State to Chicago students: Keep your filthy hands away from your food

A strange piece of legislation is coming out of Springfield, as the House passed a resolution requiring Chicago Public Schools students to wash their hands before eating.

WBEZ reports that supporters, including Rep. Monique Davis, think the measure will instill healthy habits. Says Davis:

How many times are communicable diseases spread because children failed to do the simple task of washing his or her hands because no adult required it?

Why isn't the House cracking down on those ruffians in Romeoville? (Just kidding, Romeoville)

But seriously. Why does this legislation focus solely on Chicago? And how will it be enforced?

According to WBEZ, Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago), the chief sponsor, "says she focused only on Chicago schools as a way to make sure the district improved plumbing in its facilities. House lawmakers approved the plan 68-47 and it now moves to the state Senate."

Stimulus money hard to come by for public health projects

As more federal stimulus money is announced, a picture of what kind of support Chicago and Cook County public health agencies will receive is slowly developing.

It’s a murky picture, at best.

With Friday’s announcement that 16 federally qualified local health centers will take in nearly $8 million, it’s clear that low-income Chicagoans will benefit from some of the federal dollars.

But what is not clear is whether the city’s Department of Public Health will reap any reward from Washington.

Read the full story at the Daily News.

A virtual ER

How much would an ER visit cost in Linden dollars?

That's a question we may never have an answer for, but medical students at London's Imperial College are learning about doctoring through the virtual world of Second Life. Instructors are calling it "game-based learning."

The Second Life learning space is designed to look like Imperial College itself. Students are learning about patient consultation, they order x-rays and even make virtual diagnoses.

There's even a penalty if they forget to virtually wash their virtual hands.

It's not part of the official curriculum, but students say it's a nice diversion from traditional learning.

"I've had two years of just lectures and books," said third-year medical student Khayam Sheikh. "I think this is a nice way to break it up."

Walgreens offers relief to uninsured

Walgreens is launching a nationwide effort to help the unemployed and uninsured.

Drugstore operator Walgreens will offer free clinic visits to the unemployed and uninsured for the rest of the year, providing tests and routine treatment for minor ailments through its walk-in clinics -- though patients will still pay for prescriptions.

Deerfield-based Walgreens said patients who lose their job and health insurance after March 31 will be able to get free treatment at its in-store Take Care clinics for respiratory problems, allergies, infections and skin conditions, among other ailments. Typically those treatments cost $59 or more for patients with no insurance.

The program lasts until the end of the year. There are five Take Care clinics in Chicago.

RSS Test

Just testing out the Twitterfeed...

Morning round up

A story the Daily News reported yesterday is making the rounds: Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced a new law, going into effect Wednesday, that caps the amount of money hospitals can charge the uninsured. Lawmakers are hailing it as a landmark law in a touch economy.

Here's an interesting look at the fallout from the incident at the University of Chicago Medical Center, which was cited by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid for violating the EMTALA law, which says hospitals must treat all patients who come to their emergency rooms.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes about the medical marijuana bills being considered in Springfield.

Anti-cannabis activists worry that pot could become totally legal if the bills pass:
"That's a very big concern, absolutely," said Jeanie Lowe, an anti-legalization activist who has been at the forefront of Springfield's annual marijuana wars.

Lowe also questioned whether lawmakers facing a state budget deficit might want to legalize marijuana so it could be taxed in the future. "Seems like they tax anything that moves," Lowe said.

More sexually transmitted diseases in Kane County are prompting the county to allocate more money towards testing.

It appears people are not looking kindly upon Chicago's Olympic bid, as cutbacks at the city's mental health centers, U of C's ER and talk about closing a UIC location are gaining steam.

There's a shortage of Catholic priests to deliver bedside sacrament, according to the Trib.

But the greater demand combined with a shortage of priests threaten to create a painful shortfall for Catholics already afflicted. Priests worry that Catholic patients may suffer even more from neglect if the void goes unfilled.

In Washington, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is set for confirmation hearings to officially take over as Health and Human Services secretary. She says "health reform would be my mission.”

Anything we're missing? Send an email to alex (at) chitowndailynews (dot) org.

Chicago health centers set to receive almost $8 million in federal funding

Nearly $8 million in federal stimulus dollars is being delivered to 18 federally qualified health centers in Chicago.

The money is part of $15.2 million in Increased Demand for Service funds to be dispersed to 36 health centers statewide.

The funds will be used over the next two years to create or retain about 270 jobs across the state, federal officials say.

Read the full story at the Daily News.

New law limits hospital costs for Illinois' uninsured

A new law going into effect April 1 caps hospital bills and gives significant discounts to uninsured people in Illinois.

The Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act reduces charges for the uninsured and prevents discriminatory pricing based on patients' insurance status.

The law says hospital charges cannot exceed the costs of services plus 35 percent, and puts an annual cap on the amount hospitals can collect from patients who are uninsured. The new law says hospitals cannot collect more than 25 percent of a family's income during a 12-month period.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan says the law makes Illinois one of the most progressive in tackling problems faced by the uninsured.

"As unemployment rates climb and a record number of Illinois families struggle financially, this new law limits the financial strain caused by an unexpected illness or a medical emergency so that necessary hospital services are no longer out of reach for uninsured patients."

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Karen May (D-Highland Park) and Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg (D-Evanston).

Morning round up

Here's a quick glance at some of the most interesting health news from across the land.

The Chicago Tribune has a story about the sad topic of child suicides. Three children in Illinois, including two aged 10 and 11, killed themselves last month. The story includes information on how Illinois is tackling the issue.

It looks like cigarette prices are going up. Ironically, the increased revenue may go to fund health care programs for children. In Chicago, that must mean some great programs, since cigarette prices here average $9.36 a pack. Incentive to quit?

Several Chicago-area medical professionals recorded videos opposing less-stringent abortion laws, and sent them to President Obama. It's part of an effort by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to keep the tougher regulations in place.

Hispanics and other immigrants have tough times navigating the nation's health clinics, according to the New York Times, reporting in Minneapolis.

Even with Hennepin’s open-door policy, hospital officials say, getting health care is increasingly difficult for many illegal immigrants. Previously allowed to use Medicaid, people here illegally are no longer eligible, except for children, pregnant women or those with emergency cases. Some illegal immigrants are too afraid to approach a public hospital like Hennepin, fearful that any official interaction might tip off immigration agents.

Chicago's most famous hospital is closing its doors. That's County General, the fictional hospital of "ER," which is going off the air this week. The Trib wrote about the show's effect on Chicago over the weekend, and the Tampa Tribune writes about how the Chicago-centric show was about more than entertainment, according to executive producer John Wells:

"When we started, we were trying to say something about the nation's health care system," says Wells, recalling a 1994 Newsweek cover of the cast with the headline "A Healthcare Plan That Really Works."

"This was during the Clinton attempts to reform health care and we thought the system was in decay then," Wells says. "We were showing a financially strapped public hospital where the staff was doing its best to cope.

"But now 15 years later, the health care system is worse," he notes. Of the major industrial nations, we're somewhere, depending on the year, ranked between 20 and 50 as far as the quality of our health care.

"We're the only industrialized democracy that doesn't provide health care for everyone within the country in some form," he adds. "And to close down emergency rooms simply because there are too many people trying to use them is unconscionable."

A referendum in Elgin may allow Elgin Community College to grow its nursing practitioner program. The Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council endorsed a proposed bond issue:

"The metropolitan Chicago region faces a looming nursing shortage exacerbated by the growing and aging population," said Kevin Scanlan, MCHC president and CEO. "This referendum will enable ECC to positively impact the region by improving access to health care and educating more people for a future in higher-paying health careers."

Is there something the Chi-Town Daily News should be covering? Send an email to alex (at) chitowndailynews (dot) org.

Welcome to Chicago Health Matters

Welcome to Chicago Health Matters, a blog about public health in Chicago, published by the Chi-Town Daily News.

This is a space for us to write about stuff that affects Chicago, but might not be occurring in the city. We’ll look at the best health care coverage from around Illinois and the country, and we’ll give you information about stories we’re covering.

Chicago Health Matters is also a forum for you, the reader. We want to hear from you, and we hope this blog will become a place to discuss the important issues in public health today.

Please feel free to comment (and, please, try to keep it clean), or contact me at alex (at) chitowndailynews (dot) org.

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