tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65952908545737433092024-03-13T06:31:13.947-07:00KNE Health BeatNickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-79076937045122997502013-02-23T12:30:00.000-08:002013-02-23T12:30:00.895-08:00Nursing facility lawsuit bill lands in Senate<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Extendicare's exit could minim<span style="font-size: small;">ize impact locally</span></span></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer </span></b> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">State
Republicans are trying to reduce the number of “frivolous” lawsuits against
nursing homes. They want panels to review all complaints before they reach the
court system.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bills
like this have failed in years past. It’s one of the reasons Extendicare Health
Services Inc., a company that owns two local nursing homes, shed management
responsibilities last year for all 21 of its facilities in Kentucky.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Without
Extendicare around, the volume of local nursing-home lawsuits appears to be
shrinking.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And
in recent years, nearly all the local cases that have been closed were
dismissed via settlements, not by judges declaring them unfounded. This may
suggest the bill would affect Christian
County minimally.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Regardless,
the bill passed the Kentucky Senate by a 23-12 vote on Wednesday. It may have a
harder time getting through a House committee early next month.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Senate
Bill 9 would create medical review panels to hear complaints against long-term
care facilities. Panels would consist of three physicians and an attorney
moderator.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Every
time someone wanted to sue a facility, each side would pick a doctor for the
panel, and the doctors would agree on a third panelist. They would vote on
whether the suit had enough merit to go to court.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wednesday’s
vote was split down party lines.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rep.
Tom Burch, D-Louisville, who chairs the House Health and Welfare Committee,
said he expects to review the bill in about two weeks. He joked about its
prospects of clearing his committee.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“I
can’t make any predictions about the bill this time, but I’ve called in three
priests to have the last rites ready,” he said in a phone interview.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A
similar bill died in his committee last year, and though he hasn’t examined
this one closely, he doesn’t see how patients could benefit from this kind of
measure.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If
nursing homes received this new layer of protection, hospitals and daycares
would want it too, he said.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Southern Pennyrile has no representatives on
the Health and Welfare committee.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rep.
Myron Dossett, R-Pembroke, hasn’t done enough research yet to decide how he’ll
vote if the bill reaches the House floor. The New Era could not reach Rep. John
Tilley, D-Hopkinsville, in time to comment for this story.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When
Extendicare <a href="http://knehealth.blogspot.com/2012/05/nursing-home-chain-bails-on-ky.html">announced last spring</a> it was transferring management of all its Kentucky facilities to a Texas
company, it cited Kentucky’s
“worsening litigation environment” and said tort reform seemed unlikely here.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">However,
no other local nursing homes generated nearly as many lawsuits as Pembroke
Nursing and Rehabilitation
Center when Extendicare
operated it. Of 19 nursing-home lawsuits filed in Christian County
since January 2008, 12 are against Extendicare, according to court records. Of
11 ongoing lawsuits, 10 are against Extendicare.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Pembroke Nursing Home and Rehabilitation
Center is now called
Christian Heights Nursing and Rehab. Becky Colon, the current administrator,
doesn’t know much about lawsuits involving her predecessors. But she said
review panels wouldn’t inhibit families from pursuing “legitimate lawsuits.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“I
really believe the bill will allow that,” she said. “That’s what the bill is
there for — just to weed out the ones that are clogging up the system.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bernie
Vonderheide, director of Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform, believes most of
these “frivolous” lawsuits would cease if the state would impose minimum
staffing requirements. But he believes nursing home companies have suppressed
such measures with expensive lobbying.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He
just hopes the bill will die in Burch’s committee.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
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<![endif]-->Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-65477372732071654412013-02-20T20:13:00.001-08:002013-02-20T20:32:09.021-08:00Public transit - a rural model<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A couple weeks ago I wrote about the top factors for <a href="http://www.kentuckynewera.com/web/news/article_1f433c24-7282-11e2-a47d-001a4bcf887a.html">making a city walkable</a>, and I said one of those was accessibility. As the transportation engineer <a href="http://www.tooledesign.com/company/staff-directory/peter-lagerwey">Peter Lagerwey</a> explained, this goes beyond having space for walking. It means having good walking routes that take you to your destinations.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You know what improves access? Public transit. With an expansive bus or rail system, residents don't have to choose between walking and driving; they can essentially combine the two and still leave their cars at home.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.dot.gov/sites/dot.dev/files/styles/landing_page-rotator-slide/public/lightrail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://www.dot.gov/sites/dot.dev/files/styles/landing_page-rotator-slide/public/lightrail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Christian County's only bus system is the one Pennyrile Allied Community Services uses for services funded by Medicaid. But <a href="http://www.kentuckynewera.com/news/article_dc6d02c2-69ae-11e1-b7fe-001871e3ce6c.html">it's possible</a> that Mayor Dan Kemp will allocate money for new buses in his 2013-14 budget proposal. A poll showed thousands of people would use buses if this town had more for the general public.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If you haven't filled out the state's <a href="http://www.kentuckynewera.com/news/article_93d50b0e-6c2d-11e2-93fa-0019bb2963f4.html">transportation survey</a>, you should <a href="http://transportation.ky.gov/pages/yourturn.aspx">do so now</a>. Tell the state whether or not it should allocate money for public transit.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Regardless of your views, take a look at <a href="http://www.rftabrt.com/home">VelociRFTA</a>, a rapid transit system being built in Colorado. It will run 39 miles along the state's most congested highway<i>. </i>As the <a href="http://dc.streetsblog.org/2013/02/14/meet-the-rural-region-that-opted-for-velocibuses-over-highway-expansion/">DC Streetsblog reports</a>, when it opens in September, it will be the first bus rapid transit system in the U.S. to serve a rural area. At $40 million, this kind of project likely falls beyond Kentucky's price range. But it might spark some inspiration.</span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-46808062432353649802013-02-16T13:37:00.000-08:002013-02-21T13:39:13.287-08:00From A to B<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Rail-trail coul<span style="font-size: small;">d</span> reduce depen<span style="font-size: small;">dency on cars</span></span> </b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer </b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some
winter days, Jane Hall, 83, puts on long johns and a sweater and two coats
before going out. Ignoring the wind, she walks to the grocery store, Dollar
General, her bank or her doctor’s office.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hall
walks everywhere. Her habits were forged in the 1930s and ‘40s, in rural parts
of the county, when the roads were dirt and mule-driven wagons were common.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hopkinsville has sped up
around her. Now most streets are paved, have high speed limits and are mainly
for automobiles. She admits her routes are unsafe, as they lack sidewalks, but
she never learned to drive.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“People
just too lazy to walk,” she said in her living room. “They’d drive their cars
to the mailbox if they could.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But
like most people, she takes infrastructure for granted.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/kentuckynewera.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/f6/4f64dd2c-7282-11e2-89cb-001a4bcf887a/5115ed90e06b6.image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/kentuckynewera.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/f6/4f64dd2c-7282-11e2-89cb-001a4bcf887a/5115ed90e06b6.image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">City
officials recognize many parts of Hopkinsville
encourage driving over walking. As in many U.S. cities, especially rural ones,
civil engineering — speed limits, road width, signage — often treats walking as
an afterthought at best.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
city rates 34 out of 100 on Walk Score, an Internet service that makes
calculations from geographic data. Some parts of town rate higher or lower, but
the total score gives it the designation “car-dependent.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Certain
public health studies suggest a city’s friendliness toward walkers and
bicyclists — not just for exercise, but for transportation — is no less
important than access to healthy food and recreational facilities. It shapes
people’s habits.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Seeing
this need, the Christian County Health Department may contribute money to the
rail-trail conversion.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
public forums, most conversation surrounding the trail has focused on its
potential for exercising. But the designers also intend it as a means of
transportation, a path for reaching destinations.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
trail would make Hopkinsville
more walkable.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Safety,
access, aesthetics</strong></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Peter
Lagerwey, a transportation engineer who was once bicycle-walking coordinator
for the city of Seattle,
says three basic factors determine walkability: safety, accessibility and
aesthetics.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">All
three are hard to quantify, but a few numbers do help.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sidewalks
help with safety by getting walkers away from traffic. The city has 65 miles
worth of sidewalks, said Terry Rudd, superintendent of the Hopkinsville Street
Division, in an interview last year.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A
number of neighborhoods developed in the 1960s and ’70s — such as Deepwood,
Hunting Creek, Givens Addition, Indian Hills, Holiday Park
and the Springmont area — have no sidewalks. But in the last few years, as part
of the Residential Enterprise Zone program, the city has required developers to
include sidewalks in new neighborhoods to qualify for incentives.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Steve
Bourne, director of Community and Development Services, mentioned several new
subdivisions that have benefited from this policy — Daven Drive (west of the Hopkinsville
Country Club and LaFayette Road),
Sivley Trace, and the Villas, across from the YMCA.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last
year the city had 12 accidents involving vehicles and pedestrians, including
one fatal accident and seven others with injuries, said Officer Paul Ray,
spokesman for the Hopkinsville Police Department.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">By
accessibility, Lagerwey means being able to reach destinations by walking. If a
neighborhood has a safe, quiet street that loops around in a circle, it’s fine
for exercise but doesn’t really improve walkability.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“You
need to be able to get where you want to go,” Lagerwey said.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Downtown
Hopkinsville
has its restaurants, its bars, a coffee shop, a book store, furniture shops and
some other businesses. But only one grocery store — Piggly Wiggly — is nearby.
Downtown has no movie theater, no laundromat and limited choices for buying
clothes.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Even
if they lived in the city’s center, hardly anyone could get by in Hopkinsville for more
than a week or two without depending on a car or taking their chances on busy
streets.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
city has made recent strides to make downtown more attractive. For instance, it
put a foot bridge over Little River behind the West
Seventh Street
Park and cleared trees in front of the
Christian County Courthouse to give a clear,
attractive view from Sixth Street.
New signs will go up soon in green and red tones that match the signs chosen
for the rail-trail.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But
ultimately, everyone has to judge Hopkinsville’s
aesthetic qualities for themselves.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Spacial
relationships</strong></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
railroad bed destined for the rail-trail runs north and south through Hopkinsville. For the
first phase, 3 miles long, the city would put a trailhead at Pardue Lane, then
pave the area that runs north beyond Cox Mill Road and Canton Street, to North
Drive.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There
it makes a T, with one side extending west to the North Drive park and the other going east
to Westside Park, connecting with the river trail
bordering downtown on the west.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Given
all the neighborhoods that surround it southwest of downtown, hundreds of
residents could walk there from home.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">From
the trail’s south end, walkers could easily reach North Drive restaurants like Da Vinci
Little Italian and Pizz-A-Roma — without crossing busy streets.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On
the other hand, for most people who live close enough to downtown to walk
there, the trail won’t provide a more efficient route. Nor does it connect to
the dense business districts on Fort
Campbell Boulevard and West Seventh Street.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Later
extensions, which will pave the trail all the way down to the Eagle Way bypass,
might help people reach downtown without cars.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lose
& Associates, the Nashville firm that
designed the trail, has done similar projects all over the southeastern U.S. In Nashville and Murfreesboro,
Tenn., where the trails lead into
downtown from the suburbs, people love relying on them instead of driving.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“They
get tons of use for that,” he said.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lagerwey
said the key is to integrate rail-trails with safe, walkable roads.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“They’re
always part of a network,” he said. “You’re never going to have a rail-trail to
everybody’s front door and everybody’s place of business.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Often
city dwellers can reach their local trails by walking a mile or less.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On
Lagerwey’s other criteria, safety and aesthetics, Hopkinsville’s rail-trail could score high.
It would prohibit motor vehicles, and most of it lies in the woods.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Public
health</strong></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Two
Yale researchers published a study in December, showing people who used “active
transportation” — such as walking or bicycling — tended to have lower body mass
indexes and lower odds of hypertension.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They
found that people who engaged in more than 150 minutes of active transportation
each week were 30 percent less likely to have high blood pressure and diabetes.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They
called active transportation “an untapped reservoir of opportunity for physical
activity for many adults.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">By
examining data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, they
discovered less than a quarter of U.S. adults surveyed used active
transportation continuously for 10 minutes in a typical week.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
a meeting last week of the Christian County Board of Health, officials talked about a
study in which the healthiness of Christian
County’s environment
ranked 116th out of the state’s 120 counties.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But
the study accounts for many factors, including the prevalence of fast food and
availability of healthy food. It does a poor job of accounting for recreation
facilities; for instance, it doesn’t count YMCAs.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Yale study suggests it was perceptive to consider walkability.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
board of health did not set a precise timeline for deciding whether to
contribute money. Meanwhile, the city is beginning to seek funds from local
businesses. Mayor Dan Kemp hopes the city council will vote this spring to pay
for the remainder with city funds.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
the best-case scenario, construction could start in the late spring and end
around November, Kemp said.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
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<![endif]-->Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-30262825686862635472013-02-09T13:16:00.000-08:002013-02-21T13:33:16.529-08:00Diabetes classes will be offered in Elkton, Cadiz<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer</span></b> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Many
of the 18,600 or so Pennyrile residents living with diabetes have no access to
classes on diet, blood sugar and disease-management techniques, a local
dietitian said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Theresa
Clark, who owns the Diabetes Resource Center <span style="font-size: small;">of</span> Hopkinsville, drives all over Western Kentucky to give diabetics counseling and
classes. But this area, squarely inside what a federal agency calls the
“diabetes belt,” needs more help, she said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now
Clark’s clinic is one of just 10 organizations in the U.S. to get a
grant for educating more diabetics.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She’ll
soon launch free satellite classes in Elkton, Cadiz and Central City. They’ll be in
community centers, like libraries or senior-citizen centers.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“You
know, a lot of people don’t have the financial ability to come all the way to Hopkinsville,” she said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This
year the American Association of Diabetes Educators is giving Clark and her
staff $20,000 for supplies and other expenses. They can renew it up to three
consecutive years, so Clark hopes to start
more satellite classes in the near future.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Participants
will go through assessments, then they’ll get nine hours’ worth of training on
testing and managing blood sugar, eating at home and away, coping with their
disease and other crucial areas, Clark said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Knowledge
is power, for any of us,” she said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After
classes get rolling, Clark and her staff will establish support groups in these
towns to meet monthly or bimonthly.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has detailed diabetes data from
every year since 2005. For every county in the U.S., it lists the number of
diabetics and the percentage they constitute of the county’s population.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As
of 2010, Christian
County had 5,752
diabetics, about 10.5 percent of its population. Todd had 958, or 11.1 percent,
and Trigg had 1,198, or 11.8 percent.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
the nine-county Pennyrile, the 2010 figures add up to 18,631 diabetics.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia,
Louisiana and Mississippi comprise what the CDC calls the
“diabetes belt.” Those areas have lower education rates and higher
concentrations of the racial groups most at risk for diabetes — particularly
African-Americans, the CDC states.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nearly
12 percent of the population in the diabetes belt has the disease, compared to
8.5 percent in the rest of the U.S.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Western
Kentucky’s location made Clark a better
candidate for the education grant, she said. The foundation recognized this
area’s need.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Clark’s clinic, located near BB&T Bank, on Noel
Drive, sees about 40 patients a month. Doctors send them there for training and
for tests with a glucose-monitoring device.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For
classes and counseling, Clark drives to Trigg and Caldwell counties, and this
week she was in Evansville,
Ind. She takes referrals from
about 75 doctors.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For
more information on Clark’s clinic, or on the
satellite classes, call 270-707-0600 or visit www.diabetesandwellnesshoptown.com.</span></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-64424089215719239342013-02-06T13:24:00.000-08:002013-02-21T13:32:57.970-08:00Pharmacies carry burden to stop meth producers<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">By Nick Tabor, New Era Se<span style="font-size: small;">nior Staff <span style="font-size: small;">Writer</span></span></span></b> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<a href="http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/kentuckynewera.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/a8/9a8872c0-6a9c-11e2-b524-0019bb2963f4/5108ad93c55be.image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/kentuckynewera.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/a8/9a8872c0-6a9c-11e2-b524-0019bb2963f4/5108ad93c55be.image.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now
that Kentucky
is limiting the amount of pseudoephedrine customers can buy in any given month
or year, methamphetamine cooks may try recruiting accomplices to buy them in
batches, as they have in other states.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At
Cayce’s Pharmacy, customers the workers don’t recognize have sometimes entered
the store, about five minutes apart, each wanting cold medicine, Owner Mike
Cayce said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Workers
have usually caught on quickly enough, Cayce said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On
Tuesday, Cayce hosted local legislators, law enforcement and members of the
Kentucky Retail Federation and Kentucky Pharmacists Association.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They’re
launching a campaign to educate potential “smurfers,” or people meth cooks
enlist to buy cold medicine. They displayed tall, colorful posters meant to
scare smurfers off. Pharmacies all over Kentucky
will put them up.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Buying
Meds to Make Meth?” one reads. “Police Take Names… And Make Arrests.” It says
convicted smurfers can serve up to 10 years in prison.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
other reads, “Meth Makes Children Orphans.” “If you are buying a cold and
allergy medicine for a meth cook, you are committing a felony and putting
someone else’s life at risk.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Consumer Healthcare Products Association tested these posters before printing
them, according to a news release from the organization. The posters are
designed to catch the attention of potential smurfers but not to alarm
law-abiding customers.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cayce’s
workers won’t sell pseudoephedrine to anyone from out of state, and they try to
screen everyone who’s not a regular customer, Cayce said. They have to use
their own discretion.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">However,
the posters might help filter the patrons.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sen.
Whitney Westerfield, R-Hopkinsville; Rep. John Tilley, D-Hopkinsville; Rep.
Brent Yonts, D-Greenville; and Sen. Jerry Rhoads, D-Madisonville, gave brief
remarks Tuesday about the importance of public awareness and legislation in the
fight against meth.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">According
to Senate Bill 3, which the state legislature passed in March, customers must
get prescriptions to buy more than 7.2 grams of pseudoephedrine a month or 24
grams a year. This only applies to the pill form, which is easier to turn into
meth than the gel cap and liquid forms.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Robert
McFalls, executive director of the Kentucky Pharmacists Association, said
stores like Cayce’s are on the “front lines” of the battle against meth
production.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">All
pharmacists can get free copies of the posters, according to the Consumer
Healthcare Products Association.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For
more information on the campaign or to download the posters, visit www.meth-knowtheconsequences.org.</span></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-87647794039656854072013-02-05T12:42:00.000-08:002013-02-22T12:44:21.673-08:00Health dept. could bankroll rail-trail <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Director <span style="font-size: small;">urges board to OK spending $100,000 on project</span></span></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>By Nick Tabor, <span style="font-size: small;">New Era S<span style="font-size: small;">enior Staff Writer</span></span></b> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
director of the Christian County Health Department wants to give $100,000 from
the reserve fund to Hopkinsville’s
rail-trail project.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But
most members of the Board of Health fear the health department can’t afford it.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They
need to save enough for a “rainy day,” said Dr. Wade Northington, the board’s
new chairman. Several board members noted the budget shortfall in this fiscal
year, financial troubles with the school nurse program and ongoing delays in
Medicaid reimbursement.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
reserve fund has nearly $2.4 million.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some
$650,000 of that will go into the general fund by this summer, but more will
come in too, Health Department Director Mark Pyle said.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pyle
proposed the allocation at a board meeting Monday evening. The board decided to
consider it in a finance committee meeting and make a decision in a month or
so.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hopkinsville
Mayor Dan Kemp and Chamber of Commerce President Carter Hendricks attended the
meeting to talk about the trail project’s importance. Kemp gave a short speech
before the board’s decision.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
a study last year, Christian County ranked 116th out of Kentucky’s 120 counties when it came to
infrastructure that promoted healthy living.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“I
would think that if we were to spend this money to build this rail-trail, that
ought to bump us up a little bit,” Kemp said.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He
called the old railroad bed a “tremendous resource” Hopkinsville received for free from the U.S.
Army. Other communities have paid railroad companies for the railroad beds they
converted to recreation trails, he said.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hendricks
said it would help effect a culture change. He wants Christian County
residents to believe they can have public resources equal to those in other
regions.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“It’s
much more emotional and visceral than, ‘I like to go run,’” he said, speaking
of the trail’s significance.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
city hopes to raise $400,000 to help pay for the first phase, which would
extend from the Hopkinsville-Christian County Public Library to a trailhead on
Pardue Lane. This contribution from the health department would go a long way.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pyle
said the department can afford it. The money isn’t there for sitting on, he
said. It’s supposed to advance public health, and it makes him proud to see the
board using some of it.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Afterward
board members took turns voicing their concerns.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“To
consider this at this point in time would be premature,” Northington said.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
board will have a retreat soon — its first ever — and there it will establish
its funding priorities, Northington said. Perhaps the trail project will fit
in; perhaps not.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mike
Cayce said he endorses the trail projected but agrees with Northington.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“If
we can do it, then I want to do it,” he said.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Several
other members said the same. They briefly discussed giving $50,000 or some
other amount.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When
they finished, Kemp stood up to leave.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“I
certainly understand,” he said. “Thank you.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pyle
believes the board will assent after reviewing all the numbers.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In
other business:</b></span></span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The health
department received a clean audit on its 2011-12 financial records. An
employee of Truman Campbell Group, PLC outlined the audit’s results and
provided copies.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The board
appointed its 2013 officers. Northington will serve as chair; Tom Jones as
vice chair; Mike Cayce as treasurer; Pyle as secretary; and Dr. Marty
Gamble as executive committee designee.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The board
scheduled the rest of its meetings for this year. They will be April 22,
June 24, Sept. 23 and Nov. 18.</span></span></li>
</ul>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-78549924736994988082013-02-02T13:13:00.000-08:002013-02-21T13:32:35.956-08:00New health care law pressures hospitals, doctors<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Changes
in insurance reimbursements are putting serious pressure on hospitals and
doctors alike — but different kinds for each, said Eric Lee, president of Jennie Stuart
Medical Center,
in a presentation Thursday evening.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For
Jennie Stuart, much of the pressure is competitive.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At
one time it only competed with other nearby hospitals, like those in Madisonville and Clarksville,
for patients. But on account of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,
it now competes with all the nation’s hospitals in quality measurements. If it
ranks highly enough, its Medicare reimbursements don’t get docked, Lee said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Private
insurers like Anthem and Humana may eventually use a similar system for doling
out reimbursements, Lee said.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Meanwhile,
insurance changes and other complications may drive doctors to work for
hospital corporations instead of maintaining independent businesses, Lee said.
They want to free themselves from financial burdens and legal complications.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This
explains Jennie Stuart’s impetus for creating the Fairview Physicians Network,
its wholly owned subsidiary. The network already has several practices, and it
will add three to five more doctors by the year’s end, Lee said.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It
gives doctors a space to enter the company.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lee
was speaking to a small crowd at a Jennie Stuart conference room. The Christian County
League of Women Voters recruited him and Dr. Thornton Bryan Jr., a retired Trigg County
doctor, to give presentations on the Affordable Care Act.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It
only drew a crowd of about 10. Bonnie Lynch, one of the organizers, suggested
the cold temperature and reports of an oncoming storm may have kept people at
home.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bryan opened with an overview of the problems with health
care in the U.S.
and the changes the health care law effects.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
short, this country’s health care is dropping in quality and getting more
expensive, Bryan
said. It’s tilting toward profit-generating for insurance companies. By
one estimate, 45,000 people die in the U.S. every year because they lack
access to health care.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nevertheless,
this country’s spending on health care tops every<span style="font-size: small;"> other</span> high-income country. It
spends 18 percent of its gross domestic product on health care, an average of
$8,900 a person every year, compared to $4,300 a person in the next highest
country, which has universal coverage, according to a study Bryan cited.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There’s
no consensus on whether the new law will successfully drive down costs. But Bryan explained some of
its methods, such as forcing insurance companies to spend 80 to 85 percent of
premium dollars on medical care and health care quality improvement.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Afterward,
Lee spoke briefly about how the law is affecting Jennie Stuart, then he took
questions.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He
focused on Kentucky’s
Medicaid problems. In November 2011, the state contracted with three companies
to handle Medicaid payouts to hospitals and doctors. The companies have
received money from the state, but they’ve been slow to pay providers in turn,
and other problems have followed.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Soon
some local doctors may have to choose between retiring, leaving the state or
joining hospital corporations, Lee said.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
League of Women Voters will soon meet with legislators, and Carolyn Self, a
member, asked whether Lee had any advocacy requests. Lee said he wants to see
the state take control of Medicaid reimbursement again.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-47694043571514857302013-02-01T13:10:00.000-08:002013-02-21T13:32:03.871-08:00Officials: Flu shots still worth it <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Outbreak started early, but still raging</span></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer </b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anyone
looking for a flu shot locally would be wise to call the pharmacy or doctor’s
office before making the trip. Some have run out in recent weeks.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But
despite that complication — and despite how late it may seem in flu season —
doctors and health officials agree that getting the vaccine is still worth it.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Though
the vaccines become available in late summer or early fall, traditional flu
season doesn’t start until February or March, said Dr. Keith Toms, a physician
at Generations Primary Care in Hopkinsville.
So it might just last longer this year.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Thus
far, it’s not showing much abatement,” Toms said. “So it may be more of a
smoldering outbreak.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;">Kentucky is in its
seventh week of widespread flu activity, said Beth Fisher, a spokeswoman for
the state Cabinet of Health and Family Services. This means more than half the
districts have high numbers of cases.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Only
two states in the U.S.
did not have widespread flu activity as of last week, the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention reported.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mark
Pyle, director of the Christian County Health Department, sees this as an
“early spike.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“We
may see a downturn and then another spike during the coming months,” Pyle wrote
in an email. “It is not uncommon to have two spikes of flu activity in a flu
season.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There’s
no way to get hard numbers on Kentucky’s
flu cases. Doctors and hospitals report potential flu cases to the state, but
the state can only confirm certain cases in its lab.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This
method is reliable for gauging trends, instead of calculating totals, Fisher
said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">High
numbers of school absences and closings also serve as helpful indicators,
Fisher said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Christian County Health Department isn’t collecting reports from local
providers, Pyle said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">No
local schools have closed because of flu outbreak. But Toms has seen many
cases.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Lots
of ill-appearing, high-fever patients, who look pretty miserable,” he said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
flu is a viral infection that attacks the respiratory system — the nose, throat
and lungs, according to the Mayo Clinic’s website. People can breathe the
virus’ droplets in directly, but they can also pick them up from door knobs,
stairway rails, computer keyboards and other objects, then transfer the
droplets to their mouths, noses or eyes.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A
shot from the 2011-12 season won’t fully protect people this year, as two new
flu strains are circulating, according to CDC reports.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
general, the state has no shortage of vaccines, Fisher said. But Cayce’s
Pharmacy ran out early last week, Area Manager Debbie Barger said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“There’s
none to be had right now, that we can get our hands on,” she said Tuesday.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Scott
Ross, a pharmacist at Save-More Drugs, said his business ran out too. It later
received a new shipment.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Doctor’s
offices generally require prescriptions, whereas anyone can walk in and buy a
flu shot at a pharmacy or the health department. But because demand is still
high, Ross recommends calling in advance, regardless of the venue.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Salvation Army and Freeman’s Chapel will have 50 vaccines each to give out
Thursday afternoon. They’ll go to the homeless and uninsured. St. Luke Free
Clinic will also have some for its regular clients that evening.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
vaccine takes about two weeks to reach full effectiveness — which is about 60
percent, the CDC reports. This means people who get the vaccine are 60 percent
less likely to get influenza.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">People
who don’t fear getting sick themselves might consider the welfare of people
around them, Toms said. Because the vaccine is a “herd immunity,” more
vaccinations means fewer carriers.</span></span></div>
<br />Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-63886167822363304082013-01-23T13:41:00.000-08:002013-02-21T13:43:55.396-08:00Jennie Stuart to debut newsletter next month<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer </b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jennie Stuart
Medical Center
will soon start distributing a glossy four-page newsletter each month,
spotlighting successful procedures and available services.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“We
believe the public will learn something new every issue,” said James Goss,
Jennie Stuart’s marketing director. As editor, Goss will write some articles
himself and assign others to freelancers.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Each
issue will feature at least two patients. The first edition, which is headed to
the printing press, tells the stories of a cancer survivor and a woman who had
complications while giving birth. Hospital personnel saved her life, Goss said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Goss
had success with similar newsletters in his marketing at other hospitals. He
shared samples of those when he interviewed here in 2011.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“The
management team here liked what they saw,” he said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When
Jennie Stuart requested bids from publishers, 12 or 14 firms responded.
Pacesetter Printing, which the New Era company owns, submitted the best price,
Goss said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chip
Hutcheson, publisher of the Times Leader, which is also owned by the New Era,
helped with writing and editing on the first issue. He hopes to pass those
duties on to other Pacesetter employees, he said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Feb.
20 marks the 100th anniversary of Jennie Stuart’s founding, and the company has
an updated logo and a new slogan corresponding to that milestone. They will
debut in the newsletter’s first issue. The company is also waiting to announce
the newsletter’s name.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pacesetter
designed the newsletter, using Jennie Stuart’s specifications for colors and
its new logo, Hutcheson said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It
will come as an insert in the New Era and nine other local newspapers. It will
measure 11 inches by 10 inches — oversize sheets.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“We’d
like that to stand out among other free-fall inserts in the paper,” Goss said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pacesetter
will print 85,000 copies a month. Jennie Stuart will also distribute an email
version.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
publication will also contain letters. And it will have news and information on
a broad spectrum of services: inpatient services at the hospital, clinical
services at the Eagle Way Campus and the offices of the Fairview Physicians
Network.</span></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-12327528148691418092013-01-18T00:00:00.000-08:002013-01-18T00:00:14.625-08:00Health department applies for accreditation Thursday<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
Christian County Health Department applied for accreditation on Thursday
afternoon — six months ahead of its deadline.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
next step is to get a national inspector here to spend a week conducting
interviews and watching procedures. If the health department passes every test,
it could get the accreditation before the end of the year.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Department
Director Mark Pyle surprised his staff and board members with the news on
Thursday. He invited Mike Cayce, director of the county’s board of health, to
click the “submit” button on the website of the Public Health Accreditation
Board. Watching it on a projector, the staff cheered and clapped.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“It’s
real now,” Pyle said. “We’re moving forward now. There’s no turning back.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pyle
said only five other health departments in Kentucky have applied so far. Every
department in the state must gain accreditation by 2020, and so far none have
finished the process.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Accreditation
will likely open new revenue streams. But in a way, the process matters more
than the status designation.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pyle
said it has changed the way his staff members view their jobs. They have to
continuously reflect on their methods and brainstorm ways to improve.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“It
has become our whole culture,” he said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
concrete steps included assessing the community’s health and drafting a health
improvement plan and a strategic plan. The department is now finishing its
self-assessment.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Many
of the accreditation standards relate to community engagement: for instance,
whether the department is improving public access to health care and whether
it’s educating the public. Lately Pyle has talked about creating mobile health
units, so nurses would go to the streets and treat people who wouldn’t connect
with the health department on their own initiative.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
process also pushes the department away from a “silo” model. It encourages
collaboration with Red Cross, the YMCA, Hopkinsville-Christian County Emergency
Medical Services, Pennyroyal Mental Health, Jennie Stuart
Medical Center
and other agencies that deal with health.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“We
are very progressive,” Pyle told his staff on Thursday. “We are doing things
that other health departments are talking about still.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If
the inspector finds any problems on his visit, the department can still get accredited
by showing documented evidence that it fixed the issue.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pyle’s
ultimate goal is to finish the process by the end of 2014.</span></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-50257207233117970152013-01-15T00:00:00.000-08:002013-01-15T00:00:10.795-08:00Smoking ban’s full economic effects debated<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Given
how much Kentucky’s
budget depends on tobacco taxes, would a statewide smoking ban deal it a
staggering blow?</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A
new poll shows public support for a smoking ban is inching up every year.
Though the ban likely won’t get a vote during this year’s General Assembly,
state politicians, including those who represent this district, are confronting
those economic questions more directly.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Between
settlement payments and taxes, Kentucky
collects an average of $321 million a year in tobacco revenue, according to a
report from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Sen. Whitney Westerfield,
R-Hopkinsville, and Rep. Myron Dossett, D-Pembroke, both said they’d vote down
a statewide ban for this reason.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“The
state is dependent on that revenue,” Dossett said. “Smoking is bad for your
health. I understand that right there. But knowing what tobacco puts into the
economy, it’s another one of those issues that concerns me.” </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But
Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky points that the state exports most of its
tobacco — 85 percent — according to HR 149, a new bill related to tobacco
trade. So even if the state cut its smoking rate in half, this wouldn’t
decimate the tobacco revenue.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And
the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce says a lower smoking rate would save the state
on health care costs.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">From
2000 to 2012, Medicaid spending grew about three times faster than the overall
state budget, the chamber reported. And Kentucky
has some of the worst cancer statistics. For instance, there are 9,500
cancer-related deaths a year.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“Increasingly,
Medicaid dollars are being used to treat cancer,” a chamber report states.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In
2000, a 72-year-old diagnosed with cancer would typically spend $2,687 to
$9,360 in the first six months of treatment, according to a study published in
Value in Health.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Foundation
for a Healthy Kentucky didn’t have data on cancer-related spending, but the
state is spending a rough total of $7.7 billion on health care in this fiscal
year, according to a source it supplied. Rep. John Tilley, D-Hopkinsville,
believes cancer-related spending is hundreds of millions or more every year.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On
the revenue end, Kentucky
gets 60 cents in taxes for every pack of 20 cigarettes, and the Blue Ribbon
Commission on Tax Reform recommends raising that to $1. The state also has a 15
percent tax on chewing tobacco and most other forms.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Then
there are non-economic factors.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Westerfield
and Dossett oppose smoking bans on principle.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“I
have a problem with the government telling a private business what it can and
cannot allow in there on something like that,” Westerfield said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dossett
also imagines a problem with enforcement. Some proposals for a state ban even
cover apartment buildings, and it’s possible they could cover farmers’ barns,
he said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Tilley’s
decision to support or oppose a statewide ban would depend on specifics. Now
that so many cities have enacted their own bans, a state law might conflict
with their ordinances.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“You
could create complexity unnecessarily,” Tilley said. “It sounds much more
simple than it is.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation lists 30 Kentucky
cities and counties that have smoking bans, but it does not include Hopkinsville’s new ban.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Kentucky is only one of
only 14 remaining states that doesn’t ban smoking in restaurants, bars or
non-hospitality workplaces, the group reports.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Regardless,
Westerfield and Dossett don’t expect a vote on the subject this year.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“We
have very big fish to fry in front of it,” Westerfield said. “Pension reform.
Maybe tax reform. It just depends on how much work we can get on those two
fronts.”</span></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-69350282148423703502013-01-11T13:51:00.000-08:002013-01-11T13:53:05.812-08:00Statewide smoking ban gets a push<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/microsites/kentucky/ad_image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/microsites/kentucky/ad_image.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Rep. Susan Westrom, a Democrat from Lexington, has filed a <a href="http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/11rs/HB193.htm">bill</a> for a statewide
public smoking ban. It's her third attempt.</span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">As I <a href="http://www.kentuckynewera.com/news/article_57ba7cfa-5a15-11e2-b97c-001a4bcf887a.html">reported
earlier this week</a>, more Kentuckians are supporting this kind of legislation
every year. A <a href="http://healthy-ky.org/news-events/newsroom/statewide-smoke-free-law-gains-support-kentucky">poll
released on Monday</a> estimated public support at 54 percent. But the bill's
chances of getting a vote this session still look slim.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Regardless, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has just
launched an interesting campaign directed straight at Kentucky. "Kentucky has a lot to be proud of, but not
the fact that we have the nation's highest smoking and lung cancer rates. It's
hurting our health and our economy," the ad states.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Kind of a clever strategy. We’ll see whether it
gives HB 193 a boost.</span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-85064867509944699152013-01-11T11:14:00.001-08:002013-01-11T13:56:43.551-08:00Dollar General to sell tobacco<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.southernsavers.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/dollar-general-coupon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://www.southernsavers.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/dollar-general-coupon.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Company official expects a short-term bump in sales</span> </b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>By
Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Four
months after stocking their coolers with beer and their shelves with wine, the
Dollar General corporation now plans to introduce cigarette sales as well.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It’s
a “dying category,” said Mary Winn Gordon, vice president of investor and
public relations. But for now, store managers are reporting that customers want
them. So even if it only creates a one-time “bump” in revenue, Dollar General
will take it.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Some
Crofton residents are already boycotting the store just outside their town’s
boundaries because it sells beer and wine. They’ve mostly given up the fight to
have the store’s alcohol license revoked.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So
the introduction of tobacco products is basically moot to them.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“Dollar
General is simply responding to the accepted societal norms in this nation,”
Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Bible Church Kris Page said in a written
statement. “The effort to boycott this store is not going to change the
principle of supply and demand. The only way to change the current climate of
the American marketplace is to confront the desires of the consumer through the
teaching and application of Biblical truths in our churches, homes and
schools.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Crofton
Bestway, an independent grocery store, now has an alternative for the
boycotters: an aisle full of canned food, paper products and other merchandise,
all priced below $1. And it has never stocked synthetic drugs or condoms, let
alone beer or wine.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“Being
a family store, we actually try to respect the community,” said the owner,
Hemal Patel. “We don’t even have a lottery in the store.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But
the store does sell tobacco — it even guarantees the town’s best prices — and
this hasn’t created the same kind of stir.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Crofton
residents missed their chance to protest when Dollar General applied for an
alcohol sales license in June. The application sailed through, and the news
surprised and upset the small community in September. No stores sold alcohol
there beforehand.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In
a Dec. 11 earnings call, Dollar General officials said they would roll out
tobacco products over two quarters, which means most or all stores should carry
them by mid-year.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In
the test market, customers commonly increased their basket amounts from $10 to
$14 in the stores that carried cigarettes. That increase is less than the
average cost of a pack, which suggests customers were foregoing something else
to buy cigarettes, said Richard Dreiling, the corporation’s CEO. But it also
tends to increase traffic, he said during the earnings call.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">He
also predicted the extra revenues it generated will die out before too long.
But the company is responding to its clientele.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A
report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention support
Gordon’s remark about the “dying category.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Cigarette
consumption in the U.S.
has dropped every year since 2000, when it totaled 435.6 billion cigarettes.
Five years later, it was down to 381.1 billion. In 2011, it totaled 292.8
billion.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But
Kentucky is
holding strong. The CDC estimates that 25.2 percent of the state’s adults
smoke, compared to a national median of 18.2 percent.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Kentucky retains the
highest rate of smoking-related deaths and the highest ratio of youth aged 12
to 17 who use some form of tobacco, the CDC reports.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dollar
General has 393 Kentucky
stores, according to its website.</span></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-87633500747246280862013-01-10T11:10:00.000-08:002013-01-11T14:09:07.896-08:00Growing up in Kentucky: Study finds discouraging trends for children<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://kyyouth.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/2012_KidsCount_CoverThumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://kyyouth.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/2012_KidsCount_CoverThumbnail.jpg" width="154" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A
new overview of Kentucky
children’s advantages and disadvantages, from birth through high school, shows
a heavy dependence on social safety nets, such as public preschools and
subsidized meals.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Figures
for Christian County reflect trends similar to the
state’s.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">They
also show potentially discouraging gaps in parenting and education: low rates
of college readiness, high rates of smoking during pregnancies.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
<a href="http://kyyouth.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/12pub_countydatabook.pdf">Kids Count County Data Book</a> study, released by <a href="http://kyyouth.org/">Kentucky Youth Advocates</a>,
consists of more than 100 datasets. It gives some broad recommendations but
doesn’t delve far into causes. But walking through the numbers, in
chronological sequence, gives a unique and useful perspective.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In
2011, this county had about 20,784 residents under age 18. Nearly a third of
those children lived in poverty, according to the report. Todd County
had about the same ratio, but in Trigg only about a fifth of the children lived
in poverty.</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Among
Christian County’s newborns, about 17.6 percent
had mothers with no high school diplomas. That number applies to births between
2007 and 2009. Trigg and Todd scored worse in this area.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Also,
more than a fifth of this county’s mothers smoked during their pregnancies,
according to 2009 data. Only about 39 percent breastfed their babies, which is
far healthier than using formula.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Parents
of 1,832 Christian
County children received
financial aid for child care in the last fiscal year. The state pays an average
of $5,766 for a 4-year-old and $6,594 for an infant. These subsidies are
smaller than the federal government recommends, and Kentucky Youth Advocates
warn that this might cause a lower level of quality.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In
Trigg County, only 90 children received these
subsidies, and there were 193 in Todd.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When
they reached the ages of 3 and 4, about 23.3 percent were in publicly funded
preschools. Some of these kids were disabled and some were poor. Trigg had 39.5
percent; Todd had 47.5.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For
those old enough to attend school, 15 percent were “chronically absent” from
classes, meaning they missed a tenth or more of the school year. Todd had the
same percentage; Trigg had 33.1.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">According
to the report, children usually miss school for one of three reasons: illness,
socioeconomic factors, or court involvement; fear of harassment or
embarrassment; or having families that don’t value education.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For
kids in Christian
County’s public schools,
about 73 percent were eligible for free or subsidized meals. Trigg had 55
percent; Todd had 61.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Kids
who get enough to eat are more likely to succeed, the report states.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Only
0.5 percent of local students were suspended for breaking the law, whereas it
shot to 2 percent or higher in a few counties. But 8.4 percent were suspended
for breaking school rules.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As
for test scores, nearly 60 percent of this county’s high schoolers scored less
than proficient on reading tests, and more than 65 percent missed the mark on
math tests.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">More
than a fifth of students here fail to graduate within four years, though the
rate improved between 2008 and 2011. Trigg and Todd have slightly better
graduation rates.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But
even among the graduates, a majority — 54.1 percent — are unprepared for
college or careers. This estimate came from the Kentucky Department of
Education and the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In
Todd, only 36.4 percent met the readiness criteria. In Trigg, 54.1 percent.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">That
puts them in a tough position entering adulthood. About 54 percent of Kentucky jobs will
require postsecondary education within five years, the report states.</span></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-34086284937515610042013-01-08T11:04:00.000-08:002013-01-11T11:06:39.576-08:00Birth indicators bode poorly for Todd’s future <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Study: Ne<span style="font-size: small;">arly 40<span style="font-size: small;"> percent of births to high school dropouts</span></span></span> </span></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">By
Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer</span></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Nearly
40 percent of children born in Todd
County from 2007 to 2009
were born to mothers without high school diplomas, according to state records.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It’s
a figure widely disproportionate to the percent of adults over 24 who have
finished high school or gotten equivalency degrees — 74.9 percent, according to
U.S. Census data.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Regardless,
it doesn’t bode well for the future of Todd County’s
population, according to literature from Kentucky Youth Advocates. Children
born in these circumstances have higher rates of infant mortality, and it can
hurt their school readiness skills, academic achievement and health outcomes,
the Kentucky Youth Advocates study reports.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Across
the state, 20.6 percent of births from 2007 to 2009 were to mothers without
high school degrees. Between 2004 and 2006, it was about 42.6 percent. But the
rate in Todd actually jumped 5.5 percent in that same time.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Todd
doesn’t have a particularly high rate of teen births, at least for Kentucky. The rate per
1,000 girls ages 15 to 19 is only about 42, compared to 52 across Kentucky. But the high
school dropouts having babies could be any age.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Due
to the holiday, the New Era could not reach officials from the Todd County
Health Department or the school district for comment.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Because
of Todd’s relatively small population, it didn’t take thousands of births to
drive up the percentage. Between 2007 and 2009, there were 218 babies born to
women without diplomas.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Kentucky
Youth Advocates obtained this data from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and
Family Services.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Christian County had 822 births during those years
to mothers without diplomas, which was 17.6 percent of all births. In Trigg County,
there were 86 such births, or 19 percent.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In
its study, Kentucky Youth Advocates concluded the best place to start
addressing this issue, whether on the local or state level, is by raising
graduation rates.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“Programs
that combine a package of services, such as remedial education, vocational
training, and day care services, as well as programs that provide financial
incentives for teen mothers to return or stay in school, have shown success at
preventing dropout and increasing completion rates,” the study reads.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But
on the large scale, mothers who don’t have diplomas can take steps toward
boosting their kids’ chances of graduating, according to the study.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sending
their kids to preschool helps, statistics show. And when mothers increase their
education levels, even in their 20s or 30s, it can increase their young
children’s language skills. On this last point, the study cites an article
published by Wayne State University Press.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
study is called the 2012 Kids Count County Data Book. It has information on a
broad range of poverty, education and school spending data.</span></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-58996107019370288052012-12-26T10:03:00.000-08:002013-01-11T10:31:10.432-08:00St. Luke receives $4,000 grant from local group<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer</b> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">St.
Luke Free Clinic received a $4,000 grant this month from the Hopkinsville
Junior Auxiliary.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It’s
the clinic’s first grant in recent years, let alone since the announcement this
summer that it must seek financial independence.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So
far the board hasn’t identified other grants to apply for, Chairman Brandon
Garnett said. But between a few fundraisers and the money from the grant, it’s
in comfortable shape for the remainder of this fiscal year.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
Hopkinsville Junior Auxiliary, which generally has 50 to 60 members in their
20s and 30s, gives a similar grant every other year, said Devon Jenkins, the
group’s president. This year about 15 nonprofits applied, and the four
finalists gave presentations.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">After
hearing Garnett speak, the board chose St. Luke on the basis of need and the
likely impact, Jenkins said.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
money comes from community donations at annual fundraisers.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Garnett,
whose wife is an auxiliary member, said the clinic’s leadership is “extremely
grateful.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“I
don’t know that people in the community really realize how hard that group of
young ladies works, in the community, to raise money,” he said.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It
will fund operational expenses and clients’ prescriptions.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
Christian County Health Department pays the salaries of the clinic’s five
employees. But in June, Director Mark Pyle announced that it couldn’t afford
this much longer.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">He
asked the clinic to contribute $57,000 — the cost of the St. Luke director’s
salary and benefits — for the 2012-13 fiscal year. And he said St. Luke needed
to become totally self-sustaining before long.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">St.
Luke Director Betsy Bond resigned in September. The board appointed another
employee, Sara Nell Payne, the interim operations director.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Because
of the money it’s saving on Bond’s salary, St. Luke will only have to contribute
about $20,000, Garnett said. He called this a very rough estimate.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In
January, the board will start advertising for a full-time director, Garnett
said.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">St.
Luke will get half the proceeds from tonight’s Stars and Promises concert at
the Alhambra Theater, board member Helen Cayce said. It also raised money at a
mystery dinner theater in September, and it may put on another in the spring,
she said.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
clinic is in the middle of its annual letter campaign. It sends more than 1,500
requests to those on its mailing list and tries to raise $25,000. But this
year’s results could be better; last year it was further along by this point,
Garnett said.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“I
would like to have seen us closer to our goal today,” he said. “We still need
all the assistance we can get.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Meanwhile,
its long-term financial planning hasn’t progressed far in the last six months.
Garnett said funding options are “widespread,” but the board hasn’t chosen any
specific grants to apply for.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A
committee of the Christian County Health Department is examining the option of
a federally qualified health center, a kind of facility that will proliferate
under the Affordable Care Act.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In
a normal year, St. Luke’s total payroll expenses are around $225,000, Pyle
said.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When
the time comes to support itself, the clinic will be ready, Cayce said. She
believes it might even find the funding for a full-time nurse practitioner,
which would improve the continuity of care. Right now some of its rotating,
volunteer providers see different patients every month.</span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-40006603401742346712012-12-18T11:32:00.000-08:002013-01-11T11:33:57.708-08:00Changes outlined for mental disabilities programs<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Compared
to other states, Kentucky
has a poor record of helping the mentally disabled find regular jobs and build
stable romantic relationships. The University
of Kentucky established
this in a survey.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
state wants improvement. But it has people concerned that disabled members of
their families will get pushed into jobs they’re not ready for or will be left
with no options.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On
Monday night, two representatives of the state came to speak at the Pennyroyal Mental Health
Center. They wanted to
allay the concerns of any locals whose relatives work at Trace Industries, a sheltered
jobs program the Pennyroyal
Center runs.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“There’s
no intention of closing or shutting down a provider unless there’s some issue
going on,” said Alice Blackwell, assistant director of Kentucky’s division of developmental and
intellectual disabilities. She was addressing about a dozen community members,
and Pennyroyal Center staff sat among them.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Trace
falls under the category of sheltered workshops, though the Pennyroyal Center
prefers terms like “employment opportunity,” Director David Ptaszek said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Its
150 or so employees build tables for the U.S. Army, clean totes for Douglas
Autotech, cut wood for Plymouth
and perform many other manual labor tasks, according to its website. Everyone
gets a job matched to his or her abilities. Once Trace had an employee who
could only press a button, and it found work for her, Ptaszek said. The company
tries to help employees move up to more and more complex tasks, and ultimately
to enter the outside workforce, even if this requires extra training from their
employers.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">They
receive paychecks from Trace, but the minimum wage law doesn’t apply to them.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Trace
depends on Medicaid funding to operate. In August, the state proposed cutting
these funds, on the grounds that employees at Trace and similar programs around
the state — of which there are roughly 50 — should be seeking regular community
jobs.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Had
the state done this, Trace would have shut down, Ptaszek said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Blackwell
handed out copies on Monday of a revised version of the regulation changes, and
this version evidently won’t hurt Trace’s funding. Ptaszek said it set his mind
at ease — and apparently the minds of other attendees too.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“I
think there was some relief tonight,” he said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Not
everyone in the crowd Monday night came with questions about Trace. The changes
will affect many programs for the mentally disabled, and some will affect the Pennyroyal Center in other ways.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For
instance, the center won’t be able to provide case management to the clients
who are taking advantage of its other services. This creates a conflict of
interest, and Kentucky
is one of the only states that hasn’t already banned it, Blackwell said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">However,
clients who already have a longstanding relationship will be able to get
exceptions, she said. So the policy will take hold steadily, over a period of
years.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ptaszek
said new clients won’t have any trouble finding case management elsewhere in
town.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As
for the big picture, these regulation changes should nudge the mentally
disabled and their families toward fuller community engagement, Blackwell said.
There will be additional resources, including staff, to the disabled get
involved in social activities. This could mean pairing someone with a film club
and arranging transportation, for instance, said Julie Neal, quality administration
supervisor for Blackwell’s department.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Blackwell
answered general questions about transportation, case management and other
services. But it was clear that each family would need to consult individually
with the Pennyroyal
Center or someone else to
determine how the changes will affect their own situations.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
changes will take effect sometime after Jan. 1, but it’s not clear exactly
when, Blackwell said.</span></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-32212493992474951262012-12-04T11:35:00.000-08:002013-01-11T14:06:59.127-08:00Integrated health plan proposed for schools <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Health department says it could alleviate nurse shortage</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia;">By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">Donna Crick no longer needs to worry about the school
nurse being absent from Crofton Elementary, where her insulin-dependent
daughter attends.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">The school no longer shares a nurse with Lacy Elementary School
— because Lacy now has a diabetic student as well. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">The Christian County Health Department's initial plan for
saving on payroll costs hasn't worked out. So in the midst of serious budget
shortfalls, the department is now considering an alternate model, called
Coordinated School Health, that would depend more heavily on educators.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">"There is so much more that should be done in the
schools with school health other than nursing," Health Department Director
Mark Pyle wrote in an email. "As a community we will need to figure out
how to use all tax dollars (school system, health department, others) to
efficiently offer a coordinated school health program."</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">Pyle plans to meet with school officials and discuss this
within the next three months. So far he has only discussed it with the Kentucky
Health Department Association. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">Early this school year, the health department tried to get
by with 14 full-time nurses for the county's 15 schools. For the rest of this
year, a part-time nurse will fill the 15th slot, Pyle said. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">Next year the department may or may not return to full
staffing capacity. The Coordinated School Health endeavor could affect this decision.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">The state has a grant for the implementation costs,
according to its website.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">The coordination model emerged in the 1980s. It involves
eight components: health education in classrooms, physical education, health
care, nutritious meals, counseling and psychological services, physical and
aesthetic surroundings designed for health, promotion of health among staff,
and heavy parental involvement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">For example, the healthy environment initiative might
involve looking for biological or chemical agents that hurt students' health,
and reexamining temperature, noise and lighting. The health education in
classrooms might involve separate courses for each grade, and could comprise of
injury prevention and emotional health.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a generic
plan to give school districts a starting place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">Once the superintendent and principals get on board, they
should appoint someone at each school to oversee health issues, and they should
revise mission statements to include health, the CDC recommends.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">Later they should start a district-wide health council and
create a health team of teachers, parents and students at every school. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">A plan for Christian
County could be tailored
for students' greatest health needs. They could focus, for instance, on obesity
in elementary schools and smoking, drug use and unsafe sex in the high schools.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">The CDC's plan puts the onus on school districts. But Pyle
imagines spreading responsibilities around, both in terms of funding and
supervision.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">In the early meetings, he wants to discuss which agency
can provide each service most efficiently.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;">Maybe</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;"> it is more about changing the
funding structure," he wrote. "The question is not and should not be
how many nurses are employed as school nurses, but what services are provided
and how efficient the program is in serving our students."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;"> For more information on Coordinated School Health,
visit <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/cshp/index.htm">www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/cshp/index.htm</a>.</span></div>
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<![endif]-->Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-7422683770799540342012-11-28T10:47:00.000-08:002013-01-11T10:55:17.635-08:00 Health Dept. to refuse non-locals <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>By Nick Tabor<span style="font-size: small;">, New Era Senior Staff Writer</span></b> </span> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Beginning in January, indigent clients who want
contraceptives or cancer screenings won’t be able to get them from the
Christian County Health Department unless they live here.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The alternative is for their home counties to
sign a contract with Christian
County before Jan. 1.
They would reimburse Christian
County for each service
rendered, and the exchange could go both ways.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The policy won’t affect any services that depend
entirely on federal or state funding. It will only apply to those that depend
on local property taxes.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Mark Pyle, director of the Christian County
Health Department, said residents of Todd and Trigg counties often seek
services here. Those who don’t have insurance can buy contraceptives or cancer
services on a sliding scale. Those with low enough incomes don’t pay anything.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Christian County residents sometimes
seek services from health departments in those counties, but the volume is much
lower, Pyle said. He announced the policy change Monday evening at a Christian County Board of Health meeting.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There’s nothing in state law saying the health
departments have to serve anyone who comes in, regardless of where they live,
he said.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Allison Beshear, spokeswoman for the Pennyrile
District Health Department, which comprises Trigg County,
said she hadn’t heard about this new policy before a phone interview with the
New Era.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“This is complete news to us,” she said. She
added that she’s willing to discuss the issue with Pyle. She understands the
tight spot he’s in.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Jen Harris, director of the Todd County Health
Department, said she hadn’t heard of it either. But it might cause problems for
the residents of her small county, she said.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“There’s a reason why they’re not going to their
own county health department if that’s where they live,” she said. “There may
be girls, or guys, who are in need of some type of contraceptive or family
planning service that they don’t feel comfortable coming to our health
department for, because maybe a relative works here or maybe a family friend
works here.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Christian County Health Department’s budget is
in trouble. Pyle estimates the revenue is down $192,000. Some of this comes
from lagging reimbursements for contraceptives it has supplied. But the vast
majority, $153,000, is delayed payment from the Medicaid provider Kentucky
Spirit.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Kentucky Spirit is ending its contract with the
state by July 1. No one can say yet whether the Christian County Health
Department, and all the other organizations awaiting payments from the company,
will ever get their money, Pyle said.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It would help the department’s bottom line to
treat fewer indigent patients. In the 2010-11 fiscal year, the department spent
$50,441 from local taxes to buy contraceptives and fund counseling related to
family planning, according to financial records.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It’s only fair to this county’s taxpayers to
restrict that money to local clients, Pyle said.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“We would love to be able to serve everyone,” he
said. “But we have financial constraints that won’t allow us to.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pyle said health officials in Todd and Trigg
counties are facing similar budget struggles, so they understand. So far their
discussions of a contract haven’t gotten serious.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To further alleviate budget problems, the
Christian County Health Department won’t accept Kentucky Spirit payments as of
Jan. 1. This way Kentucky Spirit clients who already have appointments in the
next six weeks can leave their plans intact.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Lake Cumberland Health District Health
Department, which covers 10 counties, is awaiting about $2.3 million in
Kentucky Spirit payments.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In other business:</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <span style="font-size: small;">P</span>yle
outlined the new Community Health Assessment and Improvement Plan in
significant detail for the board members. He reminded them of his promise that
board meetings will focus more on public health now and less on finances.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pyle
announced St. Luke Free Clinic will hire a new director to replace Betsy Bond,
who recently resigned. Because the health department will cut its formal ties
with St. Luke next year, Pyle wants the clinic’s board to have charge of the
hiring process.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pyle
said that whenever school nurse positions open in the future, he’ll fill them
with registered nurses instead of licensed practical nurses. Because of a
policy that took effect this fall, only RNs can bill to Medicaid. The health
department currently has six LPNs in its schools, so it will lose about $6,000
in annual reimbursements because of the policy, he said. But it would be
impracticable to replace the six LPNs in a sweep.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
health department has received two state grants — $100,000 for colon cancer
outreach and colonoscopies and $39,226 for abstinence education. As usual, the
department will pay Alpha Alternative to provide the education.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
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<![endif]-->Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-41981849512995172332012-11-09T13:03:00.000-08:002013-01-11T13:07:25.337-08:00 17-page plan details steps for improving our health <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Several
months ago, Mark Pyle, director of the Christian County Health Department,
promised a more proactive approach to this area’s health — one that unified the
hospital, local government and others toward a common goal.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now
those organizations are getting their assignments.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Jennie
Stuart Medical Center needs to bring in more doctors, according to the 2012
Community Health Assessment and Improvement Plan, which the health department
will make public next week.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Hopkinsville
City Council needs to improve public transportation, so people can get to their
doctors’ offices, and get serious about adding sidewalks and walking trails.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
school system needs a wellness policy that improves students’ diets and gets
them more exercise.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Alpha
Alternative needs to offer parents free classes on how to talk to their
children about sex.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
list also outlines the health department’s contributions. It goes on for
several pages.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If
successful, it will improve access for everyone, from suburban families to the
poor and disabled, including those who would never seek preventive care right
now, Pyle said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This
will take broad cooperation. Organizations like the hospital and the schools
contributed to the plan, but it still marks a bold step for the health
department to delineate roles so concretely.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Long
time coming</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
health department had about 12,000 copies of this plan published in a glossy
17-page document, like a slim magazine. By next week, copies will go to every
member of the Christian
County Chamber of
Commerce, every doctor’s office and many public buildings. Every public school
student will get a copy to take home, Pyle said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Alt<span style="font-size: small;">ernatively, it's available for download <a href="http://christiancountyhd.com/articleFileHandler.ashx?file=19">here</a>.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Fifty-two
local residents contributed. They include representatives from Christian County Jail, Housing Authority of
Hopkinsville and Sanctuary House, plus many health organizations. The mayor and
judge-executive also participated.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
assessment followed a model from the National Association of County and City
Health Officials. It’s crucial for the accreditation the health department will
apply for next year.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
coordination between local health organizations falls below the national
standard, according to the report.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
report lists key local health statistics and tries to diagnose the biggest
factors for widespread problems. For instance, high rates of obesity and
uninsured people help explain the high diabetes rate, according to the report.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>5-part
plan</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As
a top priority, Pyle plans to create a health care coalition between Eric Lee,
president of Jennie Stuart; the president of Jennie Stuart’s medical staff;
David Ptaszek, director of the Pennyroyal Mental Health Center; Pyle himself;
and perhaps others. They’ll meet regularly and oversee the entire system of
public and private health organizations, he said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Also,
health department employees will visit every provider in town to get a detailed
list of the services they perform, the kinds of payment they accept and their
specialties.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This
information will go into a public database that anyone can download or pick up
at the health department, Pyle said. And he plans to appoint a public health
advocate who can help the poor and uninsured find a doctor to treat them.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Beyond
these priorities, the report has many strategies broken down into five
sections.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Under
the first, “Chronic Disease Prevention and Control,” the report recommends a
“comprehensive diabetes management program.” Right now the hospital, the health
department and other organizations have divided programs, but they could
improve by unifying, Pyle said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It
asks the city to start requiring all new subdivisions to have sidewalks and
other infrastructure that encourages physical activity. This would take a
“comprehensive streets ordinance,” according to the plan.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
plan recommends more walking trails around existing parks.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For
its own part, the health department will buy vehicles and equip them with medical
gear. Nurses will start going out every day and treating residents who don’t
have transportation, Pyle said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There’s
grant funding available for vehicles. As for the nurses, the health department
might keep fewer in its main building to put more on the streets.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
second section, “Cancer Prevention,” includes increasing the number of clinics
and resources for preventive exams and creating more nutrition classes. These
classes should start in January.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
third section, “Improving access to primary health care and oral health,”
addresses the need for a clinic that will serve the poor and uninsured. St.
Luke Free Clinic may evolve into such a place. It should have full-time nurse
practitioners, the report states.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
health department will push for a law that lets providers treat people for
Chlamydia and gonorrhea without their partners present.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
fourth section, “Ensuring a health start for children ages 0-5,” recommends
better distribution of immunizations between doctors’ offices. Because of
changes in Medicaid reimbursements, the health department can’t afford to
shoulder the burden of immunizations alone, Pyle said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
fifth, “Encouraging health lifestyles in children ages 6-18,” states a need for
suicide prevention and anger management counseling, a diabetes program in the
public school system and a school wellness policy.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Many
of these measures are supposed to start in January.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Look
for copies of the report in public places or download it <a href="http://christiancountyhd.com/articleFileHandler.ashx?file=19">here</a>. Call the health department at 270-887-4160 for more information.</span></span></div>
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Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-54273790706930762572012-11-08T10:43:00.000-08:002013-01-11T10:44:39.803-08:00 Trover merges with Baptist, changes name <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="byline" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="fn"><b>By Nick
Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Trover
Health System officially became a part of Baptist Health, one of Kentucky’s largest
health organizations, on Thursday. Its name is now Baptist Health Madisonville.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">All
of its subsidiary organizations and services are changing to the new name,
Trover announced in a news release Thursday morning. This includes the
convenient care center at the Hopkinsville Wal-Mart.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Baptist
is also changing its name from Baptist Healthcare System. The name “Baptist
Health” should “unify its family of services,” according to the release.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“The
new brand reflects that the system is much more than a group of hospitals, but
a broad variety of health care services and facilities,” the release reads.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Trover
announced the merger last year.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
Affordable Care Act meant it would need to care for about 30,000 new indigent
patients, while some of its revenue sources decreased, spokeswoman Sara Spencer
said in a previous interview with the New Era.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So
its board evaluated whether it could continue operating independently.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“Can
we stand alone, or are we going to need the support of a formal network?”
Spencer explained.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Merging
with Baptist gets the Madisonville
company access to more doctors, more capital for improvements, better
technology and access to other Baptist hospitals and specialists throughout the
state, according to the release.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Last
year, Trover researched larger medical companies whose networks it could join.
It narrowed the list to LifePoint Hospitals Inc., based in Brentwood, Tenn.,
and Owensboro Medical Health System, according to a previous news release.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Baptist
brings deep experience in several critical areas: hospital/clinic ownership and
management, relationships with doctors, home health services, occupational
health services, health insurance (through its Bluegrass Family Health
plans),and wellness programs for businesses, according to the 2011 release.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
six other hospitals in its network are in Louisville,
LaGrange, Corbin, Lexington, Paducah
and Richmond.
It also manages Hardin Memorial Hospital
in Elizabethtown,
according to its website.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In
2010, one of every six inpatients and eight outpatients in Kentucky received care from a Baptist
hospital, according to Thursday’s announcement.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
facility in Madisonville
is now recruiting doctors for internal medicine and family practice. Unlike Jennie Stuart
Medical Center,
most doctors who work with Trover/Baptist are full employees of the company,
not independent practitioners who have access to hospital equipment.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It
plans renovations to its Mother/Baby Unit, a remodel of its Emergency and Same
Day Surgery departments, and updates to its cafeteria, according to the release.</span></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-11537639112600736102012-11-02T10:39:00.000-07:002013-01-11T10:41:28.394-08:00 Products from Mass. company recalled from local medical facilities <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
Massachusetts
company blamed for the meningitis outbreak had systemic problems with
sterilization in its drug lab, state inspectors found.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Two
Hopkinsville facilities, plus others throughout Kentucky and Tennessee,
have been using products from the company — though mostly not the ones that
cause meningitis. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released an exhaustive
list this week of the company’s customers.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
manufacturer, New England
Compounding Center,
has recalled all its products. So Jennie Stuart Medical Center has ceased using
a muscle relaxant it produced, called Robaxin, and has notified all 73 patients
who have received the drug since May.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
FDA has not reported any illnesses associated with Robaxin. Jennie Stuart’s
letter to patients described the recall as a precautionary measure, according
to a hospital news release.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Additionally,
Western Kentucky Institute of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
sent back all the antibiotic cream it purchased from the company.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“We’re
always very careful,” said Susan Valentini, the institute’s office manager
said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">She
added that the cream doesn’t enter a patient’s pores when a doctor uses it.
It’s simply a numbing agent, and since it gets cleaned off after surgery — and
never injected — it never posed any threat.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Altogether,
45 facilities in Kentucky
used products from NECC. This includes Western
Baptist Hospital
in Paducah, Pain Management Center of Paducah,
Owensboro Dermatology and The Medical Center at Bowling Green.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In
Tennessee, 64 facilities used NECC’s products,
including Gateway Medical Center
in Clarksville and more than a dozen in the
greater Nashville
area.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">NECC
voluntarily halted operations on Oct. 3, after patients across the U.S. who had
received its epidural steroid injections started contracting meningitis. So far
328 people in 18 states have reported cases of meningitis, and 24 have died,
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Wednesday. This
includes five cases and one death in Kentucky.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Massachusetts’
Department of Public Health has been investigating NECC throughout October.
Inspectors have found dirty lab equipment, failures to maintain important
sterilization tools, and a leaking boiler and dirty mat near the room where
sterile medications were produced, according to state records. NECC could lose
its pharmacy license.</span></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-64998371462560116422012-11-01T11:25:00.000-07:002013-01-11T11:28:53.388-08:00Pennyroyal Center joins suicide prevention network<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
Pennyroyal Mental
Health Center
is increasing the scope of its crisis call-in center, trying to eliminate
access barriers and fully saturate this section of Western
Kentucky.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
call service now belongs to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, so
lifeline callers whose phone numbers link them to this region automatically get
connected to Pennyroyal Mental Health instead of a center in Louisville.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Further,
the call center introduced a text message service last week and will soon offer
Internet chatting.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This
should encourage teens and young adults to take the first step in seeking help,
said Audra Scott, the Pennyroyal
Center’s coordinator of
crisis services.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Kenneth
Foster, one of eight full-time clinical assessors who answer crisis calls, said
this doesn’t change the nature of the job much. But that’s why the Pennyroyal Center wanted to add these services in
the first place — it fits so well with what they were already doing, Scott
said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">She
said the RESPOND Center has been in place for many years.
It’s the point of entry for all new Pennyroyal
Center clients, and it
answers all phone calls after business hours.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Some
callers only want information about Pennyroyal
Center programs. But
others need someone to talk them down from the brink of suicide, or they feel
panicked or depressed and don’t know what they want, Foster said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Say
a war veteran calls in, crying, and says he’s going through drug withdrawals. A
counselor might help him think of reasons to live and help him make a
short-term plan to avoid killing himself. Then the counselor could arrange an
appointment with a therapist, so the veteran could learn about substance abuse
programs the Pennyroyal
Center offers.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">All
local advertisements for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline are now
effectively ads for the Pennyroyal crisis center.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Carole
Ludwig, the lifeline’s network development manager, said it helps having local
participation.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“While
any center in the network can assess a caller for risk, and provide emergency
services if necessary, local crisis centers are able to provide the most
up-to-date information about local resources within their community,” Ludwig
wrote in an email.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
Pennyroyal Center received a couple thousand
dollars for joining the network and will receive a small amount every year as
compensation for its staff resources, Scott said. The Suicide Lifeline operates
on federal grant money, and it requires its crisis centers to be licensed or
accredited, Ludwig said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To
introduce the text message service, the Pennyroyal Center
received a three-year grant. When a local number sends the Pennyroyal Center
a message, the text shows up on a computer in the call center. Assessors can
type in their responses.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Even
if a person is just having a bad day or needs advice for a tough situation, the
call center can help, Scott said. She hopes this format will make young people
more comfortable.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“That’s
what they do,” she said. “They prefer to text.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
Internet chatting service comes free as part of joining the suicide prevention
hotline, Scott said. Pennyroyal
Center technicians are
still working out kinks, so Scott doesn’t know exactly when it will become
available.</span></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-83856889130304645152012-10-17T10:35:00.000-07:002013-01-11T10:37:34.513-08:00Several meningitis cases in Pennyrile<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Illness
traced to epidural steroid injection</span></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></b><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">By
Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer</span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
state has five confirmed reports of fungal meningitis in Kentucky, and three or four evidently
occurred in the southern Pennyrile.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">An
epidural steroid injection from Massachusetts
is apparently causing the statewide outbreak, and though no facilities in Kentucky have received it, a major Nashville
clinic — the Saint Thomas
Outpatient Neurosurgery
Center — did use the
injection.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">All
five Kentuckians who contracted the illness received medical care in Tennessee, the state
reported. Facilities in Crossville and Knoxville,
Tenn., also used the injection,
according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Kentucky’s health cabinet is not specifying where the
affected Kentuckians live, but Jen Harris, director of the Todd County Health
Department, said the state’s Department for Public Health notified her Saturday
of two cases in Todd
County.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">One
is Bill Johnson Sr., whose son ran against Rand Paul for U.S. Senate and Alison
Lundergan Grimes for Kentucky Secretary of State.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Carolyn
Bland, director of the Trigg
County Senior
Center, was hospitalized
Oct. 3 for meningitis, said her daughter, Beth Taylor.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Eddie
Lovelace, a longtime circuit judge from Clinton County,
died of meningitis last month. His widow told the Lexington Herald-Leader he
had been treated at Saint Thomas.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">That
leaves one more case. Mark Pyle, director of the Christian County Health
Department,and Mary Powell, an epidemiologist who covers Western
Kentucky, deferred comment to the state.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Anyone
who has received an epidural steroid injection since May 21 should see a doctor
if any of these symptoms arise: worsening headache, fever, sensitivity to
light, stiff neck, new weakness or numbness anywhere in the body and slurred
speech, according to a news release from the state.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
steroid came from New England
Compounding Center,
the CDC reported. The company voluntarily ceased operations on Oct. 3 and later
recalled the steroid amidst an investigation.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Seventy-five
facilities in 23 states received the steroid. Altogether health officials have
reported 119 infections and 11 deaths across the nation, and six of those
deaths were in Tennessee,
the Associated Press reported Tuesday.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dr.
John Dreyzehner, the state’s public health commissioner, told a group of
reporters last week Tennessee
had received a “disproportionate share” of the compound.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ambulatory Care
Center in Evansville, Ind.,
also received the steroid, according to the CDC’s report.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Kentucky’s public health
department told Harris the state may ask the Todd County Health Department for
help investigating the outbreak locally. It told her to stand by.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Bill
Johnson, who will turn 70 next month, received two steroid shots at Saint Thomas, his wife,
Sandra Johnson said. He later felt a severe headache, pain in the back of his
neck, and a fever above 102 degrees.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On
Sept. 22, when he could hardly walk, he went to Jennie Stuart
Medical Center.
In hindsight, it impresses his son — Bill Johnson Jr. — that doctors there
diagnosed it before the outbreak became national news.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“They
were on it quick, and they really did a good job,” he said.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Bill
Johnson Sr. transferred to Saint
Thomas on Sept. 24. His condition seems to be
improving, though his wife doesn’t know when he’ll come home.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Carolyn
Bland received an injection on Sept. 11, Taylor
said. Her condition is now “fair to stable,” and she feels better some days
than others, Taylor
said.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For
the CDC’s complete list of the facilities that received the steroid, broken
down by state, visit <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/meningitis-facilities-map.html">http://www.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/meningitis-facilities-map.html</a></span></span></div>
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<![endif]-->Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595290854573743309.post-3604696232268268542012-10-13T00:00:00.000-07:002012-10-13T00:00:07.270-07:00 Treating dementia requires facilities <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Sen.
Pendleton says he’ll lobby for expansion of Western State</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Part two in a two-part series </b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>By
Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Twenty
miles north of Louisville, in Charlestown, Ind.,
the small St. Catherine Regional Hospital has a 26-bed facility for elderly
patients who have mental problems.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
way a nurse describes it, the facility sounds like a far cry from a lush
independent living center. But families, nursing homes and hospitals in Kentucky — including Western
Kentucky — would be in worse trouble without it.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Often
its patients have worked on farms or in auto shops or maintenance departments
for years, said Amelia Johns, a St. Catherine nurse.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When
dementia short-circuits their mental faculties, their bodies remain strong and
even anxious. They can hardly sit still. Sometimes they tear out sinks, and one
patient dismantled his entire bed.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“How
he even took it apart with his bare hands is beyond me, but he did,” Johns
said. “They’re pretty destructive sometimes.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It
helps having three nurses and four aides for the 26 patients, plus bed alarms
and hallway cameras so they can never wander far. Most people stay for 10-14
days to stabilize, then the hospital discharges them.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here’s
where the problem comes.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Because
of these patients’ histories, often no nursing home in Kentucky will take them. Glasgow State
Nursing Facility accepts a large share, but other times St. Catherine has to find
an open bed in Ohio or Indiana.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
situation may soon improve in Central and Eastern Kentucky.
Eastern State
Hospital in Lexington is undergoing a $129 million
construction project, and Gwenda Bond, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Cabinet for
Health and Family Services, said it will have 27 long-term care beds for
elderly psychiatric patients.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But
the Pennyroyal has neither a place to stabilize severe dementia patients, such
as St. Catherine, nor a long-term facility for those with extreme cases.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sen.
Joey Pendleton, D-Hopkinsville, wants the state to fund an expansion of Western State Hospital.
Should he be re-elected in November, his top priority for his final term in
office will be convincing Gov. Steve Beshear to put the expense in his 2014
budget.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Meanwhile,
the Pennyroyal Mental Health
Center is researching the
demand and working with private facilities to develop a plan. As the baby
boomers age, the need becomes more pressing every day.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>‘Fair
share’</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When
its expansion opens next year, the geriatric unit at Eastern State
Hospital will have
medical, nursing, psychiatric and therapy services, Bond said. It will
specialize in psychiatric services patients can’t get elsewhere in the
community.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To
enter, a patient must have a psychiatric diagnosis, plus specialty medical
needs or nursing needs, Bond said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">According
to reports from the Lexington Herald-Leader, the construction cost $129 million
and brought the square footage to 300,000.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Bluegrass
Regional Mental Health, that area’s equivalent of the Pennyroyal
Center, manages Eastern State
Hospital.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pendleton
believes Western State Hospital,
which was built in the 1860s, is long overdue for a similar upgrade.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“I’m
going to see that Western Kentucky gets their
fair share now,” he said. “I know, right now money’s tight. If you don’t start
planning and you don’t start asking, then it will never happen.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pendleton
took a personal interest in dementia care when doctors diagnosed his mother
with Alzheimer’s disease. He plans to meet with Beshear soon to discuss the matter,
and he will bring it up with two legislative committees he serves on.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If
the Pennyroyal had a long-term facility like the one at Eastern State,
the staff there could likely also help patients with urgent needs, like those
who go to St. Catherine, Pendleton said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dr.
Susan Vaught, director of psychology at Western
State, said this would mean a major
shift in Western State’s purpose. It presently
concentrates its resources on acute-care psychiatric services.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In
contrast, Eastern State Hospital
proclaims an ambitious vision on its website: “To become a nationally
recognized Center
of Excellence in a
state-of-the art facility on an integrated behavioral health campus. We will
set the standard for providing recovery oriented, evidenced-based care, leading
the field in research, training and demonstrated improved outcomes.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Gauging
demand</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
Pennyroyal Center
compiled a list of 16 facilities in Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana
that take in extreme dementia patients. The closest are in Clarksville,
Nashville, Bowling Green
and Murray.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Tim
Golden, the Pennyroyal
Center’s ombudsman,
intends for nursing facilities to use the list when they need to transfer
patients.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">However,
the remedy isn’t as simple as making a phone call and arranging transportation,
Golden said. Some facilities limit the kinds of patients they’ll accept — for
instance, some can’t take anyone with severe dementia. And some don’t accept
Medicaid, or involuntary transfers, and often they don’t have open beds.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To
evaluate the local demand for such a facility, Golden sent a survey to 28
nursing facilities in the Pennyroyal, and at least 14 have responded.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If
there were an appropriate facility here, they would send a total of 23 to 30
patients there every month, the surveys reveal. And this doesn’t count the 14
who haven’t responded yet.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Golden
asked facilities to rate, on a scale of 1-10, the rate of difficulty they had
transferring advanced dementia patients to other facilities.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“It’s
nine to ten,” Golden said. “All the way through.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Anita
Gilbert, director of social services at Christian
Health Center
in Hopkinsville,
said her facility has only transferred about two patients this year for
intensive treatment. They always send patients to Behavioral Center of Clarksville
or TriStar Parthenon Pavilion in Nashville,
and no one ever waits more than two days, she said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But
even so, it would make the situation much easier for families to have a
facility in Christian
County, she said. Even Clarksville can be
inconvenient for frequent visits.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As
of the 2010 U.S. Census, 16.9 percent of Kentucky’s
residents were 60 or older. According to the state’s plan on aging, written for
fiscal years 2009-12, that number will rise to 23 percent — more than 1 million
people — by the year 2020.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">By
then the state will have about 87,000 Alzheimer’s patients, compared to 80,000
two years ago, according to estimates from the Alzheimer’s Association.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Private
alternatives</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sometimes
private facilities, such as hospitals, have facilities for dementia patients.
Neither of the Pennyroyal’s largest hospitals, Jennie
Stuart Medical
Center and Trover
Regional Medical
Center in Madisonville, have such facilities right now.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
New Era asked both hospitals whether they might open wards for elderly psychiatric
patients.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Officials
at Jennie Stuart did not answer.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Trover
is not considering such an expansion, though its officials recognize the need,
company spokeswoman Sara Spencer said.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“Unfortunately,
RMC and this community do not have the resources to move the needle in
improving, and certainly not in expanding, the needed services, nor do the
majority of counties in this state,” Spencer wrote in an email.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Trover
is looking for ways to collaborate with mental health providers and obtain more
grant money, but “state dollars are slim,” Spencer said.</span></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00820258765061566412noreply@blogger.com0