Home » Content

NHMA NET June 2009

Submitted by Elena Rios MD on Thu, 06/18/2009 - 21:26

 

National Hispanic Medical Association NHMA NET June 2009
Washington, DC Update
NHMA joins the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, 40 national Hispanic organizations in calling the Senate to confirm Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court based on her outstanding qualifications and career – we urge you to call your Senator with your support.
Health Reform Legislation Efforts Announced across the Political Spectrum
President Obama and White House announce www.healthreform.gov website for your input on health reform legislation as it is designed and debated---and plan meetings with the public.
Senator Kennedy and the HELP Committee announced his 600 page draft of health reform policies called the American Health Choices Act with a focus on : insurance, including public option patterned after Medicare, prevention, quality, long term care, fraud and abuse, and workforce transformation.
Senator Baucus and the Finance Committee and Congress TriCommittee to announce their bills next week. The schedule of hearings starts in 2 weeks and runs through July and will continue in September. Advocates are gearing up for a very busy summer..stay tuned for our NHMA website (www.nhmamd.org) NHMA Legislative Alerts for letter-writing to your Congressman. 
 
Congress TriCommittee (Commerce, Ways&Means, Ed and Labor) announce their outline foraffordable, insurance reform, quality, prevention and workforce priorities this week also.
Conservative Republicans introduced the Patients’ Choice Act on May 20 as an alternative to plans outlined by the Democrats.  According to the Congressman Paul Ryan, one of the four sponsors of the bill, “‘The Patients’ Choice Act’ promotes innovative, State-based solutions, along with fundamental reforms in the tax code, to give every American, regardless of employment status, age, or health condition, the ability and the resources to purchase health insurance. The comprehensive legislation includes concrete prevention and transparency initiatives, long overdue reforms to Medicare and Medicaid, investments in wellness programs and health IT, and more.” The bill would eliminate the tax subsidy for employer-provided health insurance and replace it with a different tax subsidy for individual purchase of health insurance.
Congressman Conyers testifies in Congressional Hearing on Single Payer Health Plan ----June 10th. The NHMA supports the plan to increase access to all Americans through expansion of public insurance – such as a government administered program and hopes that the Health Reform legislation will consider a Medicare-like public option as a step towards this alternative. 
 
White House and Health Reform
Secretary Sebelius, White House Health Reform Director De Parle, and Public Engagement Director Tchen meet with Key Minority Health Organization Leaders, June 9th
NHMA President invited to the first of a series of meetings on health disparities in health reform and the consensus building on priority policy recommendations. NHMA presented its Summit Series Recommendations (access, prevention, workforce) to the health reform team of the Administration. There was a positive sense that reform discussions are an opportunity to bring ideas that can transform health care and reduce health disparities if we can engage our organizations and our communities now ----- See the White House website healthreform.gov for the video and report for the meeting.
 
Congressional Hispanic Caucus
CHC Leaders Invites Key Hispanic Organizations Leaders to Help Draft Recommendations for Health Reform, May 5, 2009
NHMA Chairman of the Board, Dr. Ciro Sumaya and NHMA President and CEO, Dr. Elena Rios address Chairman, CHC, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and Chairman, CHC Health and Environment Task Force, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal Allard and present NHMA recommendations for health reform on “Improving the Workforce and Culturally Competent and Linguistically Appropriate Services”. Rios asked to lead the writing of this section of the white paper being developed for the White House and Congress national debate.
Other organizations working on the paper with NHMA include the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, the Latino Forum of Health Executives, the National Latino Behavioral Association, HACU, LULAC, and others.
More Health Reform Activities this Month -
Tricaucus (Congressional Black, Hispanic and Asian Caucuses) announces their plan to introduce their Health Equity and Accountability Bill -- to champion for increased focus on federal support for prevention and data collection on subgroups, language and cultural competence reimbursement and clearinghouse, strengthening both the National Center for Health Disparities Research and the Office of Minority Health. NHMA supports the Tricaucus to improve the health in all our communities and will have letters to send to Congress in support of the bill as it is introduced next week.
Senate HELP Committee convenes second Stakeholder Meeting to report progress on health care reform legislation concepts. Their first draft of concepts released May 21, 2009. Six priority areas :
“We begin with our goals for the improvement of American health care:
  • Assuring reliable, high quality and affordable health insurance for all Americans
  • Improving value by creating a higher quality, more efficient delivery system
  • Building a new framework to enhance prevention and wellness
  • Creating a durable structure of long term supports and services for seriously disabled Americans
  • Rooting out fraud and abuse in the public and private health systems
  • Establishing shared responsibility and paying appropriately and fairly for reform”
“Addressing health disparities: We need to make sure health disparities, including differences in race, ethnicity, gender, and vulnerable populations are taken into account when developing quality measures. We will also expand scholarship and loan repayment programs to minorities to enter into health professions so they may return to serve the communities they come from. Additionally, we will provide technical assistance to implement quality improvement activities that can be adopted in different settings serving different populations. Finally, to improve patient engagement in shared treatment decision making, we require that tools and training are culturally component and health literate to engage patients.”
NHMA and other Hispanic organizations works with Congressional Committees on health care reform workforce recommendations – including increased and expanded efforts for diversity in recruitment and retention (HCOP) and the faculty development and curriculum programs (COE); Regional approaches to these programs as well as longer term grants; new Leadership Development Program such as the NHMA Leadership Fellowship for health professionals from our communities to aspire to national public health careers. During this month, NHMA has coordinated Congressional meetings to discuss priorities around public health, Puerto Rico federal funding increases, prevention cultural competence and language services and workforce expansion for Hispanic recruitment and career pathways to leadership for all health professions.
 
MORE NHMA PROGRAMS
PORTAL COMMUNITY DISCUSSION ON HISPANIC HEALTH REFORM STRATEGIES = Thanks to the first members and colleagues who have joined our discussion on the Forum of our HispanicHealth.info portal on bringing forward their strategies to increase insurance coverage, quality, prevention and workforce. NHMA plans to share all recommendations with the Senate and Congress staff this month. We will continue the portal discussion throughout June to capture more dialogue among our physicians and colleagues.
NHMA CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING – Comparative Effectiveness Research and Health Disparities, June 17, 2009, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm, Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill. Congresswoman Roybal Allard, Congresswoman Christensen, Congresswoman Bordallo, Dr. Carolyn Clancy, Administrator of AHRQ, Dr. Garth Graham, Director, Office of Minority Health, NMA, AARP, Consumers Union, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and NHMA to address strategies to expand this research to reduce health disparities in the minority communities. The briefing is supported by a grant from the California Endowment. Over 150 national organizations and Congressional staff expected to learn more on health disparities issues and priorities for health reform research.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of February 2009 provided a new $1Billion of CER through AHRQ and NIH to support clinical and cost effectiveness research for medical delivery of treatment, including medicines and medical devices, for various diseases. Health reform will include this efforts to create new knowledge and tools for physicians in clinical practice.
NHMA Foundation, the National Hispanic Health Foundation and the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation convene an Invitational Summit: “Strategies to Improve Disparities in the Health Workforce and Title VII of the PHS Act”, June 22, 2009, New York Academy of Medicine. 25 leaders from across the nation to develop recommendations to improve Title VII to increase diversity in the workforce, given the critical need for minority health professionals in the US, especially, with the projected emerging majority of the US population from our racial/ethnic communities. Of note, leaders from the Department of Education and Department of Labor invited to discuss linking health career programs with Title VII ----
Redes en Accion ---NHMA advocating for the Cancer Legislation winding way in Senate as well as the Tobacco Control legislation ----working to decrease cancer in our communities. Interns this summer helping to develop members and linkage to Hispanic medical students and residents interested in cancer research.
NHHF receives $100K from United Health Foundation for Scholarships for medical, nursing, dental, public health and policy students for the 2009 National Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship Program to be awarded in December in New York City. See our website – www.nhmafoundation.org for the application this month.
NHHF and NHMA working with our Corporate Advisory Council Members to discuss partnerships to build our programs ---we appreciate the commitment to help build our organizations from Johnson and Johnson, Pfizer, Wyeth, Gilead Health Sciences, Aetna, PhRMA, Astra Zeneca, Eli Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim, Abbott, Merck. Call us if you are interested or know of corporations to invite to work with us!
(NHHF Office – David Caicedo, 212 -992-8706)
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NHMA 2008 SUMMIT SERIES ON HEALTH DISPARITIES AND HISPANICS REPORT Publication on Website this month
Recommendations have been shared with the health reform stakeholders all year ---since providing them to the presidential campaign health advisors in April and July 2008 NHMA policy summits, the democrat (August ) and republican (September) national conventions, and with Senate Health Reform briefing in August 08, Congressional Hispanic Caucus and White House transition team in December.
 
Congratulations to our MEMBERS receiving HONORS –
Nellie Correa, MD of New York ----honored for Woman of the Year by the National Organization of Women for her accomplishments to improve health of women
Linda Griego of Los Angeles and a member of the NHMA Board Advisory Council ----by Hispanics in Philanthropy for her accomplishments in philanthropy to advance Latino community development
 
2009 Call for Applications
 
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Physician Faculty Scholars program is intended to strengthen the leadership and academic productivity of junior medical school faculty who are dedicated to improving health and health care. The Foundation will make up to 15 awards of $300,000 over three years in 2010 to help young physicians develop their careers in academic medicine. In addition, we will select up to five physicians to serve as Veterans Affairs (VA) Faculty Scholars of the Physician Faculty Scholars Program.
 
The program strongly favors applicants who are interested in the fields of health policy research, epidemiology, health services research or community-based research, especially when applied to the study of minority health and health care disparities.
 
The program offers:
·         at least 50 percent protected time for three years;
·         funds to support a research project;
·         national and local mentorship; and
·         collaboration with other talented scholars.
 
Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents in active junior faculty positions from any discipline that can lead to tenure or the institutional equivalent. To be eligible for a VA Faculty Scholar position, physicians must be first year VA Career Development awardees. This program embraces racial, ethnic, gender and disciplinary diversity, and encourages applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds.
 
Application Deadline
August 28, 2009
Please join us in developing health advocacy and health leadership programs for our community and our members ---go to www.nhmamd.org to join as a member or to contribute to the NHMA and NHHF.
 
2009 Call for Applications
 
 
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Physician Faculty Scholars program is intended to strengthen the leadership and academic productivity of junior medical school faculty who are dedicated to improving health and health care. The Foundation will make up to 15 awards of $300,000 over three years in 2010 to help young physicians develop their careers in academic medicine. In addition, we will select up to five physicians to serve as Veterans Affairs (VA) Faculty Scholars of the Physician Faculty Scholars Program.
 
The program strongly favors applicants who are interested in the fields of health policy research, epidemiology, health services research or community-based research, especially when applied to the study of minority health and health care disparities.
 
The program offers:
·         at least 50 percent protected time for three years;
·         funds to support a research project;
·         national and local mentorship; and
·         collaboration with other talented scholars.
 
Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents in active junior faculty positions from any discipline that can lead to tenure or the institutional equivalent. To be eligible for a VA Faculty Scholar position, physicians must be first year VA Career Development awardees. This program embraces racial, ethnic, gender and disciplinary diversity, and encourages applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds.
 
Application Deadline
August 28, 2009
 
The complete call for applications is available on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Web site at www.rwjf.org/cfp/physicianfacultyscholars and the program’s Web site at http://rwjfpfsp.stanford.edu or by calling (650) 566-2348.
 
A national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
 
For more information visit www.rwjf.org.