For healthcare managers, providers and caregivers! By sharing quality information and resources, we help achieve affordable Healthcare and a balanced Work Life, enabled by trusted Technology, electronic records, and secured access to private health information.

Batteries Related Injuries and Deaths - CPSC Warning


Toddlers and Seniors Most Often Injured in Battery-Swallowing Incidents.  
Small, coin-sized batteries can be found in products in nearly every home in America. From the flashlight sitting on the table, to the remote control next to the TV, "button batteries" as they are commonly referred to, are in thousands of products used in and around the home. Young children and senior adults are unintentionally swallowing the button batteries and in some cases, the consequences are immediate and devastating.

A recent study conducted by Dr. Toby Litovitz of the National Capital Poison Center, found that button battery-related incidents resulting in severe injury and fatality have increased sevenfold since 1985. The majority of reported incidents involve 20 mm diameter, or larger, 3 volt batteries. Occasionally, a swallowed battery will pass through the intestine. Most often, however, batteries that become lodged in the throat or intestine can generate and release hydroxide, resulting in dangerous chemical burns.

Are You a Nagging Manager? It's not bad!

Being a deliberately nagging manager is not bad after all, and being a manager without direct authority provide better results. I find this true in my work life experience as a nagger and as one with and without direct authority. Different timing and communication styles are necessary to get your messages across but be careful when you find yourself repeating the same thing more than 3 times as resistant may come into play.

According to a new research by Harvard Business School professor Tsedal B. Neeley and Northwestern University's Paul M. Leonardi and Elizabeth M. Gerber. Their findings are:

Security, Identity and EHR, HIE, eRx?

Learning and making needed changes to adopt new technology, ensuring security and compliance to one of the most heavily-regulated industries is a complex matter.

To help combat identity theft and help enable secure access to digitized health information, Verizon announced a suite of new features for its healthcare identity services.  Verizon Universal Identity Services-Healthcare now supports additional healthcare identity standards for accessing EHRs and health information exchanges, as well as credentials for e-prescribing, including prescriptions for controlled substances; and use of smartphones and tablets to authenticate identity.

The multi-factored credentials delivered by the service are designed to meet the Level 3 authentication requirements created by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Tips for Keeping Young Athletes Safe

By Robert Preidt
Sports Safety

It's important to keep injury prevention in mind as children begin spring sports activities, says Dr. Steven Greer, of the MCGHealth Sports Medicine Center in Augusta, Ga.  He offers these tips for parents and children.

All children should undergo a physical examination before they participate in sports programs. If they've been inactive for an extended period of time, they should begin increasing their activity level several weeks before they start team practices or game play.

Hydration is crucial. Children should drink 16 ounces of water or a sports drink one to two hours before play, another 7 to 10 ounces about 10 to 20 minutes before play, and 6 to 8 ounces every 20 or 30 minutes during play, Greer advises.

Are You Tech Ready in Your Emergency Plan?

Do both your family and organization emergency plan include the use of everyday technology and the Internet?

The internet – including online news sites and social media platforms - is the third most popular way for Americans to gather emergency information and let their loved ones know they are safe.

Get Tech Ready Tip from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) include:
  1. Stay connected via text messages from your mobile devices.
  2. Keep your contacts updated across all of your social media channels and mobile devices.
  3. Keep extra batteries for your mobile devices nearby and consider buying a solar powered or hand cranked charger
  4. Get organized and consider storing important documents in a password-protected area in the Cloud or a secure flash or jump drive that you can keep readily available.  

Crisis Response Using Google Tools?

What other cost effective technology are you using for emergency planning, emergency preparedness, disaster recovery and crisis response?  Please share your experience and preferences in the comment section

Google Crisis Response

What are the top 10 issues in healthcare?

The Top 10 issues in 2011 for health plans:

1. Administrative Mandates (Compliance HIPAA 5010, ICD-10, etc.).
2. Care Management, Data Analytics, and Informatics.
3. Health Insurance Exchanges and Individual Markets.
4. New Provider Payment & Delivery Systems (ACOs, PCMHs, etc.).
5. Bend the Cost Trend.
6. Medicare and Medicaid.
7. Health Information Exchanges and EMRs.
8. Consumer's Role in the Modernization of Healthcare.
9. Reform Uncertainties.
10. Payer/Provider Interoperability.

By The Managed Care Executive Group, a national organization of U.S. senior health plan executives: Top 10 issues for health plans in 2011

What is an ACO?

On March 31st the US Dept of Health & Human Services released the proposed accountable care organization (ACO) regulations.  ACO takes up only seven pages of the massive new health law yet is the most talked about provision.

An ACO is where doctors, clinics or hospitals unite in groups or network to to manage the healthcare needs  of Medicare beneficiaries with the goal of providing quality care while trimming spending.  When the group can show that it is improving care and delivers it for less than the cost projected, a share of the savings goes to the ACO's bottom line.  It's a new and latest version of managed care and share risks directly with a provider managed network.

Related Articles:
  1. Accountable Care Organizations, Explained (by Jenny Gold, NPR)
  2. The Model of the Future? (By Avery Johnson, WSJ