Cutting Adult Dental Program From Medicaid A Proven Disaster

Springfield, IL (myPressManager.com) April 23, 2012

The Illinois State Dental Society recognizes that Governor Quinn and the Illinois legislature are facing intense budget pressures as they attempt to find $2.7 billion in savings from the Medicaid program. However, eliminating the adult dental program from the Medicaid budget will not produce any significant savings. Adults that experience pain and infection from dental conditions will be forced to seek treatment in hospital emergency rooms, where staff is unable to provide definitive treatment and costs to the Medicaid program skyrocket. In a dental office, an emergency exam and surgical extraction of a tooth would cost the dental Medicaid program $73.60, and could address the condition before it escalates into multiple emergency room visits and possible hospitalization. Dental problems will not resolve themselves, and in some cases, patients will develop severe systemic infections that require hundreds of thousands of dollars in hospitalizations. Retaining the adult program is the only cost effective and efficient option for treating dental problems.

Gov. Quinn has also proposed a reduction in Medicaid reimbursement rates for healthcare providers in an attempt to achieve even more savings. Additional rate cuts to the dentists who provide care to children covered by the Medicaid program would be devastating. For decades , Illinois has reimbursed dentists for restorative services, like fillings and crowns, at levels drastically below the costs of providing care. Illinois ranks 48th in the country for its Medicaid funding rates. Further cuts will drive even more dentists away from treating the children's Medicaid population.

The State of Illinois learned an expensive lesson about cutting adult Medicaid dental services when former Gov. Edgar took that action in FY 1996. By the next fiscal year, the adult program was restored. Let’s not repeat a past history of failure. The Illinois State Dental Society encourages a thorough review of those currently eligible to obtain services under the Medicaid program to ensure that scarce state funds are truly being used for the most vulnerable populations. The dentists of the Illinois State Dental Society will continue to work with Governor Quinn and the Illinois legislature to develop an appropriate solution that will not harm patients or falsely claim short-term savings.

About the Illinois State Dental Society
The Illinois State Dental Society is a professional association of over 6,400 member dentists in Illinois. Learn more about the Society at www.ISDS.org. Founded by dentists in Chicago in 1865, the Illinois State Dental Society continues to write an interesting history each year through achievements that not only improve the oral health of the public, but also enhance the profession of dentistry.

 

Medical Coding eBooks Help Firms Control ICD-10 Delay and Transition Expenses

The Billing Coding Library leverages eReader technology to empower medical practices and billing firms with references that save time and money.

Austin, TX (myPressManager.com) April 24, 2012

Policy Reference Press announces the launch of their medical Billing Coding Library subscription eBook service.

Policy Reference Press has been making a name for itself in the Amazon Kindle Store by creating eBooks with powerful navigation from statutes and other public policy documents. The Billing Coding Library is no different, Policy Reference Press delivers again with their first workflow enabled medical coding series SuperICD9. These books can capture the essence of ICD-9-CM coding while giving users the comfort of the full text they are accustomed to.

Medical coders speak to medicare and insurance companies through a complex mix of codes such as ICD-9-CM, HCPCS, DRG and CPT. Each of these requires a current code reference, many of them updated regularly each year. Soon ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS will replace ICD-9-CM, causing double expenditures throughout the transition period. This adds up quickly, coding firms often pay more than $1000 to equip each employee each year. With another ICD-10-CM delay, companies are on the hook for another year of buying expensive ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS references just for training purposes.

Finally medical billing and coding firms can outfit their entire organization with the current and upcoming annual code reference updates without spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars per employee each year. In addition, with a Billing Coding Library subscription, employees can feel free to install Policy Reference Press publications on all of their computing and mobile devices.

The supported devices list includes iPad/iPhone, Android phones and tablets, Kindle and Nook eReaders and of course PC and Apple desktop and laptop computers.

Student subscriptions are priced economically at $29.99 and individual subscriptions are available for only $49.99. Medical practices and medical billing and coding firms gain the most benefits. A practice can license all of their doctors and employees to install whichever books from the Billing Coding Library they wish on whichever devices they prefer for less than the cost of a single set of hard copy coding references.

Free evaluations of the Billing Coding Library and free evaluation downloads of the SuperICD9 series are available at the website.

Website: http://www.billingcodinglibrary.com/

 

Judy’s Book adds Pinterest sharing to local business images, becoming the first rating and review site to allow users to quickly pin images of their favorite local places.

Pinterest a fairly new social network that leverages images and pin boards is growing at a phenomenal rate, in the last 6 months of 2011 the site experienced exponential traffic growth and shows no sign ofslowing in 2012.

Seattle, WA (myPressManager.com) March 14, 2012

Judy’s Book, the premier Social Search® site that helps consumers get the trusted scoop on local businesses, announced today that users are now able to pin images of their favorite places on Judy’s Book with the click of a button to their Pinterest account. Images uploaded can be categorized by type of places (favorite restaurants, kid friendly places, attractions, etc..) to pin boards, text to encourage engagement is automatically added in the description of the image, and include a unique back link to the businesses page on Judy’s Book.

Pinterest provides virtual pinboards which users can 'pin' collections of images to connect people through shared tastes and interests. Pinterest makes it really easy to create pinboards for any category and upload images to it. These can be pictures they have taken themselves or images collected from around the web. Followers get to see images a person has posted and
re-pin, allowing other members to see it and cause it to go viral.

At this time, Judy’s Book is the only major rating and review site to leverage Pinterest. Not only do users benefit through organizing and sharing their favorite places, but local businesses can leverage another outlet to increasing their social media presence and improve SEO. Judy’s Book will only display the Pinterest button for businesses and places that have images loaded. For a business to truly benefit from this we encourage and recommend owners to add compelling and rich photography to their profile that would encourage re-pins.

What is Judy's Book?
The Social Search® tool to get the trusted scoop on local places. Local reviews, recommendations, deals, and coupons from people like you, including those you know. Find and discover great places and avoid the not so great. Judy's Book makes it easy to share places and businesses with friends and family.

For more information, visit http://www.judysbook.com.

NCC Expansion of Service Coupled with a New No-Fee Guarantee makes for Advantageous Small Business Savings

West Palm Beach, FL (myPressManager.com) March 01, 2012

National Cost Containment announced today that they will be expanding their offerings to include auditing services for accounts payable and sales tax audit and recovery. This new service can aid clients in recovering overpaid taxes from various taxing agencies.

NCC already offers their clients the ability to contain costs in more than sixty common cost areas, including equipment maintenance, computer supplies and food service. Lee Ferry of NCC explains that “containment is very different from cost cutting. A business cannot function in cost-cutting mode on a long-term basis. Since cost containment involves controlling increases in costs before they occur, it is a means of controlling future risk.” He goes on to elaborate that the “strategies for cost containment can be applied to small companies just as easily as large ones, because they involve the same two groups of people: employees and vendors”.

NCC also has a strict policy regarding customer satisfaction and now also offers a new No Fee guarantee program. NCC works with each individual client and bases their commission off the percentage of the dollars saved, not a flat fee rate.

About National Cost Containment: The West Palm Beach, Florida-based company helps its clients realize “best-in-market” pricing from their suppliers. Hospitals, schools, service companies, wholesalers, retailers and distributors make up a large portion of National Cost’s clients, forming partnerships with the containment company to slash costs and discover efficient new ways to run their businesses. NCC continues to enable their clientele to contain costs in more than sixty common cost areas, including equipment maintenance, computer supplies, insurance, and food service.

Please visit us on the web at www.nationalcost.com.

AT&T Joins With iKeepSafe to Promote Mobile Safety Resources & Campaign, Urging Youth to Learn Smart Cell Phone Habits

New Program Will Provide Educators and Parents with Critical Tools to Help Kids Use Mobile Devices Safely

Rochester, NY (myPressManager.com) February 28, 2012

Today, iKeepSafe and AT&T*are proud to announce in the launch of Mobile Safe – a program that offers resources for parents and educational games for students, with the goal of teaching kids smart and safe mobile habits. The program launched at an event at the Museum of Play in Rochester, NY.

The Mobile Safe resources are available today at www.cellphonesmart.org. The program focuses on six principles of cell phone use:

1. Identity/Reputation Presentation and Monitoring: Use cell phones to portray yourself in safe, healthy, and fun ways while protecting both identity and reputation;
2. Relationship Management—Online and Offline: Maintain relationships using communication that best balances clarity and convenience for a healthy interaction in a given situation;
3. Multitasking: Focus on one activity at a time, as appropriate, so you can actually do more, have more fun, and stay safer;
4. Domains of Use: Learn strategies for non-disruptive phone use that also keeps you connected and entertained;
5. Responsibilities to Self, Family, and the Law: Learn how to use cell phones in ways that do not put yourself or your families at risk; and
6. Maximize the positives: Learn the positive entertainment, social and safety opportunities that come with a cell phone.

"We're deeply committed to equipping parents and children with the tools they need to stay informed, and are pleased to be working with iKeepSafe on proactively addressing this important issue of mobile safety," said Marissa Shorenstein, president of AT&T New York. "As more and more kids use mobile devices – and at younger ages – it's critical that they understand how to use this devices safely and responsibly. Mobile Safe will help achieve just that."

The Mobile Safe curriculum was developed through a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), INOBTR (“I Know Better”), a non-profit organization focused on educating kids through public awareness to keep them safe; and the Internet Keep Safe Coalition (iKeepSafe), a non-profit international alliance focused on teaching youth about using new media devices and platforms in safe and healthy. iKeepSafe partnered with the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT); the Center for Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital (CMCH) at Boston and Woogi World, a virtual school for K-6 students to develop the resources.

A leader in consumer education and safety initiatives, AT&T supported an evaluation of these new resources in conjunction with CMCH. The robust analysis examined data collected during a six-month long pilot, and assessed the curriculum’s effectiveness. Researchers compared the educational games to each other as well as considered their individual strengths and weaknesses. Based on the findings, Woogi World game developers improved the games for future use nationally.

“It’s important to arm this new generation of cell phone users with information to be responsible, ethical and resilient when using technology,” iKeepSafe CEO and President, Marsali Hancock said. “We are proud to have the support of a mobile leader like AT&T to empower educators and parents to teach these important lessons to youth to promote cell phone safety.”

In addition to the Mobile Safe curriculum, a new public awareness campaign launched today in Rochester aiming to teach area youth about safe and smart cell phone use. The “Cell Phone Smart” campaign supports the Mobile Safe curriculum and is comprised of educational public service ads that will appear at area movie theaters, as well as radio PSAs that will air on local stations. In addition, grassroots materials such as posters, brochures and fact sheets will be distributed and made available for community leaders to use as awareness tools. Additional cell phone safety resources can be found online at the campaign’s website, www.cellphonesmart.org. All campaign materials are available for download at www.projectyouthsafety.org.

The campaign kicked off officially with an event gathering educators, education administrators and local officials invested in protecting Rochester’s youth through this public awareness initiative.

More information on AT&T’s safety initiatives can be found at: http://www.att.net/smartcontrols. />
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

 

Scott & White Hospital-College Station Marks Milestone

- Celebrates topping out of new facility -

College Station, TX (myPressManager.com) February 09, 2012

Scott & White Healthcare announced today the completion of the erection of the structure on its new, 143-bed acute care hospital in College Station. The milestone was marked with a “topping out” ceremony at the facility, located at the intersection of Texas Hwy 6 and Rock Prairie Road.

Measuring 365,000-square-feet, the six-story facility represents the collaborative work of Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., Kitchell, and Adams Architecture. About 275 trade workers are currently employed at the site and that number is expected to increase to 400 as the project progresses.

Scott & White Hospital-College Station will house an emergency department, cardiac services including cardiac catheterization labs, neonatal intensive care unit, operating rooms, maternity services suites, endoscopic procedure suites, inter-operative robotics and other specialty services, all supported by a pharmacy, comprehensive state-of-the-art imaging technology and other diagnostic capabilities.

With a projected completion date of the summer of 2013, the new hospital will cover roughly eight acres of enclosed space, supported by 25,000 cubic yards of concrete and 700 tons of steel. The facility façade will be composed of stone and brick veneer, with architectural cast stone trim and curtainwall.

Scott & White Hospital-College Station will open initially with 119 beds and can be expanded to accommodate another 24 beds when the need arises “The magnitude of such an enormous undertaking and what it means to the future of patient care in College Station hits me each time I step foot on the site,” said Jason Jennings, chief executive officer, Scott & White Healthcare College Station.

“This facility symbolizes Scott & White’s commitment to the community and will foster our unrivaled ability to deliver a continuity of care to the Brazos Valley,” said William Rayburn, M.D., chief medical officer, Scott & White Healthcare College Station.

 

iKeepSafe and ConnectSafely Announce The Launch Of The 2012 Edition Of “A Parents’ Guide To Facebook”

Arlington, VA (myPressManager.com) February 07, 2012

In coordination with Safer Internet Day, iKeepSafe is thrilled to announce the launch of the revised 2012 edition of “A Parents' Guide to Facebook”, written by ConnectSafely.org’s Larry Magid and Anne Collier. As Facebook continues to change, the authors updated the parent guide’s content to reflect the most recent features and policies on Facebook. The free Guide can be downloaded in PDF format at www.FBparents.org.

Designed to teach parents how to help their teens use Facebook safely and constructively, the guide features important topics such as how to parent Facebook users, managing reputation in the digital age, actual risks in social media, managing your privacy on Facebook, reporting problems, and more. The guide is already being translated into Arabic and Spanish, with other languages and international distribution to follow.

The revised 2012 edition features a number of new sections, including social reporting, the new timeline, and Facebook-related computer security. The social reporting section walks parents through this new way of reporting problems on Facebook, highlighting best practices for specific incidents or situations that may occur.

“As Facebook is constantly changing its features and policies, it is important that we continue to update helpful resources such as the Parents’ Guide to keep parents up to date on the most recent privacy and security threats and risks that exist on Facebook”, says Marsali Hancock, president of iKeepSafe. “The guide allows parents and teens to discuss skills and safeguards to utilize Facebook safely and securely, while creating a generation of responsible, ethical and resilient digital citizens.”

"Facebook is a valuable resource for youth around the world, and most are using it safely and responsibly," said ConnectSafely.org co-director and Guide co-author Larry Magid.

"Our goal is to help parents understand what Facebook is all about and give them hands-on instructions in how to optimize it with their children," said co-author Anne Collier, co-director of ConnectSafely.org

ConnectSafely and iKeepSafe hope that the Parents’ Guide will ignite discussions and collaboration among social media users of all ages. To learn more about how to strengthen your teens’ privacy and safety on Facebook, view the 2012 Edition of “A Parents’ Guide to Facebook.”

About the Internet Keep Safe Coalition

The Internet Keep Safe Coalition is a broad partnership of governors and first spouses, attorneys general, public health and educational professionals, law enforcement and industry leaders working together for the health and safety of youth online. The Coalition provides innovative resources, including parent tutorials and educational materials like the Faux Paw the Techno Cat® Internet safety book series and animated films for children. iKeepSafe uses its unique partnerships to disseminate the safety resources to families worldwide, including its Generation Safe™ pilot programs launched in China, India and Australia. To learn more, visit http://www.ikeepsafe.org/.

About ConnectSafely

ConnectSafely is for parents, teens, educators, advocates—everyone engaged with and interested in the impact of the social Web. The user-driven, all-media, multi-platform, fixed and mobile social Web is a big part of young people's lives, and this is the central space—linked to from social networks across the Web—for learning about safe, civil use of Web 2.0 together. ConnectSafely’s forum is also designed to give teens and parents a voice in the public discussion about youth online safety begun back in the '90s. The organization also has a variety of social-media safety tips for teens and parents, the latest youth-tech news, and many other resources. To learn more, visit http://www.connectsafely.org or http://www.facebook.com/connectsafely.