Office of Public Relations

[newsclippings/dhmh_header.htm]
Visitors to Date
Office of Public Relations
			Wednesday, February 11, 2009 News Clipping Archives *Maryland / Regional* Children's Health Insurance Program Launched in Charles County (The Bay Net) Md. held up as a leader in budget performance (Baltimore Sun) Insurance administration offers guidelines for 'boutique' medical practices (Baltimore Sun) Md., Va. Aim Bills At Young Drivers (Washington Post) For Restaurateurs, a Hazy Cloud Over the Future (Washington Post) Federal officials tout new health law (somdnews.com) Md. regulators explain concierge medicine boundary (Daily Record) HGS shipping anthrax treatment in $150 million deal (Montgomery County Gazette) Week’s focus on heart health (Carroll County Times) *National / International* (SF)City Expands Reach of Universal Health Care Program (San Francisco Chronicle) Peanut Company Shuts Second Plant (Washington Post) After Tests, Peanut Plant in Texas Is Closed (New York Times) Peanut Co. owner refuses to testify to Congress (Hagerstown Herald-Mail) *Opinion* Abortion laws take a step back (Carroll County Times Letter to the Editor) *Maryland / Regional* Children's Health Insurance Program Launched in Charles County Charles County The Bay Net By Pete Hurrey Wednesday, February 11, 2009 On Monday, Feb. 9 in the Charles County Health Department offices in White Plains, Congressman Steny Hoyer and U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin announced the passage of the long awaited health insurance program that not only covers children for basic healthcare needs, but expands coverage to include an additional four million children across the nation. According to Sen. Cardin (D-MD) who spoke before a gathering of Southern Maryland and Charles County Commissioners, “Americans are going through a very tough time in this economy. People are losing their jobs in record numbers and this new program will ensure that children have access to at least the most basic healthcare.” “Too many Americans have no insurance, but this bill takes a step in the right direction by ensuring that millions of uninsured children will have access to quality health care,” said Cardin. “This time America’s children are going to come out as winners because they are going to get the health care services they need.” The popular House Majority Leader, Hoyer (D-MD) reinforced Cardin’s remarks, but added that this would not be the end of the effort to bring affordable healthcare to all Americans, but only the beginning. “Americans voted for change in November and elected President Obama. We will work in congress to make sure that change happens. It will be a tough fight, but we will prevail.” “No child in Leonardtown, White Plains, Waldorf, or anywhere throughout our nation should ever go without medical care,” stated Hoyer. “Enactment of the SCHIP legislation will allow us to help raise a healthier generation of Americans, reduce the much more costly use of emergency rooms for primary care, and move us closer to providing every child in our nation with affordable, high-quality health care.” In Maryland, the CHIP bill will fully fund the 110,000 children currently enrolled in the Maryland Children’s Health Program (MCHP). Currently, 2,000 children from Charles County are enrolled in MCHP. The new law will provide funding to expand health coverage to approximately 42,800 Maryland children who are currently uninsured. In the final analysis, it may be that a universal healthcare system that helps people to see family practitioners and dentists will save millions over a healthcare system now forced to pay for emergency room visits instead of a doctor’s visit. One of the examples mentioned by all the speakers at the press conference was that of a 12-year old from PG County that had a simple toothache, but his mother could not afford a dentist or find one that would accept Medicaid. As a result, the child’s tooth abscessed, the infection reached his brain and after $250 thousand in surgery and other doctor’s bills, the boy died. “Because he did not have access to a dentists for about $80, this young man died and it cost over $250 thousand,” said Hoyer. Copyright 2009 The Bay Net.com. Md. held up as a leader in budget performance By Laura Smitherman Baltimore Sun Wednesday, February 11, 2009 Maryland was one of four states singled out as leaders in performance-driven budgeting practices in a report to be released today from the Pew Center on the States, a nonpartisan think tank researching practices worthy of emulation in times of fiscal distress. Under Gov. Martin O'Malley, Maryland has implemented StateStat, a system that monitors departments, including corrections, health and transportation, to identify where to trim to achieve savings and better results. O'Malley implemented a similar program as mayor of Baltimore. Copyright 2009 Baltimore Sun. Insurance administration offers guidelines for 'boutique' medical practices Some doctors who refuse to accept insurance could be subject to regulation By Tyeesha Dixon Baltimore Sun Wednesday, February 11, 2009 Although some physicians who do not accept health insurance could be considered insurance providers, many "boutique" or "concierge" practices can avoid being regulated by state insurance administrators by following market-value guidelines for services they provide and by going over their contracts with the Maryland Insurance Administration, according to findings issued by the agency. The report, released last month, was prompted by the insurance administration's concerns about some doctors' switching their business models to charge patients an annual, flat fee for services, rather than continue to accept health insurance. The Maryland Insurance Administration held an informational hearing in late December to learn more about the "retainer practice" model. Retainer practices, also called boutique or concierge practices, have caused debate in the medical professions. Some doctors say low insurance reimbursement rates make it impossible for them to maintain a financially viable practice, but public health and hospital officials say the decreased number of patients that doctors see under the model will worsen an existing physician shortage. In the report, the administration concluded that there were two types of retainer practice: the "annual evaluation model," in which the physician agrees to provide a physical exam each year, and a "bundled fee for services model," in which the doctor also offers unlimited office visits. As long as the annual fee does not exceed the market value of the services in the physical exam, the annual evaluation model would not be considered insurance, the report concluded. For the bundled fee model, however, the report recommends a number of limitations to avoid being considered insurance, such as defining the services to be provided in the contract, establishing the annual fee using the market value of the physical and limiting the services provided under the annual fee. In Maryland, insurance is defined as "a contract to indemnify or to pay or provide a specified or determinable amount or benefit on the occurrence of a determinable contingency." "In the interest of resolving issues before they become problems, the MIA urges physicians and medical practices considering the establishment of retainer practices to approach the matter with care and to consult with the MIA in advance," the report reads. "And, for those currently engaged in retainer medicine, the MIA encourages these practices to contact the MIA to share their written agreements to be sure these retainer practices are not inadvertently engaging in the business of insurance." The report was submitted to state legislators, but "at this time we are not aware of any activity this legislative session," said Karen Barrow, MIA spokeswoman. To view the report, visit www.mdinsurance.state.md.us. Copyright 2009 Baltimore Sun. Md., Va. Aim Bills At Young Drivers Measures Would Ban Texting, Raise Licensing Age By Fredrick Kunkle and Anita Kumar Washington Post Wednesday, February 11, 2009; B01 RICHMOND, Feb. 10 -- Maryland teenagers might have to wait longer before getting a driver's license, while those in Virginia could be asked to pocket their cellphones, as proposed safety measures in the general assemblies of both states target the youngest and riskiest drivers. Other measures under consideration in Virginia would tighten seat-belt laws and prohibit all drivers from reading or writing messages on cellphones and messaging devices. Virginia's House of Delegates overwhelmingly passed a bill that would ban texting while driving. Safety advocates pushed for the bill, and an organization that represents telecommunications companies took no position. "We are very concerned about the dangers of texting on a 2-by-2-inch screen while driving 70 miles per hour," said Martha Meade, manager of public and government affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. Backers cited a study by the University of Utah showing that drivers are four times more likely to have an accident while using a cellphone, and a driver who is texting is six times more likely to crash. Other studies showed that although many people admitted to sending messages while driving, a larger number thought the practice should be outlawed. "People really got the message that texting is very dangerous,'' said Del. James M. Scott (D-Fairfax), who introduced one of the texting bills this year. "People understand you have to use fingers and hands, and it's much more dangerous than using a cellphone." A similar prohibition is under discussion in Maryland. There, lawmakers also took up a bill that would raise the age for teenagers to obtain a learner's permit from 15 years, 9 months old to 16 years. Teenagers would also have to wait until they are six months past their 16th birthday to obtain provisional, restricted licenses. They could not get a full license until they turn 18. Teen drivers who have provisional licenses and are not driving with a parent or guardian would also have to get home earlier. The deadline would move from midnight to 11 p.m., and penalties would be stiffened for those who break the rules. Two teens told the committee that the restrictions would make it harder for conscientious teens to take part in sports and other school activities. "Many students would like to be more active in their schools but they cannot commit because they do not have transportation," said Mark Ritterpusch, 15, who spoke on behalf on the Maryland Association of Student Councils. He was joined by Chris Casey, 16. Virginia senators also proposed a clampdown on teen drivers. The Senate passed a measure sponsored by Sen. George L. Barker (D-Fairfax) that would prohibit teenage drivers from using cellphones while driving, and it would also make the violation a primary offense, allowing police to stop drivers on suspicion of violating the ban. Sen. Mark D. Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg), speaking out against the cellphone ban for teenage drivers, said police could stop almost any driver talking on a cellphone on the pretext that they appeared to be young. Similar objections were raised about a bill that would make it a primary offense to fail to wear a seat belt in the front seat. Also addressing teen driving is legislation that would require parents in Northern Virginia to attend a driver-safety class with their child -- a measure that even its backers anticipate could make some parents groan. The bills -- sponsored by Del. David B. Albo (R-Fairfax) in the House and by Sen. Janet D. Howell (D-Fairfax) in the Senate -- would make parents or guardians attend a class on driver safety that lasts at least 90 minutes. In both states, lawmakers are targeting those who drink and drive. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) is urging passage of several laws to curb drunken driving, particularly among repeat offenders and drivers younger than 21. On Tuesday, the Virginia House passed a bill 91 to 7 that requires first-time DUI offenders to equip their vehicles with breath-testing machines for six months. The House passed the bill last year, but it failed in the Senate. The car cannot start if the machine registers a blood alcohol concentration higher than .02. The legal limit in Virginia is .08. The machines are already required for a second DUI offense, for first offenders with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15 or higher and offenders who violate terms of a restricted license. Del. Kenneth R. Melvin (D-Portsmouth) opposed the bill, arguing that it would punish "soccer moms," "grannies" and others who were barely over the legal limit. Staff writer Rosalind S. Helderman contributed to this report. Copyright 2009 Washington Post. For Restaurateurs, a Hazy Cloud Over the Future By Brigid Schulte Washington Post Wednesday, February 11, 2009; B02 Politicians and public health advocates might have been dancing a jig yesterday at the news that Virginia, at long last, is poised to ban smoking in restaurants and bars. But for restaurant owner Pat Troy, who runs an eponymous Irish bar in Old Town Alexandria and is a self-proclaimed "friend of the smokin' man," the day felt more like a lament. Under the bill that passed Virginia's Republican-controlled House of Delegates on Tuesday, Troy will have to construct new walls and doors if he wants to continue allowing smoking at his place, which will not only be expensive but also will divide the restaurant in half and cut nonsmokers off from the stage. "You're put in the position that you have to stop the smoking," Troy said, Irish fiddle music playing over the loudspeakers as the lunch crowd finished up cheeseburgers and O'Flaherty's potato and leek soup. "It's either that or telling my smokers, 'We'll put you in a little vault.' Sure, it'd be crazy." Indeed, after years of trying to get a smoking ban through the General Assembly, Tuesday's vote came as a shock to those, like Troy, who thought Virginia's rich tobacco history and legacy of rural control in state politics meant that they, unlike restaurant and bar owners in the District, Maryland and 22 other states where smoking is banned, would be safely enveloped in legal cigarette smoke for years to come. The vote left some, like Ramzi Iskandar, owner of Tarbouch Mediterranean Grill in Arlington County, wondering whether they could survive. For three years, Iskandar struggled to run a Lebanese food takeout restaurant. Last year, he brought in hookahs, and business has never been better. Day and night, the air in his place is thick with smoke from the hookahs smoked by his mainly Middle Eastern clientele. To them, he explained, smoking hookah after a meal is as natural as Italians having a glass of wine with their pasta. "If hookahs go away, there's no reason for me to operate, for sure. I've already decided on that," he said. "The reason people are eating here is because I have hookah." The fight over the ban is far from over in Richmond. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) yesterday criticized the bill approved by the House, saying it violated and "weakened" the terms of the deal he worked out with House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford.) In addition to dropping the ventilation requirements for smoking sections, the House version exempts bars that do not serve minors and would allow smoking on outdoor patios. "We need to get the bill back to the deal," Kaine said. But Howell said he's not sure a smoking ban can pass the House if the Senate strips the amendments from it. Back at Pat Troy's Ireland's Own pub, Tony and Melinda Mooney, owners of Murphy's Irish Pub just up the street, finished lunch and bemoaned the smoking ban. Murphy's, especially at happy hour, is filled with smokers. Although neither smokes and Melinda says she's allergic to it, they don't like seeing their friends and customers demonized. "To see a contingent of people being pushed out into the alley, being pushed out into the street, brands them," Tom Mooney said. "It says to them, 'You're not allowed.' " Next to the Mooneys, Tony Musa, a federal sales representative for Glock, the pistol manufacturer, perused the menu, his pack of Marlboro Lights at the ready on the bar. He travels a lot, so he's used to smoking bans. If he can't smoke in a bar, restaurant or hotel, he smokes outside. If he can't smoke outside, he smokes in his car. It's a drag, he said, shrugging. "But I was a soldier for years. I'm used to discipline about what I can and can't do. So I suck it up and drive on." Over at the smoke-filled Ireland's Four Courts in Arlington, manager Dave Cahill, lately of Limerick, said he, like Troy, was surprised that Virginia, of all places, was about to ban smoking. "But Ireland brought in the no-smoking law five years ago," he said. "If it could happen in Ireland, it could happen everywhere." Besides, he said, maybe a ban would be good for business. "Maybe now," he said, "more families will come to the restaurant." Staff writers Anita Kumar and Tim Craig in Richmond and staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report. Copyright 2009 Washington Post. Federal officials tout new health law By Nancy Bromley McConaty somdnews.com Wednesday, February 11, 2009 Kim Johnson knows the importance of affordable health care for children. Johnson's 19-year-old daughter, Michelle, battled kyphosis - a painful curvature of the spine - since she was a young child and her brother, Travis, 12, has asthma. The two medical conditions are expensive to treat. Fortunately, Johnson said her children have been enrolled in the Maryland Children's Health Insurance Program for several years and last summer her daughter was finally able to have an operation that fixed her spine. That costly procedure - complicated by a urinary tract infection that sent her daughter back to the hospital for a week - would not have been possible if not for MCHIP, the Marbury resident said. "The surgery helped her a lot," she said. "I'm so happy that it's fixed," Michelle Johnson said before a press conference held by Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.) and U.S. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md., 5th) at the Charles County Department of Health in White Plains began Monday. "If I hadn't had the surgery my spine would still be curved and I would be in a lot of pain. Now I can play sports. It's a great health insurance program." Waldorf resident Eileen Thomas has four children ranging from 14 years to 9 months. Her husband, George, works a full-time job with the federal government and a part-time job with a local fast food restaurant, but it is still difficult for the couple to provide health and dental care for their children, she said. "Oh, gosh, it's a phenomenal program," she said, adding that her 14-year-old has asthma that requires constant care. "Without this health insurance I would probably be begging people for money and medical bills would be going into collection because we wouldn't be able to pay them. MCHIP offers parents a wonderful opportunity to take care of their children's needs and keep their dignity." President Barack Obama (D) signed the State Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act into law earlier this month. The law will provide health and dental care for 11 million low-income children across the nation through fiscal year 2013. The bill preserves the coverage of 6.7 million children who are currently covered by the SCHIP program, including 110,000 in Maryland, according to Hoyer's office. Under the revised law, Maryland will be able to enroll an additional 42,800 children, including a little more than 2,000 kids in Charles County, said Manjula Paul, director of the county health department's nursing and community health program. Nationwide, an additional 4 million children will be served. "This program will definitely bring down the number of children who are still uninsured and underinsured in Charles County," she said Monday. "It will help us to narrow that number down and also help us provide more dental care." The health department opened a dental clinic for low-income children last year. Currently, the clinic sees children four days a week and adults one day a week, Paul said, adding that there is a waiting list to be seen by the clinic's dentist that stretches through May. Cardin and Hoyer praised Chinnadurai Devadason, Charles and Queen Anne's counties' health officer, for forging ahead with trying to address both the dental and medical needs of uninsured and underinsured children in the county. The newly authorized and expanded insurance program will assist the county in providing medical and dental care to more children, Devadason said. The bill also provides mental health services. "We who work in health care every day see the difficulty that people are facing in dealing with health issues," he said. "This program is an important first step in helping children at risk in this county." Cardin and Hoyer spoke about the tragic death of a 12-year-old Prince George's County boy, Deamonte Driver, who died in 2007 because his mother could not afford to take him to a dentist for treatment of an abscessed tooth. The infection spread to the boy's brain. "The passage of this bill is big news," Cardin said. "It's really important. There are so many families who are facing this type of dilemma. No mother should be faced with the circumstance of trying to determine if her child is sick enough to take to a doctor because she knows that something in her budget will have to give. In America, parents should never have to make those types of choices." "For the lack of $80 for a dentist visit - where at worst he would have had a tooth pulled - $250,000 was spent and Deamonte Driver died," Hoyer said. "… I want to be sure that everybody has health care. Our public health system is stretched. We need more resources. We've got a lot of work to do." Sen. Thomas "Mac" Middleton (D-Charles) said that the U.S. Senate and House need to continue to work to pass a universal health care bill. "This has been a collaborative effort and we've made a lot of strides, but we've got a long way to go," he said. The reauthorized and expanded State Children's Health Insurance Program will be funded in part with a 61-cent increase in the federal tax on a pack of cigarettes, according to Hoyer's office. "More children in Charles County will be covered; the gap in health care will be reduced," Paul said. "This will be a wonderful dream come true for me." nmcconaty@somdnews.com http://www.somdnews.com/stories/02112009/indytop180230_32274.shtml Copyright 2009 somdnews.com. Md. regulators explain concierge medicine boundary Associated Press Daily Record Monday, February 11, 2009 The Maryland Insurance Administration has issued a report clarifying the distinction between so-called "concierge" medical practices and insurance providers who are subject to state regulation. The report followed an informational hearing in December exploring concierge, or retainer, practices. The physicians in those practices no longer accept health insurance and instead charge patients annual fees for services. The report found that as long as the annual fee for a physical exam does not exceed the market value of the services, the business model would not be considered "insurance." For practices offering bundled fees for unlimited office visits, the report says contracts must define the services and use market values to avoid being considered insurance. Copyright 2009 Daily Record. HGS shipping anthrax treatment in $150 million deal Pioneer Rockville biotech makes its first product sales By Gazette Staff \| Montgomery County Gazette Wednesday, February 11, 2009 Human Genome Sciences has begun delivering 20,000 doses of its anthrax treatment to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile under a deal worth at least $150 million. The Rockville biotech's human monoclonal antibody drug, ABthrax, targets the deadly toxins released within the human body by Bacillus anthracis, rather than attack the bacteria themselves, as antibiotics do. That means it can be more effective in an inhalation anthrax attack, the company says, because people may not be aware of an attack until after the toxins are released. By then, killing the bacteria won't help much. "We believe ABthrax offers a significant step forward in the treatment of inhalation anthrax and could play an important role in strengthening America's arsenal against bioterrorism," said H. Thomas Watkins, president and CEO, in a statement. "From a business perspective, this announcement is strategically important for HGS, because it marks our company's first product sales … and we are hopeful that fulfillment of this initial order will result in a long-term relationship involving additional deliveries of ABthrax to the stockpile." HGS is also touting ABthrax versus anthrax vaccines, as a single dose of it attacks the toxins. Under its 2006 deal with the Department of Health and Human Services, HGS expects to receive $165 million, with $150 million in the first half of 2009, with the balance to come upon Food and Drug Administration licensing of ABthrax. In other Montgomery County bioscience news: Novavax of Rockville reported that all the equipment in its new 10,000-square-foot Good Manufacturing Practice pilot plant to produce pandemic and seasonal flu vaccines is installed and ready for operations. The company uses virus-like particle technology in the plant, which has an expected capacity of 2 million to 3 million doses of monovalent pandemic flu vaccine per week. The total project cost was $5 million. The plant must still pass regulatory muster before it begins production. Novavax also signed a research license agreement with Vivalis of Nantes, France. Novavax will use the French company's proprietary EB66 cell line to produce vaccines against several new potential viruses. The cell line, derived from duck embryonic stem cells, has several advantages, including long-term genetic stability and immortality, according to Novavax information. Gaithersburg biotech GenVec has cut 22 positions, bringing its work force to 101, to lower expenses "during this period of unfavorable economic conditions," the company said in a statement. Lower labor costs, plus revenues from funded collaborations, is expected to provide 18 to 24 months of operating capital. "We regret having to reduce GenVec's work force, but in response to the current economic climate we must reduce spending," CFO Douglas Swirsky said. "We are also focusing on reducing overhead expenses and discretionary spending." GenVec ended the year with about $17.4 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments. MedImmune of Gaithersburg will make a milestone payment of $1 million to its partner, Medarex Inc. of Princeton, N.J., for the allowance of an investigational new drug application for a fully human antibody that targets a component of the type 1 interferon pathway, according to Medarex information. It will be studied in patients with scleroderma, a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by hardening and thickening of the skin and other organs. EntreMed is cutting its space and its rent. The Rockville biotech has reduced the space it rents for its headquarters from Red Gate III LLC at 9460 Medical Center Drive from 46,267 square feet to 8,554 square feet. Under a 12-month lease extension through February 2010, EntreMed's monthly rent drops to $16,288 from about $85,000, according to a company filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The lease amendment also lets EntreMed use other parts of the premises at no additional cost. Rexahn Pharmaceuticals in Rockville has begun a phase 2a clinical trial of Serdaxin to treat major depressive disorder. The trial, on up to 100 patients, is expected to yield preliminary data early next year. The company also plans to investigate the drug for treating anxiety disorders, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and neurodegenerative illnesses, plus neuroprotection and biodefense uses. Lentigen Corp. of Gaithersburg is teaming up with Expression Therapeutics of Atlanta to co-develop novel cell and protein therapies for hemophilia A, an inherited blood-clotting disorder caused by a genetic mutation. The disease affects one in 10,000 people worldwide, according to Lentigen information. Omnia Biologics in Rockville and Sumagen Co. of London, Ontario, announced that Omnia has completed the manufacture of Sumagen's HIV/AIDS vaccine for a phase 1 clinical trial. Rockville's Neuralstem said it has received official notice of allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its patent application for stable neural stem cell lines. "The technology behind this patent allows us to grow practically unlimited quantities of neural stem cells from all regions of the brain without regard to the natural mitotic (growth) limits of cells from a particular region," president and CEO Richard Garr said in a statement. Copyright 2009 The Gazette. Week’s focus on heart health By Tom Harbold, Columnist Carroll County Times Wednesday, February 11, 2009 Although I was fortunate enough not to suffer significant damage to my heart muscle when I suffered a heart attack last September at the age of 43, it was definitely a wake-up call. I will never forget my cardiologist’s admonition: “You’re a young man. Fix yourself.” Fixing myself has involved changes in diet and lifestyle, as well as the addition of several medications. But one of the most important changes has been the adoption of a regular workout routine. When I asked my cardiologist what and where he recommended he suggested the cardiac rehab at Carroll Hospital Center. This week is Cardiac Rehabilitation Week. It also happens to be my last week of therapy before transitioning to a regular gym. But Cardiac Rehab Week celebrates this vitally important type of physical therapy and deserves to be more widely known and observed. Superficially, the cardiac rehab department at Carroll Hospital Center resembles a small gym. There are treadmills, recumbent bikes, ellipticals, even a rack of free weights. Any given day also sees a group of people of a surprising range of ages — granted, more of them tend toward the senior citizen end of the spectrum — engaging in vigorous exercise using these machines. How cardiac rehab differs from an ordinary gym is the level of monitoring provided. That, and the level of care. Everyone participating is hooked up with a portable telemetry unit. Everyone has their pulse and blood pressure tested multiple times over the course of the approximately hour-long workout. And there is a doctor always on call just in case of untoward incidents. But what really distinguished CHC’s cardiac rehab for me is the level of care. The nurses there are marvelous, warm and caring people, as well as skilled professionals. One can easily tell that they are there because they are deeply passionate about their vocation. They want you to succeed. They want you to live a good, long and healthy life, and that comes through in every word and action. A combination of quick action on my part and that of the medical personnel, and helpful circumstances, plus perhaps a bit of divine intervention kept me alive and my heart relatively undamaged in September. But it is the combination of kindness, professionalism and dedication of the nurses at cardiac rehab that I credit for helping me to repattern my life to this new circumstance. I thank them, and all of those largely unsung heroes of medicine who help countless people achieve longer, more fruitful lives. And on this Cardiac Rehabilitation Week, I salute them, with a deeply grateful heart. Copyright 2009 Carroll County Times. *National / International* (SF)City Expands Reach of Universal Health Care Program Healthy San Francisco's reach continues to grow By Heather Knight, John Coté and Erin Allday San Francisco Chronicle Wednesday, February 11, 2009 San Francisco's universal health care program started in 2007 as strictly for the very poor and has been gradually expanded in hopes of eventually covering all of the city's uninsured. On Tuesday, Healthy San Francisco was expanded again to include people making up to 500 percent of the federal poverty level--just over $54,000 for one person and just over $110,000 for a family of four. Granted, that kind of money doesn't go far in San Francisco, but it's safely in the middle class. Mayor Gavin Newsom has said he won't be cutting any money from Healthy San Francisco to bridge the city's budget deficit. In a statement, he said, "Today's expansion ... recognizes the fact that uninsured residents with modest incomes also have difficulty accessing comprehensive health care services." For information on the program, go to healthysanfrancisco.org. Copyright 2009 San Francisco Chronicle. Peanut Company Shuts Second Plant Salmonella Found at Its Texas Facility By Lyndsey Layton Washington Post Wednesday, February 11, 2009; A02 A second peanut-processing plant owned by the company at the heart of a nationwide outbreak of salmonella-related illness has been shut down after Texas authorities discovered the bacteria in products there. Late yesterday, Congress issued a subpoena to compel Stewart Parnell, president of Peanut Corporation of America, to appear this morning at a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Parnell, 54, of Lynchburg, Va., has stayed out of public view since investigators first traced the contamination to his family-owned company in early January. Peanut Corporation owns three peanut-processing plants, in Georgia, Texas and Virginia. The federal investigation into the salmonella outbreak, which has killed eight people and sickened 600 others in 44 states, has centered on the company's Blakely, Ga., plant, which was shut down last month. Monday night, the company also shuttered its Plainview, Tex., plant at the request of state health officials after laboratory results showed salmonella in samples of roasted peanuts, peanut meal and granulated peanuts taken last week, said Doug McBride, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services. Additional analysis is needed to confirm the contamination and determine if the bacteria are the same type of salmonella linked to the outbreak, McBride said. The bacteria were discovered before the affected granulated peanuts and meal left the Texas plant, but the roasted nuts had already been shipped out of state, McBride said. Company officials notified the distributor Monday night and recalled the roasted peanuts, he said. Texas officials believe none of the contaminated products reached consumers, McBride said. A spokeswoman for Peanut Corporation of America did not respond to requests for comment. Michael Rogers, director of field investigations at the Food and Drug Administration, said federal officials are in the middle of a "comprehensive" investigation of the Texas plant and were not prepared yesterday to discuss their findings so far or to comment on the discoveries made by state officials. The Texas plant, which employs 30, had been operating since 2005, unknown to government regulators. It was not registered with the state and had never been inspected by health officials, McBride said. State and federal officials learned about the plant only after the FDA began questioning company officials in connection with the outbreak. Texas inspectors went to the Plainview plant on Feb. 4 and took samples, McBride said. The company kept half the samples and sent them to a private laboratory for analysis, while state officials sent the others to the state laboratory, he said. The state officials found minor problems at the plant, such as openings in screens, and no reason to immediately suspend operations. "Unless there's an immediate threat to the public's health, our regulatory approach is to work with a company to get it into compliance, not to shut someone down and eliminate income and jobs," McBride said. On Monday, however, the company informed the state that its internal test results were "presumptive for salmonella," McBride said. That was enough to shut the plant down, he said, adding that the state expects results from its own tests soon. Federal investigators say Peanut Corporation's Georgia plant knowingly shipped products contaminated with salmonella on 12 occasions in 2007 and 2008. The company makes peanut butter for institutions such as nursing homes and schools, and processes peanut ingredients used by other food companies in products ranging from energy bars to candy to dog biscuits. In one of the largest food recalls in U.S. history, the company has recalled all products made with peanuts processed at its Georgia plant since 2007. Among the thousands of customers affected is the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which purchased peanuts and peanut butter from the company in 2007 and served them to thousands of low-income children through the government's free lunch program. The list of recalled products, which is updated regularly, can be found at http://www.fda.gov. The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation of the company, and several civil lawsuits filed by victims of the outbreak are pending. Meanwhile, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America sent a letter to the company yesterday saying it was terminating its kosher certification for all three plants. Copyright 2009 Washington Post. After Tests, Peanut Plant in Texas Is Closed By Gardiner Harris New York Times Wednesday, February 11, 2009 WASHINGTON — The Peanut Corporation of America closed its processing plant in Plainview, Tex., on Monday night after a laboratory test indicated possible salmonella contamination, a development that threatens to widen one of the largest food recalls ever and raises more questions about why the government allowed the plant to operate. The company’s plant in Blakely, Ga., was identified a month ago as the source of a nationwide salmonella outbreak. And even though investigators soon determined that the company may have deliberately shipped contaminated products to some of the nation’s largest food makers, officials allowed the company’s plant in Texas to continue supplying customers. Former workers at the Texas plant said in interviews with The New York Times that the facility was “disgusting” and shared many of the problems found in the plant in Georgia. But state and federal health officials said they did not have enough evidence to close the Texas plant. The company also has a plant in Suffolk, Va. The Food and Drug Administration said it conducted a comprehensive inspection of the plant in late January and found no evidence of problems. The Texas Department of State Health Services released a statement on Tuesday saying that “it does not appear that any of the implicated products — peanut meal, granulated peanuts and dry roasted peanuts — have reached consumers.” But a top official at the food and drug agency was far less reassuring, saying the investigation in Texas was continuing. “I can’t speculate where this might lead us and whether another or expanded recall would be initiated” based on conditions at the Texas plant, said Michael Rogers, director of the F.D.A.’s division of field investigation. Meanwhile, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and criminal investigators from the food agency descended on the Peanut Corporation’s plant in Georgia on Monday and hauled away “a whole bunch of stuff,” said George Straitt, a food and drug agency spokesman. The Peanut Corporation released a statement saying it was cooperating with the investigations and had voluntarily closed its Texas plant. The contamination scare has been associated with 8 deaths and more than 500 illnesses and has led to one of the largest food recalls in the nation’s history, with more than 1,800 separate recalls of peanut butter, cookies, crackers and other foods. Peanut butter sales have plunged. The scandal has also focused attention on weaknesses in the nation’s oversight of food safety, leading the Obama administration to conduct a top-to-bottom review of the food agency’s procedures and spurring multiple legislative proposals on Capitol Hill to overhaul food regulations. On Wednesday, the investigations subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee is to hold the second Congressional hearing on the scare, with more likely. The Texas facility, which once housed a Jimmy Dean sausage plant, “had a blanching and roasting operation but did not make peanut butter,” Mr. Rogers said, based on a food agency inspection in late January. Kenneth Kendrick, a former assistant plant manager of the Texas facility, said in an interview that the plant had a leaky roof, rodent infestation and poor process controls. A second former employee of the Texas plant, who asked for anonymity because of legal concerns, confirmed Mr. Kendrick’s descriptions of the plant and its processes. Mr. Kendrick left the plant about two years ago. “This was a disgusting plant,” Mr. Kendrick said. “We cut corners.” The plant always had standing water in its basement, Mr. Kendrick said. The roof leaked so badly that when it rained, workers were instructed to raise tarps to the ceiling to direct the water away from peanuts and plant equipment, the two said. Rain at night went unattended, they said. Since bird feces peppered the roof, the leaks were an obvious concern, the two said. The Peanut Corporation was no longer responding to news media inquiries. An inspection on Jan. 12 by the Texas Department of State Health Services did not find serious deficiencies. “When our inspector was out there on Jan. 12, I don’t think it was raining, so he may not have had an opportunity to know if the roof was leaking,” said Doug McBride, a department spokesman. Mr. McBride said he did not know if the inspector visited the plant’s basement. A more comprehensive inspection by the F.D.A. began on Feb. 4 and is continuing. Asked if the inspectors could confirm the conditions described by Mr. Kendrick and the other former plant employee, Mr. Rogers demurred. “If what you say is true about your discussions and we assume that there is no way that the firm can correct those things, then I would expect those issues to be documented and further developed,” Mr. Rogers said. Because the Texas plant is distinct from the one in Georgia, the F.D.A. could not take action against the Texas facility until conditions there merited intervention, Mr. Rogers said. “It is not yet known if the salmonella possibly found in the product testing is the same strain of the bacterium implicated in the 43-state outbreak,” the Texas Department of State Health Services said. The Texas plant had not been inspected for four years before last month. State officials blamed the plant for failing to register, but the plant had registered with the state’s organic certification program at the Texas Department of Agriculture. State officials could not explain Tuesday why the organic registry failed to alert health officials that the plant processed food and needed to be inspected. Copyright 2009 New York Times. Peanut Co. owner refuses to testify to Congress By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar And Brett J. Blackledge Hagerstown Herald-Mail Wednesday, February 11, 2009 The owner of a peanut company refused to testify to Congress on Wednesday amid the disclosure that he urged his workers to ship bacteria-tainted products, pleading with federal health officials that he should be able "turn the raw peanuts on the floor into money." Stewart Parnell, owner of Peanut Corp. of America, repeatedly invoked his right not to incriminate himself before the House subcommittee holding a hearing on a national salmonella outbreak blamed on his company. The outbreak has sickened some 600 people, may be linked to nine deaths - the latest reported in Ohio on Wednesday - and has resulted in one of the largest product recalls of more 1,800 items. Parnell sat stiffly, his hands folded in his lap at the witness table, as Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., held up a clear jar of his company's products wrapped in crime scene tape and asked him if he would be willing to eat the food. "Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, on advice of my counsel, I respectively decline to answer your questions based on the protections afforded me under the U.S. Constitution," Parnell said. After repeating the statement several times, he was dismissed from the hearing. Shortly afterward, a lab tester testified that the company discovered salmonella at its Georgia plant as far back as 2006. The House panel released e-mails obtained by its investigators showing Parnell ordered products identified with salmonella shipped and quoting his complaints that tests discovering the contaminated food were "costing us huge $$$$$$." In mid-January after the national outbreak was tied to his company, Parnell told Food and Drug Administration officials that his workers "desperately at least need to turn the raw peanuts on our floor into money." In another exchange, he told his plant manager to "turn them loose" after products once deemed contaminated were cleared in a second test. Parnell's response to a final lab test last year showing salmonella was about how much it would cost, and the impact lab testing was having on moving his products. "We need to discuss this," he wrote in an Oct. 6 e-mail to Sammy Lightsey, his plant manager. "The time lapse, beside the cost is costing us huge $$$$$$ and causing obviously a huge lapse in time from the time we pick up peanuts until the time we can invoice." Lightsey also invoked his right not to testify when he appeared alongside Parnell before the subcommittee. The disclosures came in correspondence released by a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee Wednesday during a hearing on the salmonella outbreak. "Their behavior is criminal, in my opinion. I want to see jail time," said Jeffrey Almer, whose 72-year-old mother died Dec. 21 in Minnesota of salmonella poisoning after eating Peanut Corp.'s peanut butter. Almer and other relatives of victims urged lawmakers to approve mandatory product recalls and improve public notice about contaminated food. A federal criminal investigation is under way. Darlene Cowart of JLA USA testing service said the company contacted her in November 2006 to help control salmonella discovered in the plant. Cowart said she made one visit to the plant at the company's request and pointed out problems with its peanut roasting process and storage of raw and finished peanuts together that could have led to the salmonella. She testified that Peanut Corp. officials said they believed the salmonella came from organic Chinese peanuts. An earlier FDA inspection report said the company found salmonella in some of its products a dozen times dating to June 2007. "We appear to have a total systemic breakdown," said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., chairman of the committee's investigations subcommittee. Other e-mails released by the committee show after salmonella was discovered in the Georgia plant's products, Parnell tried to salvage whatever he could from the plant, looking for loopholes in what the government said they could use. In a Jan. 19 e-mail about a truck with more than 33,000 pounds of raw peanuts, Parnell noted that Georgia agriculture officials are "putting a hold on everything else in the plant" beside what was on the truck. "Obviously we are not shipping any peanut butter products affected by the recall but desperately at least need to turn the raw peanuts on our floor into money," he wrote. "We have other raw peanuts on our floor that we would like to do the same with." In another exchange, Parnell complained to a worker after they notified him salmonella was discovered in more products. "I go thru this about once a week," he wrote in a June 2008 e-mail. "I will hold my breath .......... again." A laboratory owner told the House panel that the peanut company's disregard for tests identifying salmonella in its product is "virtually unheard of" in the nation's food industry and should prompt efforts to increase federal oversight of product safety. Charles Deibel, president of Deibel Laboratories Inc., said his company was among those that tested Peanut Corp. products and notified the Georgia plant that salmonella was found. Peanut Corp. sold the products anyway, according to an FDA inspection report. "What is virtually unheard of is for an entity to disregard those results and place potentially contaminated products into the stream of commerce," Deibel said. Deibel said he hopes the crisis leads to a greater role for FDA in overseeing food safety and providing more guidance to food makers. The company, now under FBI investigation, makes only about 1 percent of U.S. peanut products. But its ingredients are used by dozens of other food companies. AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein contributed to this report. On the Net: FDA's salmonella page: http://tinyurl.com/8srctw Copyright 2009 Associated Press. *Opinion* Abortion laws take a step back Carroll County Times Letter to the Editor Wednesday, February 11, 2009 Editor: One of the most controversial issues today is abortion. Two weeks ago marked the 36th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision of Roe vs. Wade. Since that ruling, 44 million children have lost their lives. We hear so much about women’s rights, but we have grossly overlooked the facts behind abortion, what I consider the taking of a child’s life. Science has confirmed the awesome wonder of life in the womb. A baby’s heart can begin beating at just 18 days, and brain waves are detected at 6 weeks. At 7-8 weeks the baby is swallowing and sometimes hiccups. At 10-11 weeks the pre-born infant squints and frowns. He or she can even grasp an object in his or her hand. At 12 weeks, the baby is very active, changing positions as many as 20 times an hour. At 17-20 weeks rapid eye movement confirms that the baby is not only sleeping, but dreaming. Wiggling toes and fingers are evident and the baby responds to mom’s voice. Tragically, his or her life can be taken at any time and for any reason. One of the leading abortion providers proudly declares a child should be wanted and loved. How is taking the life of a child at any age love, especially given the facts. These facilities are not ignorant of these truths. Abortion is the abrupt, tragic ending to these precious lives. How cruel and vicious to mask these truths. This is so unfair to women and young girls and fatal to their babies. There are pregnancy care centers that offer genuine care and support in a crisis pregnancy. And there are many post abortion support groups that provide counseling to help women who have been misled and suffer with the trauma of abortion. These truths go far beyond the issue of women’s rights. There are two lives involved in a pregnancy, not just one. Who will take the side of the pre-born child? Our laws no longer protect the pre-born infant and because of the recent executive order signed by President Barack Obama our taxpayers’ money will be used to fund even more of their deaths. Our babies deserve to live and women deserve the truth. Janice Airey Taneytown Copyright 2009 Carroll County Times. BACK TO TOP


[newsclippings/dhmh_footer.htm]