Author Archive
Nevada Governor’s Threat Should Be Wake-up Call
By Christine Ferguson at 28 January, 2010, 11:29 am
We’ve seen this happen before. Unlike the Federal government, states must balance their budgets every year. The economy tanks, state budgets shrink and as governors crunch the numbers they can’t help but consider axing the biggest ticket item: Medicaid.
Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons has done just that, according to a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
A [...]
A Look at Good News with an Eye on the Future
By Christine Ferguson at 7 January, 2010, 1:12 pm
A New Year always presents an opportunity to look back and look ahead and the crucial issues we have faced and will meet head on in the coming months.
Amid last month’s flurry of debate and voting on health care reform legislation, there was a bit of good news that came out of the Department of [...]
Either health care bill will mean big IT changes
By Christine Ferguson at 23 December, 2009, 11:50 am
As reaction to the Senate’s health care bill reverberates, we have yet to fully understand how any final legislation will affect individuals, institutions and, very notably, state governments.
Leaders in the House and Senate have said that they will have a final bill for the President to sign by the end of January. If they succeed, [...]
Health bill movement puts IT opportunity within closer reach
By Christine Ferguson at 4 December, 2009, 4:39 pm
The proverbial tortoise that is health care reform finally took a step last month.
The House narrowly approved a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s health care system. Senate majority leader Harry Reid brought major health care legislation to the floor and he said he wants to complete work on the bill before Christmas, the New [...]
ARRA Funding Offers Chance to Curb Obesity
By Christine Ferguson at 11 November, 2009, 1:04 pm
Americans have been becoming increasingly and exponentially obese and overweight since the mid-1980s. While many debate where responsibility for the problem lies, as the gateway to chronic illness such as diabetes and heart disease, it continues to be a driver of costs in both private and public insurance. The problem must be addressed on a [...]
Read More >>Food Safety Plans Could Help States
By Christine Ferguson at 25 August, 2009, 1:50 pm
The Obama Administration’s plans to upgrade the food safety system could bring welcome relief to local and state agencies who have struggled to prevent food illness outbreaks amid bureaucracy as well as limited resources and federal leadership.
Plans include a new, public health-focused approach to food safety based on three core principles: prioritizing prevention; strengthening surveillance [...]
