Rihanna Returns to Her Brunette Roots

After the word got round the rumor mill that Rihanna spends roughly $1 million a year on her hair, the hip-hop hottie turned up in Santa Monica rocking a shockingly natural hair do.

Halle Berry at her 45th birthday

This is what 45 looks like! A sexier-than-ever Halle Berry hits the Malibu surf on Sunday to celebrate her birthday with daughter Nahla, 3, and beau Olivier Martinez (not pictured).

Drug abuse, obesity are top two concerns for children's health, poll finds

Childhood obesity and drug abuse are the top two worries for children. Those were the results of a University of Michigan poll that asked people to rate 23 different health concerns for kids living in their communities. When it came to obesity and drug abuse, 33 percent of people rated them as being the biggest problems, research-reporting service Newswise reports.

In 2007, 37 percent of Kentucky children were either obese or overweight, Childhood Obesity Action Network numbers show. Drug abuse, particularly of prescription pills and methamphetamine, is likewise a notable problem in Kentucky.

Smoking and tobacco use came in third place, followed by teen pregnancy, bullying, Internet safety, stress, alcohol abuse, driving accidents and sexting. Internet safety and sexting are new to the top 10 list.

"The perception of drug abuse as a big problem matches recent national data showing increasing use of marijuana and other drugs by U.S. teens," said Matthew Davis, director of the National Poll on Children's Health.

"Meanwhile, although obesity remains at the top of the list of child health concerns for the fourth straight year, the level of public concern has declined over the last few years in our poll," Davis said. "This may be a warning to public health officials, because it indicates how the public is hearing national messages that previous increases in children's obesity rates have recently leveled off." (Read more)

Council asks move to managed care be delayed 90 days

The massive switch to managed care organizations for Kentucky's Medicaid program, pushed by Gov. Steve Beshear, isn't in the bag yet. The Advisory Council for Medical Assistance, which advises officials on Medicaid issues, has asked that the switch be delayed by 90 days. It is supposed to happen Oct. 1, the Lexington Herald-Leader's Jack Brammer reports. (Photo by H-L's Pablo Alcala)

"All we're asking for is to give everybody more time to get this thing implemented," said Ron Poole, who represents the Kentucky Pharmacists Association. "We're 49 days away, and all practitioners and providers have not yet received a contract ... They need time to review the contracts and determine if they want to participate."

Poole told Brammer he didn't think the request to delay would be granted, but insisted it's needed. Jill Midkiff, a spokewoman for the state health cabinet, said she could not comment on the request because "it had not received any notification or official recommendation from the council," Brammer reports.

The move to managed care is the state's answer to plug a $139 million hole in the Medicaid budget. Privatizing the program will mean providers will be paid on a per-patient, per-month basis, which Gov. Beshear said will save $1.3 billion over three years. Right now, providers are paid on a fee-for-service basis, meaning they bill for each service that is provided. The move will affect more than 800,000 Kentuckians. (Read more)

Non-profit encourages districts to go tobacco free inside and outside of schools

In an op-ed piece in the Lexington Herald-Leader, Susan Zepeda, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, encourages school districts to adopt comprehensive tobacco-free policies.

"Many believe that schools are already tobacco-free, but this is only partially true," she writes. "While smoking is prohibited inside school buildings, weak policies at many schools mean staff and students continue to light up on school grounds. About 10 percent of Kentucky high school students report smoking on school property, according to the 2009 Kentucky Youth Risk Behavior Survey."

Zepeda encourages school districts to adopt tobacco-free school policies, which prohibit tobacco products for anyone on school property or at school-sponsored events, such as field trips and sporting events.

"The 2010 Kentucky Health Issues Poll shows that nearly nine in 10 (86 percent) Kentuckians favor 100 percent tobacco-free school policies," Zepeda writes. "While support for these policies was strongest among those who have never smoked, a solid majority of current smokers (75 percent) also supported 100 percent tobacco-free school policies. Clearly, 100 percent tobacco-free policies are an easy win for school districts." (Read more)

Conference for Kentuckians who get, give health care Aug. 24

A gathering intended to bring Kentuckians together who get care, give care, purchase care and pay for care will be Wednesday, Aug. 24 at the Capital Plaza in Frankfort.

The Kentucky Health Quality collaborative conference will focus on current quality improvement efforts in Kentucky and will address changes that are happening through health reform and national efforts to improve health care. The keynote address will look at the national quality strategy that drives reporting and payment incentives.

Conference co-hosts are the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky; Friedell Committe for Health System Transformation; Health Care Excel; Humana; Kentucky Hospital Association; Kentucky Primary Care Association; Kentucky Voices for Health; Norton Healthcare; UAW/Ford Community Health; and UK HealthCare.

To register, click here. Cost is $40 for attendees. The conference is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Webinar Wednesday will focus on lobbying, advocacy in Health for a Change series

The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky will host another webinar this Wednesday as part of its Health for a Change training series. This session will focus on the differences between lobbying and advocacy work done by non-profit organizations. The session will be presented by April Carson, a legislative advisor and counsel at Alliance for Justice.

The free, one-hour webinar starts at 3 p.m. EST. To register, click here.

Another training webinar will be hosted at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24 and will focus on communication with policymakers. It will help listeners learn about the basic rules needed to figure out how public policy is made in state, county and local governments and how to become involved in the policy-making process.

The Health for a Change training series is geared to community health coalitions, agencies, businesses, advocacy organizations and individuals looking to improve skills, create community participation and create health changes at the local level. The sessions run until December. (Read more)