U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin has issued a Proposed Call to Action on Walking, and she wants to hear from you. The public comment period on “Walking as a Way for Americans to Get the Recommended Amount of Physical Activity for Health” is open from April 1 – 30. Details are available at Everybodywalk.org/takeaction ACU highlighted the importance of promoting walking for all in our 2012 health promotion calendar. Walking helps maintain weight, reduce high blood pressure, and lower the … [Read more...]
Clinicians and Gun Violence: What to know and what to do
March 15, 2013 by
Clinicians and Gun Violence: What to know and what to do By Annie Savarese, MD On December 14, 2012, twenty children and their teachers were murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary. In January of this year, there were forty-three fatal shootings in Chicago. In the United States, gun violence is responsible for over 30,000 deaths and over 70,000 injuries every year. On average, 282 people are shot daily and 50 of them are children or teenagers. How have the medical and political communities … [Read more...]
Randy Hall: Dedicated Advocate for the Underserved
March 14, 2013 by
On Friday, March 8, 2013 ACU recognized Emerson 'Randy' Hall for his dedicated service as an advocate for the underserved. Randy served as an ACU board member from 2008 – 2012. He has made significant contributions to health care for the underserved in the areas of HIV/AIDs, depression and mental health services, diabetes, smoking and access to care, to new only a few. He has been involved in patient advocacy and worked with more than 70 national societies and consumer groups. The … [Read more...]
Policy Brief on Medicaid Expansion
February 4, 2013 by
The National Health Care for the Homeless Council has developed a very reader-friendly four-page policy brief on Medicaid expansion. We encourage you to use it in your advocacy efforts, particularly in those states reluctant to expand their Medicaid programs. The Affordable Care Act gives states for the very first time the option to provide coverage for the lowest income adults in their States, without regard to disability, parental status or most other categorical limitations. Download Medicaid … [Read more...]
Michelle Lamb, Pharm.D., CDE, BCACP
December 10, 2012 by
Clinical pharmacist Michelle Lamb, Pharm.D., CDE, BCACP, takes pride in being part of a transdisciplinary health care team. She combines high tech (health IT is an important tool in enhancing patient care) with and high touch, delivering information tailored to the patient’s culture and literacy level. … [Read more...]
New Threat to 340B Pharmacy Benefits Program
December 7, 2012 by
by Michelle Lamb, Pharm.D., CDE, BCACP, an ACU member who serves on the ACU Advocacy Committee. Newly introduced legislation could threaten patient access to sterile injectables under the guise of addressing drug shortage issues. ACU members should learn more and voice their concerns to Congress. On November 29th, 2012, Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), MD, introduced the Patient Access to Drugs in Shortage Act (HR 6611). It would: Exempt generic injectable products … [Read more...]
2 Different Campaigns, 2 Different Views on Medicaid and Medicare
November 6, 2012 by
The Democratic Party and Republican Party hold two different views on how to reform Medicaid, the state-federal program for the poor, women, children and disabled. Under the Affordable Care Act, President Obama made it mandatory for every state to expand Medicaid eligibility to 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL) otherwise they would lose some of their federal funding. This would have given access to about 17 million new enrolles, but the Supreme Court decision in June made it optional for … [Read more...]
Burn Baby Burn
November 6, 2012 by
Physician burnout in the United States has been a serious problem for some time. A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, entitled, Burnout and Satisfaction With Work-Life Balance Among US Physicians Relative to the General US Population, looked at the recent rates of physician burnout in the United States by specialty and compared physicians with US workers in other fields. The study found that almost one in two doctors show symptoms of burnout. It also found that … [Read more...]
Show Me the Money
November 6, 2012 by
Minority scholars have typically been underrepresented in health-related educational settings and in the healthcare workforce. Lack of financial resources is a significant barrier to becoming a health professional. One barrier to this disparity is not having access to financial assistance. The United Health Foundation has a Diverse Scholars Initiative with a goal of increasing the number of minority college graduates entering healthcare professions by awarding them scholarships. In May, the … [Read more...]
Medicaid: A Matter of Life or Death
October 1, 2012 by
Medicaid coverage “can make the difference between life and death,” Dr. Janelle Goetchus, Chief Medical Officer of Unity Health Care, told policymakers at a Senate briefing on Medicaid September 28. “We cannot afford any more cuts or I will need to go back to ‘begging’ for care,” she said. Dr. Goetchus represented front line clinicians at the briefing, organized by The Partnership for Medicaid, a non-partisan coalition in which ACU is an active member. The members of the Partnership are … [Read more...]
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