linda Searing, The Washington Post, Quick Study, March 2, 2010

Summary: Are cardiovascular problems more common in people who have migraines? Migraines may be a sign of higher risk.  |  Read article

9. Commentary: He's 'been through worse,' but Marion Barry's battles are taking a toll
By Courtland Milloy, The Washington Post, March 3, 2010

Summary: Councilmember Marion Barry prevailed despite drug addiction, drug bust, jail time, failure to file income taxes, marital infidelity, an arrest for alleged stalking, sex addiction, kidney failure, prostate cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. He has two years left in his term and the political support to win again if he runs. But his defense of his behavior made it obvious that the vote by Council colleagues to censure Barry for malfeasance has taken a toll. At 73, Barry should be enjoying life as a wise elder, not appearing to have failed once again to turn hindsight into insight, let alone foresight. Barry talked about why he keeps making the same mistakes and his penchant for morally questionable relationships with women. "Love is very fleeting with me and I don't know why," Barry said. "Whenever I get that feeling -- I call it my emotional buy-in -- I want to hold on to it so badly. The next thing I know my judgment is clouded. I'm seeing things that aren't there and not seeing things that should be obvious. And just like that, it's gone." The censure vote stemmed from a $15,000 personal service contract that he awarded to his then-girlfriend Donna Watts-Brighthaupt. Barry claims he lent her money as part of their personal relationship and didn't think twice when she repaid him with money from the government contract.  |  Read commentary

10. Editorial Sketch: "Say, Ah…"
By Tom Toles, The Washington Post, March 2, 2010

Summary: "Are you trying to shove health care down my throat??"  |  View sketch

11. Factoid: Today in History: March 2, 1985
Express, March 2, 2010, page 38

Summary: On March 2, 1985, the U.S. government approved a screening test for AIDS that detects antibodies to the virus, allowing possibly contaminated blood to be excluded from the blood supply.  |   View factoid

12. Video: Is the good life killing you?
Lifestyle Medicine Institute, Coronary Health Improvement Project

Summary: Is the good life killing you? Are you dying for a double cheeseburger and fries? Cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and type II diabetes were virtually unknown a hundred years ago. These killer diseases are now responsible for three out of four deaths. Today, obesity is the number health concern in North America. And obesity is now the top worry for children. Seventy percent of all deaths are now attributed to lifestyle choices. Do you know what's in your arteries? Make safe, simple, painless, deliberate lifestyle choices. Lifestyle diseases are preventable and reversible. The solution is to move more, and eat better!  |  View video

EVENTS

Mass Citizens' Arrest of the Insurance Companies
Tuesday, March 9th, 10:30 am
Dupont Circle
The insurance industry's lobby front group is back in DC to defend their criminal health care system and plot to kill health care reform. Reform groups are gathering a citizen's posse to hold them accountable for their crimes against Americans' health -- and make sure Congress passes reform now. Congress needs to listen to the people, not the insurance companies. We can't allow another year of 45,000 deaths and a million bankruptcies. Our health and our future are too important to let the insurance giants continue with business as usual. Stop corporate lobbyists -- sign up and get deputized! You can help in person or online. Join Health Care for America Now and their partner organizations. For more info, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

FREE Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP)
Thursday, March 11th, 10 am - 2 pm
Mount Pleasant Baptist Church
215 Rhode Island Avenue NW
KEEP is designed to raise awareness about kidney disease among high risk individuals and provide free testing and educational materials. Call (202) 244-7900 ext. 20 today to schedule your screening.

More Events...

JOBS

Staff Accountant, Regional Addiction Prevention, Inc.
Nonprofit seeks staff accountant. Temporary position (three to six months) could lead to permanent. Skills needed: Balance Sheet Account Reconciliations, Preparation of Work Papers for Auditors, Preparation of Journal Entries, Bank Reconciliations, Assist with Monthly Close, Preparation of Financial Statements, Close of Fiscal Year 2009, and other duties as assigned. Present system is Quickbooks Pro, looking to update system in the near future. Salary is $22 to 24/hour. E-mail resumes to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Health Quality Improvement Manager, DCPCA

Senior Policy Coordinator, DCPCA

Senior Grants Writer/Specialist, DCPCA

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RESOURCES

WE'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Do you have any comments, complaints, kudos, or questions about DCPCA's Health News Alert? Perhaps there's an article that you missed somewhere, and you wanted to congratulate us for finding it? Or there's an article that we missed, and you think it should have been further publicized? Please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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How to Submit a Post:
Send a brief summary (100 words or less) to HealthNewsAlert (at) dcpca (dot) org. Include links for fliers and/or your organization. If you don't have a Web site or immediate posting capabilities, send an attachment. In the subject line, write HNA POST and the event's DATE. The District of Columbia Primary Care Association is a nonprofit health care reform organization founded in 1996 to improve the health of DC's vulnerable residents by ensuring that they receive high quality primary health care -- regardless of their ability to pay. The DCPCA Health News Alert is prepared to share with colleagues news about health reform efforts, DC politics, local events, jobs, and resources. The summaries are provided for your information only and do not necessarily reflect the views of DCPCA. The circulation for the alert is over 5,000 recipients. Click to: Unsubscribe, Join DCPCA, or Donate to DCPCA.

Get informed. Stay involved. Take action.

Everyone Covered.

Everyone Cared For.

Anyone Can Help.

Why pay for health insurance when you can steal it?

Recent health Articles, Events, Jobs, and Resources.

CONTENTS

1. CHC News: Bread for the City's information superhighway to health
2. Article: Why pay for health insurance when you can steal it?
3. Article: The cost of doing nothing on health care
4. Article: The war on cavities begins earlier
5. Article: WHC fires 11 nurses, 5 staffers for snowstorm absences
6. Article: Delays hamper DC's striving to cut costs, raise revenue
7. Article: PG Co. turns to Google, stimulus to bolster broadband
8. Commentary: WealthEngine digs into data to find potential donors
9. Commentary: A DC school puts fresh food on the lunchroom tables
10. Editorial Cartoon: Obama finally consults with Republicans
11. Editorial Sketch: The health care finish line
12. Obituary: Dr. Frederick Green; children's health advocate

ARTICLE SUMMARIES

1. CHC News: Information Superhighway to Health!
By Erin Garnaas-Holmes, Bread for the City, Beyond Bread, February 25, 2010

Summary: At Bread for the City, health care is also about learning how to live healthier lifestyles. Since it's impossible to learn everything in the space of a doctor's visit, Bread works hard to help their clients learn how to educate themselves about health issues. Most of their clients don't have access to the Internet, so they've begun helping clients to become health literate by becoming computer literate. Dr. Randi Abramson, BFC's Medical Clinic Director, initiated a long-term goal of hers: a computer literacy program. Having access to health information empowers clients to understand and take control of their own disease, she says, which is especially important when our clients feel so powerless in other areas of their life. Understanding diseases like diabetes or hypertension dispels myths about them and allows patients to take control of their condition through means like diet and exercise, rather than simply accepting their disease as unavoidable and untreatable. Bread is pleased to announce that their new Computer & Health Education Class invites just such self-empowerment. This new project has largely been made possible by the George Washington University's Health Information Partners program, directed by Karyn Pomerantz. GWU supplied Bread for the City with a grant to fund the project and training for the instructors.  |  Read blog

2. Article: Why Pay For Health Insurance When You Can Steal It?
By Jennifer Moore, National Public Radio, Morning Edition, March 1, 2010

Summary: Patients using someone else's name, Social Security number, or insurance card to get health care could risk their victim's health if inaccurate information is recorded on the victim's chart. More patients are pretending to be someone else so they won't have to pay for their own medical bills. Emergency room staffs learn about red flags that signal when a patient is using someone else's identity. They ask their patients to speak their info, so that they can confirm it. Often times, if a patient presents with a false ID, they'll stumble on those words. Hospitals are scrambling to prevent medical identity theft because of the particular nightmare it presents when one patient's medical chart gets mixed up with someone else's. In these identity cases, medical charts are changed, and that poses a major problem. Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum, has seen electronic health care records with different blood types, genders, ages, and medications. One imposter had a hospital stay and put down that they were allergic to one drug, and the real person isn't allergic to that drug, but to another. There's no national standard for dealing with medical ID theft, and it's hard to fix once the damage is done. Increasingly, it's an insider job, with the thieves working as receptionists and accountants within the health care field itself. Dixon advises patients to get a hard copy of their EHRs -- even if there's a fee involved. That way, if medical charts are altered, there's a way to prove what they used to look like. Insurance companies are trying to crack down too, because if someone's stealing insurance to pay their bill, it means higher costs for the legitimate policyholders.  |  Read article

3. Article: The Cost of Doing Nothing on Health Care
By Reed Abelson, The New York Times, February 26, 2010

Summary: Suppose Congress and President Obama fail to overhaul the health care system now, just tinker around the edges, or start over? Our health care will stay the same, right? Far from it, health policy analysts and economists of nearly every ideological persuasion agree. The unrelenting rise in medical costs is likely to wreak havoc within the system and beyond it, and pretty much everyone will be affected, directly or indirectly. People think if we do nothing, we'll have what we have now, said Karen Davis, the president of the Commonwealth Fund. What we'll have is a substantial deterioration in what we have. Nearly every mainstream analysis calls for medical costs to continue to climb over the next decade, outpacing the growth in the overall economy and certainly increasing faster than the average paycheck. Those higher costs will translate into higher premiums, which will mean fewer individuals and businesses will be able to afford insurance coverage. More of everyone's dollar will go to health care, and government programs like Medicaid and Medicare will struggle to find the money to operate. In the end, policymakers may be forced to address the issue. It may break all of our banks if we do nothing. It's a course that's literally bankrupting the federal government, businesses, and individuals across the country.  |  Read article

4. Article: Your Health: The war on cavities begins earlier
By Kim Painter, USA TODAY, March 1, 2010

Summary: Massachusetts became the first state to require tooth-brushing for kids who spend more than four hours a day or have meals in licensed centers. Parents can opt children out of the program, but the state's Department of Early Education and Care thinks it's the right policy. Despite widespread water fluoridation and advances in dental care, cavities were more common among young children in the early 2000s than they were a decade earlier. One-third of children already have cavities by ages 3 to 5. The problem is widespread, especially among poor children, but it's largely preventable. Cavities occur when bacteria break down minerals in teeth, causing decay. The bacteria can pass person-to-person, so tooth decay is an infectious disease. But a big suspect in rising rates is sugar. It works with bacteria to decay teeth faster. Many kids today eat and drink it almost constantly. Meanwhile, they may drink little water or unfluoridated bottled brands. Overuse of milk- or juice-filled bottles and sippy cups may also contribute. Cavities can lead to pain, tooth loss, eating problems, poor speech, and ruined smiles. Untreated, they can lead to serious infections and deaths.  |  Read article

5. Article: D.C. hospital fires 11 nurses, 5 staffers for snowstorm absences
By Theresa Vargas, The Washington Post, February 28, 2010

Summary: The District's largest private hospital fired 11 nurses and five support staff members who failed to make it to work during the back-to-back snowstorms that paralyzed the region earlier this month. Dozens of staff members at Washington Hospital Center face internal investigations, and it's unclear how many employees will lose their jobs. Nurses United of the National Capital Region filed a class-action grievance with the hospital. In a letter sent to staff, WHC President Harry Rider sought to quell rumors that hundreds of people were fired. Rider expects fewer than 20 people will be dismissed. About 250 of the hospital's 1,600 nurses didn't make their shifts at some point during the storms. On the Monday after the first blizzard, 759 employees who were scheduled to work didn't show up. On a typical weekday, the hospital has between 3,100 and 3,350 employees working. The nurses earn an average of $40 an hour. The hospital continues to examine the circumstances of staffers who didn't make it into work. WHC's Declared Weather (Or Other) Emergency policy, doesn't mention termination as a consequence for failing to get to work. It states: Unscheduled absences and late arrivals occurring during a declared weather emergency aren't counted when addressing attendance issues, nor are authorized early departures.  |  Read article

6. Article: Delays hamper city's striving to cut costs, raise revenue
By Michael Neibauer, The Washington Examiner, February 28,, 2010

Summary: The Fenty administration struggled to implement ambitious cost-saving and revenue-bulking strategies included in the current budget -- delays that played a major role in a projected $200 million-plus revenue shortfall. There were promised initiatives that were going to save millions of dollars, and halfway through the fiscal year they haven't done squat, said Councilmember Phil Mendelson. The District government faces a $225M gap in FY10, much of which is blamed on overspending, unrealized cost savings, and pains generating new revenues. City Administrator Neil Albert told the Council that the DC HealthCare Alliance would realize $24M in savings this fiscal year. But Albert also acknowledged the delay of some savings initiatives, and reported that Alliance enrollment was 55,818 -- about 1,600 members more than last July. Also in the adopted budget, the contract for inmate health care at the DC Jail was to be restructured to better reflect a lower average daily population, saving $2.1M. But no changes were made and the Department of Corrections now expects to spend $29.7M on inmate care, roughly $10M more than its budget.  |  Read article

7. Article: Prince George's turns to Google, stimulus to bolster broadband
By Sarah Krouse, Washington Business Journal, March 1, 2010

Summary: Prince George's County, like neighboring Montgomery County, will apply to be a test community for Google's planned ultra high-speed broadband network as part of a three-pronged approach to bolstering the county's broadband services. Google plans to select one or more communities and between 50,000 and 500,000 people for its test project. During the pilot program, Google would see how its new network jives with different communities' weather, regulations, support, existing Internet speeds, and approved construction methods. The search giant says its service will run 100 times faster than current Internet speeds. Prince George's says its request will stress the need for the service in the southern part of the county where broadband offerings are spotty, at best. The county is also applying for a $100 million stimulus grant with nine other Maryland jurisdictions, including Montgomery, Charles, and Howard counties. The regional proposal, called One Maryland Broadband Plan, is being reviewed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and, if approved, would secure $14.9M for an expansion of the county's high-bandwith fiber optic network to 115 elementary schools libraries and fire stations. The expansion would also lower construction costs for private companies in need of access to a broadband network. Prince George's is also working to find a private partner to build a broad band network in the southern part of the county where neither phone nor cable companies offer service.  |  Read article

8. Commentary: Bethesda's WealthEngine digs deep into data to find potential donors
By Thomas Heath, The Washington Post, March 1, 2010

Summary: Bethesda-based WealthEngine scours public records in search of rich people who might give money to its extensive client list of nonprofit organizations. WealthEngine digs deeper than the big names that we know. They look for the millionaire next door who started a private business that nobody knows about. WealthEngine Chief Executive Tony Glowacki made millions in the 1990s boom and owns an interest in a 44-store chain of Panera Bread franchises in Montgomery County. Glowacki's 51 employees troll auto and boat records; business, real estate, and regulatory filings; and other databases for signs of wealth. Once they identify people with money, WealthEngine drills down to learn whether they donated before and what causes they favored. The data-mining company has gone from 10 clients and near bankruptcy a decade ago to 2,000 clients and revenue projected at $15 million to $20 million this year. It has offices in Bethesda and London. Last month, two prominent area venture capital firms, Novak Biddle Venture Partners and QED Investors, which bring experience in technology and data mining, invested $5 million in WealthEngine. Novak Biddle partners Jack Biddle and Janet Yang will take seats on the company's board of directors. QED managing partner and Capital One co-founder Nigel Morris will serve as an adviser. WealthEngine plans to expand its footprint overseas, increase its menu of products and services, and make more money.  |  Read commentary

9. Commentary: How a D.C. school puts fresh food on the lunchroom tables
By Lisa Dobbs and Linda Moore, The Washington Post, February 28, 2010

Summary: "To make school food healthy, Michelle Obama has a tall order" asked how we make the transition from feeding our children industrial food filled with artificial substances to freshly prepared, whole foods that are healthy for kids? They found the answer at Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School. They began preparing fresh food from fresh ingredients on site. One recent lunch was black bean chicken, jasmine rice, Whole Foods-brand green peas, fresh apple slices tossed with cinnamon, and low-fat white milk (chocolate is offered one day a week). Fresh chicken breast comes from a distributor, but it will soon be supplied by a local farmer. The chicken, garlic, ginger, scallions, and black beans in the dish are fresh --peeled and chopped on site. They went from reheating to fresh cooking with a lot of hard work and help. They offer students and staff a full salad bar every day, thanks to the donation of a refrigerated bar from the United Fresh Produce Association. Their kids ravage that salad bar every day. With funding from Kaiser Permanente, Through the Kitchen Door made their start-up possible. Improving school lunches shot to the top of the nutrition agenda in Washington, thanks to FLOTUS. When children are properly nourished and their bodies are healthier, they can learn, think, and play better, and are ultimately better equipped to reach their potential. (Dobbs is the Stokes kitchen chef, and Moore is founder and director of the school.)  |  Read commentary

10. Editorial Cartoon: Obama finally consults with Republicans
By Nate Beeler, The Washington Examiner, February 27, 2010

Summary: "Thanks for the last-minute consult, doctors… now what can be done for my patient – Comprehensive Health Care Reform?"  |  View cartoon

11. Editorial Sketch: Health Care Finish Line
By Tom Toles, The Washington Post, February 26, 2010

Summary: Which way will the Democrats go?  |   View sketch

12. Obituary: Dr. Frederick C. Green, children's health advocate, dies
By Emma Brown, The Washington Post, February 27,, 2010

Summary: Dr. Frederick Green, 89, a children's health advocate who served as vice president of Children's National Medical Center and was a professor of pediatrics at the George Washington University's medical school, died Feb. 18 at the Washington Home and Community Hospices. He had Parkinson's disease. At Children's, where he worked for more than 10 years until retiring in 1985, Dr. Green established an office for child health advocacy and sounded an early alarm about the dangers of lead poisoning in the District. National Zoo officials, heeding those warnings, spent a quarter million dollars to remove lead paint from monkey cages, but the Council wouldn't adopt legislation requiring similar measures in schools and public housing. Dr. Green led a push to reverse that decision, and in 1977, the Council authorized $1.1 million for lead paint removal. The District was also grappling in the late 1970s with the highest infant mortality rate of any major U.S. city. It was the city's number one health problem, said then newly elected Mayor Marion Barry, who convened a blue ribbon panel to oversee an overhaul of infant health services. Dr. Green chaired that panel, whose recommendations contributed to a significant drop in the death rate, from 27.3 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1977 to 20.3 five years later.  |  Read obituary

EVENTS

FREE Summer Medical and Dental Education Program
Application Deadline is TODAY -- March 1, 2010!
This free (full tuition, housing, and meals) six-week summer academic enrichment program offers freshman and sophomore college students intensive and personalized medical and dental school preparation.

FREE National Webinar
Thursday, March 4th, 10:30 am - 12 noon EST
Hear about the new data and recommendations from the report with the authors from the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Department of Public Health. RSVP today at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

More Events...

JOBS

Health Quality Improvement Manager, DCPCA

Senior Policy Coordinator, DCPCA

Senior Grants Writer/Specialist, DCPCA

More Job Postings...

RESOURCES

The George Washington University Changing pO2licy: The Elements for Improving Childhood Asthma Outcomes (March 2010)
This new report found that asthma adds about 50 cents to every health care dollar spent on children with asthma compared to children without asthma.  Those most at risk -- low-income, medically underserved, and African-American and Hispanic children -- have the least access to preventive care and the most visits to the emergency room.

More Resources...

How to Submit a Post:
Send a brief summary (100 words or less) to HealthNewsAlert (at) dcpca (dot) org. Include links for fliers and/or your organization. If you don't have a Web site or immediate posting capabilities, send an attachment. In the subject line, write HNA POST and the event's DATE. The District of Columbia Primary Care Association is a nonprofit health care reform organization founded in 1996 to improve the health of DC's vulnerable residents by ensuring that they receive high quality primary health care -- regardless of their ability to pay. The DCPCA Health News Alert is prepared to share with colleagues news about health reform efforts, DC politics, local events, jobs, and resources. The summaries are provided for your information only and do not necessarily reflect the views of DCPCA. The circulation for the alert is over 5,000 recipients. Click to: Unsubscribe, Join DCPCA, or Donate to DCPCA.

Get informed. Stay involved. Take action.

Everyone Covered.

Everyone Cared For.

Anyone Can Help.