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			Thursday, January 29, 2009 News Clipping Archives *Maryland / Regional* Deal Will Send Poor Children to Dentists (Washington Post) Flu season may be off to late start (Cumberland Times-News) More Families In Md. Turning To Food Stamps, Other Programs (Washington Post) In Good Health - How did you quit? (Frederick News-Post) Ice cream cones latest recall (Cumberland Times-News) Lawmakers move to ban hallucinogenic herb (Salisbury Daily Times) MedChi names Gene Ransom III as new executive director (Daily Record) New EMS adminstrator to be selected soon (Cumberland Times-News) Report: County could lay off up to 500 workers (Prince George’s County Gazette) Prince George's ranks high for number of STD cases (Prince George’s County Gazette) How many homeless? (Frederick News-Post) *National / International* Senate Likely to Pass Bill on Kids' Health Insurance (Washington Post) Every Peanut Product From Ga. Plant Recalled (Washington Post) Nursing Industry Desperate for Employees (Baltimore Afro-American) *Opinion* --- *Maryland / Regional* Deal Will Send Poor Children to Dentists By Lisa Rein Washington Post Thursday, January 29, 2009 State officials approved a three-year, $6.8 million contract yesterday with an insurer to reimburse dentists for treating Medicaid patients, an infusion of cash prompted by the death of a 12-year-old Prince George's County boy from an infected tooth. After Deamonte Driver died in 2007, the General Assembly approved millions of dollars to improve dental care for poor children, largely by boosting reimbursement rates for Medicaid, the state-federal program. Many Maryland dentists had declined to treat children covered by Medicaid. Health officials said the contract with Doral Dental Services approved by the Board of Public Works would improve access to dental care for about 435,000 poor children as well as pregnant women. Copyright 2009 Washington Post. Flu season may be off to late start By Tess Hill Cumberland Times-News Thursday January 27, 2009 CUMBERLAND - With the holiday season over and the new year come and gone, many people are gearing up for the end of winter and the coming of spring. But beware: spring doesn’t officially start until the end of March and the flu season seems to be just beginning. According to Janice Lindner, director for community health and wellness for the Western Maryland Health System, flu season normally peaks in November, December and January, which is why most people get their flu vaccines earlier in the winter season rather than later. “The peak of flu season normally occurs then, but it didn’t happen this year,” Lindner said. “As late as December, some states still hadn’t reported any cases of the flu.” According to the flu activity map on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web site, Oklahoma and Mississippi still had no lab-confirmed cases of the flu and no reported increase in the number of illness cases by Jan. 17. Only one state, Virginia, is considered “widespread,” meaning there are outbreaks of the flu or increased cases of illness and recent lab-confirmed flu cases in at least half of the regions of the state with recent lab evidence. Maryland is categorized in the “local” group, which means there are outbreaks or an increase in illness cases and there is recent lab-confirmed flu outbreaks but it is only in a single region of the state. “Maryland is local so there are specific areas where you will see a higher incidence of influenza cases,” Lindner said. “But nationwide, Maryland is too unlike the other states, we’re probably among the norm with the other states that are in the local group.” According to the CDC, last year flu season didn’t peak until February and this year seems to be following the same time frame. “I don’t really know why the peak season is occurring so much later, and I don’t think we’ll be able to find that answer,” Lindner said. “It’s such an illusive virus - and very contagious - that it’s always been hard to predict when it will peak or which incidence of the virus will occur.” Lynn Kane, registered nurse for Allegany County Health Department, said it’s not unusual for the flu season to peak in late winter or early spring. “Flu activity is slowly increasing, not only here in Allegany County but also statewide and nationally,” she said. “Health officials are encouraging unvaccinated residents to get their flu shots while supplies are still available.” Kane said the vaccination is recommended for all children 6 months to 18 years old and anyone 50 years old or older. It is also recommended for women who will be pregnant during the flu season, anyone with long-term health problems or a weakened immune system and those who live with or are caring for those at risk for complications from the flu, Kane added. “The Allegany County Health Department has a very limited supply of doses and residents are encouraged to call before coming to the health department to check availability,” Kane said. “Anyone interested in protecting themselves or preventing spread of the flu to others is encouraged to be vaccinated. The time to protect yourself and your loved ones is now.” People interested in getting the flu vaccine should contact their primary care physician. Clinic staff can be reached by calling (301) 759-5090. Vaccinations are also available from PharmaCare of Cumberland and can be obtained by calling their “Option Care” line at (301) 723-2440. Contact Tess Hill at thill@times-news.com. Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc. More Families In Md. Turning To Food Stamps, Other Programs By Donna St. George Washington Post Thursday, January 29, 2009; PG03 More Marylanders are using food stamps than ever, a result of the deepening decline in the economy, state officials said. From January 2007 to last month, the number of Marylanders in the program grew by 35 percent, from 312,271 to 422,373, said Rosemary Malone, deputy executive director of the state's Family Investment Administration. "A lot of it has to do with the recession," Malone said. "We are seeing a lot of new people who have not been on assistance before." The previous high-water mark for the federal food stamp program -- now called SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program -- was in 1994, when 385,037 people participated amid the lingering effects of the recession of the early 1990s. As the needy have turned increasingly to food stamps in recent months, they have also applied to other aid programs. The number of families relying on temporary cash assistance grew by 23 percent, from 49,759 in January 2007 to 61,059 recipients last month. The number of people using temporary state disability benefits also jumped 23 percent, to 13,929. The economic fallout was also reflected in applications to the Maryland energy assistance program, which were up 20 percent last year, with more than 105,000 requests for aid by the end of the year, state officials said. To reach those who have been hit by the recession, the state has been promoting its assistance programs, said Elyn Garrett Jones, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Department of Human Resources. In November, the state launched a Web site that includes details about an array of benefit programs and other services, including ride sharing, Medicaid and child-care subsidies. The site is http://www.problemsolver.maryland.gov. "We recognize it's difficult for everybody right now, and we are doing all we can to address needs as we are able to," Jones said. Also in November, Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) and the nonprofit organization Share Our Strength launched the Partnership to End Childhood Hunger in Maryland, with a focus on what O'Malley said was "more than 184,000 kids in Maryland [who] don't have reliable or ready access to the food they need to lead healthy, active lives." Amy Ginsburg Gabala, executive director of the nonprofit group Manna Food Center in Montgomery County, said food problems are one of the first indicators of a family's financial distress. People find it harder to cut back on fixed costs such as rent, heat or electricity, she said. Food, by contrast, is "one of the few items you have control over." "It is the bellwether," she said. At Manna, the number of people seeking food was up 45 percent for the period from July through December, as compared with the same period in 2007. Other recessions have produced spikes of 10 or 12 percent, "nothing even close to the 45 percent increase we're seeing," Gabala said. State officials said that although the economy is the primary reason for the surge in benefits applicants, another factor is legislation that took effect in July, expanding Medicaid coverage to more low-income families. Many families who use Medicaid also apply for food stamps. Researchers from the University of Maryland's School of Social Work studied households that became part of food stamp rolls in September and found that one in three had not been part of the program in the previous 10 years, or perhaps ever. The average food stamp benefit in Maryland last year was nearly $113 a person. For a family of four, that would have been about $452 a month. Copyright 2009 Washington Post. In Good Health - How did you quit? By Ashley Andyshak Frederick News-Post Wednesday, January 27, 2009 It's been nearly a year since the indoor smoking ban took effect here in Maryland. No longer can you light up in restaurants, bars, or pretty much anywhere but your own home. The ban has seemingly paid off, as the Frederick-Bethesda-Gaithersburg metro area is now the second most smoke-free area in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC data shows that 89.5 percent of Frederick metro area residents don't smoke. The area trails only the Provo-Orem metro area in Utah, where 93.5 percent of residents don't smoke. Right below Frederick is another Utah metro area, Ogden, where 89.4 percent of the population doesn't smoke. The Frederick County Health Department attributes the area's ranking, at least in part, to the plethora of prevention and cessation programs available here. The Frederick County Smoke-free Maryland Coalition, funded by the Cigarette Restitution Fund, comprises 14 agencies that offer programs and services, most of them free, to county residents. Programs include six-week cessation classes and smoking prevention and education presentations in schools. The Cigarette Restitution Fund is a pool of money allotted to states after they sued American tobacco companies in the late 1990s for costs incurred in treating smoking-related health problems. If you were a smoker, have you quit the habit since the smoking ban took effect? How did you do it? Did you attend a smoking cessation class, use a nicotine replacement therapy like Chantix or a nicotine patch, or did you just go cold turkey? Or, have you decided to avoid the smoke-free bars and restaurants, stay home and not quit at all? I'd like to know: e-mail aandyshak@newspost.com or call 240-215-8643. New resources for disabilities The Frederick County Commission on Disabilities has compiled a comprehensive resource book for people with disabilities and their families. For information or a copy of the book, call 301-600-1663 or visit www.fccod.org. Coming up Feb. 6 is this year's annual Give Kids A Smile day, during which dentists across the country will provide free dental care for children. To find a participating dentist in your area, call the Maryland State Dental Association at 410-964-2880 or e-mail mddent@msda.com. Please send comments to webmaster or contact us at 301-662-1177. Copyright 1997-09 Randall Family, LLC. All rights reserved. Ice cream cones latest recall Cumberland Times-News Thursday, January 29, 2009 CUMBERLAND - Giant Food Stores, LLC, which includes Martin’s Food Markets, has recalled Giant brand ice cream Sundae Cones because ingredients in the product were from Peanut Corp. of America and it has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella bacteria. The product has a UPC #68826706258 and contains eight 4-ounce cones in each package. Customers who have purchased the product should discard any unused portions or bring their purchase receipt to Martin’s for a full refund. To date, there have been no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of this product. For more information, call Giant’s corporate brands hotline at (877) 846-9949. More information on peanut product recalls relating to the recent salmonella outbreak is available at http://www.fda.gov/pc/opacom/hottopics/salmonellatyph.htm. Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc. Lawmakers move to ban hallucinogenic herb Salvia found in Boardwalk shops last summer By Brian Shane Salisbury Daily Times Friday, January 29, 2009 ANNAPOLIS -- State lawmakers reviewed a bill that would outlaw salvia divinorum, a powerful hallucinogenic herb that hit new heights of popularity last summer at Ocean City Boardwalk shops. State legislators held hearings Tuesday to review the bill, which was sponsored by Delegates Adelaide C. Eckardt R-37B-Dorchester, and Jeannie Haddaway R-37B-Talbot and Sen. Richard Colburn, R-37-Dorchester. The draft legislation would place salvia on Maryland's list of Schedule I drugs, making it illegal to possess or sell, as well as eliminating possible medical research. A relative of the mint family, salvia's properties were discovered after researchers found central Mexican Indians using it to take so-called spiritual journeys. Its popularity has boomed since the late 1990s. Today, salvia is typically sold as dried leaves of varying potency. When smoked, it can cause a variety of hallucinogenic effects. Five states, including Virginia and Delaware, have banned salvia. Another 13 states have laws prohibiting its sale or possession. "It's considered by most scientists to be more potent than LSD, and it's readily accessible to anyone in the state of Maryland who wants to purchase it," Haddaway said. "All around us, states are restricting it or banning it, and in Maryland you can still get it. Young people who may not have ever tried drugs before can legally purchase this and not realize how potent this is or what the effect is going to be." Haddaway said members of the Worcester County Commissioners brought the issue to her and Colburn that salvia was available without restriction at several Boardwalk retailers. Colburn noted the hundreds of thousands of videos posted on the Web site YouTube showing people under salvia's influence. "It's nothing short of disturbing," Colburn said at the hearing. "Watch it for yourselves. See how they lose all coordination, experience emotional swings, dizziness and nausea. Now, imagine that person is your child or grandchild." Colburn said it's possible the bill could be amended to regulate salvia, rather than ban it outright, depending out how the bill escapes from committees. Ocean City Police Capt. Robert Bokinsky also testified during the hearings. He said it's not unusual to find salvia not only on the Boardwalk but during traffic stops. Officers may know what is, but because it's not illegal to possess, "at that point we're hamstrung and there's nothing we can do about it," he said. "I think that would be irresponsible if law enforcement didn't say something and speak up about this. We're the ones who have to deal with it." The bill has opposition from the Drug Policy Alliance, which calls it an "unwarranted extension of the U.S. war on drugs." Naomi Long, director of the group's Washington metro area branch, urged legislators to reject the proposal, calling salvia's medical value "very promising" for treating health issues from depression and eating disorders to HIV infections. She also warned that if criminalized, salvia could be driven underground. Long said "the most effective approach" would combine age controls with restrictions on who could sell it, and where it gets placed in a store. She said lawmakers should model salvia regulations after tobacco laws, which, along with education campaigns, she said led to a dramatic drop in cigarette use among preteens since 1999. "We didn't have to criminalize tobacco or create long prison sentences for cigarettes to achieve these amazing results," she said. "The decrease was due to quality, comprehensive education at all grade levels about the health consequences of smoking and strict laws about sales to minors. This approach is working for tobacco." bshane@dmg.gannett.com 410-213-9442, ext. 14 Copyright 2009 Salisbury Daily Times. MedChi names Gene Ransom III as new executive director Staff & Wire Reports Daily Record Thursday, January 28, 2009 MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society, has appointed Gene M. Ransom III as its new executive director. He started at his new post on Monday. Ransom joined MedChi 12 years ago as a young lawyer and was quickly assigned to manage MedChi’s Annapolis office. In the fall of 2007, he transferred to MedChi’s Baltimore headquarters to oversee its Membership Department. In addition to his responsibilities with MedChi, Mr. Ransom serves on the Queen Anne’s County Commission. “Gene has been a tremendous asset to MedChi and all those who benefit from the health care system in Maryland,” said Dr. Ron Sroka the president of MedChi. “I look forward to working with one of the most enthusiastic members of our leadership staff. I expect big accomplishments from him in the future,” added Dr. Sroka. Mr. Ransom says he looks forward to leading MedChi by protecting patients’ and physicians’ rights and seeking new opportunities for the state’s medical profession. “I’m honored to be asked to lead MedChi at this important moment for both its members and all Marylanders who need quality health care,” said Mr. Ransom. “My goal is to make this state the best place to both practice and seek health care. For too long, we’ve seen physicians give up their practice out of frustration with the current system and Marylanders lose access to the care they need.” Mr. Ransom is a graduate of The University of Maryland and The University of Baltimore School of Law. He served as an attorney for MedChi since 1996. Copyright 2009 Daily Record. New EMS adminstrator to be selected soon By Jeffrey Alderton Cumberland Times-News Thursday, January 29, 2009 CUMBERLAND - Thirty-four applications were received for the recently advertised position of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems regional administrator in Allegany and Garrett counties. “The interviews will occur within Region I over the next two to three weeks and we hope to have the position filled following that process,” said James Brown, MIEMSS director of public information and media services. The Region 1 directorship was previously held by Dave Ramsey, who retired in January 2008 after serving in the position for 33 years. After Ramsey retired, a hiring freeze by the Maryland Department of Budget and Management prevented filling the position. However, the hiring freeze for the MIEMSS job was lifted by the agency last month following a Times-News article about the prolonged vacancy. Since the position has been vacant, the Region 1 director duties have been handled by Rick Meighan, the Region 2 director for Washington and Frederick counties for the past five years. Preliminary review of the applications was conducted by Meighan and the MIEMSS personnel department, Brown said. The interviews will be conducted by John Donohue, MIEMSS director of regional programs and an interview panel of MIEMSS personnel. The regional administrator coordinates emergency medical services while serving as a liaison between emergency medical providers and central offices, and administering training programs. The position also includes oversight of administrative staff. The Region 1 office is located at 116 Main St. in Grantsville where the new regional administrator will be based. Dr. William May serves as the Region 1 medical director. Contact Jeffrey Alderton at jlalderton@times-news.com. Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc. Report: County could lay off up to 500 workers Possible cuts include county health programs and aid for former inmates By Daniel Valentine Prince George’s County Gazette Thursday, January 29, 2009 Prince George's County is considering laying off up to 500 county employees beginning in July, according to budget projections that county officials shared with the General Assembly on Tuesday. The terminations, which officials said are necessary to keep up with a projected $102 million deficit next fiscal year, could include cuts to programs that help former inmates find jobs and homes and reduce the number of civilian employees in the county police and fire departments, building permit inspectors and animal control officers. Between 400 and 500 jobs could be cut, according to county documents, making up about 7 percent of the overall government work force. A rough outline of the layoff plan is contained in a report county officials submitted to the State Senate Budget and Taxation Committee on Tuesday to give lawmakers an idea of the county's financial outlook. According to the report presented by Jonathan Seeman, county director of budget and management, Prince George's is now likely to reduce its budget by 4 percent, the first time spending has fallen in a budget since the early 1990s recession. Seeman would not confirm whether the layoffs will be included in the county budget when it is unveiled in March. "It's too early to say at this point," said Seeman, who called the 500-job estimate a "worst-case scenario" after the meeting. "We're still reviewing all the agency budgets." Though expenses for fiscal 2010 year, which starts July 1, are projected at $2.68 billion, Prince George's is expecting just $2.58 billion in revenue that comes mainly from real estate taxes and fees, Seeman told the committee. The tanking real estate market torpedoed budget projections in the current fiscal year, forcing the county to cut $74 million in spending, including a decision to force county employees to take 10 days of unpaid leave. "We, like the state, had many years of growth," Seeman told committee members. "These are pretty dire circumstances for us." Firing employees isn't the only cut proposed to close the gap. The county also plans to keep its plan for unpaid furloughs for all 5,900 workers next year and cut back on funding for new roads, libraries and fire stations, according to the briefing book. Health care spending for mothers and children, to include prenatal care and immunizations, and mental health and disease prevention are also on the chopping block, along with spending on library materials and hours, Seeman said. "Aside from affecting the employees, you can see what the impact would be on residents," Seeman said. "Core government services would be affected." Labor officials said firing employees will have a devastating effect on the county if the proposal moves forward. "In an economy like this, the damage is huge," said Vince Canales, president of the county's Fraternal Order of Police lodge. "We're hoping they do all they can within the budget to ensure it doesn't happen." Unions have urged the county to focus on cutting other expenses rather than workers, though county officials have said no other expense comes close to balancing the deficit. "We still have concerns about the idea that there no other options but layoffs," Canales said. The announcement marks the first time that county officials have publically acknowledged the scope of potential layoffs. County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) informed state lawmakers from the county about the potential cuts in a secret meeting last November, but officials have held back details on how they plan to resolve the projected deficit in public. Johnson has mentioned asking the state for some form of "revenue enhancement" to balance spending, but has revealed no details. Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) and county lawmakers said last week that Johnson has not discussed his proposal yet. Seeman was unable to say what options Johnson is pursuing. County spokesman John Erzen was also unable to say what the executive is considering during the session or when the proposal will be introduced. E-mail Daniel Valentine at dvalentine@gazette.net. Copyright 2009 The Gazette. Prince George's ranks high for number of STD cases Prevalence of three venereal diseases puts county among top 55 areas in U.S. By Daniel Valentine Prince George’s County Gazette Thursday, January 29, 2009 The director of the Prince George's County health department last week urged residents to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases after a recent report placed the county among the nation's top jurisdictions for gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia cases. "I don't know why it is," said Donald Shell, health officer of the Prince George's County Health Department. "All we can do is try to teach about it at every opportunity." The report on sexually transmitted diseases released two weeks ago by the Centers for Disease Control ranked Prince George's 30th in the nation for syphilis, 43rd for chlamydia outbreaks and 55th in cases of gonorrhea. The cases, 6,350 in total, were reported by health providers in 2007, the most recent figures available in the study. All three diseases are spread through sexual contact, do not always show symptoms and are easily treatable with antibiotics. If left untreated, they could cause blindness, and heart and reproductive problems. The CDC report showed that nationwide, the venereal diseases are on the rise, raising concerns among public health advocates that STD awareness may be dropping. "It's sobering, particularly in the wake of HIV and AIDS, that these more common infections are on the rise," said Dr. Robin Sawyer, a professor with the school of public health and policy at the University of Maryland, College Park. "To see the numbers going up, especially on syphilis, which was close to eradication, is troublesome." In the Washington, D.C., region, which includes Prince George's, Northern Virginia and parts of West Virginia, cases of chlamydia rose 60 percent from 2003 to 2007. Prince George's made up more than 26 percent of the reported cases in the region in 2007. Gonorrhea was the most prevalent STD in the county, with 4,857 reports for the year, about 32 percent of the region's cases. The county has a population of 828,000, according to the U.S. Census. Sawyer attributed the high rates to lack of health care and socio-economic factors in the county. A recent state survey found that more than 150,000 adults do not have health insurance in Prince George's, the highest number in the state. Regular testing is important since many women and men do not show symptoms even though they are infected, Sawyer said. "Any person who is sexually active should be tested," Shell said. Screening for most sexually transmitted diseases is available for $10 through the Prince George's County Health Clinic in Cheverly. Patients can schedule a same-day appointment at the clinic by calling 301-583-3150 when the office opens at 7:30 a.m. Results from the blood test take three days. E-mail Daniel Valentine at dvalentine@gazette.net. Copyright 2009 The Gazette. How many homeless? Volunteers fan out for annual count By Adam Behsudi Frederick News-Post Thursday, January 29, 2009 Harry and Angela Keller get through the coldest nights with a propane stove to warm their tent. For two years the couple and their two cats have considered a wooded area off Highland Street their home. They got a visit Wednesday from staff and volunteers of the Frederick Community Action Agency conducting their annual point-in-time count of the homeless in the area. "So far we beat Mother Nature," Harry Keller said, standing near tents where two other men live. The couple welcomed the visitors, cautioning them about ice on the wooden pallets laid out as walkways between the tents. Keller said the small group gets through the winter by huddling under blankets when the temperature dips below freezing and building fires in a pit at the center of the campsite. They visit the city's food bank but choose to stay at their campsite; they said the _landowner knows they stay there. "I'd rather stay here and do my own meals," Angela Keller said. Todd Johnson, assistant director of FCAA, leads the count each year. Teams spend a day documenting the Kellers and others waiting in line at the soup kitchens and cold-weather shelters. Agency staff and volunteers complete a quick survey for each person. Other agencies including the Frederick County Department of Social Services, domestic violence shelter Heartly House and Advocates for Homeless Families collect data on those who seek their help during the day. Outside the Frederick Rescue Mission's soup kitchen, Johnson and his team request that people take part in the survey, asking first if they rent or own a home. The 24-hour snapshot is reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to obtain grants for housing, shelter and other programs. Most jurisdictions in the Washington area do the count on the same day to prevent duplicating counts of people who may have traveled from one area to another. Last year, Frederick's count found 302 people living on the streets or in shelters. Data from Wednesday's count will be compiled next week. While Johnson and FCAA board members Seaven Gordon and Dick Basford trudged through snow and ice to find campsites, other teams visited more campsites, shelters, the downtown library and other indoor sites where the homeless converge on cold days. Johnson brought a box of ready-to-eat meals and water to the Kellers' campsite. The visits also give an opportunity to tell people about help available at the agency. "Both of you are familiar with the services there?" Gordon asked the Kellers. Angela Keller nodded and said she uses the agency's clinic for health care. The team moved on to other spots tucked behind industrial sites and shopping centers. Many of the campsites were abandoned because of the winter weather. At one site, Johnson roused a chronically homeless woman while trying to determine if there was a person sleeping in a collection of cardboard boxes covered in plastic tarps. The woman yelled, telling the group to leave. Despite the hostile reaction, Johnson said he would add her name to the list. "We respect their wishes," he said. "If they don't want to be bothered, we go away." Please send comments to webmaster or contact us at 301-662-1177. Copyright 1997-09 Randall Family, LLC. All rights reserved. *National / International* Senate Likely to Pass Bill on Kids' Health Insurance SCHIP Could Cover 11 Million Children By Ceci Connolly Washington Post Thursday, January 29, 2009; A02 The Senate is expected to approve a bill today that provides health insurance to about 11 million low-income children, paving the way for President Obama to claim an early legislative victory and collect a quick down payment on his campaign pledge to guarantee care to every American child. Senate Democrats, after easily defeating Republican attempts to narrow the bill yesterday, predicted they had the votes to renew and expand the popular State Children's Health Insurance Program. Presently, the $25 billion program covers 7 million children living near the poverty level who do not qualify for Medicaid. Under the Senate bill and similar legislation passed by the House, an additional 4 million youngsters would be eligible for discounted care at an added cost of $32 billion over 4 1/2 years. That would leave Obama about 5 million children short of his promise to ensure that every youngster in the country has health insurance. Proponents say the need for a health-care safety net has become all the more urgent, given the dire state of the economy. Opponents argue that the Democratic legislation goes beyond the original intent of the program by including children of legal immigrants and some families with incomes as high as $60,000 a year. Both the House and Senate versions include millions of dollars for recruiting and enrolling youngsters. The expanded coverage would be paid for by increasing the cigarette tax by 61 cents a pack. "This bill will make a real difference in the lives of children and families across America and is a great way to start the new year," said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). "I am very pleased to be a part of this and to know that we have a president who will enthusiastically and quickly sign this bill as one of his first actions." After the final vote in the Senate, House and Senate negotiators must resolve minor differences between the two versions before it can be sent to the White House for Obama's signature. In 2007, many prominent Republicans joined with Democrats in efforts to expand the program. Twice, President Bush ignored the entreaties of those in his party and vetoed the legislation, calling the effort a dangerous shift toward "government-run health care." Yesterday, those same Republicans reacted bitterly to changes made by the Democrats now that they control Congress and the White House. In particular, Republicans objected to a provision in both the House and Senate versions that would, for the first time, lift a five-year waiting period for children of legal immigrants to enroll in the program. "This is not the bill we intended," bellowed the normally mild-mannered Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.). The Democrats' decision to "simply ram it down our throats . . . is very, very bad precedent," he said. Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), who had helped craft the 2007 bipartisan bills, offered an amendment that would have required states to enroll 95 percent of eligible, native-born children before opening it to immigrants. "Our U.S. citizen children should be covered first," he said. "Those kids come from low-income families with parents that work hard and pay taxes just like citizens," countered Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.). "And, those kids need checkups and prescriptions just like all other CHIP kids." Republicans and some conservative analysts also noted that as many as 2 million children with access to private health insurance might switch to the cheaper government-subsidized program, a trend known as "crowd out." Baucus said the bill aims to minimize that by giving states a new option to subsidize employer-sponsored coverage for low-income children. Those subsidies would help keep private insurance affordable. An eclectic mix of business interests, consumer groups and medical providers lobbied aggressively for expansion of the program, including the National Governors Association, labor unions, the retiree group AARP, the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. When Congress enacted the $700 billion financial bailout last fall, "we were told you've got to take care of Wall Street if you want to take care of Main Street," said Sister Carol Keehan, president of the Catholic Health Association of the United States. "Well, Main Street can never be safe if their children don't have health care." Staff writer Perry Bacon Jr. contributed to this report. Copyright 2009 Washington Post. Every Peanut Product From Ga. Plant Recalled FDA: Toss Out Anything Made in 2007-08 By Lyndsey Layton Washington Post Thursday, January 29, 2009; A01 In one of the largest food recalls in history, the Food and Drug Administration asked retailers, manufacturers and consumers yesterday to throw out every product made in the past two years from peanuts processed by a Georgia plant at the heart of a deadly nationwide outbreak of salmonella illness. The action came after federal officials discovered this month that the company, Peanut Corporation of America, knowingly shipped products contaminated with salmonella 12 times in 2007 and 2008, prompting a congresswoman to call yesterday for a criminal investigation by the Justice Department. Michael Rogers of the FDA said the company violated good manufacturing practices by selling peanut products that had tested positive for salmonella bacteria in inspections commissioned by the firm. He said it turned over records of its inspections only after the FDA invoked special authority given to it by Congress in 2002 under laws to prevent bioterrorism. But Rogers would not say whether the company would face sanctions. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment on whether the agency is evaluating the matter. A spokesman for Peanut Corporation of America, based in Lynchburg, Va., has said that the company complied with all requests by regulators from "Day One" of their investigation. "We have been devastated by this, and we have been working around the clock with the FDA to ensure any potentially unsafe products are removed from the market immediately," the company's president, Stewart Parnell, said last night in a written statement. The company also said that its goal "over the past 33 years has always been to follow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's good manufacturing practices in order to provide a safe product for consumers." The company's plant in Blakely, Ga., produces peanut butter, paste, meal and granules that are used in products including ice cream, snack crackers and dog biscuits. Since early this month, when federal investigators traced the salmonella contamination to the plant, more than 400 products made with peanut butter or paste from the facility were recalled. That represented products made with peanut ingredients handled by the plant since July 1. But yesterday's move expands the recall to all peanut products that came out of the Blakely plant since Jan. 1, 2007. Federal officials said they do not know how many consumer products will be affected. "We don't have a good idea right now in terms of how much of that product is still out there; it may have largely been consumed," said Stephen Sundlof, director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Federal officials found four different strains of Salmonella enterica at the plant, raising questions about whether products besides peanut butter and paste may have been contaminated. The outbreak of salmonella illness, which began in late summer and is ongoing, has been linked to eight deaths, including two in Virginia. In all, about 500 people in 43 states and Canada have become ill. About 22 percent were hospitalized, and about half of those affected are children. Health officials said they will work with companies supplied by Peanut Corporation of America to continually update a recall list that is available on the FDA's Web site. The Web site details a long list of popular products that are affected, including candies, cookies, snack bars and snack mixes. Peanut Corporation of America, which also has plants in Virginia and Texas, is a relatively small company, but the contamination's impact is large because the peanuts the plant processes are turned into hundreds, if not thousands, of food products. Once federal investigators traced the current outbreak to the Blakely plant, they made 14 visits earlier this month and documented unsanitary conditions, poor practices and structural problems that invited bacterial contamination. The inspection reports, made public yesterday by the FDA, detail mold growing on a ceiling, rainwater leaking into the production area from skylights, gaps in the building where rodents could enter, dead roaches and inadequate ventilation, among other defects. Raw peanuts, which can carry bacteria, were stored in proximity to roasted peanuts, increasing the chances for contamination, the report said. Peanut products ready for packaging were stored 15 feet from a spot where a swab tested positive for one of four salmonella strains that the FDA said existed in the plant. A single sink was used by workers to wash their hands as well as utensils and mops, making it possible to pass contaminants among all three. The last time the FDA inspected the plant was in 2001, officials said yesterday. In 2006, the agency contracted inspections to the Georgia Department of Agriculture. State inspectors visited the plant about twice a year, but in 2008 they did not check for salmonella. The state inspection reports all seemed to play down deficiencies, saying all that was needed was routine follow-up. The outbreak of salmonella illness has spurred two civil lawsuits against the company. Yesterday, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), chairwoman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture and the FDA, said she will ask the Justice Department to investigate possible criminal charges against plant officials. She also wants the FDA's inspector general to review the agency's inspection contracts with the state of Georgia and others. Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) introduced a bill yesterday that would increase resources and regulatory authority for the FDA. "The Food and Drug Administration can't and doesn't do its job, and American lives are at risk," Dingell said. "We're killing Americans." Sundlof of the FDA defended his agency. "It's the responsibility of the industry to produce safe products. The FDA is not in the plants on a continuous basis. We do rely on inspections to find problems when they exist. It's just as if it were an individual citizen: We expect individual citizens to obey the law. Occasionally, they don't obey the law, and when they don't, it's the responsibility of the regulatory agency to take the appropriate action, which is what we're doing." Copyright 2009 Washington Post. Nursing Industry Desperate for Employees Baltimore Afro-American Wednesday, January 7, 2009 (January 7, 2009) - Hospitals, health care facilities and adult home care companies around the nation are desperate–– not because of the crumbling economy or a lack of financial resources -- but for new hires, the Associated Press reported. In a country riddled with layoffs and cutbacks, the nursing industry has become so sparse that recruiters have been forced to become imaginative. At Residential Home Health in Michigan, organizers literally rolled out a red carpet at a hiring event and lavished registered nurses and healthcare workers with free champagne and a trivia contest. Prizes included a one-year lease for a 2009 SUV, dinner and hotel stays. “We’re committed to finding ways to creatively engage with passive job seekers,” said David Curtis, president of the Madison Heights-based company. In Milwaukee, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare dished out $50 gas cards for experienced nurses that came to interview. Even hefty salaries have not increased the number of nurses. In 2007, registered nurses made an average of $62,480, according to government statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics predicts about 233,000 additional registered nursing jobs will become available through 2016, adding to the whopping 2.5 million existing positions. But in 2007, only 200,000 candidates passed the Registered Nurse licensing exam and thousands leave the profession annually. Cheryl Peterson, the director of nursing practice and policy for the American Nurses Association in Silver Spring, Md., said employers should consider hiking up salaries and relaxing work conditions. “The wages haven’t kept up with the level of responsibility and accountability nurses have,” said Peterson, whose organization champions nurses’ interests and rights. She says chronic understaffing will lead to overworked nurses and a plethora of other problems, including patient care. Copyright 2009 Baltimore Afro-American. *Opinion* --- BACK TO TOP


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