FL: Technical Center Graduates First PN Class
On Nov. 14, 15 students became the first practical nursing graduating class from the recently opened Immokalee Technical Center (iTECH)

The class started the program by taking classes at the Bethune Education Center in Immokalee, and moved to the new iTECH Center, at 508 N. 9th St., when it opened in January, according to the Naples Daily News. The center offers career and technical education for adults and high school students.

"This is extremely special to me because you are the first class of nurses to graduate from this new facility," said Dorin Oxender, principal of iTECH. "I was moved to tears. It is a dream come true for the Immokalee community to get a center like this, and to actually see the first practical nursing class walk across the stage and get pinned was a moving experience for me.

"Fifteen months ago when we registered in the iTECH nursing program, we expected to be provided with the knowledge and skills we would need to be successful LPNs," said Jami Martinez, one of the graduating students. "But what I personally did not foresee was how the program would help me grow as a person."

The practical nursing students, whose ages ranged from 19 to more than 50 years old, went through a 15-month, 1,350-hour program with a summer break the Daily News reported.

"The truth is that it has been a long and difficult 15 months," Martinez said. "We have all had our struggles and have all made our sacrifices, but if you ask me, it was all worth it and I would do it all again."

According to the newspaper, the graduating students wore traditional white nurse uniforms and held a candle as they walked to their seats. All 15 graduates were called up on the stage to receive their traditional nurse pin. Linda Gipson, vice president and chief nursing officer for the NCH Healthcare System, gave the keynote speech.

"Nursing will open many doors for you," said Gipson, who is also on the board of directors for Avow Hospice in Naples. "Your work will have meaning because you will touch people's lives, and you will make a difference in those lives."

NY: Valley Health Selects LPN for Employee Award
Lorraine Hein, LPN, has been selected as Valley Health Services' Employee of the Third Quarter 2009. Valley Health Services is a 160-bed, long-term care and short-term rehabilitation facility based in Herkimer, NY.

The award is given to a staff member who goes above and beyond the call of duty for a particular quarter.

Hein joined the staff of Valley Health in October 2000 as a CNA and has worked at Valley Health as an LPN after earning her license in 2003. Five years later, Hein became a charge nurse on the night shift.

PA: Allentown nurse wins Nightingale Award
Lehigh Valley Health Network nurse Erin Brazil, LPN, has been named a recipient of the Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania for 2009. The Nightingale Awards are designed to recognize and honor exceptional nurses who practice in the commonwealth, officials said. With more than 100 nominations submitted annually, Brazil was one of only seven Pennsylvania nurses to receive the honor this year.

Brazil, of Allentown, received the Nightingale Clinical Practice LPN award. She is part of Lehigh Valley Health Network's Regional Burn Center Team at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. For 31 of her 33 years in nursing, she has dedicated herself to the specialty of burn care, hospital administrators said.  She worked with acute patients in the inpatient burn center for several years and now cares for adult and pediatric patients in the outpatient Burn Recovery Center.

Administrators described Brazil as being passionate about caring for burn patients and is highly specialized in the field. On top of providing thorough and holistic care to her patients, Brazil is also noted for being committed to educating the public about burns and how to prevent a burn injury. She volunteers her time at a wide variety of community outreach events and designed a teaching cart to help people in the community learn about burns.

OH: LPN Honored for Saving Woman

Bonnie Jones, LPN, of Amelia was recently recognized by Miami (OH) Township officials for her efforts in saving a woman's life in September.

According to the Community Press and Recorder of Cincinnati, Jones was driving home from a friend's house when she noticed a police car speed past her and park in a nearby driveway. Jones then pulled over and ran toward the home to find an unconscious woman slumped over in a lawn chair.

"I saw this guy so upset on the front porch and then just a lifeless body in the lawn chair," Jones told the Community Press. "I grabbed my nursing bag and just bolted past the police officer where I assessed that she had no pulse and no sign of life."

Jones and Miami Township Police Officer Brent Higgins, who was the first responder on the scene, administer CPR to the woman.

"We just started working on her and must have done six or seven reps before the life squad pulled up," Jones told the newspaper.

The woman's pulse returned as the ambulance arrived, the Community Press reported. She was treated at the hospital and released several days later.

For their efforts, Jones and Higgins were recognized at a recent Miami Township trustee meeting.

"I am very proud," police chief Steve Bailey told the Community Press. "This was a very difficult situation and they did exactly the right thing so we had a very good outcome. The key thing is that [Jones] didn't have to help. She was driving by, saw the officer turn in the driveway, saw the victim on the ground and realized she needed to help. That's remarkable."

CA: Hospital union approves new contract
After 20 months with no agreement, a healthcare employees union approved a contract they say will improve wages and maintain the quality of service at Saint Louise Regional Hospital, Gilroy, and four other California hospitals owned by Daughters of Charity (DOC).

The agreement between the Service Employees International Union, United Health Care Workers (SEIU-UHW) and DOC, was reached Nov. 1, according to the Gilroy Dispatch.

It was negotiated by the 34 union members who serve on the SEIU-UHW bargaining team, and by a 95 percent margin among the affected union employees, according to a news release from the union.

The agreement is retroactive to May 2008, when the previous contract expired, and provides up to an 18 percent pay raise for union members employed at the five Bay Area hospitals. It also includes 6 percent back pay, and maintains health care benefits for union members.

The new contract applies to about 2,500 union members employed in a variety of positions including respiratory care practitioners, LVNs, CNAs, radiology technicians, lab technicians and environmental services workers. About 200 employees at Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy are included in the contract, the newspaper reported.

"We stayed united as SEIU-UHW members and showed management that we are serious about maintaining quality staff and quality care at our hospitals," said Roberto Gallardo, LVN, a nurse at the St. Francis Hospital in Lynwood and a member of the bargaining team. "It's exciting to reach an agreement that is good for everyone who relies upon our care."

Also included in the contract are provisions that allow workers and management to work out issues and make sure the hospitals serve both patients and staff, the union's news release said.

Workers at the hospitals went 20 months without reaching an agreement, and their contract campaign included picketing and a series of "unity actions" at each of the hospitals, according to the news release.

The contract covers workers at Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, O'Connor Hospital in San Jose, Seton Medical Center, Seton Coastside in Moss Beach, and St. Francis Medical Center.

WV: New PN Program to Open
The Jill S. Weekley Learning Center at James Rumsey Technical Institute will offer an LPN and Surgical Tech Preparation program for the 2010/2011 school year.

Orientations will be held at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Nov. 16 and 30.

The prep course will offer basic skill assessment, which will help to determine the need for review in the areas of reading/vocabulary skills, general math skills and general science knowledge.

Beginning Jan. 11, 2010 session one of the LPN prep review will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Mondays, session two begins Feb. 8, 2010.

In addition, review classes will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. or 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, beginning Jan. 12, 2010, officials said.

Practice testing for the pre-admission exam will be offered each Tuesday, beginning Jan. 23. Cost of the practice testing is $40.

The official pre-admission exam will be offered from 8 to 11 a.m., 12 to 3 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. March 11, 18 and 25. The official exam is $60.

For more information, call the Jill S. Weekley Learning Center at 304-754-9712.

CT: Nurses May Strike in New London
Nurses and nursing technologists from two unions at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London voted overwhelmingly Nov. 4 to send notice of their intent to strike if a contract resolution is not reached before their contract expires Nov. 16, union officials told the Norwich Bulletin. 

The leading cause of the possible strike is over sick time benefits. The hospital has proposed cutting paid sick days for nurses from 12 a year to five and not allow sick days to accumulate, Katherine Martin, president of the LPN/Techs Local 5051, told the Bulletin.

"Management wants to take away sick time from us, putting our patients at risk and taking away from our ability to care for our patients," Martin said. 

By law, the union must give the hospital 10 days notice before the strike, according to the newspaper. They planned to deliver the letter of intent to strike Nov. 5, union spokesman Eric Bailey told the Bulletin. The unions plan a series of bargaining sessions, but without a resolution they plan to strike Nov. 16.

Bailey said about 700 nurses and technicians are represented by the two unions, a mix of LPNs, RNs and technologists.  

Hospital spokesman Kelly Anthony told the newspaper he hopes "cooler minds will prevail and we can sit and find a compromise," before any strike begins.

"We will continue to bargain in good faith," Anthony told the Bulletin.

In the meantime, Anthony said the hospital has prepared contingency plans to ensure no disruption in services and "will be prepared to continue to provide care to our community."

 He said the hospital's proposal includes cutting sick time costs to bring them in line with other hospitals, the Bulletin reported.

GA: LPN Who Refuses Flu Shot Told to Stay Home
An LPN in Georgia has been instructed not to come to work unless she receives a seasonal flu vaccination.

Adeline Vales, LPN, who works for a pediatrician's office in Dallas, GA, is refusing the flu shot due to an adverse reaction she experienced from a previous vaccination, according to a report by WXIA-TV in Atlanta.

Her employer, Kola Ologunja, MD, is requiring all staff to receive the vaccination. Though Vales has provided a note from her physician verifying her negative reaction to the vaccine, Ologunja wants further proof that the nurse is allergic. He has offered to pay for Vales to have allergy testing, but the LPN has refused to be tested.

"Why is my right to refuse the flu vaccine taken away from me?" she said to WXIA. The LPN said she practices standard hygienic care and has offered to wear a mask. "I'm not a risk to my patients."

"[Her right to refuse the vaccine] doesn't trump my rights to protect my staff members or my patients," Ologunja told WXIA. "[The vaccination] is recommended by the CDC; it's recommended by the Academy of Pediatrics; it's recommended by the government."

Flu shots are not mandatory for healthcare professionals in Georgia, however, employers can set vaccine mandates for employment, WXIA reported. When asked about Vales' situation, Department of Labor officials told the TV station it has "no jurisdiction" in the matter.

In response to the story, Debbie Hackman, CEO of the Georgia Nurses Association (GNA), wrote to WXIA, stating that "GNA strongly recommends that nurses . who provide direct patient care be vaccinated against the influenza virus. Absent of a CDC requirement for mandatory annual influenza vaccination of all healthcare workers, GNA supports voluntary efforts including implementation of aggressive and comprehensive influenza vaccination programs for registered nurses that aim for 100 percent vaccination rates."

Though Vales is not allowed to work in the Ologunja's office until she is vaccinated, he has not terminated her employment, which would make it difficult for her to obtain unemployment benefits. It's unclear whether Vales will take legal action regarding the situation.

TX: VN students to walk for MS Funding

Vocational nursing students at Tyler Junior College (TJC) will be doing their part to raise money to combat MS.

This year will mark the fourth consecutive time the VN students have walked in the National MS Society's Walk MS fundraiser. The event will occur Oct. 31 at Bergfield Park, 1510 S. College Ave.

According to the National MS Society, more than 20,000 Texans are affected by MS. Among them is Holli Benge, BSN, RN, MS Walk steering committee chair and VN instructor at TJC-Lindale, who was diagnosed in 2003.

PA: LPN Co-Hosts Breast Education Program
Laura Umbrell, LPN, a mammacare specialist at Rhonda Brake Shreiner Women's Center, Chambersburg, and health educator for Cumberland Valley Breast Care Alliance, will co-host a breast cancer education program with Stephen Carter, MD, a breast disease surgeon at Summit Health, Chambersburg, Oct. 29 at Scotland United Methodist Church.

The session is being held as part of the church's community education efforts for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Umbrell and Carter will answer questions about breast cancer and breast health. Men and women are invited to attend.

The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the church. For more information, contact 717-595-0156.

VA: LPN Helps Establish Grief Support Group
An LPN and RN in Collinsville, VA, have teamed up to start a grief support group for parents whose children have died.

Karen Mayhew, LPN, and longtime friend Kim Newman, RN, started the Grief Support Group for Parents Who Have Lost Children in July. For both nurses, this effort is a personal commitment, according to the Martinsville Bulletin. Three years ago Newman's 15-year-old daughter, Saige Bowman, was killed in a traffic accident, and Newman said she couldn't find a support group just for area parents who have lost children.

So she asked Mayhew to help her start the group.

"We want to help the parents who have suddenly lost a child, help them get through a life that is never going to be the same again," Newman told the newspaper.

While the support group focuses on parents, siblings and grandparents also may attend, said Newman. The group, which meets monthly at the Collinsville Branch Library, 2540 Virginia Ave., provides a place where people can talk about - or listen to others talk about - the grief they're going through, share stories about their children, learn ways to cope and support each other.

People who attend group meetings are encouraged to bring photos of their lost loved ones to share. "Their faces light up," Mayhew told the Bulletin.

The group, which currently has about 15 members, meets at 6 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at the Collinsville Branch Library, There is no charge to join the group or attend meetings. Mayhew noted that discussions at the meeting are confidential.

For more information, contact Newman at 276-340-1401 or kimberlynewman2003@yahoo.com.

MD: MLPNA To Hold Membership Meeting
The Maryland LPN Association will hold a membership meeting Oct. 30 at the Anne Arundel Medical Center; Annapolis.

Participants will have the opportunity to earn 1 CEU credit by attending the workshop, "The Role of the LPN in Assisted Living."

Cost for the event is $30 for MLPNA members; $50 for non-members; and $15 for students. For more information, contact Wahnita Hawk at 888-609-2451

NH: NFLPN 2009 Kicks Off Next Week
LPNs across the country are invited to attend NFLPN's annual conference next week to celebrate the federation's 60^th anniversary.

Held at the Radisson Hotel, Nashua, NH, Oct. 14-19, the event will include a keynote address and six workshop sessions, business meetings, exhibitors and popular NFLPN events such as Fun Night, the annual PN student day skills competition and College Bowl.

Military members will also hold a concurrent agenda, which will culminate with a "warrior competition," a contest among medic units to show off their combat skills while competing for trophies, military honors and unit pride. Teams will work through a few simulated "battlegrounds" and square off by performing triage and treatment practices in a "hostile" situation.

Visit NFLPN's Web site at www.nflpn.org for a detailed schedule of events and registration information, or contact NFLPN at 800-948-2511.

Children are not getting the healthy foods and physical activity they need from their schools, according to a study conducted by Bridging the Gap, a national research program, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The study reportedly showed that while most schools had created wellness programs by the 2007-08 academic year, the programs were weak and not well implemented.

"While the majority of school districts are following the letter of the law, they aren't necessarily following the spirit of the law, because the majority of these policies lack teeth," said lead study author Jamie Chriqui. "They're fragmented and they don't include provisions for monitoring, enforcing or conducting ongoing review and revision of the policy."

 To view the full report, click here.

Medical costs for obesity could have been as high as $147 billion in 2008, according to a recent study in Health Affairs, a health-policy journal.

The study found medical costs of obesity in 1998 were $78.5 billion, with approximately half financed by Medicare and Medicaid. The cost rose by almost $40 billion by 2006, and, though the data has not been analyzed yet, researchers believe it continued to rise into 2008.

Specific causes for the increase in spending were not stated.

Up to 40 percent of Americans will be affected by H1N1 influenza (swine flu), according to CDC predictions, which reportedly account for individuals who will contract the virus as well as those who will forgo work to care for sick family members or friends.

Additionally, the CDC estimates between 90,000 and several hundred thousand Americans will die as a result of swine flu-related illnesses in the next two years.

The predictions were made prior to a meeting July 29 in which members of the CDC's advisory committee on immunization practices discussed how to approach inoculating Americans against H1N1, reports McKnight's Long-Term Care News.

Amy Pierce, LPN, of Jacksonville, West Virginia, has been charged with stealing Dilaudid from her hospital employer, reports WSAZ News Channel 3, a local news source. The name of the facility was not released.

Pierce, 31, reportedly came under investigation in June 2009 when co-workers told authorities they believed she was tampering with vials of the drug. A small camera installed near the hospital's drug locker caught Pierce on tape, according to WSAZ. She was arrested July 15, at which point she allegedly told deputies that she had replaced two vials of the drug with saline.

Pierce is charged with two counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. She was released on $30,000 bond, WSAZ reported. As of this posting, no court dates had been set

President Obama has designated $1.825 billion as emergency funds to be used for emerging influenza viruses, specifically H1N1. Reportedly according to the President's office, the funds will support additional procurement of vaccine, immunization campaign planning, regulatory activities for H1N1 at the FDA and funding for the administration of an injury compensation program.

"There remains much uncertainty about the outbreak and its potential to return this fall during the northern hemisphere flu season. We continue to watch the evolution of the 2009 H1N1 virus and the worldwide outbreaks and are working diligently to plan and prepare for a national response, should it be necessary," the president said in a prepared press announcement.

Carol Roper, LPN, of Morton, has been named Donna Jean Pauli Nurse of the Year by Proctor Hospital in Peoria. Facility officials said the award is given annually to a nurse who best portrays leadership, dedication and passion.

Roper has been with the hospital since 1970 and currently works in the wound clinic. She is heralded as a terrific nurse by hospital officials and is being honored for her ability to connect with both patients and co-workers

"I am humbled by the award," Roper said. "I love nursing. Nursing is all about change and innovation and it is exciting to be on the frontlines. To help patients heal, to save limbs, to teach patients how to care for themselves and improve their quality of life is simply amazing."

Forty percent of U.S. voters reportedly believe healthcare should be a top priority for the current administration and Congress, according to a survey of 2,043 people completed by the Stanford Center on Longevity, an organization that studies aspects of healthcare and health sciences.  

According to Stanford, 62 percent of Americans believe the current healthcare system works well for them personally, but 68 percent think it does not work well for most residents. Additionally, a reported 58 percent of voters are not satisfied with the cost and affordability of healthcare. According to the survey, most Americans are concerned with lowering costs while maintaining quality.

Click here for detailed survey results.

Cathleen Beiler, LPN, of Mount Zion, has been awarded the 2009 Excellence in Nursing Award from the VA Illiana Health Care System, Danville.

According to the Commercial-News of Danville, the honor is part of the VA's Excellence in Nursing Awards and recognition ceremony, which was held as part of National Nurses Week.

Belier has worked with the organization since 2002 and is currently employed in Illiana's Springfield outpatient clinic.

She also won in the LPN award for the Veterans Integrated Services Network District 11, which includes seven healthcare systems in parts of Indiana, Illinois and Michigan.

The FDA will allow the sale of the Plan B "morning-after" emergency contraceptive pill (levonorgestrel) without a doctor's prescription to those as young as 17.

The decision follows a U.S. District Judge's ruling in March to lower the age from 18 to 17. Edward Korman also directed FDA officials to evaluate clinical data to determine whether all age restrictions should be lifted, according to the Washington Post.

However, the pill's manufacturer, Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc., must first submit an official request to the FDA to market the drug to 17-year-olds before sales can take effect.

Levonorgestrel contains a high dose of birth control drugs that does not interfere with an established pregnancy and works by preventing ovulation or fertilization. If taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, it can reduce a woman's chances of pregnancy by as much as 89 percent, the Post reported.

A battle over access to Plan B has reportedly dragged on for the better part of a decade, through the terms of three FDA commissioners. Among many in the medical community, it came to symbolize the decline of science at the agency because top FDA managers refused to go along with the recommendations of scientific staff and outside advisers that the drug be made available with no age restrictions, according to the Post.

The treatment consists of two pills and sells for $35-$60. Women must ask for Plan B at the pharmacy counter and show identification with their date of birth.

The Washington, DC, area has a reported six cases of measles so far this year, the most recent occurring April 21 in Prince William County, the first known incident of the disease in Virginia in 2009, according to the Washington Post.

An announcement by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) came a day after DC officials reported finding the highly infectious disease in a District man who contracted it during a recent 3-week trip to India. There is said to be no known link between the Virginia case and the others in the region, health officials said. The source of the measles virus in the Virginia resident has not been identified, the Post reported.

Denise Sockwell, the VDH's epidemiologist for Northern Virginia, said the man "did not have a history of travel outside the United States." The Prince William resident reportedly works at a supermarket.

The store alerted customers who had shopped during the man's recent shifts to possible exposure. No other employees were found to have contracted the disease.

People born before 1957, when the vaccine was not available, are generally considered to be immune because they are assumed to have contracted the disease as children, health officials said.

Symptoms include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, which can start 7-21 days after exposure and last about 1 week.

A new state law is expected to provide health coverage to more than 100,000 uninsured Coloradans and reduce uncompensated care and cost shifting.

According to the office of Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, the Colorado Healthcare Affordability Act was signed by Ritter April 21. It's being called the most significant health reform legislation in the state in four decades.

By partnering with hospitals, the act will allow the state to generate an additional $600 million a year through a provider fee, and draw down $600 million in federal Medicaid matching funds. The combined $1.2 billion will support Medicaid and the Child Health Plan Plus expansions and be used to improve hospital reimbursement rates for service provided through Medicaid and the Colorado Indigent Care Program (CICP).

"At no increased cost to taxpayers, the Colorado Healthcare Affordability Act will allow us to provide critical health services to people who need those services the most," Ritter said in a prepared statement. "This historic legislation will significantly address the crisis of the uninsured while also reducing uncompensated care and cost-shifting in our healthcare system. This legislation would be groundbreaking in a good economy, but it means even more in a down economy as Colorado families struggle to make ends meet."

The Colorado Hospital Association (CHA), the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, and the governor's office reportedly worked together for nearly a year to develop the law, which passed both the House and the Senate with more than 40 co-sponsors and bipartisan support.

"Colorado hospitals are pleased to have been a part of this important policy effort to improve access to affordable healthcare services for those most at risk," said CHA president and CEO Steven Summer. "This new law is not a silver bullet solution to all of our state's healthcare problems, but it is certainly a giant step forward."

More than 40 states are said to have implemented this financing strategy for health programs, including more than 20 states that have hospital provider fees. Colorado also passed a similar proposal last year with nursing homes, according to the governor's office.

The plan will reportedly be submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for final approval. Implementation is expected to begin in the spring of 2010. A 13-member oversight and advisory committee will be responsible for working with the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to implement the new law.

The National Business Group on Health, a nonprofit association of more than 300 large U.S. employers, has released a guide to help employers reduce racial and ethnic health disparities in the workplace and improve the quality of health care for minority populations.

"Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities: A Business Case Update for Employers," is reportedly part of a 2-year initiative by the group and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Minority Health to build business-community coalitions to help reduce racial and ethnic health disparities.

"Some employers go to great lengths to attract a diverse workforce," said Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health. "But they may not realize that these populations have diverse health needs and may experience different treatments when they seek health care. Despite employers' best intentions, the fact is that disparities in health and healthcare exist, even among employees with equal benefits."

The 18-page document defines health disparities, identifies the key factors that contribute to disparities, discusses how disparities affect employers, and provides the rationale for employer efforts to address disparities and how employers stand to benefit in both direct and indirect costs.

The guide also examines the role employers can play as part of the health disparities solution, including a step-by-step strategy that includes understanding the legal myths and realities around collecting racial and ethnic data, determining what data to collect, measure and use, and how to work with employees, health plans and healthcare vendors. Health disparities resources for employees and health providers are also part of the guide.

"Health disparities affect all employers, and failure to address them will seriously hurt the health, productivity and quality of life of their employees and dependents," Darling said. "By addressing disparities, employers can improve the value of the services their employees are receiving through their health benefits, and health and productivity programs and services."

Copies of the guide are available at www.businessgrouphealth.org.

Korene Schellenger, LPN, of Sterling, has received the Centennial Regional Excellence in Nursing Award for LPNs from the Centennial Area Health Education Center (CAHEC), a health system in northeastern Colorado.

According to the Journal-Advocate, a local newspaper, Schellenger, a nurse at Sterling Regional Medical Center, is being honored for her dependability, focus and ability to work as a team player. She was referred to as a great person and terrific nurse in her nomination, the Advocate reported.

"Simply put, Korene is amazing," the nomination read. "She is a single parent of three who strives to make a difference in her family, work and in the community while also working full time and is completing the requirement to become an RN."

Schellenger was given the award at CAHEC's 24th annual Nursing and Regional Nightingale Awards Dinner April 3. Also honored that evening were five RNs.

Della Reese Manuel, LPN, has been recognized by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) as a part of its celebration of Women's History Month for March.

A nurse who's been on staff as an LPN for 27 years at Opelousas General Health System, working the last 7 years on a skilled-nursing unit, Manuel is also a Eucharistic minister at her local church, according to the Daily World of Opelousas.

Manuel was honored during a recent meeting of her local Pioneers Chapter 4992 in Opelousas along with four other area women. Club president Henry Allen presented the honorees with certificates of appreciation and invited each to address the audience, according to the Daily World. The married mother of two is a graduate of Louisiana Technical College's T.H. Harris Campus.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released a public-health emergency-preparedness tool for use in pediatric hospitals that reportedly enables facilities to develop responses to such emergent situations as pandemic influenza.

With the provided recommendations, providers will be able to develop unique responses to mass casualty events that involving the healthcare of pediatric patients, according to AHRQ officials.

To view the tool, visit www.ahrq.gov/prep/pedhospital.

June Harris, LPN, of Pontiac, has been named Employee of the Quarter by Pontiac ASTA Care Center, an intermediate and skilled-nursing facility, according to the Daily Leader, a local newspaper.

Also a massage therapist, Harris reportedly is being recognized for the commitment and hard work she has displayed at ASTA.

"She goes above and beyond by helping with call-offs, admittances and during critical times," said an ASTA spokesperson. "She is very good at communications with doctors, the director of nursing and residents' families."

The Michigan Corrections Department is being accused of failing to comply with a request to report on the diversity of its prisons' nurses by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), according to the Associated Press (AP).

According to the AP, in August 2008 the EEOC requested information on the race of those contract nurses who've been hired as permanent employees. The request reportedly followed a black LPN's complaint that she allegedly lost her job at a state prison and was not rehired in another facility because of her race.

EEOC officials claim they have asked a federal judge to order the department to release the documents.

As of this posting, no ruling had been made on the issue.

The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) has finally sent notices to all its nursing homes to inform officials that certain veterans can expect reimbursements for nursing home costs within 90 days, though they were originally expected 2 years ago, according to a Newsday report.

Repayments were originally slated to begin at the nearly 140 state-run VA facilities March 21, 2007, as a result of a bill signed by former President Bush to protect veterans who've had to dip into life savings to pay $250 per-day costs while waiting for Medicaid to take effect.

According to Newsday, reasons for the delay have gone unannounced and at least eight patients at Long Island (NY) State Veterans Home who would have been covered under the law have been forced to pay for some or all of their care out of pocket - two of whom reportedly died while waiting for funds.

 Reimbursements will reportedly affect those veterans who are considered at least 70 percent disabled by a service-connected injury.

Proposed legislation in the state of Nevada would reportedly offer stronger protection for nurses who report violations as well as increase health inspections and tighten requirements for reporting and investigating major patient problems in surgical centers.

According to Las Vegas Fox News affiliate Fox 5, lawmakers are considering several such bills in response to two endoscopy centers in the state that recently exposed 50,000 patients to blood-borne viruses by reusing syringes and have since closed.

The outbreak is said to be the largest patient notification in U.S. history and led to a reported nine patients contracting hepatitis C with another 105 cases possibly linked to the clinics.

"We understand that the public health system in this state depends upon the public trust, and the public trust was seriously eroded by this crisis," said Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie (D-Reno).

Reportedly receiving the most debate were proposals to require annual inspections of infection-control practices in offices that perform general anesthesia, deep sedation and conscious sedation. Facilities also would have to obtain a state permit and a national accreditation, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

Inspections and permitting would reportedly be partially funded by fees paid by the facilities. According to estimates by the state health division, 235 physician offices and 50 outpatient surgical centers would be affected and could expect to pay from $2,000-$3,000 in annual fees and accreditation costs.

Larry Matheis, executive director of the Nevada State Medical Association, reportedly told the committee that the increased regulation as written may not be practical, according to Fox 5.

As of this posting, the bills had not been approved by the state Assembly or Senate.

Organizations representing healthcare consumers, insurers, businesses and providers have joined to form the Champion Nursing Coalition, a group that plans to educate the public about the nation's nursing shortage, according to the AARP, a member of the coalition.

The AARP estimates the national nursing shortage will reach 500,000 by 2025; however, schools are allegedly unable to educate future nurses as a result of limited resources and faculty. A reported 99,000 applicants were turned away from nursing schools nationwide in 2008.

Coalition officials said they hope to educate members of their respective organizations about the shortage of nurses and resources in an effort to stimulate healthcare reform.

"Ending the nursing shortage is a key part of reforming our health system so every American has access to quality, affordable care," said Nancy LeaMond, AARP executive vice president. "The diverse organizations of this coalition will raise awareness of the significant role nurses play in keeping us healthy and the dangerous consequences the shortage is creating."

For more information on the shortage, visit www.championnursing.org.

Kim Glatz, LPN, was recently one of four people killed in an alleged shooting spree that took place Feb. 14 in Canandaigua, NY.

According to MSNBC, the shooter, Frank Garcia, was a former co-worker of Glatz when both worked at Wesley Gardens Nursing Home in Rochester. Garcia was reportedly the overnight nursing supervisor at the home until spring 2008, when he was fired for unknown reasons. Glatz worked with him there briefly in late 2007.

According to the report, which has grabbed headlines nationally, Garcia shot and killed Glatz and her husband Chris execution style outside of their home. Their two children, a ninth-grader and sixth-grader, were reportedly inside the house.

At the time of the killings Chris Glatz was apparently on staff at Quail Summit, a senior living community in Canandaigua, NY, as the executive director.

Garcia also reportedly shot Mary Silliman, a certified nurse's assistant whom he worked with while at Lakeside Memorial Hospital in Brockport. He's also accused of shooting Randal Norman, a friend of Silliman's who attempted to help her during the incident, which occurred in the facility's parking lot, according to R News, a Rochester news station.

Another person who was shot in the parking lot reportedly survived and drove to a local police station for help.

As of this posting, no reason for the shooting had been released. Garcia is in custody and faces murder charges and attempted-murder charges after being tracked down and arrested in a nearby restaurant later that day.

The Mississippi Board of Community and Junior Colleges is seeking to develop an online associate's degree course for LPNs, according to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

The program would reportedly be funded by the Mississippi Workforce Enhancement Training Fund, which currently enables approximately 150,000 individuals to complete robotics, automotive maintenance, computers, welding and other programs each year.

Before the program can be approved, however, it must go through the state Senate, according to the Journal. However, healthcare professionals are said to be hesitant about the program's approval because it doesn't specify how clinical work would be incorporated.

As of this posting, the bill had been presented to the Senate's Appropriations Committee. No other actions had been taken.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, recently signed by President Obama, awards $500 million to healthcare professions training - $300 million of which will be awarded to the National Health Service Corps while $200 million will be given to nursing workforce development programs and the health professions training programs, according to Medical News Today, an online news source.

"The American Recovery Act is about creating jobs," said Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). "Not only jobs in construction, but jobs in healthcare, jobs in education and jobs for women. America is facing a nursing shortage that affects every city in every state. If we don't invest money in educating our healthcare professionals, we won't be able to increase our healthcare workforce, which is so important for our hospitals and for our patients."

The number of MRSA central-line associated bloodstream infections (BSI) has decreased in ICUs, according to a JAMA report.

The report is based on hospital data relayed to the CDC between 1997 and 2007. In that time, the number of reported central-line associated BSIs declined in all ICU types, excluding pediatrics.

The report's authors attribute the decline potentially to increased adherence to the CDC's evidence-based prevention guidelines, success in preventing MRSA transmission between patients, and strategies to improve central-line insertion and care practices.

Park University, Parkville, recently announced a partnership with Truman Medical Centers (TMC) in Kansas City that will establish a satellite LPN-ADN nursing program at TMC.

The program, which has been in development since April 2008, will reportedly enroll 65 students.

"The medical center was looking for innovative ways to increase the pipeline of RNs into the Truman Medical Centers system, while still investing in our current staff," said Teresa Collins, RN, chief nursing officer at TMC. "This was the perfect solution, a program that allows dedicated and hard working TMC LPNs to continue working while they complete a bridge program to become registered nurses. This is without a doubt a win-win program."

Classes are scheduled to begin July 7. The board of nursing will reportedly visit the site in May.

For more information, visit www.park.edu/nursing.

The March of Dimes' Arizona Chapter is accepting applications for nursing scholarships that will reportedly cover full tuition and fees for nominees enrolled either in the LPN-to-BSN program or the BSN-to-MSN/Ed program at the University of Phoenix, the school announced.

To access the application, visit www.marchofdimes.com/arizona. The deadline for entry is March 13.

Cancer patients often have more costs than their private health insurance covers, according to a report released by the Kaiser Foundation.

The report, which profiles 20 patients, shows that many cancer patients have high out-of-pocket costs that can lead them to incur large debt and potentially force them forgo life-saving treatments.

The authors recommend addressing the limitations of employer coverage, particularly when an individual is too ill to work; the availability of affordable, quality private health insurance; and analysis of waiting periods for benefits.

The full report can be accessed online at www.kff.org/insurance/7851.cfm.

Joy Snyder, LPN, of Elizabethton, TN, and Janet Hunter, LPN, of Thomasville, GA, have been won the 2009 Whatever It Takes And Then Some Award, according to the Cleveland Daily Banner.

The award is an annual honor given by Life Care Centers of America, a nationwide healthcare company based in Cleveland that operates nursing, acute-care and Alzheimer's centers.

The distinction is given to individuals within each of the organizations seven districts who display exceptional customer service.

Snyder was reportedly the eastern division winner; Hunter represents the southeast. 

Without changes to government policy, the number of uninsured Americans could rise to 54 million by 2019, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

In a prepared statement Feb. 10, Douglas W. Elmendorf, CBO director, made several recommendations to the Senate Budget Committee that would reportedly improve efficiency of healthcare, control costs and extend care to as many Americans as possible.

"That projection is consistent with long-standing trends in coverage and largely reflects the expectation that healthcare costs and health insurance premiums will continue to rise faster than people's income - making health insurance more difficult to afford," he said.

To view his statement, visit http://budget.senate.gov/democratic/testimony/2009/02-10-HealthElmendorf_Testimony.pdf.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed eliminating LVN representatives from the California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians in order to save $619,000, according to the San Jose Mercury News. The plan would cut 16 positions and is reportedly one of 18 proposals the governor has made in an attempt to save the state $126 million in one year.

Additional proposals included: eliminating the California Integrated Waste Management Board; dismantling the California Conservation Corps; combining the boards of Behavioral Sciences, Psychiatric Technicians and Psychology into a Board of Mental Health; and eliminating the Telephone Medical Advice Services Bureau, the Mercury News reports.

As of this posting, no decision had been made about the proposals.

White House officials have announced that Tom Daschle has withdrawn his nomination for secretary of Health and Human Services, effective Feb. 3. According to CNN, Daschle had been questioned recently about his tax records and work that many considered to be lobbying.

In a released statement Daschle said, "To be chosen by President Obama to run the Department of Health and Human Services and to lead the reform of America's healthcare system is one of the signal honors of an improbably career. But if 30 years of exposure to the challenges inherent in our system has taught me anything, it has taught me that this work will require a leader who can operate with the full faith of Congress and the American people, and without distraction. Right now, I am not that leader."

As of this posting, President Obama had not chosen a replacement.

Nonprofit medical clinics are reportedly having difficulty retaining healthcare staff, including LVNs.

According to the Record, a newspaper based in Stockton, a statewide survey of community clinics has found that more than eight in 10 clinics cannot keep positions filled or find new employees for vacant positions. Among the positions most needed are LVNs, dental assistants and case managers.

While the overall rate of employment in the U.S. fell by approximately 2.6 million jobs in 2008, the number of healthcare positions rose by 419,000, according to the Wall Street Journal.

RNs reportedly saw the greatest growth with an estimated 168,000 additional jobs taken. It is expected there will be 587,000 additional RN positions and 105,000 additional LPN positions within the next 7 years, the Journal states.

Marlo Daniel, a practical nursing student from Clarksville, has been named student of the year by the Tennessee Technology Center (TTC) in Dickson, according to the Leaf Chronicle, a newspaper serving Clarksville and Fort Campbell.

Daniel, who graduated from TTC in December 2009, was chosen based on her character, attitude, attendance, leadership qualities, career goals, and commitment to and knowledge of her chosen occupation, according to the Chronicle.

As her region's winner, Daniel reportedly will be a part of Tennessee Technology Center's statewide student of the year competition in March.

The Joint Commission has begun posting results from its patient satisfaction surveys as well as 30-day mortality rates for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia.

The patient survey information is reportedly compiled from a survey of 10 questions on varying criteria including communication, cleanliness, promptness and overall satisfaction. Mortality rates are listed showing whether a hospital is equal to, worse or better than the national average.

Patients reportedly can access the information at www.qualitycheck.org, where they can also locate hospitals by searching with their provider's name, ZIP code or state of practice.

Clyantha Stanford Glover, RN, believed to have been the oldest registered nurse in the U.S., passed away in mid-January at the age of 108, reports Missourinet, an online news source.

A 1926 graduate of Homer G. Phillips School of Nursing in St. Louis, Glover worked as a nurse until her retirement in 1969, according to Missourinet.

To make sharing one's family health history with practitioners easier, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released an updated version of its family health history tool.

The tool reportedly allows consumers to access and input data from the Web, control privacy, and share and download the information. According to HHS, the tool is also formatted to enable practitioners to easily access the information and use the data for more personalized care.

"Family history has always been an important part of good healthcare, but it has been underused," said Steven Galson, Acting Surgeon General. "Today, with our growing knowledge of genetics, family history is becoming even more important. The new tool will help consumers and clinicians alike. It will also serve as a platform for developing new risk-assessment software that will help in screening and prevention of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other conditions."

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released the "Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections," to highlight key actions needed to minimize those infections patients acquire while receiving treatment for medical or surgical conditions.

According to HHS, the plan includes creating national targets for preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), educating patients on HAIs, furthering research and implementing preventive steps in acute care.

To read the full report, visit www.hhs.gov/ophs/initiatives/hai/infection.html.

Arizona Rep. Phil Lopes (D), members of the California Nurses Association and several state nurses are lobbying for minimum staffing ratios in hospitals, reports the Arizona Daily Star, a Tucson newspaper.

According to the paper, the group is fighting for passage of the Arizona Hospital Patient Protection Act. The bill would reportedly create uniform, statewide nurse-to-patient ratios, which would vary by type of patient. This would make Arizona the second state, following California, to adopt such rules, the Star states.

Mercy Health Partners, a health system in Muskegon County, will reportedly layoff 31 hospital-based LPNs in February, according to Muskegon News. Following the layoffs, the system's hospitals will reportedly only employ RNs.

Mercy Health officials told Muskegon News they are transitioning to an all-RN staff to improve the quality of care in hospitals.

"As an organization, Mercy Health Partners is changing the delivery of nursing care," said Kim Maguire, RN, Mercy's vice president of nursing and chief nursing officer. "As patient needs become more acute and financial pressures mount, the skills of the registered nurse are required."

The LPNs who are laid off will reportedly be able to apply at nursing homes and home-health programs that are also operated by Mercy.

Traci S. Stover, LPN, of Ionia, has filed suit against Metron of Belding, a skilled nursing facility, for not allowing her to work while pregnant, the Ionia Sentinel-Standard reports.

According to the Ionia Sentinel-Standard, Stover, who had not worked between Dec. 15, 2006, and Jan.21, 2007, returned to Metron Jan. 22, 2007, with a slip from her doctor stating she could lift up to 20 pounds during her pregnancy.

The director of nursing allegedly told Stover she could not work as her position required her to lift up to 25 pounds. The company also reportedly requested medical health information from Stover's doctor, which, according to Stover, was used to prevent her from returning to work.

Stover filed a gender and pregnancy discrimination suit at the U.S. District Court in Western Michigan, claiming she suffered mental anguish, physical and emotional distress, humiliation and embarrassment, and a loss of professional reputation, as well as a loss of earnings, earning capacity and fringe benefits, according to the Standard. A scheduling hearing is reportedly set for Feb. 5.

The Joint Commission has issued a safety alert regarding the implementation of health information technology (HIT) at hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

According to the alert, converging HIT with other technologies can lead to adverse events such as omission of needed information. The Joint Commission advises all HIT users to be well aware of the systems' designs, as most risks stem from human error

Dementia as a cause of death is largely underreported in nursing homes, according to a study by the Harvard Medical School.

According to the findings, only 16 percent of death certificates for seniors in nursing homes with confirmed cases of dementia list dementia as a cause of death while only 63 percent list it as a contributing factor. For Alzheimer's disease specifically, approximately 33 percent of individuals diagnosed with the disease reportedly did not have it listed as a main or contributing cause of death.

The study estimates dementia-related deaths could be four times as prevalent as they currently appear

An estimated 38 percent of U.S. adults and 12 percent of children use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), according to a survey created by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and distributed by the National Center for Health Statistics.

The most common uses among adults reportedly were non-vitamin, non-mineral products such as fish oil or echinacea, deep-breathing exercises, meditation and yoga. Among children, the most common therapies were non-vitamin, non-mineral products, chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, deep breathing and yoga.

"The survey results provide information on trends and a rich set of data for investigating who in America is using CAM, the practices they use and why," said Richard L. Nahin, PhD, MPH, acting director of NCCAM's division of extramural research. "Future analyses of these data may help explain some of the observed variation in the use of individual CAM therapies and provide greater insights into CAM use patterns among Americans."

By 2010, cancer is expected to be the leading cause of death in the world, replacing heart disease, according to the 2008 World Cancer Report. The report, released by the World Health Organization, also projects 27 million people will have cancer and 17 million deaths a year will be caused by the disease by 2030.

The increase is attributed, in part, to the growing rate of cancer in developing countries as citizens are adopting Western habits, such as smoking, high-fat diets and limited physical activity, but are lacking access to adequate cancer treatment, the report explains.

In response to the report, the American Cancer Society has made the following recommendations:

• Make vaccines that prevent cancer available in low-income countries;
• Generate greater support for tobacco control initiatives in the U.S. and internationally;
• Promote culturally sensitive risk-reduction programs; and
• Invest in cancer research and early detection initiatives.

President-elect Barack Obama and his transition team will host healthcare community discussions throughout the U.S. through Dec. 31.

According to former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD), leader of the transition health policy team, the meetings will help team officials compile final recommendations for the new administration regarding healthcare.

"Providing quality affordable healthcare for all Americans is one of my top priorities for this country because our long-term fiscal prospects will have a hard time improving as long as sky-rocketing healthcare costs are holding us all down," Obama said on his Web site (http://change.gov). "These healthcare community discussions are a great way for the American people to have a direct say in our healthcare reform efforts and I encourage Americans to take part if they are able."

For more information on attending or hosting a healthcare community discussion, visit http://change.gov.

Progress made toward better protecting the U.S. from disease outbreaks, natural disasters and bioterrorism may be at risk as a result of the nation's current economic crisis, according to Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, nonprofit organizations.

In their annual report "Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism," the organizations report state scores regarding individual level of health preparedness, according to TFAH. Officials had reportedly noted a steady increase in progress over the past 6 years. However, in 2008, reportedly more than half of the states, as well as Washington, DC, scored lower than seven on a list of 10 key indicators for preparedness. Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana and Nebraska all were given low scores of five.

"The economic crisis could result in a serious rollback of the progress we've made since September 11, 2001 and Hurricane Katrina to better prepare the nation for emergencies," said Jeff Levi, PhD, executive director of TFAH. "The 25 percent cut in federal support to protect Americans from diseases, disasters and bioterrorism is already hurting state response capabilities. The cuts to state budgets in the next few years could lead to a disaster for the nation's disaster preparedness."

To view state-specific scores, visit http://healthyamericans.org/reports/bioterror08/.