Monday, September 30, 2002
Smallpox Vaccination Guidelines Prepared
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week released an updated version of the post-event Smallpox Response Plan and Guidelines for state and public local health authorities regarding large-scale voluntary vaccination. The plan would only be implemented following a confirmed outbreak of smallpox. It includes strategies for disease surveillance, logistics for mass vaccination within five days of an outbreak, and modes of communicating to the public and health care institutions. Smallpox was declared eradicated worldwide in 1980, but the guidelines were formed in preparation for the rare event the disease should be used in biological warfare. Plans to conduct pre-outbreak vaccination of hospital and emergency workers are underway, but no timeline or final approval has been issued. The guidelines are available online at www.cdc.gov. (Carol Jacobson, carolj@ohanet.org)

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Tuesday, October 1, 2002
Breast Cancer Awareness Month Brings Education Opportunity
Throughout October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Ohio health care providers have the opportunity to educate the general public and others about breast cancer and its impact on communities across the state. The month-long campaign stresses the importance of early detection and is aimed at the public, particularly women of all ages and ethnicities, in addition to state and federal governments, health care professionals and employers. In Ohio in 1999, the age-adjusted breast cancer incidence rate was 135.4 per 100,000 Ohio females, with breast cancer affecting more women, 31.5 percent, than any other invasive cancer, according to the Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System. During 2002, an estimated 203,500 new cases of breast cancer are expected to occur among women nationwide. More information about the campaign is available online at http://www.nbcam.org.

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(Editor’s note: StateHealthClips.com has gone to a subscription service. Please note that the link to access clips will change daily. If you visit www.statehealthclips.com, you will be required to enter a subscriber password. No password is required for the link published in HEALTH e-NEWS Plus.)

The Senate’s provider payment package differs somewhat from the House’s version, H.R. 4954, which passed the House in June. H.R. 4954 would provide a reduction, not elimination, of the cuts, and would not allow for inflationary growth in federal funding for HCAP. The Senate bill, introduced by Max Baucus (D-MT) and Charles Grassley (R-IA), would allow for inflationary increases over the next three years in addition to eliminating the reductions altogether.

Not yet assigned a bill number, the Senate bill will not go to committee, but could instead head directly to the Senate floor. However, the Senate must unanimously agree to hear the bill before it can reach the Senate floor. Without unanimous consent, the House could address the DSH issue next week. OHA will continue to work with the American Hospital Association and other organizations in urging Congress to eliminate cuts to providers. OHA member hospitals are encouraged to call their members of Congress and urge DSH relief before the Oct. 11 recess. For more information about HCAP, visit www.ohanet.org/hcap/advocacy.htm. (Jonathan Archey, jonathana@ohanet.org)