April 2013

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Patient Safety Update: Register Now for TeamSTEPPS® National Conference


Register for TeamSTEPPS® National Conference

The 2013 TeamSTEPPS National Conference will take place from June 12 to 13 in Dallas, Texas. This free conference will highlight program models, practical solutions, knowledge, skills, tools, and connections to help participants improve teamwork and communications in their organizations using the TeamSTEPPS model.

To view the agenda, click here: https://www.onlineregistrationcenter.com/company_images/347/Final%20Agenda%20Flyer%20hi-res.pdf

Spots are filling quickly. Select to register:  https://www.onlineregistrationcenter.com

 

MMWR News Synopsis for April 25, 2013


MMWR – Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

 

MMWR News Synopsis for April 25, 2013

 

1. Fatal Injuries in Offshore Oil and Gas Operations — United States, 2003–2010

 

Catastrophic events, such as the Deepwater Horizon explosion, attract intense media attention but do not account for the majority of work-related fatalities during offshore operations.

  

2. Obliterative Bronchiolitis Among Workers in a Coffee-Processing Facility — Texas 2009–2012

 

A new report described two cases of obliterative bronchiolitis in a coffee processing facility, a rare, irreversible form of fixed obstructive lung disease that has not been previously identified in workers outside of the popcorn manufacturing industry.

  

3. Progress in Introduction of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine — Worldwide, 2000–2012

 

Globally, Streptococcus pneumoniae is a significant cause of pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis in children aged <5 years. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) are safe and effective for prevention of this disease, and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that PCV be included in all routine immunization programs.

 

4. National Shortage of Purified-Protein Derivative Tuberculin Products

 

In light of recent shortages of skin tests for tuberculosis that have been reported nationwide, CDC has issued guidance for public health programs on how to adapt to the shortage. 

  

Notes from the Field

  • Acute Pesticide-Related Illness Resulting from Occupational Exposure to Acrolein — Washington and California, 1993–2012

 

  • Exposures to Discarded Sulfur Mustard Munitions — Mid-Atlantic and New England States 2004–2012

 

 

Read more

 

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Media Advisory: To protect worker health NIOSH recommends new exposure levels for nanomaterials


Media Advisory

To protect worker health NIOSH recommends new exposure levels for nanomaterials

 

New Current Intelligence Bulletin issued by CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports the results of research in which various types of carbon nanotubes/carbon nanofibers can cause pulmonary fibrosis, inflammatory effects, and granulomas in laboratory animals exposed to them by inhalation. NIOSH considers these animal study findings to be relevant to human health risk because similar lung effects have been observed in workers exposed to respirable particulates of other materials in dusty jobs.

 

Read more

 

Thursday, April 4, 2013

NIH-supported study finds U.S. dementia care costs as high as $215 billion in 2010


NIH-supported study finds U.S. dementia care costs as high as $215 billion in 2010

04/03/2013 05:16 PM EDT

 

The costs of caring for people with dementia in the United States in 2010 were between $159 billion to $215 billion, and those costs could rise dramatically with the increase in the numbers of older people in coming decades, according to estimates by researchers at RAND Corp. and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The researchers found these costs of care comparable to, if not greater than, those for heart disease and cancer.

               

CAHPS Database Reopening Soon!



CAHPS Logo

Dear CAHPS Database Users and Submitters:

We are pleased to announce that, after several months of suspended operations due to contracting delays, the CAHPS Database will soon be reopening for submission and reporting of both CAHPS Health Plan and CAHPS Clinician & Group (CG-CAHPS) Survey results. Our projected timeline for submission and reporting of these surveys is as follows:

CAHPS Clinician & Group (CG-CAHPS) Survey

Submission Period:

End of May 2013

Online Reporting:

July 2013

The following five CG-CAHPS Survey versions will be supported for 2013 submission and reporting:

  • Adult 12-month 2.0 (4-point scale)
  • Child 12-month 2.0 (4-point scale)
  • Adult 12-month 2.0 (4-point scale) with Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Supplemental Items (i.e., the PCMH Survey for adults)
  • Child 12-month 2.0 (4-point scale) with Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Supplemental Items (i.e., the PCMH Survey for children)
  • Adult Visit 2.0

We will be accepting all CG-CAHPS Survey data collected during the 6-quarter period from October 2011 through March of 2013.

CAHPS Health Plan Survey (Medicaid and CHIP Only)

Submission Period:

End of July 2013

Online Reporting:

October 2013

The following CAHPS Health Plan Survey versions will be supported for 2013 submission and reporting:

  • Adult Medicaid 5.0
  • Child Medicaid 5.0
  • Child Medicaid 5.0 with Chronic Conditions Supplemental Items

We will be accepting all survey data for these versions collected during the 3-quarter period from October 2012 through June of 2013.

Submission specifications and other documents (including a Data Use Agreement) for both CG-CAHPS and Health Plan Surveys will be available soon. We will notify you of the URL for the submission system as soon as it becomes operational.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the CAHPS Database by phone at 888-808-7108 or email at CAHPSDatabase@westat.com.

Thank you for your patience and we look forward to your participation in 2013!

The CAHPS Database Team

 

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

New NIH funding for two Autism Centers of Excellence


New NIH funding for two Autism Centers of Excellence

04/02/2013 08:17 AM EDT

 

The National Institutes of Health has awarded $5.3 million in initial one-year funding to the latest two recipients of the Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) program. With these awards, announced on World Autism Awareness Day, these and nine other ACE centers around the country are now being funded for up to five years. The program was created in 2007 to launch an intense and coordinated research effort aimed at identifying the causes of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and finding new treatments.

 

Monday, April 1, 2013

Education campaign returns with powerful stories to help Americans quit smoking


Education campaign returns with powerful stories to help Americans quit smoking

Campaign to expose tragic health impact of smoking

Continuing with the success of last year’s national education ad campaign, "Tips from Former Smokers," a second series of ads was launched today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The ads, funded by the Affordable Care Act’s Prevention and Public Health Fund, feature compelling stories of former smokers living with smoking-related diseases and disabilities.  Beginning Monday, ads will run for at least 12 weeks on television, radio, and billboards, online, and in theaters, magazines, and newspapers nationwide.

"This campaign is saving lives and saving dollars by giving people the facts about smoking in an easy-to-understand way that encourages quitting," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. This campaign is effective. The increase in calls to quitlines after last year’s campaign shows that more people are trying to quit smoking as a result of these ads."

Read more.

 

April NIH News in Health -- The benefits of slumber, how snoozing strengthens memories, brain scans give clues to antidepressant's effects, living with low vision, and more


 

Illustration of a man waking up and stretching before a sun-filled window. The Benefits of Slumber
Why You Need a Good Night’s Sleep

With so many demands on our time, we often sacrifice sleep to fit everything into our days. But sleep affects both mental and physical health, and lack of sleep can have serious consequences.
Read more about the benefits of slumber.

   

 


Illustration of a sleeping woman thinking about music, math and friends.

Sleep On It
How Snoozing Strengthens Memories

When you learn something new, the best way to remember it is to sleep on it. That’s because sleep helps strengthen the memories you’ve formed throughout the day.
Read more about the complex links between sleep and memory.