January 9, 2008
 

Happy New Year! As we enter 2009 in the midst of a nationwide recession affecting families and individuals alike, IMCHC and other advocacy partners plan to put forth the message that health care reform will be crucial to address the squeeze being placed on working families’ budgets.

Leaders at the local, state and federal levels will need to hear from you to ensure that health care reform is not pushed to the side as they make decisions on other important issues such as the economy, environment and education.

IMCHC plans to keep members updated about opportunities to take action and fight for health care reform in 2009 through our e-advocacy program. If you have not already joined our e-advocacy list, you can do so by visiting IMCHC’s Policy & Advocacy Center and sign up to receive our emails and action alerts.
IMCHC also plans to host several policy forums on timely maternal and child health issues; these new events will be free of charge to members. Our 2009 membership applications are now available.

Join now to ensure that you stay current on the latest topics in school-based health care, reducing infant and maternal mortality, immunizations and other topics that impact women and children. We look forward to working with you throughout 2009.

Legislative Updates

In the past few weeks, President-elect Obama has assembled a list of prestigious and well-respected individuals who will accompany him on his journey in the White House. Former Senator Tom Daschle has been nominated as Secretary of Health and Human Services, who is expected to use his experience in Congress to help move forward Obama’s health care reform proposals.

Daschle has also been named as the director of a new White House Office of Health Reform. His book “Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis” is a must-read for health care advocates and provides insight into what changes could be on the horizon.

Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers' 2009 Key Campaign!

Join the Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers (ICSHC) in the Students’ Key to Success Campaign! Each school health center is being asked to make a key and collect student stories and art pieces about the importance of school health centers.

Prizes will be awarded for the most creative key and the best student submissions. Keys and art pieces are due to the ICSHC by January 16th and will be delivered to Illinois legislative leadership. For more information, please go to ICSHC’s website or email Megan Erskine, ICSHC Project Associate.



Save the Date for Illinois Coalition for School Health Center (ICSHC) Meetings

Southern-Area Regional Meeting:
January 21st, 9am-11:30am
Rolland Lewis Community Building, Mt. Vernon

Northern-Area Regional Meeting:
January 29th, 9am-12:30pm
Winnebago Public Health Department

Chicago-Area Regional Meeting:
February 20th, 8:30am-12:30pm
Uplift Community High School

ICSHC Fundraiser:
February 26th, 5:30pm-8:30pm
Small Bar, 2049 W. Division St in Chicago

Advocacy Day:
April 1st in Springfield IL

School Health Center Conference:
May 7th and 8th, I-Hotel and Conference Center
Champaign-Urbana

Email Megan Erskine or phone her at 312-491-8161x32 for more information or to register for these meetings/events.

Newsletter Archive

Visit our newsletter archive to read about recently listed articles from past issues. Past topics include:

• Legislative Updates
• IMCHC 2009 Chapter Meeting Schedule
• December 7th Christmas Bazaar to Benefit Campaign to Save Our Babies
• Recent HFS Notice Informs about New Medicaid Managed Care Plan
• Upcoming Congressional District Committee Health Care Meetings
• Stay Healthy, Get Vaccinated! Upcoming Flu Clinics in Chicago
• Upcoming Family Care Management Regional Meetings

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Tell President-elect Obama What Health Care Reform Means to You

President-Elect Barack Obama and his team are asking for your thoughts on health care reform through his transition website. We encourage you to submit your comments and ideas today, as the inauguration will take place on January 20th.

As a member of the Health Care Justice Campaign, the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition believes that several principles should be included in any health care reform proposal; these include specific items about being accessible, affordable, high-quality and including cost-containment provisions. To view the full list, visit the Campaign for Better Health Care’s website.


Ask Mayor Daley and the Chicago Olympic Committee to Clean Up Diesel Soot Pollution

The Illinois Campaign to Clean Up Diesel Pollution, led by Citizen Action/Illinois and the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago, is working to reduce toxic diesel exhaust in Chicago. Diesel exhaust is bad for our health and environment. Diesel soot triggers asthma attacks, heart attacks, and causes premature deaths each year. Asthma is now the number one cause of school absenteeism. Also, out of the four cities competing for the 2016 Games, the International Olympic Committee recently ranked Chicago next to last on environmental issues, in part because of the City’s poor air quality.
As Chicago works to finalize its bid for the 2016 Olympic Games, we need you to urge Mayor Daley and the Chicago Olympic Committee to clean up diesel soot pollution WELL BEFORE the Olympics happen here!

Visit the Respiratory Health Association’s e-advocacy page to take action and send an email today.

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Save the Date! Roe vs. The Real World - January 21st 

Join the Our Voices, Our Choices reproductive justice coalition and Chicago Foundation for Women for a special event marking the 36th Anniversary of the landmark Roe v Wade decision.

Roe vs. The Real World will be an evening of spoken word and conversation about women’s unequal access to reproductive health care services. The event will take place on Wednesday, January 21st at the Center on Halsted’s Hoover-Leepen Theater, 3656 N. Halsted St. in Chicago from 6:30 – 8:30 pm.

There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door.

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Releases Oral Health Intervention Guidelines for Pediatricians

Acknowledging that medical professionals often have more contact with children than dentists, especially in the infant and toddler years, the AAP released new intervention guidelines encouraging pediatricians to include oral health screening and education in their practice on a more routine basis. The guidelines, designed to improve the overall health of children, include clinical information on caries and decay assessment and dental referrals.

The statement includes nine specific recommendations for pediatricians to implement in their practices including developing collaborative relationships with local dentists to encourage the establishment of a dental home for all children by 1 year of age.  

To view the policy statement, please visit the AAP website.



Save the Date - March of Dimes Perinatal Nursing Conference - Feb 25-27, 2009

The March of Dimes is hosting their 34th Annual Perinatal Nursing Conference “The State of Healthcare for Mothers & Babies in 2009” from February 25th through the 27th at the Doubletree Hotel in Oak Brook, IL. 

For more information or to register, visit the March of Dimes’ conference website.

Bridge to Healthy Smiles

Hundreds of thousands of Illinois families may find it difficult to celebrate the New Year with a smile because of the oral healthcare crisis we face in Illinois. Patients in nearly half of Illinois counties lack access to oral healthcare due to an insufficient supply of dentists.  Many people in these areas rely on Medicaid and other government health programs, however, Illinois’ Medicaid reimbursement rates for dental care are among the lowest in the country. This often discourages dentists from practicing in areas that have been designated as underserved because they simply cannot afford to participate as safety net providers.  As a result, countless children and adults go without regular check-ups to prevent tooth decay and other painful, but preventable and treatable, oral health issues that can have life-long consequences.

To combat this urgent health problem a coalition of dentists and other stakeholders have launched the Bridge to Healthy Smiles Campaign. We need you to help us build a Bridge to Healthy Smiles in the State of Illinois.

In the coming months the coalition will meet in Springfield to finalize a winning strategy to pass legislation in 2009 legislative session that will appropriate necessary money to the grossly underfunded state dental care budget. You can help advance this necessary cause by visiting the Bridge to Healthy Smiles website to:  

•    Email your state Senator and Representative asking them to support the campaign
•    Email a letter to the editor of your local paper
•    Sign up for email alerts to receive the latest news as the campaign progresses
•    Obtain invites to join us in Springfield for press events and lobby days

We only have until May 31, 2009 to impress upon our state legislators how dire the oral health care crisis is in Illinois. The coalition has identified a solution but we need your help to make it a reality.   
 


March is Nutrition Month - Help Illinois Celebrate Worthy Programs!

The Interagency Nutrition Council is seeking award nominations to celebrate programs that:

•    Promote healthy eating
•    Promote regular exercise
•    Build positive partnerships
•    Include a community, family or school wellness component
•    Can be replicated as a model program across the state
•    Mirror the mission of INC. The Illinois Interagency Nutrition Council (INC) promotes health and wellness through nutrition education, coordination of services and access to nutrition programs so that Illinois residents can achieve food security.
Examples of nominees include school systems, food banks/food pantries, senior and congregate feeding sites, headstart programs, food delivery systems and local businesses.

Nominations are due to Penny Roth by February 23rd. Visit the Illinois Interagency Nutrition Council website for more information.



Save the Date - Preconception/Interconceptional Satellite Training on June 16th

The satellite training “Taking Charge of Your Reproductive Health” will address the need to educate males about their role in reproductive and family health.  This training will also provide techniques on how to enhance interaction with males before/after they have families.

The training will take place on June 16th from 10am-12:30pm and is  sponsored by the Illinois Department of Human Services Bureau of Maternal and Infant Health and targets frontline staff in Illinois clinical settings and programs.

Registration will be available at the Community Health Training Center website closer to the training date.

Job Postings - University of Illinois at Chicago Neighborhoods Initiative

The University of Illinois at Chicago Neighborhoods Initiative (UICNI) is seeking bilingual (Spanish)/bicultural applicants for several positions located in school or community settings. All candidates must demonstrate comfort and competence working in multi-cultural teams.  

The UICNI Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion is seeking applications for two positions. Community Nutrition Specialist and Nutrition Peer Educator to work in an exciting USDA-funded public health nutrition education program. Both positions will be responsible for assisting in the development and implementation of evidence-based nutrition education programs for low-income individuals and families in Chicago. Nutrition education programs include group and individual education provided by nutrition specialists, nutrition peer educators and other health care workers.

Positions are available in January 2009. The salary will be determined based on prior experience and other qualifications.

Comprehensive Review Finds No Link Between Abortion and Mental Distress

An analysis by researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that no high-quality study to date has demonstrated a link between abortion and psychological distress and that attempts to show such a correlation appear to be politically motivated. They added that "studies with the most flawed methodology consistently found negative mental health consequences of abortion."

Source: National Partnership for Women and Families Daily Women’s Health Policy Report – December 5, 2008


England to Offer Nonprescription Oral Contraception in London Area Pilot Program 

England plans to launch two pilot programs in the London area that will provide women with nonprescription access to birth control pills. Under the program, women seeking nonprescription oral contraception will undergo an interview with a qualified pharmacist.

A spokesperson from England’s Department of Health said that they want "to improve women's access to contraception and help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies without undermining patient safety".  She said that women who receive contraception from a pharmacy without a prescription "can still expect a full consultation with a health professional such as a pharmacist or a nurse".

Source: National Partnership for Women and Families Daily Women’s Health Policy Report – December 11, 2008


Bush Administration Issues "Right of Conscience" Rule

A controversial “right of conscience” rule that expands protections for health care workers to refuse participation in procedures or treatments that they find morally objectionable is scheduled to be implemented on January 18, 2009, two days before President-elect Obama will take office.

Women's health advocates have said that the rule could create major obstacles to reproductive health care, including abortion services, family planning and infertility treatments. Critics are particularly concerned that the rule will allow workers to provide patients with incomplete information about their medical options; for example, a worker might withhold information about emergency contraception from a rape survivor.

Health care organizations that do not provide written compliance with the rule by October 1, 2009 could be at risk of losing federal funding. Implementation costs are expected to cost upwards of $44 million and would apply to over 580,000 health care organizations across the nation.  

A revision of the rule could take place with a new administration, but would take several months. Separate Senate and House bills have been introduced that would repeal the rule.

Source: Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report – December 19, 2008; National Partnership for Women and Families Daily Women’s Health Policy Report – December 19, 2008


Obama's Economic Stimulus Package Seeks to Create and Save Jobs in Health Care

President-elect Obama has proposed a two-year economic stimulus package that seeks to create or save three million jobs, including many related to health care. The package will also include additional Medicaid funding to help states pay for an increase in services as a result of unemployment and high health care costs. The estimated price tag is between $675 and $775 billion, with at least $100 billion for states and about $350 for infrastructure, which includes an expansion of electronic health records.

Democratic leaders in the House and Senate hope to have legislation on the floor and ready by the time Obama takes office on January 20th.  

Additionally, the Obama transition team also announced that Vice President-elect Biden will lead a White Task Force on Working Families that will also include Tom Daschle, nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, to make sure that middle class families are not left behind on health care and other areas.

Source: Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report – December 22, 2008

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IMCHC Southern Chapter Meeting
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
12:15pm-3pm (note extended meeting time)
Municipal West Building
200 Potomac in Mt. Vernon
RSVP to Lilah Handler

*Please note that from 1pm-3pm, the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH) will host their adolescent sexual education roundtable discussions. Come participate and provide meaningful feedback as ICAH seeks to gather information about how to best create sustainable efforts for the provision of sexual health education across the state of Illinois.

IMCHC Chicago Area Chapter Meeting
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
1pm-3pm
Metropolitan Family Services
1 N. Dearborn, 10th Floor in Chicago
RSVP to Lilah Handler

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IMCHC’s Annual Meeting and Luncheon
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
Maggiano’s Little Italy
516 N. Clark Street in Chicago
Contact Lilah Hander for more information

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