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During their meeting at the White House, the legislators updated the president on health reform efforts in the House of Representatives and pledged to continue working with him to achieve reforms that will promote economic recovery and put America back on a path toward long-term fiscal health.
“We need to act quickly to make sure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care,” said Congressman Thompson. “The system is clearly broken, and we need to create real reforms that will assure health care for all, while cutting costs and streamlining our health care system. After today’s meeting, I’m more sure than ever that the president and I share a basic commitment to building upon what works in our health care system and fixing what is broken by providing a public option to bring true competitiveness to the health care market.”
Earlier on June 9, Congressman Thompson joined in a discussion of health care reform with his colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus.
The members discussed the basic framework of health care reform, to reduce costs, protect current coverage and preserve the choice of doctors, and ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable health care.
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Wiggins represents Lake County.
HPV is the most common sexually-transmitted infection in the United States – with over 80 percent of females infected at some point in their lifetime.
For many women, HPV clears on its own without treatment. For others, it can cause cervical changes at the cellular level – dysplasia, genital warts and cervical cancer.
HPV infection has been identified as the primary cause of cervical cancer. More than 450,000 cases are diagnosed each year worldwide, resulting in nearly a quarter of a million deaths.
Cervical cancer was once the No. 1 cause of cancer deaths among women in the U.S.
For nearly five decades, the Pap test has been credited with decreasing cervical cancer mortality rates by 70 percent. Studies have shown that using the Pap test in conjunction with an HPV test is even more effective, increasing the accuracy of detecting cervical cancer to almost 100 percent.
On June 8, 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first vaccine to protect girls and young women from certain types of HPV strains.
Gardasil, developed by Merck, is a three-dose quadrivalent vaccine – meaning that it protects against four strains of HPV, the ones most likely to cause cancer.
Another HPV vaccine, Cervarix by GlaxoSmithKline, was submitted for approval on March 29, 2007, to the FDA; however, approval is not expected before later this year.
The medical effectiveness of the existing vaccine, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC), suggests a corresponding 22 percent to 60 percent reduction in cervical cancer in the general population. Effectiveness should be highest for groups less likely to have been exposed to HPV, such as preadolescent girls and females without a history of sexual activity.
“The message for young women is to vaccinate, and continue regular screenings,” Sen. Wiggins said. “The combination of the vaccine and regular screenings will be a very powerful tool in reducing both cervical cancer and death from cervical cancer over the next decades.”
Wiggins’ legislation, which is sponsored by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, has already been approved by the Senate.
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“AB 1445 recognizes the need for patients to on occasion make two visits in one day,” said Herrmann Spetzler, Executive Director of Open Door Community Health Centers in Humboldt County. “When patients who live in rural communities travel long distances to see their health care providers, it makes sense for them to receive all necessary services at each visit. This may include medical, dental or behavioral services since these services are most often co-located in the same clinic.”
Currently, Medi-Cal does not reimburse for a patient to see a primary care provider and a behavioral health specialist on the same day. Only one visit is reimbursed in this situation.
Federal law permits reimbursement for same-day medical and behavioral health visits and provides federal matching funds for states that choose to allow same-day visits. Currently, California doesn’t take advantage of these federal funds.
AB 1445 would allow federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to be reimbursed by Medi-Cal for a maximum of two health care visits, a medical visit and a behavioral visit, that occur on the same day at a single location.
“Withholding these critical same day services results in increased medical visits, hospitalizations, and emergency room utilization,” Chesbro said. “As trusted medical providers in these communities, health centers play a unique role in treating individuals who otherwise face barriers to accessing health services anywhere else.”
Chesbro said Medi-Cal’s reimbursement policy has created a barrier to providing two visits on the same day, despite it being cost effective because of federal matching funds. “It’s also the best way to ensure patients receive the care they need in a timely manner. This bill will remedy this shortcoming in the law.”
AB 1445 now goes to the Senate for approval.
More information on AB 1445 can be found at the California Legislative Council’s bill information Web site, www.leginfo.ca.gov .
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CLEARLAKE – St. Helena Hospital Clearlake nurse Lisa Denny, RN has received the distinguished nursing honor, the DAISY Award, a national program which recognizes members of the hospital’s nursing staff for extraordinary patient care.
“The Daisy Award program was created to honor individuals who exemplify the best in nursing care,” said Joan Rogers, chief nursing officer at St. Helena Hospital Clearlake. “Lisa was recognized for her compassionate care and extraordinary strength to the care of her patients. She consistently thinks about her patients’ mental state as well as their physical being – making sure they are balanced and their needs are met is Lisa’s gift.”
Denny, who received her nursing degree from Napa Valley College, has been a staff nurse at St. Helena Hospital Clearlake for 18 years.
She is the hospital’s second recipient of the DAISY Award, which presents this award two times a year.
Patients and family members, volunteers, doctors and staff members are invited to nominate a nurse who they think provides outstanding care.
DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The Foundation was formed in January 2000 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of complications of an immune disease. The Barnes family was deeply moved by the kind and compassionate care Patrick received from his nurses and established the DAISY Award to honor them and their son’s memory.