Guv backs down on SCHIP
Source: The Salt Lake Tribune
Gov. Jon Huntsman has dropped his plan to add 10,000 poor children to his state's health insurance rolls.
» Read Article
 |
| “Congress and President Bush disagree about how to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The president’s 2009 budget request covers families making 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Huntsman didn’t back down because of a lame duck president. More likely it’s because SCHIP expansion would be debated as part of a proposed health care reform task force. If the task force bill passes, vendors should pay close attention to the reform plan which would be due in November.” -Schalene Dagutis, Vice President, State and Local Information Services |
|
State improves child-care data
Source: The Statesman Journal
Licensed providers are listed in an online database.
» Read Article
|
| “As agencies strive to improve the quality of child care, collaboration between vendors, providers, and consumers is essential. Child care programs can be improved based on customers’ feedback. And, by having an integrated view of their customers, child care providers can gain some insight on what their experience is with them. In some states, vendors are already partnering with licensing representatives to provide hand-held devices to electronically capture inspection results, including violations of minimum standards, while they are on site at a child care facility.” -Shadi Shakibai, Senior Analyst, Social Services and Health Care |
|
After brain surgery mistakes, lawmakers propose tracking system
Source: The Boston Globe
Lawmakers have proposed a system to investigate and track medical mistakes after brain surgeons at one hospital operated on the wrong side of patients' heads.
» Read Article
|
| “Efforts to create an organization aimed at hunting down medical errors, creating a database and developing prevention methods may increase patient safety and improve healthcare outcomes. The initiative, if approved, would leverage technology to track potential causes of medical errors by analyzing trends to develop more effective error prevention tools.” -Kristina Mulholland, Analyst, Social Services and Health Care |
|
Town first to hook into satellite radio system for disaster contingency
Source: The Journal Inquirer
The town is the first in its state to be hooked up to the national Satellite Mutual Aid Radio Talkgroup (SMART) for improving communications during a natural or man-made disaster.
» Read Article
|
| “We are now seeing new funding and shared infrastructures put in place so that even the smallest of emergency management agencies will have a contingency communication system available if disaster strikes. INPUT expects many more agencies will follow suite and look to the communications vendor community for integration support. Those vendors that are best versed in existing federal systems, such as SMART, and grant programs will reap the most rewards in assisting these agencies. ” -Rob Funk, Senior Analyst, Homeland Security and Justice/Public Safety |
|
New High in U.S. Prison Numbers
Source: The Washington Post
More than one in 100 adults in the United States is in jail or prison, an all-time high that is costing state governments nearly $50 billion a year.
» Read Article
|
| "What gets lost in most discussions of this topic is the fact that healthcare and geriatrics end up as the primary costs drivers. Aging prisoners—many of whom are low risks to society—end up costing three times more to incarcerate than younger prisoners. This is where technology-based community supervision and prison health IT can provide immense benefits to the states and localities…if vendors will bring solutions to the table. Some states are already spending more on prisons than higher education." -Chris Dixon, Manager, State & Local Industry Analysis |
|
