Kentucky has three accountable care organizations, a health-reform linchpin, but they remain to be identified

The "accountable care organization" is one of the hallmarks of the federal health-care reform law, with doctors and providers encouraged to team up to give coordinated care and be paid financial incentives to do so.

While being heavily promoted, they were recently likened to "unicorns" because "no one has ever seen one." That's what William Hazel, Virginia secretary for health and human services, at the Howard L. Bost Memorial Health Policy Forum in Somerset in September.

But now a new study has emerged indicating ACOs are popping up all over the country and that there are three in Kentucky, two part of a hospital system and the other part of an independent physician association. A spokesman at Leavitt Partners, which conducted the study, would not disclose the names of the Kentucky ACOs.

To get their count, "Leavitt Partners examined news releases, media reports, trade groups and conducted interviews and considered a health system to be an ACO if it either self-identified as one or was 'adopting the tenets of accountable care,'" reports Jenny Gold with Kaiser Health News.

Of the 164 ACO entities identified nationwide, 99 were sponsored by hospital systems, 38 by physician groups and 27 by insurers. Nationwide, 41 states had ACOs, "though there were vast regional differences. Poor and rural regions were found to have little ACO growth," Gold reports. In the Southeast and Appalachian regions of the country, there are few ACOs forming.

The findings run counter to what was discussed at a recent meeting of the Friedell Committee, whose members said there are no existing ACOs in Kentucky, though they did acknowledge ACOs would have a hard time developing in rural areas: "If you know anything at all about ACOs, you know they're driving by volume," said Cris Miller, a partner in the Louisville accounting firm of Mountjoy Chilton Medley. "We're going to have a few in Louisville, probably as many as three in Lexington. Maybe have one in Bowling Green, one in Paducah. But I can promise you we will not have one in Pikeville, we will not have one in Somerset. There's not enough population."

The discrepancy might have to do with the definition of ACO. The report notes that while the term ACO has been recently adopted, its tenets are not new and organizations have been using the health care delivery model for years, just not calling it accountable care. "The study authors determined that their findings suggested a trend toward 'proclaiming oneself as an ACO with only modest changes to the care process' and not a total redesign," Gold reports. (Read more)

18 Kentucky children died from child abuse or neglect last year, down from 33 in 2009, but report is incomplete, critics say

A report by the the Cabinet for Health and Family Services shows 18 Kentucky children died from abuse or neglect in the past fiscal year, down from 33 the year before. Ten were part of families that had been involved with state social service officers, reports Deborah Yetter of The Courier-Journal.

The report is required by state law, but was a much shorter version than it has been in years past. This year's document was 15 pages long, compared to the 29-page report from last year and "provides limited information and omits much of the detail of past annual reports," Yetter writes.

Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates, said the drop in deaths is good news, but called the scaled-down version of the report "a failure," saying it made it difficult to compare findings from past years. It was also three months late in being released.

"They are scrambling to get it out three months late," he said. "At a time when this issue needs some transparency and more visibility, they have given us the Reader's Digest version."

Lawmakers have scheduled a meeting Dec. 19 to talk to cabinet officials about the issue of child abuse deaths and to review the report, the latest sign the issue is starting to attract more attention. Earlier this week, Gov. Steve Beshear ordered the release of records of abuse in which children died, but the cabinet immediately filed a motion saying it needed more time.

In 2009, a federal government report found Kentucky had the highest rate of child abuse deaths with 41 deaths based on 2007 data — the most recent at the time — from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In 2010, Kentucky dropped to 19th place with 22 deaths based on the 2008 data. The 2009 numbers shoed Kentucky ranked fourth. (Read more)

Nicki Minaj wearing Versace Triple Platform Pumps at Grammy Nominations Concert

Nicki Minaj attended the 2012 Grammy Nominations Concert in Los Angeles and left with a Best New Artist Award nomination. She was wearing a pair of white patent leather Versace triple platform pumps ($1,295) from the Spring/Summer 2011 Collection to match her dress.

 

 

 

 

Nick and L L Cool J

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics Recognizes JES Organics

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics Recognizes

JES Organics as “Champion”
of Green Personal Care

JES among select companies that formulate personal care products without
harmful chemicals and fully disclose ingredients

Today, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of more than 150 nonprofit organizations working to protect the health of consumers and workers by eliminating dangerous chemicals from cosmetics, recognized YOUR Company as a Champion in the area of green personal care. In achieving Champion status, JES fulfilled all the goals set out by the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a voluntary pledge to avoid chemicals banned by health agencies outside the U.S. and to fully disclose product ingredients.

The Power of Consciousness - Bruce Lipton

Bruce H. Lipton, PhD is an internationally recognized leader in bridging science and spirit. Stem cell biologist, bestselling author of The Biology of Belief and recipient of the 2009 Goi Peace Award, he has been a guest speaker on hundreds of TV and radio shows, as well as keynote presenter for national and international conferences.

Dr. Lipton began his scientific career as a cell biologist. He received his Ph.D. Degree from the University of Virginia at Charlottesville before joining the Department of Anatomy at the University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine in 1973. Dr. Lipton’s research on muscular dystrophy, studies employing cloned human stem cells, focused upon the molecular mechanisms controlling cell behavior. An experimental tissue transplantation technique developed by Dr. Lipton and colleague Dr. Ed Schultz and published in the journal Science was subsequently employed as a novel form of human genetic engineering.

In 1982, Dr. Lipton began examining the principles of quantum physics and how they might be integrated into his understanding of the cell’s information processing systems. He produced breakthrough studies on the cell membrane, which revealed that this outer layer of the cell was an organic homologue of a computer chip, the cell’s equivalent of a brain. His research at Stanford University’s School of Medicine, between 1987 and 1992, revealed that the environment, operating though the membrane, controlled the behavior and physiology of the cell, turning genes on and off. His discoveries, which ran counter to the established scientific view that life is controlled by the genes, presaged one of today’s most important fields of study, the science of epigenetics. Two major scientific publications derived from these studies defined the molecular pathways connecting the mind and body. Many subsequent papers by other researchers have since validated his concepts and ideas.

Dr. Lipton’s novel scientific approach transformed his personal life as well. His deepened understanding of cell biology highlighted the mechanisms by which the mind controls bodily functions, and implied the existence of an immortal spirit. He applied this science to his personal biology, and discovered that his physical well-being improved, and the quality and character of his daily life was greatly enhanced.
Dr. Lipton has taken his award-winning medical school lectures to the public and is currently a sought after keynote speaker and workshop presenter. He lectures to conventional and complementary medical professionals and lay audiences about leading-edge science and how it dovetails with mind-body medicine and spiritual principles. He has been heartened by anecdotal reports from hundreds of former audience members who have improved their spiritual, physical and mental well being by applying the principles he discusses in his lectures. He is regarded as one of the leading voices of the new biology.

www.brucelipton.com

Kentucky ranks 36th for tobacco prevention spending; many states have made cuts

Though it received $389 million in tobacco-settlement funds in fiscal year 2012, and ranks first or second in tobacco use, Kentucky spent just $2.2 million of that on prevention of tobacco use. The figures rank Kentucky 36th in the nation for helping its residents stop smoking or using smokeless tobacco.

The findings come from a report called "A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 13 Years Later," which was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and other non-profit groups. The "promise" in the settlement among cigarette makers and state attorneys general was not specific, but strongly implied.

The report found that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend Kentucky spend $57.2 million each year to establish a comprehensive tobacco prevention program. But while Kentucky does not come close to that figure, most states don't either and have cut tobacco prevention spending even more in 2012 in the face of budget deficits, The Associated Press reports.

"There are no easy cuts anymore. There's the old expression, tried and true, it's not fat anymore, we're talking about bone," said Debra Miller, director of health policy for the Council of State Governments. "All revenue is looked at as revenue for the highest priority programs ... They aren't ignoring the whole idea of tobacco cessation and the public health issues, the budgets are just such a problem right now."

States have cut their funding 12 percent this year, putting it at its lowest level since 1999, AP reports.

Kentucky is one of 33 states that is spending less than a quarter of the amount recommended by the CDC. Only Alaska is meeting or exceeding the recommendation. Connecticut, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio and the District of Columbia did not put any funds into tobacco prevention in 2012. Kentucky cut its tobacco prevention spending by $400,000 from fiscal year 2011. In the past four years, states have cut funding by 36 percent.

About 46 million Americans smoke, while more than 3 percent of American adults use smokeless tobacco, according to the CDC. A recent poll found Kentucky has the highest smoking rate in the country, with 29 percent of people surveyed in a Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index poll answering "yes" to the question. To find county-specific smoking rates, click here. (Read more)